Urbanization of People

Oriental Outlook
October 17

Xu Kuangdi, former Vice Chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former President of Chinese Academy of Engineering, was interviewed by Oriental Outlook on October 17, discussing his view on urbanization.

Xu said that China's urbanization should lay emphasis on turning rural people into urban citizens rather than building cities on a large scale across the country. In a bid to transform the lives of those in rural areas, developing industries and increasing job opportunities remain essential.

Since 1993, China has accelerated its pace of urbanization, with around 20 million rural people having moved to cities every year. By the end of 2012, the country had urbanized 52.57 percent of rural areas, covering a population of 720 million. The figure is above the average global figure. However, the urbanized population is unstable. A large number of rural migrants have yet to settle down in cities because of the lack of permanent residence identity. Some of them have to return home due to unemployment and rising living costs in cities. On the other hand, younger generations are unwilling to return to their villages.

Xu said that urbanization should put people first. In addition to increasing job opportunities for migrant populations in cities, it is very important to offer equal social welfare and education opportunities. The urbanization of people cannot be fulfilled without improving the quality of life.

Xu said the urban population is expected to reach 65 percent of the total by 2030. Local authorities must tailor measures to cater to their own circumstances and show respect to farmers during the process of transformation.

Worries After Retirement

Guangzhou Daily
October 14

Homes for the aged have become a rare resource in terms of social welfare in Beijing. It is reported that at present, a new client has to wait 100 years for a bed at the capital's First Social Welfare Institute.

Similarly, the cost of social services for the aged is skyrocketing in the southern Guangdong Province. Many rest homes here charge over 10,000 yuan ($1,637) per month. Even so, business is booming.

Expensive prices mean high quality service, which, however, most elderly are unlikely to enjoy. Good care homes are few and far between compared to the rising demand in China.

There is thus an urgent need for affordable old age homes. Currently, China's investment in social welfare for an increasingly aging population is insufficient. Further more, the private sector faces a series of restrictive conditions in developing homes for the elderly, mainly related to land, finance and market access.

Authorities plan to reform the current social welfare system, and a new policy is expected to be worked out by the end of this year. It is hoped that more old age homes could soon be made available.

Curbing Air Pollution

Beijing Times
October 15

China recently announced that it has allocated 5 billion yuan ($819.5 million) to curb air pollution in six provinces across north China, including Beijing, which suffers from severe smog, especially during winter. The country has vowed to improve its air quality within the next five years.

The fund will not be allocated to local authorities in the form of subsidies. Instead, funding will be merit-based. Regions will therefore not obtain money until after assessment. Reduction of PM 2.5, a key indicator of air quality, will be taken into account. Other benchmarks include initial pollution reduction targets and investments in pollution treatment.

It is expected that the new funding policy will improve the efficiency of curbing air pollution. To achieve success, benchmarks for air quality must be strictly assessed and transparently supervised.

Further more, local authorities have to invest in environmental protection on their own account. With some lacking sufficient resources, dealing with air pollution might prove problematic, raising public concern over the effect of a reward policy. Needless to say, the Central Government needs to ensure its regulations are carried out efficiently.

Warning of Sweeties

China Newsweek
October 14

In China, diabetes has become one of the biggest threats to health. According to statistics from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), there is one diabetic patient among every 10 Chinese. The prevalence rate of diabetes in the country has reached 11.3 percent, which exceeds that of the United States, with the number of diabetics coming to 114 million in 2012, topping the world.

However, most of Chinese remain unaware of its risks. What makes matters worse, more than three quarters of Chinese diabetic patients do not receive timely medical treatment after diagnosis, mainly due to an initial lack of pain and prevalent information.

High caloric diets and a lack of exercise account for the high risk associated to the disease. If measures are not taken soon, China will undoubtedly suffer the consequences of a spreading diabetic problem.