Society

Fall in Major Pollutant Emissions Sustained

Ministry of Environmental Protection data show that in 2014， emissions in China of chemical oxygen demand （COD） dropped by 2.47 percent， of ammonia nitrogen by 2.9 percent， of sulfur dioxide （SO2） by 3.4 percent， and of nitrogen oxides（NOx） by 6.7 percent. Compared with emissions in 2010， the last year of the 11th Five-year Plan period， emissions of COD have dipped 10.1 percent， those of ammonia nitrogen 9.8 percent， of SO2 12.9 percent， and of NOx 8.6 percent. So far the drop in COD and SO2 emissions easily meets the goal of the 12th Five-year Plan period （2011-2015）， with ammonia nitrogen nearing its target and NOx on time.

The ministry spokesman confirmed that 31 provinces， autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government， the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and eight central state-owned enterprises have met their emission reduction goals.

Tibet Prey to Global Warming

The weather in Tibet Autonomous Region has become warmer and wetter over the past 54 years of global warming， according to the meteorological administration of Tibet Autonomous Region. Between 1961 and 2014 the average temperature edged up 0.31 OC every 10 years， compared to the national level of 0.28 OC and the international level of 0.16 OC， and annual rainfall in the region rose 6.9 mm each decade， reaching 478.9 mm in 2014.

These changes are due to the melting of glaciers and areas of permafrost， the latter having receded 240，000 sq-km and glaciers by 15 percent over the past 30 years. The amount glaciers have melted over this period amounts to the sum of the previous two centuries. The resultant higher run-offs increase the probability of flooding and mudslides.

One Percent Increase in Migrant Workers

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security monitoring of the migration of rural laborers from 500 villages across 10 provinces shows that 294，000 people joined the ranks of migrant workers in the first half of this year， marking a one percent growth. The growth in numbers of Chinas migrant workers has declined from 12.45 million in 2010 to 5.01 million in 2014.

Accompanying the slower growth of migrant workers is a hike in earnings. The average monthly wage increased 9.8 percent yearon-year in 2014 to reach RMB 2，864.

As Chinese society ages and the supply of migrant workers dwindles， labor costs will inevitably rise， according to Zhang Juwei， deputy director of the Institute of Population and Labor Economics with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. This trend will force labor-intensive enterprises to shift their development pattern and the country to embrace high-end manufacturing.endprint

Official Spending Lower

China Economic Weekly recently reported， based on government data， that the central government departments “three public expenses” –government vehicles， receptions， and overseas trips – sustained in 2014 a steady fall over five successive years. The total disbursal for 2014 was RMB 5.88 billion， RMB 1.274 billion less than in 2013， signifying a 17.81 percent decrease. Steadfast efforts to control government overheads have reduced the annual “three public expenses” by almost half since 2010， when the figure stood at RMB 9.47 billion.

China first went public with the “three public expenses” in 2010， and has since listed them as a separate item in the central governments annual budget report.

Activity

Jews in Shanghai Musical

Date： September 3-6， 2015

Place： Shanghai Culture Square

Price： RMB 80/150/200/320/480

In 1941， a ship crammed with Jewish refugees who had escaped Nazi persecution in Europe docked at the Bund in Shanghai. The people of Shanghai forged a friendship with them and offered solidarity in fighting fascism. As the flames of war burned bright， a young Jewish man fell in love with a Shanghainese woman.

Stephen Hough Piano Recital

Date： September 20， 2015

Place： National Center for the Performing Arts

Price： RMB 50/80/180/280/380

Stephen Hough is a classical pianist and composer. He is a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the International Chair of Keyboard Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He has recorded more than 50 CDs and has appeared at festivals worldwide， including Salzburg， Edinburgh， Aldeburgh， Mozart， Aspen， Ravinia and Tanglewood.endprint