NEW CHINA INVESTMENT CORP. CHAIR

Peng Chun， former Chairman of the Bank of Communications （BOC）， has been appointed chairman of the China Investment Corp. （CIC）， the countrys sovereign wealth fund. The post had been vacant since February 2017 after Chairman Ding Xuedong was named deputy secretary general of the State Council.

With registered capital of $200 billion， the CIC was established in 2007 as a vehicle to diversify Chinas foreign exchange holdings.

Peng， 57， received a masters degree from the Graduate School of the Peoples Bank of China （PBC）， now the PBC School of Finance at Tsinghua University， in 1986 and a PhD in economics from Shanghaibased East China Normal University in 2006.

He joined the BOC in 1994 and became its vice president in 2001. After serving as vice president of the CIC from 2010 to 2013， he returned to the BOC as its president in 2013 and assumed the post of chairman in 2018.

In addition， Vice President of the CIC Ju Weimin has taken over the presidency from Tu Guangshao， who retired earlier this year.

Science Shows

Guangming Daily April 1

Science programs on TV play an important role in popularizing scientifi c knowledge. However， most of them are not as popular as entertainment programs because they are often dry and boring.

Therefore， they should be innovative and use interesting elements to attract viewers. For instance， some programs have used magnificent sets and props to attract viewers. Forward to the Future， an annual program broadcast on the state broadcaster China Central Television（CCTV） since 2016 invited ordinary people and celebrities in the entertainment arena to do scientific experiments together to convey to the audience the wonders and beauty of science.

In addition to innovation， science programs should be accurate and professional. For instance， Super Brain， a science program imported from Germany by Jiangsu Television， showcases the infi nite potential of the human brain. Though the content has remained the same for six years， the format has changed constantly to retain viewers interest.

A CCTV program on artificial intelligence（AI） demonstrates the latest developments in the technology in various sectors through competition between humans and robots， inspiring the audience to reflect on how humans should face AI.

The purpose of science programs should be to bring seemingly difficult and complicated scientifi c knowledge into peoples lives smoothly.

Energy Revolution

Oriental Outlook April 4

Datong， a major coal producer in north Chinas Shanxi Province 300 km from Beijing， was notorious for its polluted air. However， the situation has changed in recent years as the city promotes an energy revolution with the focus on encouraging new-energy vehicles and developing wind and solar power.

Datong has advantages for developing the solar industry since it enjoys 2，800 hours of sunshine on average annually. Also， it has rich land resources including sunken land， the residue of coal mining. The solar panels in the sunken area are widely spaced with shrubs planted in between to conserve water and soil and promote ecological protection.

In addition， its strong power grid can transmit the electricity generated by solar power to Beijing， Tianjin and some cities in neighboring Hebei Province.

Datong also has a science and technology park to promote scientific innovation and incubate emerging industries such as high-end equipment manufacturing， ecommerce， culture， tourism and ecological agriculture.

However， the energy revolution is not meant to end the use of coal but to promote clean and effi cient consumption.

The Datong Coal Mine Group has built a circular economy park to promote green，diversified and low-carbon coal use. A circular economy is an economic system to reduce waste generation and optimize the utilization of resources.

The transformation of the energy mix has boosted tourism in the ancient city with a wealth of historical and cultural sites. Today， even during the slack season of November and December， many tourists still go either for sightseeing or recuperation. A high-speed railway will be completed this year， reducing the travel time between Beijing and Datong to 100 minutes， which is expected to boost the number of visitors.

Old Is Gold

Peoples Daily April 1

Today， seniors are increasingly availing themselves of the convenience and entertainment resulting from technological progress. According to a survey by Google and global market research and consulting fi rm Ipsos， 59 percent of U.S. citizens above 67 log on to social networking platforms at least once a day.

As they explore a more technologically advanced way of life， the silver economy is growing. According to projections by Bank of America Merrill Lynch wealth management division， the silver economy market will reach $15 trillion by 2020.

One important feature of the silver economy is intelligent products. Robots that can take care of the elderly， equipment that can locate people suffering from Alzheimers and other kinds of intelligent appliances have improved senior citizens quality of life while injecting vitality into the market.

The silver economy has also become a new driving force for social progress. The Japanese vision is to build a super smart society， using artifi cial intelligence （AI）， the Internet of Things and big data to provide diverse products and services to ease the pressure of an aging society.

According to a government document released in January， Japan aims to become an “ageless society” where people over 65 will not be automatically regarded as seniors but will be encouraged to stay healthy and continue to work.

Japans experience may provide some references for China to address the challenges from an aging society.

EXPLORER STARTS AROUND-THE-WORLD FLIGHT

Zhang Bo， 57， kicked off his second flight around the world from Chicago on April 2 in a Diamond DA42 aircraft.

Zhang plans to fl y to Canada， then the Arctic Circle， cross the Davis Strait into Greenland and Iceland and go further into Europe. He will subsequently turn toward Turkey， Kazakhstan and Russia before passing through China. He will then go through northeast China， Russia， the Bering Strait and fl y back to Chicago. The trip will pass through 23 countries and is scheduled to take two months.

Zhang made history in 2016 when he made his fi rst fl ight around the world in a propeller-driven aircraft. Compared to the fi rst fl ight， Zhang faces bigger challenges this time， since the aircraft he is fl ying is piston-propelled and has no pressure cabin， which means it has limited endurance and fl ying altitude.

“The most important thing is that we have a strong relationship， not just the governments， but our people， and we can do that by having more Chinese visitors come to New Zealand， but also more New Zealanders going to visit China.”

New Zealands Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis， speaking of the launch of the 2019 China-New Zealand Year of Tourism in Wellington on March 30

“China has provided really wonderful support for rice research and development all over the developing world.”

Gary Atlin， senior program offi cer of the Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation， commenting on a project supported by the Chinese Government and the foundation， which has bred 78 new rice varieties since its launch in 2008

“We expect the Chinese aviation industry to grow with its own characteristics. That will make the global aviation industry more diversified and be good for mutual learning and better cooperation.”

Ed Bolen， President and CEO of the U.S. National Business Aviation Association， ahead of the Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition in Shanghai on April 16-18

“We want to see the trade issues between China and the United States get resolved. We dont have any control over it， of course， but we hope for resolution.”

Jim Wunderman， President and CEO of the Bay Area Council， in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency