Reform Themed Sessions

On March 5， 2014， journalists and reporters from China and abroad gathered for the opening ceremony of the 2nd Plenary Session of the 12th National People’s Congress. From March 3 to 13， the two sessions – the National People’s Congress （NPC） and the Chinese People’s Political Consul- tative Conference （CPPCC） – took place in Beijing with reform as the theme.

The word “reform” appeared 77 times in the government report delivered by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang， comprehensively covering monopoly break-up， land， finance， taxation， market access， streamlin- ing administration and implementing decentralization， state-owned property， innovation， and the ecology， which are the most pressing issues for China’s future development. The roadmap for reform has been drawn clearly， with highlights on adjusting patterns of economic growth， restraining governmental powers， intensifying market effects， and improving living standards， while balancing economic growth and social development. The two sessions are revealing that the Chinese government is fully aware of issues arising during reform and is determined to solve them practically through feasible measures.

First-Lady Diplomacy

On March 21， 2014， Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan accompanied U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama to Beijing’s Forbidden City（Palace Museum）. After an invitation from Peng， wife of President Xi Jinping， Michelle Obama began a 7-day trip to China in Beijing on March 20. After Beijing， the tour headed to Xi’an， provincial seat of Shaanxi， and Chengdu， capital of Sichuan Province. Joining Mrs. Obama were her two daughters and mother. Obama’s visit was the first formal trip by a U.S. first lady to China unaccompanied by her husband since China and the United States established diplomatic relations 35 years ago， and Peng’s first hosting of a high-level figure from abroad. Michelle Obama’s visit focused on educational cooperation and cultural exchange among young people in both countries.

Heads Up： Dragon’s Head

On March 2， a salon in a shopping mall in Hangzhou， Zhejiang Province， provided free haircuts for babies to commemorate traditional Dragon Head Raising Festival， observed on the 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month. Legend has it that on this day， the dragon who has dominion over the weather， raises its head to provide sufficient rainfall for crops. The festival began during the Yuan Dynasty （1271-1368） and its popularity became widespread during the Ming and Qing dynasties （1368-1911）. Traditionally， people cooked wheat-based food and stir-fried soybeans to mark the occasion. Today， however， parents take their boys to the barber， which represents a blessing for them to grow healthily and happily.

Mystery in the Sky

March 8， 2014 is already a date etched in history. A Boeing B777-200 departed Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur at 00：41 a.m.， scheduled to land in Beijing at 6：30 a.m. that morning. Of the 239 people on board， 12 were crew， 154 were Chinese passengers， and the rest from 13 other countries. The plane’s communications systems were shut down shortly after takeoff. A massive joint international effort between China， Malaysia， Vietnam， Australia， and the United States still hadn’t produced a single trace of the aircraft. The missing flight inspired myriad theories and caused heavy， long-term anxiety， grief and rage for families who lost contact with their relatives aboard. On March 24， Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak announced certainty that the plane had crashed in the southern Indian Ocean， despite a persisting lack of evidence， provoking despair from families of the missing passengers.

Nation in Grief

On March 7， 2014， Xiong Wenguang， a man who lost his family in the March 1 terrorist attack burned joss paper lamenting the tragedy at Kunming Railway Station in Yunnan Province. The attack took 29 lives and injured 143 more. On March 3， authorities released details about the incident. Of eight assailants， four were shot dead and one（female） was arrested at the scene， and the remaining three attackers were apprehended on March 3.

“It’s neither an ethnic nor religious issue，” commented a CCTV analyst on March 2. “The attackers didn’t represent any ethnic group or religion. They challenged the basic tenets of our human civilization， our national and social stability and public livelihood. Fighting them would be a long-term battle， a trial of strength of willpower and competence. It’s a life-or-death struggle.”

Winter Winners

On March 12， at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi， Russia， Du Haitao from China hit the ski slopes to win. Du was one of ten Chinese athletes competing in six medal events in two sports – crosscountry skiing and wheelchair curling. Even though they returned medal-less， the competitors are still considered victors in life. Du and his team placed 7th in the four by 2.5-kilometer relay. “I’m proud to be a part of the Chinese team，” smiled Du. “Without arms I can still enjoy skiing very much – a sport that has made me confident and happy. Now it’s an indispensable part of my life.”