TSINGHUA’S NEW PRESIDENT

Qiu Yong， a veteran scientist， was appointed president of Beijing-based Tsinghua University， on March 26. He succeeded Chen Jining， who was named minister of environmental protection in February.

Qiu， 51， is the 19th president of the 104-year-old Tsinghua University， which ranked 26th on the recently released Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings 2015. The university now has more than 25，000 students in 14 schools and 56 departments.

Qiu received both his bachelor of science and PhD in chemistry from Tsinghua. He became dean of the universitys Department of Chemistry in 2002， before going on to assume the post of vice president in 2009.

In 2013， Qiu was elected an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences， a title granted to the highest-achieving Chinese scientists. With his research focusing on photochemistry and devices for organic optoelectronics such as organic light-emitting diodes， he has published hundreds of academic papers and holds more than 100 patents.

A New Frontier in Online Business

Outlook Weekly March 23

In recent years， cross-border e-commerce has skyrocketed， opening up a new frontier in the area of Internet consumption and a new chapter in the development of Chinas foreign trade. According to official estimates， Chinas cross-border e-commerce volume is expected to amount to 6.5 trillion yuan （$1.05 trillion） in 2016， with an average annual growth rate of over 30 percent.

Unfortunately， the rapid development of e-commerce also has brought new problems for both consumers and enterprises in its wake. For consumers， the language barrier， overcharging for postage， long delivery times， inconsistent product quality and inadequate after-sales services all pose a challenge. While for enterprises， customs clearance， tariffs， settlement of bills in other currencies and logistics management have all frustrated their development in this exciting new area.

On March 12， the State Council， Chinas cabinet， approved the establishment of a cross-border e-commerce pilot zone in Hangzhou， Zhejiang Province， where Alibaba is headquartered. It is hoped that the program will facilitate innovation in regimes regulating cross-border e-commerce， as well as help improve related financial and logistics services and business standards.

Salvaging Chinese Embroidery

Oriental Outlook April 2

The earliest record of the practice of the craft of embroidery in China dates back over 3，000 years. In 1958， embroideries were discovered in a tomb built approximately 1，950 years ago， which illustrated that periods contemporary etiquette as well as its dress code.

As time has gone by， embroidery has become an art form culturally synonymous with China. The craft has diversified， branching off into a large family tree that encompasses four major schools and seven localized specialties， together demonstrating the characteristics of a total of 11 distinct ethnic groups in China. All of these different forms of embroidery are in themselves delicate and utterly unique.

Sadly this handcraft has not been efficiently assimilated into modern life and production. Entering the new century， the artisan model of production， which for almost 2，000 years coexisted with a predominantly agricultural society， is being separated from todays industrial development， a historical inevitability that some claim has doomed the beleaguered handicraft to an ignominious fate.

Thus， it follows that merely providing a certain measure of subsidy or allowance to those who have inherited the skills of the craft cannot bridge the gap between this traditional art form and modern life. In the meantime， few young people are willing to become engaged in a business that requires highly specialized skills and dexterity but offers low returns. In many places， embroiderers are struggling between traditional handmade craft and the greater level of income provided by machine productivity.

It behooves farsighted people to provide these embroiderers with sincere， sufficient and effective aid. At the very least， leading embroiderers should be encouraged to explore the outside world and become familiar with what todays consumers need.

This is an urgent issue. If Chinas embroidery business cannot get with the times， and fast， many local embroideries will soon be replaced by cheaper—if functional—foreign products， in accordance with the markets laws of physics.

An Issue of Grave Concern

Nanfang Daily March 27

In a recent report on funeral services， a research institute affiliated with the Ministry of Civil Affairs revealed that more than 10 million people died in China in 2014. With an expanding elderly population， this number will probably reach 20 million around 2030， which means that the country will run out of existent space for grave plot within 10 years. The report calls for setting up more nonprofit memorial parks to alleviate the ensuing scramble for space.

This raises the much-disputed question of whether or not the funeral industry falls within the category of a public service. However， the current reform on this industry is making it increasingly clear that its status as such will be restored under government guidance. In south Chinas Guangdong Province， for instance， a basic funeral service will be provided to the public gratis this year. Local governments will include relevant expenses in their fiscal budgets. It is predicted that with the governments help， excessive commercialization of this service will be effectively curbed.

The limited space available for burials is the major reason for rocketing funeral service expenses. Thus， its also important to promote ecologically friendly funerals. The Chinese hold the traditional view that the dead should be buried in earth to attain real peace， and so it is necessary to guide everyday people in adjusting prevailing attitudes toward burials and usher in other acceptable alternatives.

BESTSELLING ARTIST

Ink painter Cui Ruzhuo topped the recently released Hurun Most Successful Chinese Artists Alive Today 2015 list. The annual “rich list” of 100 most expensive Chinese artists， released by Shanghai-based publishing group Hurun Report， is based on sales of works at public auctions in the preceding year.

Cui recorded 470 million yuan （$75 million） in total auction sales in 2014. His Landscape in Snow fetched 145 million yuan （$23 million） last April， becoming the most expensive Chinese work of art in 2014. It is the first time that Cui has reached the top spot on the Hurun art list since its inception eight years ago.

Born in Beijing in 1944， Cui started to learn Chinese painting and calligraphy at a young age. He left China for the United States in 1981 and became a U.S. citizen in 1987. He is now based in Beijing， creating artwork and teaching at the China National Academy of Arts.

“The results for Beijing， Tianjin and Shijiazhuang [in Hebei Province] show that the three cities， although geographically close， have different types of pollution.”

Chai Fahe， Vice President of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences， commenting on an official research released on April 1 that showed vehicle emissions are the top pollutant in Beijing， compared to Tianjins dust and industrial emissions and Shijiazhuangs coal burning

“No agreement is possible without accommodating the core concerns of the various parties.”

Wang Yi， Chinese Foreign Minister， hailing recent nuclear talks about Iran as an “important step”toward a comprehensive deal and calling for all parties to shoulder due responsibility and obligation in Lausanne， Switzerland， on April 1

“The anti-corruption campaign in the military is closely related to national defense security. It is impossible for a corrupt army to achieve victory in battle.”

Zhu Lijia， a professor at the National Academy of Governance

“The point is not that the Chinese would like to dominate the world from a political or economic perspective but that they would like to be recognized as a country of creativity， innovation and a nation of ‘peaceful rise.”

Rien T. Segers， an Asian business strategist at the International Business School of Hanze University of Applied Science in Groningen， located in the north of the Netherlands