TABLE TENNIS STAR RETIRES

Japanese table tennis star Ai Fukuhara expressed special thanks to China and her Chinese fans when she announced on October 21 that she is retiring from the sport.

“I fi rst gripped a racket at the age of three， turned professional at 10 and began playing for the national team at 11，” she wrote in a statement， adding that it had been a long journey.

Fukuhara， 29， was regarded as a child prodigy in Japan. She moved to China for training at five and speaks fluent Mandarin with a northeastern accent. She is well known to her millions of fans in China as the“Japanese Doll.”

The Japanese womens table tennis team led by Fukuhara won silver at the London Olympics in 2012 and bronze at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Fukuhara married a table tennis player originating from Chinese Taipei in 2016 before giving birth to a baby girl last year. She has not competed since then.

Looking to the Future

Peoples Daily October 22

The health of childrens vision is facing new threats as mobile terminals pervade peoples lives.

According to a report on optical health published by Peking University， without effective policy intervention， the number of people suffering from myopia in China will exceed 700 million by 2020. As the age of children suffering from myopia decreases， eight government departments jointly issued a plan aimed at preventing and controlling the disease among children and adolescents.

In reality， whether children should have access to mobiles and whether homework should be done on electronic devices has become of concern to parents and teachers. Some support using electronics in education， claiming that the practice can improve the efficiency of teaching. Others say it can be detrimental to childrens health and promote unfavorable Internet habits.

Technology is now a fundamental part of childrens lives and the key lies with the attitudes of teachers， parents， and manufacturers. Teachers should not solely rely on electronic products but rather teach students how to protect their eyes. Parents should look on electronic products with an open and skeptical mindset and explore how to use them safely. Manufacturers should also develop their products with a view to protecting the health of childrens eyesight.

More importantly， children should be encouraged to go outdoors and embrace nature in order to prevent myopia.

Bolstering Education

Oriental Outlook October 25

Education has played an important role in promoting Chinas rapid social and economic development over the past 40 years of reform and opening up. Compulsory education is especially important as it serves to build value systems， knowledge and skills. Primary and secondary education is critical for a country to improve the standard of living， further social and cultural progress and continue economic gains.

Today， a majority of children in China have access to nine years of compulsory education. However， education gaps between different regions still exist. This is also an issue between rural and urban areas and between different schools.

To bridge the education gap， the country has increased financial support for schools in poor regions and improved the financial aid system for students from impoverished families. The Internet has also played an important role in narrowing the educational gap between different regions. Teachers and students from less developed regions are able to access high-quality educational resources through live streaming platforms.

The country also hopes to cultivate a more versatile population through an education system focused on studentsabilities. Many schools have carried out experiments in cooperation with local enterprises and universities to develop students hobbies and encourage their creativity.

However， China is still far behind developed countries in basic education standards. Students are encouraged to devote time to achieving the grades required for university rather than exploring and nurturing other passions and interests.

Rural Ecological Progress

Guangming Daily October 18

The Rural Vitalization Strategy （2018-22）， recently issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council， requires changing production methods and a shift in lifestyles. According to the report， rural areas must promote ecology vitalization in order to establish a clean environment with a stable and healthy ecological system where humans and nature can exist harmoniously. “Green mountains and clear water are as good as mountains of gold and silver，” the plan said.

The key to improving the ecology in rural areas doesnt simply lie in the construction of relevant infrastructure but in raising rural residents awareness of environmental protection and improving infrastructure. Without enhancing awareness， fi scal investment will simply go to waste， despite a facet that is often overlooked.

Rural ecological vitalization cannot be realized without farmers participation and developing these sustainable habits is a lengthy process. Rules and regulations for environmental protection should be formulated to guide villagers to pursue green lifestyles. Various rural business entities such as cooperatives and family farms should set an example by changing their production methods fi rst.

Ecological progress is an important step in rural vitalization. Only by encouraging villagers to shoulder their share of responsibilities in ecological protection can this goal be realized.

REAL ESTATE TYCOONS HUGE DONATION

A foundation established by Yang Guoqiang， founder and Chairman of the real estate giant Country Garde， donated 2.2 billion yuan （$317 million） to Tsinghua University on October 22， the largest donation a Chinese university has ever received.

The aim of the organization， co-founded by Yang with his daughter Yang Huiyan in 2013， is to support th e development of education， science， culture， healthcare and sports in China.

Yang said at the donation ceremony at Tsinghua University that as a farmer-turnedentrepreneur， he felt honored to support educational development thus rewarding both society and the country at large.

Born to a rural family in Shunde City of south Chinas Guangdong Province in 1954， Yang was a construction contractor before developing the first Country Garden project in 1992. Country Garden went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2007， raising $1.6 billion. In 2008， Yang purchased 75 percent of the shares of TVB， a commercial television station in Hong Kong.

Yang has won a number of awards for his contribution to eradicating poverty in China previously.

“Efforts should be made to intensify research on policies aiming to boost the growth of private businesses. This includes reducing tax burdens and administrative fees， solving financial problems， improving environmental governance， as well as enhancing technological innovation ability.”

Vice Premier Liu He reiterating Chinas unwavering support for the private sector in an interview with Chinese reporters on October 19

“We want to deliver the message to Chinese consumers that in addition to being a fantastic tourist and educational destination， Canada is also a stable and reliable source of high-quality products.”

Weldon Epp， Consul General of Canada in Shanghai， commenting on Canadas presence at the upcoming China International Import Expo in Shanghai in a recent interview

“China hopes that relevant countries can cherish the achievements which have been hard-won over the years， carefully and properly handle the issue through dialogue and consultation， and think twice about the withdrawal.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in response on October 22 to the U.S. withdrawal from the INF Treaty， which was signed in 1987 between the Soviet Union and the U.S. to eliminate intermediate-range and short-range missiles

“Young people should be rational while shopping， which means buying environmentally friendly things and have a positive impact on their lives. “

Xue Haibo， an associate professor at the Faculty of Economics and Management of Shanghai-based East China Normal University， commenting recently on the upcoming Double Eleven， the largest online shopping festival in China which falls on November 11