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Opinion
Print Edition> Opinion
UPDATED: August 15, 2011 NO. 33 AUGUST 18, 2011
OPINION
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GOLF COURSE IN DISGUISE: An illegal golf course in Shilin Yi Autonomous County in southwest China's Yunnan Province has been shut down for investigation (QIN QING)

Controversial Hunting

Recently, China's State Forestry Administration approved two foreigners' applications to hunt in China. Although the approval is not administratively effective and can't be used as a legal guarantee for hunting, it will be an important reference for State Forestry Administration to decide whether to issue administrative permission.

Why are there always people coveting China's wildlife? Is it because China has too many wild animals and some of them have to be slaughtered? Now, foreigners are applying to poach China's blue sheep and Tibetan gazelles, which are under national protection. Departments claim they have taken preliminary protective measures, requiring hunters to avoid hunting female animals. There are two questions: First, who can ensure the measures will be strictly carried out? Second, like female animals, male animals are also important for the reproduction of these species.

We all know that bullfighting in Spain is strongly resisted and Spanish TV channels have stopped broadcasting bullfighting programs during peak times. So it's really going against the progress of world civilization to hunt in China. Is there no other way to have fun except by killing animals?

The Beijing News

Income Growth

Semi-annual reports recently issued by local governments show incomes of urban and rural residents in China's 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities grew faster than the consumer price index (CPI) in the first half of this year.

Did Chinese income really grow so fast? An online survey shows more than 80 percent of the survey participants say they believe their incomes have been overestimated.

For years, the final amount of GDP submitted by local governments has always been larger than the National Statistics Bureau's. Generally speaking, residents' income growth should not only grow faster than CPI, but also overrun GDP. But, in the first half of 2011, the year-on-year GDP growth rate was 9.6 percent, urban residents' disposable income growth rate was 7.6 percent while the country's national fiscal revenues have increased 31.2 percent. Not only did it fail to overrun GDP, residents' income growth fell far behind fiscal revenue growth. This implies extremely unequal wealth distribution.

Official statistics put the year-on-year CPI growth rate for the first half of 2011 at 5.4 percent, but the public's feeling is it must be higher than this and their doubts about the credibility and accuracy of CPI statistics will not be easily removed by the authority's explanations such as different calculation methods.

More importantly, income growth overrunning the CPI growth rate is nothing to brag about. The real test for local governments is how to make sure income growth rates overrun GDP growth and fiscal revenue growth rates. In this way the public will really benefit from achievements in social and economic development.

Yangcheng Evening News

Water Consumption

China's state-run Chinese Central Television (CCTV) recently revealed huge water consumption by golf clubs around the country. For example, in coastal city Dalian in northeast China, urban residents' drinking water is taken in order to water large areas of grassland on golf courses. In return, dirty water contaminated by pesticides is returned to drinking water sources.

Golf courses consume large quantities of water. To keep them green and smooth, they have to be watered continuously. What's more, in north China's Hebei Province, which is already suffering from water scarcity, more than 100 golf courses use large amounts of ground water, causing severe water pollution and aggravating the water shortage.

While snatching groundwater, numerous golf courses nationwide leave the rural population extremely thirsty.

In 2004, the General Office of the State Council began to ban the construction of golf courses. At the time, there were only 170 golf clubs in China. But now, six years after the ban was implemented, another 400 golf courses have opened.

Most of the unapproved golf courses have been built as leisure clubs, sports parks or private parks. This is hoodwinking the public and government. The only solution to the problem is more severe punishment.

Recently, 11 ministries jointly issued a document to correct golf clubs. It's hoped illegal construction will be stopped and no more new golf clubs will be built to compete for water resources with residents.

China Youth Daily

Preparation for Storms

After days of intense preparations, typhoon Muifa has finally passed China's coastal provinces. Ever since Muifa's formation, the affected provinces had put in place various emergency schemes to avoid loss of human life and property. Tens of thousands of residents were relocated, hundreds of flights were cancelled and even kindergartens in these provinces were required to close. But, after this series of preparations, Muifa finally left China without causing too much damage. Now, people are complaining the department had made a fuss.

Protecting the safety of people's lives and property is the government's top responsibility. Taking preliminary measures to cope with any possible disasters shows the government's crisis awareness.

Because of Muifa, since August 4, five coastal provinces and municipalities were hit by huge storms, suffering losses to different extents. The National Disaster Reduction Committee Office of China said direct economic losses amounted to 3.13 billion yuan ($481.5 million) by August 8. If the government had not taken emergency measures, losses could have been much greater. If this had happened, greater numbers of people would have complained about the government's inaction. Therefore, although Muifa passed by most areas, the preliminary measures were still necessary.

Qilu Evening News



 
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