Media Watch

TRAVEL BOOM BENEFITS China Economic Weekly May 3

china has entered a golden period of tourism development with world tourism organization statistics showing the number of chinese travelers to europe last year exceeded 600 million， making china the largest source of tourists for the continent. the number of chinese tourists heading to the Asia-Pacific region reached 277 million， 13 million more than in the previous year. china has overtaken the united states and united Kingdom to be the largest source of international tourists.

Given such a lucrative tourism market， chinas online travel agents have been competing for a slice of the pie. over the years， they have been chalking up profits through flight and train ticket bookings as well as hotel reservations. Realizing that their future lies in connecting customers with tourism resources， the frontrunners are now creating a niche market by providing tailored travel services for targeted groups. At the same time， they are also working with offline travel agencies to sharpen their competitiveness.

OFF THE TRODDEN PATH China Youth Daily May 4

once civil service used to be regarded as the ideal career by college graduates because it offered job security and a comfortable work environment. however， the post-1990s generation is more swayed by the personal interest factor and career prospects when selecting jobs. They care more about personal fulfillment and job satisfaction than the income and job stability.

According to a recent survey by the shanghai open university and Fudan university， only 8.6 percent of the college students interviewed regarded civil service as their preferred profession. working for multinationals or public service institutions， or founding their own company were the three most popular career options.

its not a good sign if college graduates scramble to become civil servants. young people should showcase their skills in different areas instead of being limited to one industry. the drop in the desire to become a civil servant reflects increasing job opportunities for young graduates. to support them to pursue diverse professions， the government should offer greater career development incentives， such as encouraging them to start their own business.

LETS TALK SCIENCE Oriental Outlook April 28

In China， some scientific issues have become controversial， provoking heated debate among the public， such as whether genetically modified food is safe. However， when people question such experiments， few scientists take the trouble of coming out and explaining lucidly the principle behind the work and its benefits and possible risks. this is because they suffer from the mindset that public debates mean trouble and they should steer clear of controversies. Also， governments usually implement policies without sufficiently explaining them to the public， thereby missing out on the best time to disseminate scientific knowledge. The explanations come only after the work is being questioned， a stage when it becomes harder to convince the public.

Furthermore， there is no tradition or mechanism among scholars to popularize science. For china， the worlds second largest economy that is undergoing critical economic upgrading， technological innovation is of great importance. to facilitate it， the government should not only encourage scientific research but also make efforts to persuade the public to respect and trust science.

LOVE ME， LOVE MY FAMILY！ China Newsweek May 8

if you are a chinese in your late 20s or early 30s， the chances are you are under great pressure - from parents who want you， and are maybe even forcing you， to get married. once a Victorian novel theme， it has today become a common social phenomenon in china.

China Newsweek looks at this trend and the reasons behind it. Great social changes in the last three decades have shaped the two generations views on life and marriage in two different ways. the older generation regards marriage as a necessity for leading a happy and fulfilled life. They also think similar backgrounds and personalities are essential to forge a happy marriage. however， the younger generation regards love and passion as essential in a relationship and choosing the right partner. the older generation did not think of individualism and parents regard their offsprings marriage as a matter involving the whole family， not just the young couple alone.

the report says in chinas rapidly changing society， the risks and problems in peoples daily life cannot be controlled or solved by the government. People need to have strong family ties to counter them. Managing the risks caused by an unstable income as well as the pressures of survival， housing， medical care and supporting the elderly are all the responsibilities of the family instead of the government， as in developed nations. Because of this， marriage becomes the ultimate solution to individualsquest for security. social security is something society is supposed to provide.