Opportunity Knocks

THE development and construction of the Yellow River Delta has become a topic of intense discussion for the central government. In March 2009, a group of nearly 80 officials from 25 ministries and commissions, led by Vice Minister Du Ying of the State Development and Reform Commission, made an investigatory trip to Dongying, Weifang and Binzhou in Shandong Province regarding the planning and construction of the Yellow River Delta Economic Zone. "The State Council has agreed to increase financial and policy ...     

Human Rights Plan:Solve Existing Problems

SINCE ＂respect and protection of human rights＂ was written into the Amendments to the Constitution of thePeople＇s Republic of China in 2004, the Chinese government has set about drawing up implementation details and targets. On April 13, 2009, the Information Office of the State Council issued the National Human Rights Action Plan of China （2009-2010）, outlining goals and measures for the next two years.     

Where’s My Job?

BY early June, one month before graduation, Li Hai-yuan had not landed a job yet.In response to the financial crisis many enterprises have whittled down existing staff positions. Unsurprisingly, much fewer advertisements for new personnel can be seen on the campus this year.     

Thriving Performing Arts Market in China

When the economy dips,the entertainment sector picks up.     

Sharp Eyes for Bonanza of Wealth

Anyone I talked to, whether private entrepreneurs, spokespeople for local trade associations, or government officials, all stressed the positive side of the crisis.L IKE any reporter headed to places like Wenzhou today,     

Wenzhou’s Environmental Growing Pains

IN Wenzhou, waxberries are about to ripen in May on the hill of Jiedai Village, Lecheng Town, Yueqing City. An old man named Huang, owner of the hilly orchard, is full of excitement about the coming harvest. Several years ago, no one dared to eat waxberries from these trees, since they were adjacent to an electroplating factory.     

Xinjiang’s Border Trade Weathering Economic Crisis

YANG Ruiqing, head of the Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau of Altay, Xinjiang, got a call from Kazakhstan on the first of June this year. ＂Our vegetable supplies are low, pushing the prices sky high. Would you mind giving a produce fair by the end of the month to cool down the market a bit？＂ At the other end of the line was Chief of the Foreign Trade Administration for East Kazakhstan State. Before the local harvest season, vegetables there are always several times more expensive than those in neighboring Xinjiang. Yang routinely receives calls for help from his Kazakhstani counterpart at this time of the year.     

When China’s Agricultural Exports Meet Green Barriers

ON June 25 last year,officials from African countries visited Anqiu City in Shandong Province to inspect the quality and safety management of local agricultural products.Located in the central Shandong Peninsula,Anqiu has over 86,700 hectares of prime arable land. Its major agricultural products are peanuts,fruits and vegetables. Agricultural exports are the lifeblood of the city’s economy.     

When in Beijing,Do as the Beijingers Do

AIGBE Henry Erhauyi from Benin City,Nigeria,is the youngest of seven children.In the early days of his adulthood,Henry’s father gave him a piece of good advice:to be truly successful in life,you need to spread your wings and fly to new places.And so in 2009,30-year-old Henry did just     

Sci-Tech Progress Will Propel China’s Agriculture——An Interview with Chen Xiwen, Deputy Director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group and Director of Its General Office

CHINA’s grain output hit 571 million tons in 2011 - 24.7 billion kilograms more than the previous year,so achieving eight consecutive years of sustained grain production growth. The country has also set a new record by maintaining more than 500 million tons of annual grain production over the past five years.There is,however,an old Chinese saying,"If people are to eat every day,crops must be plantedevery year." Both natural and human factors have created uncertainties in China’s grain production.Maintaining grain security is a constant topic in a country with such a large population.Under the challenges of abnormal climate,rising costs and farmers’ waning enthusiasm for growing crops,what does the future hold for China’s agriculture? To find out,China Today interviewed Chen Xiwen,deputy director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group and director of its general office.