Issue Wrap No. 500, December 27, 2010

By English Edition Staff
Published: 2010-12-31

Highlights from the EO print edition, Issue 500, December 27, 2010. This week's paper is a special feature comprised of letters written by ninety public figures. A selection of those letters can be found below...

The Urban-rural Income Gap Could be Controlled
Ge Honglin, Chengdu City Deputy Secretary and Mayor
~Objectively speaking, Chengdu city has had good development over the last year. Urban and rural residents' income has increased remarkably, and the guaranteed housing system has continuously improved.
~Chengdu also made a huge contribution to China's economy. Chengdu turned over revenue to the state worth more than 50 billion yuan, the most of any City in the central and western regions of China. The past year has also witnessed further improvement in the investment climate in Chengdu.
~Others can learn from our experience. Last year, we reformed the household registration system and the rural land property rights system, and it turned out that development is not just constrained to urban areas and the urban-rural income gap can be controlled. The income gap in Chengdu is way below the national average and it is further getting reduced.
Original Article: [Chinese]

Public Participation in Putting Pressure on Enterprise Pollution Treatment
Ma Jun, Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs Director
~As the center of the world processing industry, China is facing big environmental conservation pressure. 60 percent of rivers that were monitored have been found to be polluted, and the air quality of more than half of China's important cities has been found to be below the legal standard.
~To overcome these issues, we think public oversight is a powerful force that can push environmental conservation forward.
~Because the public needs more information, my team created two pollution databases that contain water pollution maps and air pollution maps, collaborated with NGOs, and has advised banks to pay more attention to a company's environmental performance before lending them money and so on. All of these actions have been successful.
~In the next decade, China will still be in the process of fast-paced industrialization. We believe in the public, and they will make a green decision.
Original Article: [Chinese]

New Oriental Gives me Half Happiness
Yu Minhong, New Oriental Chairman & CEO
~If I evaluate my current life, I think it is half-way happy, and New Oriental gave me this happiness.
~New Oriental is my career and my responsibility, which brought me big achievements and wealth, but meanwhile I lost a lot. I lost the time that I am supposed to spend with my family, I lost the moments that I am supposed to share with the people I like, I lost my own spare time and hobbies, and even my own health.
~New Oriental gave me a lot and took away a lot from me. We hope New Oriental can always improve, but I want to move away from management slowly and gradually, in order to get more time to enjoy my life. I hope to allow myself more time to relax, and also to make New Oriental better.
Original Article: [Chinese]

Everyone has the Power to Change
Gao Ruibin, China HP Chairman
~After years of development, China has now become the world's second largest economy and has made advances in many fields all over the world. China provides the main force for the world's economic recovery, and technology will play an important role in that process.
~Science and technology impact the environment. As technological improvements such as MagCloud occur, environmental protection will develop more methods and take more forms.
~Technology can also narrow the income gap and meet societal needs. It is the driving force of innovation, productiveness and evolution.
Original Article: [Chinese]

Why are we not Happy?
Zhou Libo, actor, popular Shanghai standup comedian
~I love Shanghai very much and hope the city is getting better, but the new Shanghai generation has too many doubts and complaints.
~Shanghai is full of opportunities and dreams. You should fit in and leave out the complaints about your current situation. The people who have been successful in Shanghai feel grateful for the city.
~I will put more time and attention on my foundations and programs for public good, such as when I gave away all the profits from my wedding.
~We must believe in our dreams and change ourselves instead of changing the reality. If you face life with optimism, you will find happiness very easily.
Original Article: [Chinese]

Chinese Banks Need Professional Managers
Li Fuan, Director of the China Banking Regulatory Commission's Department of Supervision and Coordination of Business Innovation
~I hope China's financial sector may become "international-oriented, open and competitive" in the coming decade.
~I also hope the ability of Chinese banks to run their business may be comparable with their foreign counterparts. Chinese banks need professional managers.
~We need to add a reasonable driving mechanism to the current banking regulatory system. We should also contemplate how to pursue a balanced development in the coming ten years. 
Original Article: [Chinese]

I see a Healthy Housing Market by 2015
Miao Leru, General Secretary of China's Property Association
~I see stable housing prices, an improved housing system as well as a healthy property sector in the next five years.
~The Chinese government has provided 1.8 billion square meters of housing land in 2010, doubling that of the previous year. That will bring about 23.4 million housing units with an area of 100 square meters. If such an increment continues in the 12th five-Year Plan period, 117 million housing units will be constructed by 2015. This increased housing supply will surely alleviate the current tension in China's housing market. 
Original Article: [Chinese]

Don't put Handcuffs on Public Opinion
Xie Chaoping, a media worker and writer who was once detained by local police because of his book Great Migration, which revealed the corruption behind the Three Gorges Project
~Supervision by public opinion is a measure to prevent governments from abusing power and provides the public access to government.
~While in the western world, whether a journalist has committed a crime or not is decided by whether he or she has invaded the public sphere, in China, journalists might be put into prison for offending government officials.
~Numerous stories have told us that the improper usage of administrative power has already impeded the further development of the Chinese economy. If laws and governments cannot protect citizens when they need them, the former will not only no longer be accepted by the latter, but will also lose the latter's trust.
Original Article: [Chinese]

More Freedom is Needed to Cultivate China's Innovation'
Zhang Yaqin, Senior Global Vice President of Microsoft and President of Microsoft's Asia-Pacific Research and Development Group
~Though China has given birth to many innovative companies, including Lenovo, Huawei, Tencent and Alibaba, during the past three decades, it is still not comparable with America in the number of its innovative enterprises, volume of innovative achievements and its power to influence the world.
~China definitely has innovative potential, but it has to set clear innovation goals and optimize its attitude to innovate. Additionally, though technological personnel should be held responsible for China's innovation sector, the Chinese government as well as the whole society should also try to improve the environment for innovation and establish a good social system to encourage it.

Original Article: [Chinese]

Powerful Companies Must be Moral
Jin Zhiguo, Board Chairman of Qingdao Beer
~Though the label "Made in China" can be seen everywhere in the world, products made in China are not widely respected.
~A good reputation is born in good products and services. If we want Chinese products to be respected worldwide, we should manufacture high-quality products, cultivate reputable brands and be responsible.
~If you want to be respected, you should first respect others; if you want to be loved, you should first love others. If you are responsible to others, they will be responsible to you; only when you help others make money will others help you become wealthy. To be more responsible and powerful is the goal I set for Qingdao beer and myself in the coming year.
Original Article: [Chinese]