April 26, 2013

Editors from the EO's Chinese website publish a daily collection of extracts from commentary pieces on topical issues that appear in the mainland press alongside reactions on Sina Weibo. Every Friday, the EO's English team translates a selection of these opinion pieces.

Ya’an Earthquake Rescue
Background: After the General Office of the State Council issued a notice barring non-emergency rescue workers and volunteers from going to the earthquake disaster areas on their own, the Ministry of Transport announced that Lushan County has started to implement transportation control. Ambulances, equipment needed to clear blocked roads, and vehicles transporting emergency goods and materials may pass through first.

Commentary:
Saving people is above all else. We should have some introspection after experiencing the painful Wenchuan and Yushu earthquakes. Were we not still lacking thorough scientific planning when this big disaster came?
Nanfang Metropolis Daily
Original article: [Chinese]

Helping others though volunteering during a major disaster should be sincere, but also scientific. It cannot be blind action and enthusiasm. By being scientific, life-saving can be maximized.
Dongfang Daily
Original article: [Chinese]

The public gave high attention to the Lushan earthquake, which is the result of thinking highly of individual life. The more concerned people are about human life, the stronger the reaction from the public becomes. This demonstrates progress in the nation.
Beijing News
Original article: [Chinese]

As one netizen put it, there should be moderate emotional expression. The media should stop sensationalizing things. Disaster areas are not a place to create stars. The media should be the most mature and focus on being the voice for people afflicted by disaster.
China Youth Daily
Original article: [Chinese]

Officials Confronted by Citizens During Luxury Banquet
Background: The Administrative Committee of Binjiang Industrial Park in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province was confronted by local residents while enjoying a luxury banquet in its internal reception center. The local residents were enraged by the extravagant feast and refused to let the officials leave. Zhang Aihua, director of the administrative committee, kneeled down and begged for mercy. Video and photos of the incident circulated online and On Apr 22, Zhang was removed from office by the Municipal Party Committee of Taizhou city.

Commentary:
Onlookers happened to catch one “kneeling official,” but to build a government free of corruption, we should rely on a solid long-lasting system. Only by improving the system can officials lose these opportunities for extravagance
Beijing Times
Original article: [Chinese]

The public has both the passion and the impetus to supervise officials. Therefore, the disciplinary inspection departments should regard the public as its ally and offer more convenience for their supervision.
Nanfang Metropolis Daily
Original article: [Chinese]

Japanese Politicians Visit the Yasukuni Shrine
Background: On the morning of Apr 23, 168 top Japanese leaders visited the Yasukuni Shrine as it held its annual spring memorial ceremony. According to Japanese media reports, the number of members involved in this visit was a record high since 1989. Visits to the shrine, which memorializes several World War II “Class A war criminals,” have long angered China and Korea.

Commentary:
The Yasukuni Shrine problem is an old issue, but Japanese politicians continue to dodge it, which exposes the timidity in their hearts. They are far from the righteous leaders they present themselves as to the Japanese people. 
Beijing Times
Original article: [Chinese]

Photo: Xinhua

MIIT Responds to WeChat Charge
Background: On Apr 23, Zhang Feng, a press spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), told reporters that in accordance with the current laws and regulations, the government would leave the pricing of Internet and mobile Internet innovations up to the market. Zhang emphasized that the question of whether WeChat (微信) – a mobile text and voice messaging service run by Tencent - will charge customers or how any future charges might be levied, is something that will be decided by the operator based on market conditions and the government will not interfere.

Commentary:
This is a victory of rights over power. Under pressure from public opinion, the authorities have stepped back. But what is more important is that we should build a system and set up some procedures and practices so as to set a precedent for next time. If we have more precedents, this will naturally evolve into the established way of handling issues such as these. Only in this way will companies in the future be able to walk with their heads held high down this path that we have built.
Oriental Morning Post (东方早报)
Original article: [Chinese]

It is common for government agencies interfere on such a micro level. On the surface, this announcement from MIIT with regards to WeChat is just about not interfering, but in reality it actually amounts to something.
Beijing Times (京华时报)
Original article: [Chinese]

In order to construct a "Great Society" and reduce the size of government, we need to continue to delegate power to the market and society. We should hand over everything that the government should not interfere with and cannot do well to the market and society. Only in this way can the burden of governing be eased and more energy can be spent on serving society.
Guangzhou Daily (广州日报)
Original article: [Chinese]

Online Shopping: Refunds Within Seven Days?
Background: China's consumer rights law, which has been in effect for almost 20 years, is about to be overhauled. Draft amendments to the law were submitted for deliberation at a recent meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Various draft amendments have sparked controversy, including whether to expand the scope of the law and whether to include a clause that will allow customers to renege on a transaction.

Commentary:
We cannot pin all our hopes on simply improving the law. A consumer rights law can't achieve everything but enforcement of the law should have teeth. The government needs to provide more support by making it systematically more feasible to strictly enforce the law. In order to make the dealers adhere to the law, law enforcement agencies need to first respect the law and implement it. This is at the core of making sure that the amended law can exist in reality.
China Business View (华商报)
Original article: [Chinese]

Whether the new consumer protection law will ultimately "scratch the itch" of the consumer depends on whether its enforcement can "poke the sore spots" of the traders. That's not to say that the consumers and retailers are destined to be at each other's throats, but when push comes to shove, the law is the only standard that we can rely on.
Chongqing Morning Post (重庆晨报)
Original article: [Chinese]