Media Watch

A ZONE FOR THE FUTURE China Economic Weekly April 10

the news that china will establish the Xiongan New Area， about 100 km southwest of downtown Beijing in hebei Province， went viral in April.

China Economic Weekly takes a closer look at this ambitious plan. experts noted that the ultimate purpose of this area is not just to serve for the coordinated integration of the Beijingtianjin-hebei region by phasing out non-capital functions， but more importantly to spearhead a new round of reform and innovation in this landlocked region of north china.

to this end， the area is expected to attract emerging innovative sectors of big data， the internet of things， cloud computing， drone， aerospace and robotics as well as gather quality public facilities like schools， universities and hospitals.

“in establishing the area， the market will play its due decisive role and the government will work to create a sound business environment，” said wu hequan， deputy head of the expert advisory committee on the coordinated integration of the Beijing-tianjin-hebei region. successful practices gained from this area are also expected to be widely applied in other hinterland regions.

CONTROLLED BY FOOD China Newsweek April 3

eating disorders， a group of serious conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact ones health， emotions and ability to function in important areas of life， have been on the rise in china in recent years.

For instance， Peking university sixth hospital， one of the countrys top clinics for treating mental disorders， hospitalized 104 patients with eating disorders from 2001 to 2005， three times the number from 1993 to 2004. the number of hospitalized patients with eating disorders soared to 250 in 2015.

in stark contrast to the rising number of patients， there are not enough hospital beds and medical personnel to accommodate and attend them. in china， there are 1.49 psychiatrists for every 100，000 people on average.

Family-based therapy， which is popular abroad， may help solve the problem. under the therapy， parents are encouraged to play a larger role in the treatment of their children.

Prevention is also crucial in curbing the rise of such cases. something should be done to change the obsession with a slim figure， which has become popular since the 1960s in the world and which has partly contributed to the increasing number of eating disorder cases.

CHOOSING MORE CAREFULLY Beijing Youth Daily April 13

the story of a chinese family who spent 4 million yuan（$581，903） on their sons study abroad only to find out he was non-competitive on the job market back home aroused heated debate on whether sending children to study overseas is worthwhile.

in the early 1980s， china sent a great number of its excellent students to study abroad， many of whom became backbones in all walks of life after their return.

the problem is that some people are not suitable or not well prepared for studying abroad， but insist on doing so anyway. For example， students with poor academic performance or weak self-control ability fail chinas national college entrance exam， and then turn to overseas universities as a lifesaver no matter how expensive they are.

studying abroad has also become less rewarding as a result of chinas social development. with the improvement of teaching and research performances， some chinese universities and disciplines can now rival with the most prestigious ones abroad. Students in domestic universities also benefit from the booming economic development， which enhances their competitiveness.

ENHANCING PROTECTION Oriental Outlook March 30

to meet the rising demand for consular protection for overseas chinese， chinas Foreign Ministry and its missions abroad launched a 24-hour hotline in 2014 to assist the diaspora. the wechat public account established to publish overseas security information in 2014 now has over 160，000 subscribers. An account has also been opened on news app toutiao to release consular affairs-related news since July 2016.

however， more needs to be done as the demand for consular protection soars. there are only around 600 staff stationed in chinese missions abroad who are responsible for dealing with consular affairs.

in 2016， the ministry and its embassies and consulates abroad handled over 100，000 cases， equivalent to one case in every five minutes. the ministry should therefore strengthen cooperation with other countries and non-governmental organizations such as overseas chinese societies.

the emergency response system should take into consideration economic costs and long-term consequences instead of simply efficiency. For instance， although the evacuation of more than 35，000 chinese from strife-torn libya in 2011 was successful， the high cost of the operation makes such a case hard to replicate. A stronger sense of safety should be cultivated among overseas chinese， while laws and regulations on consular protection should be improved.