Li Shufu, founder and Chairman of Chinese auto company Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, recently bought a 9.7-percent stake in automotive manufacturer Daimler, becoming the famous German companys largest single shareholder.
According to Li, Geely Group expects cooperation with Daimler on digitalization, online services and new energy cars in the future.
This is not Geelys first involvement in an overseas acquisition. The company purchased Volvo Cars from Ford Motor Company in 2010 for $1.8 billion and became the largest shareholder of the commercial vehicle manufacturer Volvo Trucks at the end of 2017.
Born in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province in 1963, Li founded Geely in 1986 and started making cars in 1997. Geely has pursued independent innovation and made great strides in the production of new energy cars. Geely Automobile, a subsidiary of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, sold 1.24 million cars in 2017, up 63 percent year on year, to become one of Chinas fastest-growing brands.
Regulating Online Medication
Legal Daily March 2
The illegal sale of prescription medicines online has become increasingly prevalent in China. Prescription medicine is being sold on various online platforms such as O2O websites, mobile apps and even social networks such as WeChat and Weibo.
However, according to regulations, prescription medicine can only be bought and used with the prescription of a licensed doctor or assistant. A notice on strengthening supervision of the online sale of medicine published by the China Food and Drug Administration in 2013 stipulated that only over-the-counter medicine is allowed to be sold via online platforms. The adver- tisement or sale of prescription medicine on these platforms is forbidden.
Improper use of prescription medicine can cause serious harm to the body and even endanger peoples lives. Therefore the illegal sale of prescription medicines online poses a severe health risk. Weak supervision has contributed to the proliferation of the practice, with food and drug authorities unable to deal with the vast number of drugselling online platforms.
Besides strengthening supervision, the government may allow online platforms to establish a complete medical system involving writing prescriptions and the use of medical insurance. Internet plus medical care should be properly guided to solve the difficulties associated with seeing a doctor in China rather than disrupting the order of the medical sector. Online platforms can only provide convenience for people by developing in a healthy, orderly and legal fashion.
Historic Artifacts Come to Life
Oriental Outlook March 1
Television shows focusing on historic artifacts including Every Treasure Tells a Story and National Treasure recently aired on China Central Television have gone viral in China.
National Treasure combines stage drama with a documentary style to tell the stories behind Chinas artifacts. Historic relics which once laid dormant in museums have come alive once more.
Through new forms of cooperation between Chinas museums and television stations, a new way of presenting historic treasures has been created, promoting the preservation and inheritance of cultural relics and traditional culture.
These shows have ignited the publics interest in cultural relics and motivated them to go to history museums and read historical books. They exemplify Chinese museums shift from the protection, collection and research of artifacts to presenting national treasures and educating the public.
The idea of bringing ancient artifacts to life was proposed by President Xi Jinping in a speech delivered at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris in March 2014 and has since been made a reality.
In addition to television shows, muse-ums are also cooperating with enterprises to develop creative cultural products based on historical artifacts.
To further promote the full utilization of cultural artifacts, all sectors of society including the government, museums and enterprises should work together. The government has already come up with a series of policies in recent years to promote the development of creative cultural products and the proper utilization of cultural relics.
Those working at museums should not only research artifacts but also communicate the stories behind them to the public.
Documenting Chinas Transformation
Nanfang Daily March 2
The documentary film Amazing China, which premiered on March 2, has been well received by audiences.
The documentary, which derives its name from an Internet meme encapsulating Internet users wonder at Chinas progress, showcases the countrys achievements over the past fi ve years in areas such as infrastructure, economic growth, medical care and poverty alleviation. Key infrastructure projects such as Chinas fi rst domestically-produced large passenger plane the C919, the national high-speed railway network, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the worlds largest single-dish telescope FAST are all presented in the fi lm. The documentary uses vivid pictures, powerful language and impressive statistics to show Chinas transfor- mation, kindling Chinese peoples confidence and national pride.
In addition to chronicling the major national achievements, the fi lm also tells the stories of ordinary people to illustrate universal efforts toward building a moderately prosperous society. One such story focuses on a woman who goes to the Tibet Autonomous Region to carry out poverty alleviation work as the secretary of a village Communist Party of China branch. These stories have struck a chord with audiences and strengthened their sense of national identity.
The film reveals the intimate relationship between the country and its people; peoples happiness is inseparable from the countrys prosperity and in turn the countrys dreams cannot be realized without the participation and efforts of the people. The fi lm is not only about an amazing China but also the amazing Chinese people who have created the countys success.
Chinas achievements rely on the hard work of its people and therefore it requires the sustained efforts of the Chinese people to make the country even greater in the new era.
NEW CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO THE UN
Ma Zhaoxu, Chinas former Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations(UN) Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland, was appointed Chinas permanent representative and ambassador to the UN, according to a statement by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress on March 5.
Born in northeast Chinas Heilongjiang Province in 1963, Ma has over 30 years of experience as a diplomat. He was Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2011 to 2013 and Chinese ambassador to Australia from 2013 to 2016 prior to his role at the UN Offi ce at Geneva from 2016 to 2018.
This is not the fi rst time Ma has worked with the UN. He was a member of Chinas permanent mission to the UN from 1990 to 1993.
“China will work with the international community to play a bigger role in safeguarding world peace and promoting common development,” Ma said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency in January.
“I hope more Chinese traditions and culture can be introduced to Palo Alto through the sister city relationship.”
Li Yaping, deputy head of Yangpu District in Shanghai, speaking during an offi cial visit to Palo Alto, California, the United States, on March 5
“Projects the world over which meet the requirements of relieving the non-capital functions of Beijing and high-quality development are welcomed.”
He Lifeng, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, speaking at a press conference in Beijing on March 6 about investment in the Xiongan New Area
“China is the right partner for Israel. Our capabilities and Chinas opportunities are complementary, like hand in glove.”
Yanir Shamir, former Agriculture Minister of Israel, speaking of hi-tech cooperation between China and Israel in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency
“Since the application of the principle first in Hong Kong and then Macao, the experience has... helped to create political and economic stability in the two [regions].”
Hassan al-Saouri, a professor of political science at Al Neelain University and Chairman of the Sudanese Society for Political Science, speaking about “one country, two systems” in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency