Society

Vision Problems Rampant

A health research center of Peking University recently released the Chinese Peoples Visual Health Report. It shows that in 2012 in the Chinese population aged above five， approximately 500 million， have hypermetropia or myopia， those with myopia numbering 450 million， of which 30 million are severe cases. More than 70 percent of high school and college students are near-sighted， the highest percentage worldwide， and this figure has been rising year by year.

The report predicts that without effective policy intervention， near-sighted people will account for 50.86 percent to 51.36 percent of the Chinese population aged above five by 2020， totaling 704 to 711 million people.

Confucius Institutes in 126 Countries and Regions

Since the first Confucius Institute in the U.S. opened at the University of Maryland in November 2004， 108 Confucius Institutes and 451 Confucius Classrooms have been set up in the country， the highest numbers worldwide. Xu Lin， director-general of Hanban and chief executive at the Confucius Institute Headquarters， supplied this information at the Joint Conference of North American and Oceanian Confucius Institutes on June 21-22 in Honolulu.

By the end of 2014 the total numbers of Confucius Institutes and Classrooms stood at 475 and 851 respectively， in 126 countries and regions all over the world. Their teaching staff numbered 33，745.

More than 280 executives of 130-odd Confucius Institutes attended the Honolulu meeting. They agreed that people-to-people exchange and cross-cultural understanding were crucial to dispelling global conflicts.

More People Think Favorably of China

A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in the U.S. polled 45，435 respondents in 40 countries and found that a median of 55 percent across those nations had a favorable opinion of China， compared with 49 percent in 2014.

The latest survey found that in 18 of the countries surveyed， younger people had a more favorable view toward China than their elders. The trend was most pronounced in the U.S.， where 55 percent of young Americans （18 to 29 years old） had a favorable view of China， while among those aged 50 and older， the figure was only 27 percent. According to Wang Huiyao， director of the Beijing-based think tank Center of China and Globalization， this is because young people have had more opportunities to visit China and come into contact with Chinese people on different occasions than the older generation.

The survey also found that respondents from Africa and Latin America exhibited favorable views toward China， but that in the countrys own backyard in Asia， opinions were divergent.

China to Expand Legal Aid Services

A notice issued by the Ministry of Justice has revealed that legal aid services will be extended to migrant workers， the elderly， women， minors， and the disabled to ensure justice throughout society.

“Apart from the vulnerable groups， free legal aid will be extended to those involved in civil disputes and criminal cases involving peoples daily lives， such as family feuds， food safety， education， and healthcare，” Vice Minister Zhao Dacheng said at a news briefing.

In addition， people on very low incomes will be eligible for free legal aid， Zhao said.

Ministry figures show that， since 2003， national legal aid departments concluded 7.5 million cases and offered aid to about 9 million people. Last year， legal funding reached RMB 1.7 billion （US $274 million）， an increase of 4.8 percent， the ministry said.

Currently， 3，700 legal aid centers have been set up across the country， with 14，000 lawyers offering free legal services such as consultation， representation in criminal cases or mediating civil disputes.

Activity

Rustavi Ensemble Concert

Date： August 7， 2015

Place： Shenzhen Concert Hall

Price： RMB 80/120/180/280/380/580

The Rustavi Ensemble， established in 1968， hails from Georgia. Its founder， Anzor Erkomaishvili， is a singer and folklorist from a Georgian musical lineage that goes back seven generations. The Ensemble has toured more than 50 countries and regions including Germany， the U.S. and Russia， connecting the world with Georgian culture.

Golem by 1927

Date： August 29-30， 2015

Place： National Center for the Performing Arts

Price： RMB 100/180/300/350/400/500

Adapted from a novel by Czech writer Gustav Meyrink， the Golem by the British troupe 1927 is an integration of drama， music， clay cartoons and images. Set in a world where technology and the market economy have evolved to a point of transcending the boundaries of human control， golem has become an indispensable ingredient to a better life. But its very existence threatens the prospect of humanity. What will our life become in this situation？