“Unicorn”in China

“Unicorn” in China

Peoples Weekly

Issue 13， 2019

In 2013， Aileen Lee， a prominent U.S. investor， borrowed the term “unicorn” to refer to start-ups valued at more than US $1 billion. Soon， the word “unicorn” caught on in Silicon Valley and then in the global investment circles.

The Qianzhan Industries Research Institute studies some enterprises with external financing and an estimated value of more than US $1 billion in 2018， and the published the China Unicorn Companies Research Report 2018 and Chinese and U.S. Unicorn Companies Research Report 2018. The two reports analyze the distribution of unicorn enterprises in the world， the similarities of unicorn enterprises between China and the U.S.， as well as their differences.

According to the Chinese and U.S. Unicorn Companies Research Report 2018， there were 429 such enterprises in the world in 2018. China topped the list with 205， followed by the U.S.， Britain， India， Germany， and South Korea with 149， 15， 13， eight and six respectively.

The report points out that Chinas unicorns are confronted by four hidden dangers： first， there are many platform-based enterprises with weak competitiveness in science and technology； second， these businesses squander the investors money without much thought of the returns； third， they lack awareness of security risks； and fourth， they face frequent changes in organizational structure and lack of professionals. These problems demand the government and enterprises to work together to find a solution.

Battle with Garbage

YiMagazine

Issue 7， 2019

Robin Nagle， an American anthropologist， wrote at the beginning of her book Picking Up： On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City that maybe one might never have the need to call the police or firefighters in ones life， but one needs sanitation workers every day.

Almost all mega cities will withstand the test of garbage in the process of development.

As the first city in Chinas mainland to implement waste classification， Shanghai encounters an all-round challenge to urban governance. Since the start of this summer， every move of Shanghai in this garbage revolution has attracted the attention of the whole nation， because another 46 Chinese cities will launch similar programs.

Chinas huge population and the rapid urbanization process over the past decades have driven the surge in garbage production. The annual output of domestic waste in China is about 400 million tons， and the annual growth rate is eight percent. The ecological crisis caused by garbage will eventually threaten our lives. In this situation， waste classification and recycling are imperative.

Garbage classification is never just an individual effort. It forces people to face a reality they would rather avoid. It is a huge investment， a complex chain， a conflict and compromise， and one of the most complex problems a city may face.

Shanghai Nightlife Once More

China Economic Weekly

Issue 14， 2019

Since the 1930s， the charm of nightlife in Shanghai has swept the world. It is a charm that imbues modern splendor with distinctive local cultural flavor， effortlessly mixing the most modern with the uniquely traditional.

The modern era has seen the rise of the nighttime economy， unleashing the potential of economic activity powered by the nightlife of large urban cities.

The nighttime economy， estimated to be worth trillions of yuan， is shored up by Chinas huge demographic dividends and strong consumer demand.

The nighttime economy has been highlighted in Shanghais official documents. Subsequently， Beijing also drew up a blueprint for the nighttime economy. And more cities have followed suit.

Shanghais nights feature the Bunds warm yellow glow illuminating the exotic building clusters， enticing people to take dreamlike photos of cruise ships on the Huangpu River and Lujiazui； sharing a drink with friends in the open-air seats of the bars and restaurants along the traditional Shiku Gate alleys and enjoying the performance and lanterns with ancient beauty in Yuyuan Garden and the unique experiences of watching Chinese traditional operas and tasting the old-fashioned delicacies； as well as the crowds of people gathering in Changli Road food street filled with the delicious aroma of various kinds of delicacies， evoking nostalgia even among those experiencing them for the first time.

Loss of Dignity

Minsheng Weekly

Issue 15， 2019

The challenge of how to spend the twilight days of ones life is quite a daunting one， presenting one with a dilemma of whether to resist and persist hooked up to a machine in the ICU or to pass away gently， succumbing to the great mysteries of the universe.

Passing away without pain， with dignity， is the embodiment of social civilization. Hospice care is meant to alleviate the physical pain of the patients at the end， and pay more attention to their inner feelings， so that they can complete the last part of their journey with ease and peace.

Since October 2017， China has selected five cities （districts） for the pilot project of providing hospice care. After nearly two years of exploration， five modes have been formed， including hospital care， community-based care， in-home care， combination of medical care and nursing， and long-distance service. A multi-level hospice care service system has been initially established. In May this year， the second batch of cities （districts） joined the pilot project， and eight tasks， including building a service system， defining service content， and establishing a working mechanism will be accomplished.

Ending life with dignity is as important as living with dignity. In the last days of life， stopping endless over-treatment， accompanied by loved ones， the patients calmly bid farewell， express gratitude or apologize， and die with dignity， so that the deceased are at peace and the living are at ease.