FATHER OF CHINESE HEPATOBILIARY SURGERY RETIRES

Wu Mengchao， a world-famous Chinese hepatic surgeon， retired at the age of 97 on January 14.

He was the head of the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital attached to the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai.

Born in southeast Chinas Fujian Province in 1922， Wu went to Malaysia with his mother to join his father at the age of 5 and came back to China in 1940. After graduating from the School of Medicine of Shanghai-based Tongji University in 1949， he joined the fi rst hospital affi liated with the Second Military Medical University named Changhai Hospital in Shanghai.

During his 70 years as a hepatic surgeon， Wu made more than 30 major medical innovations and contributed to the establishment and development of Chinas hepatobiliary surgery， helping it reach an advanced level worldwide. In spite of his senior age， Wu still persisted in doing surgeries until his retirement.

Wu was elected an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991 and received the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award， Chinas top scientifi c honor， in 2005.

Attention Economy

Peoples Daily January 9

Nowadays， with people increasingly hooked on mobile terminals such as smartphones， a new form of economy， dubbed the “attention economy，” has taken shape.

In the attention economy， human attention is the scarcest resource with a fl ood of information constantly bombarding consumers as Internet companies vie for their attention to make a profi t.

However， the attention economy is encountering roadblocks as consumerssatisfaction with Internet companies technological products is declining. According to a survey in the United States in early 2018， although teenagers are using social media more frequently， two thirds of the respondents thought social media had a negative impact on them. Some even wished to return to the time when there was no social media.

The problem is due to the low quality of some technological products. Just as in the entertainment industry， where music， fi lms and TV series rely on content to attract attention， technological products also need to improve their quality to meet consumers psychological needs for a better life. Otherwise their profitability will not be sustained.

To solve the problem， more talent who have majored in art and culture should be employed in the Internet industry to balance the current structure of employees dominated by science and engineering majors.

Development Yardsticks

Outlook Weekly January 14

New evaluation standards need be established to promote high-quality development. A guideline passed in September 2018 requires establishing new indicators and evaluation systems for high-quality development.

More importance will be attached to indicators that evaluate the quality and effectiveness of economic growth such as per-capita GDP and labor productivity.

Beijing listed social labor productivity as one of its major economic and social development goals for the first time in 2018.

An optimized economic structure has become a key indicator. For instance， east Chinas Shandong Province has adjusted its economic structure to develop emerging industries such as information technology and high-end equipment industries.

Innovation is regarded as the driver of high-quality development. Indicators such as the proportion of research and development expenditure in the local GDP have been given more consideration in the guideline.

High-quality development is not limited to the economy but also includes social， political and ecological areas. The new standards should focus more on innovation of products and industries， coordinated development between urban and rural areas， as well as environmental sustainability. Openness of the economy and how well people can share the development results should also be considered.

Moreover， the evaluation system for officials should include more indicators to show their involvement in high-quality development programs.

Beyond Ticket Sales

Guangming Daily January 14

According to the 2018-19 Green Book of Chinas Tourism published by the Tourism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences， a number of key tourist destinations have not reduced their admission prices even after the National Development and Reform Commission published a guideline in June 2018， requiring state-owned tourist sites to cut their ticket prices.

Ticket prices ranging from 100 yuan（$15） to several hundred are a fi nancial burden for many tourists， hindering the growth of tourism.

The reluctance of scenic spot authorities to reduce ticket prices refl ects their reliance on ticket sales for revenue. For instance， ticket sales accounted for 80 percent of the revenue of the Yuntai Mountain scenic spot in Jiaozuo， central Chinas Henan Province， in 2017.

Local governments should try to improve the infrastructure in order to attract more tourists. For instance， an expressway along the Taihang Mountain， which runs north to south in Hebei Province in north China and was put into operation at the end of 2018， will undoubtedly promote local tourism.

Moreover， scenic spots should step up innovation to develop more diversified products to increase tourist participation and provide them with enhanced experiences. The future tourism industry will increasingly prioritize customers experience. Over-reliance on tickets will restrict a spots development and result in it being knocked out of competition.

FORMER OFFICIAL UNDER INVESTIGATION

Zhao Zhengyong， former Communist Party of China （CPC） chief of northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province， is being investigated for suspected serious violations of Party disciplinary rules and laws， according to the countrys top anti-graft body on January 15.

Zhao is under investigation by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission.

Born in east Chinas Anhui Province in 1951， Zhao worked for Ma Steel Group in Maanshan City in Anhui starting in 1970， becoming deputy secretary of the Communist Youth League Committee of the company in 1979.

He served as secretary of the Communist Youth League Committee of Maanshan City from 1982 to 1985 and deputy secretary of the CPC Committee of Maanshan City from 1988 to 1992. He was deputy governor of Shaanxi from 2005 to 2011， governor from 2011 to 2012 and secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee from 2012 to 2016.

“The Belt and Road Initiative is in favor of maintaining multilateralism and international cooperation； France and Europe should participate in this initiative in a more active way.”

Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin at the Paris Forum on New Silk Roads， sponsored by the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in France， on January 10

“China has played a positive role in denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and improving inter-Korean relations.”

President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in at a televised New Years press conference on January 10

“Teslas new factory will be a boon to the development of Chinas new energy vehicles sector， pushing forward industrial upgrades and offering domestic buyers more choices.”

Gao Feng， spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce， regarding U.S. electric carmaker Teslas fi rst overseas gigafactory which broke ground in Shanghai on January 7， at a press conference on January 10

“There are so many uncertainties and unpredictable factors in the U.S. market. Well continue to work hard to raise our brand awareness in the U.S. market and move forward.”

Yu Jun， President of the Chinese Guangzhou Automobile Group Motor Co. Ltd.， in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency， talking about the groups market plan for early 2020