WINNER OF THE BEST ACTRESS AWARD

WINNER OF THE BEST ACTRESS AWARD

Zhou Dongyu received the best actress award at the 33rd China Golden Rooster Awards in Xiamen， Fujian Province in southeast China， on November 28. Thanks to her performance in Better Days， she became the third actress to bag the recognition at Chinas biggest film awards after Zhou Xun and Zhang Ziyi.

Directed by Derek Kwok-cheung Tsang and starring Zhou and Jackson Yee， Better Days tells the story of two teenagers supporting each other in difficult times.

Zhou， 28， debuted in Under the Hawthorn Tree， a love story released in 2010， directed by Zhang Yimou， one of Chinas most internationally recognized directors. She was a high school student without any acting experience but the veteran filmmaker sensed her potential.

A graduate of Beijing Film Academy， Chinas most respected film school， Zhou， nicknamed little yellow duck by her fans， has since then acted in several blockbusters. One of them， Soulmate， is about the friendship between two girls and fetched Zhou the best actress trophy at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards in Taipei， Chinas Taiwan， in 2016.

Early Childhood Education

www.gmw.cn November 27

The early years of education have been increasingly gaining attention among Chinese parents for their importance in forming a childs behavior and attitude and habit of learning. According to www.qcc.com， a website providing corporate information， the number of registered early childhood education companies had reached 37，000 in May， resulting in a 300-billion-yuan （$44.18 billion） market.

This indicates the unprecedented emphasis given to early childhood education by parents today. A scientific early education is beneficial for childrens brain development. However， Chinas early childhood education presents a stark picture. The lack of teachers well-versed in the scientific education theory is a common problem in such institutions， affecting childrens long-term growth.

For instance， some organizations make preschool children recite the ratio between a circles circumference and diameter， to develop their memory and concentration， though it is a challenging math concept for preschoolers. It cannot foster an interest in their studies， which is an essential target of childhood education.

Therefore， there should be a comprehensive regulation to ensure a minimum level for entering the industry. There should also be a common evaluation mechanism and standards to manage the industry and protect consumers. It is necessary to improve the personnel training system and ensure the agencies offer better services to the market.

Retaining Talents

Nanfang Daily November 29

Graduates entering the elderly care service industry will enjoy a 60，000 yuan （$9，144） reward， according to a recent document issued by the Beijing Municipal Government. It proposes to give young people financial support to attract more graduates to elderly care services. Pay is an important factor in choosing a career， and rewarding pay will attract graduates and inject more energy into the industry in the short term.

Elderly care services have seen increasing demand for talents in recent years. China is experiencing a significant demographic change. By 2022， people aged over 65 will make up 14 percent of the population. Nearly one tenth of them will be unable to perform basic functions like dressing， eating and bathing on their own. Also， 25.4 percent of aged people will require all-round care.

However， the supply of nursing care lags far behind the demand， with a widening talent gap. According to international standards， there should be one nurse per three disabled elderly. But there is a shortage of nearly 10 million nursing staff in China. A long-term plan， including promotion， incentive mechanisms and enhanced social respect， is necessary to address the shortage.

Today， only 40 percent of those who work in the industry stay there for over two years. Besides the low salary， many graduates lack an understanding of the industry， resulting in psychological gaps in professional skills， career identity and other aspects. This is another reason for the high turnover rate.

Graduates should learn skills at nursing institutions to form a realistic understanding of the industry. Given the high labor intensity and poor pay， a sense of accomplishment and professional identity is needed to foster longterm dedication to the industry.

Deep-Sea Exploration

Beijing Youth Daily November 29

Chinas new deep-sea manned submersible Fendouzhe， also known as Striver， returned to Hainan Province in south China on November 27 after completing its ocean expedition. The vessel set a national diving record of 10，909 meters on November 10 in the Challenger Deep， the deepest known point of Earths oceans， located at the southern end of the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean.

The development of the home-made Fendouzhe began in 2016. It involved nearly 1，000 scientists and researchers from about 100 research institutions， colleges and enterprises. Compared to its predecessors， its cabin and buoyancy materials are more pressure-resistant. Besides， Fendouzhe has a safe and powerful energy system， and an advanced control and positioning system.

The successful sea trial verified the various functions and performances of the submersible and marked a breakthrough in deep-sea equipment and technologies. It also marked Chinas entry into the first echelon of deep-sea scientific research and will provide strong technical support for subsequent deep-sea research.

This is expected to lead to the discovery of new marine organisms and ecosystems in the most inhospitable places on Earth， and deepen our understanding of the formation of tectonic plates， along with marine biology， chemistry and conservation. It will also unlock access to a wealth of natural resources.

CHINESE NUCLEAR EXPERT DIES

Li Guanxing， an expert on nuclear materials and techniques， passed away at the age of 80 in Beijing on December 1.

Li， who had worked in Chinas nuclear industry for nearly 50 years， was engaged in research on nuclear fuel and technologies and made important contributions to the development of new materials for nuclear energy development.

He presided over Chinas first production line for fuel rod bundles， which fuel the nuclear reactor， in 2003， for the heavy water reactor power plant in Jiaxing， a city in Zhejiang Province， east China. The production technology， equipment and management at the plant are of international standard.

Li was the director of the Chinese Nuclear Society and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

A graduate from Department of Engineering Physics at Tsinghua University， he was a visiting scholar to Ohio University.

“We need to reconsider what is the danger to all. The danger no longer lies in war， but rather in infectious disease. This is now the biggest threat. Mankind has put so much investment into making weapons rather than investing in public health.”

Shao Yiming， chief expert on AIDS， Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention， to CGTN on December 1

“On the trade and economic side， I fully expect that given a little bit of time， there will be a different approach that leads to growth and not to a decline in trade and investment.”

Craig Allen， President of the U.S.-China Business Council， to Xinhua News Agency on December 1

“The Australian side has made such a scene with this image because it wants to divert attention， avoid the real issue and relieve some pressure off its shoulder.”

Hua Chunying， Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson， at a press conference on December 1

“The current global industrial layout is a manifestation of the objective laws governing economic operations， and the fact that the industrial landscapes of China and the EU are primarily a result of the optimal allocation of global resources， based on market rules.”

Xia Xiang， Minister of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Peoples Republic of China to the EU， in an article in EUobserver， an online European newspaper， on November 26