SENIOR UYGUR OFFICIAL PASSES AWAY

Ismail Amat， Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the 10th National Peoples Congress （NPC）， passed away due to illness at the age of 84 in Beijing on October 16.

A statement from the central authority extolled Ismail Amat as an exemplary member of the Communist Party of China （CPC）， a loyal communist soldier， an outstanding leader in the ethnic work of the Party and the state and a distinguished son of the Uygur people.

Born in Cele County of Khotan in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 1935， Ismail Amat started his political career in 1956. He was Party secretary and chairman of the Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from 1979 to 1985 and minister and Party secretary of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission from 1986 to 1998. Ismail Amat was vice chairperson of the Seventh National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference， Chinas top political advisory body， from 1988 to 1993. He was a state councilor from 1993 to 2003 and vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the 10th NPC from 2003 to 2008.

Curbing School Bullying

Legal Daily October 10

A video clip showing a girl being beaten by eight minors circulated online recently. It brought the issue of school bullying into the spotlight once again.

The incident happened in Wenchang in south Chinas Hainan Province. On October 7， local police announced that the three minors who are over 14 were given administrative detention of 15 days and fined 1，000 yuan （$144） each. As they are under 16 and it was the first offense， an administrative detention will not be executed. Those below 14 are given no formal punishment， but their parents were advised to strengthen their discipline at home. This has spurred a hot debate online regarding the issue of school bullying.

Soft punishments and lack of education are cited as the primary reasons for the prevalence of school bullying. In order to prevent bullying， schools should not simply report it to the police but establish a committee chaired by the principal and made up of teachers， parents representatives and experts to come up with an emergency response plan. Schools could also invite legal experts or police offi cers to give courses on law and morality to students.

Legal punishment for school bullying should play its role by striking a balance between punishment for minors crimes and their protection.

Pioneers of Progress

China Newsweek October 15

National economic and technological development zones have served as an important platform during Chinas reform and opening up to attract foreign capital.

By 1988， the State Council had approved 14 such zones in 12 coastal cities. From 1992 to 1993， another 18 economic and technological zones were established in areas along the Yangtze River and hinterland areas. Today the number has gone up to 219. In 2015， their GDP reached 7.76 trillion yuan （$1.12 trillion）， accounting for 11.5 percent of the countrys total.

These zones were designed to attract foreign capital and technology to establish joint ventures， foreign companies and research institutes. The Central Government aims to improve the management of state-owned enterprises through the industrial modernization of such zones.

Approval processes for foreign-funded projects in the zones are relaxed and they enjoy favorable tax policies. The zones start to think about attracting foreign investment by improving their business environment once the favorable policy period ended.

After over 30 years development， they have now entered a critical period of strate-gic transformation amid rising land and labor costs. They need to reform their management system， including the land transfer system and approval procedures.

As practitioners and promoters of reform and opening up， the development of Chinas market economy， urbanization and industrialization， the zones have an important role to play in Chinas future development.

Rural Live-Streaming Shows

Guangming Daily October 12

Programs showcasing rural life via live streaming and video platforms have recently gained traction. The low-cost programs on topics such as how to catch shrimp， how to cook escargot and a farmers typical day have captured the imagination of Chinas eager netizens.

Through live streaming， the rural stars of this new brand of entertainment have found a purpose beyond their ordinary and often diffi cult lives.

Three sisters who suffer from brittle bone disease in Yunyang County in Chongqing Municipality live stream their daily life for six hours each day and have attracted over 260，000 followers in fi ve months. The three children， who could only lie in bed， can now support themselves thanks to the revenue they generate from becoming live-streaming sensations.

Viewers of the programs， who are primarily urban residents， have discovered a new world where life happens at a different pace. They escape from urban life through live-streaming shows， even if its only a psychological retreat， meeting the need for escaping the pressures of everyday life.

Rural areas may embrace more opportunities for development as their importance is rediscovered through the shows， but the battle for constant and original content creation is a challenge facing the stars of Chinas newest entertainment format.

OUTSTANDING WORKER MEETS PRESS

Hong Jiaguang， a technician with AECC Shenyang Liming Aero-Engine Co. Ltd.， was introduced to the media as an outstanding worker along with four other members of his team at a press conference held by the State Council Information Offi ce on October 15.

The fi ve， with expertise in different fi elds， are just some of the people behind many of Chinas world-renowned manufacturing projects.

Born in 1979， Hong joined the company in 1998 after graduating from technical school. He went from ordinary worker to senior technician to inventor through hard work and innovation.

After more than fi ve years of research and 1，500 tests， Hong and his team developed a precision grinding technique for aero-engine blades， which played a key role in Chinas development of aviation engines.

Authorities in China have highlighted the importance of skilled workers and craftsmanship for the country to realize quality development and build a strong manufacturing nation.

“We have expectations in terms of understanding and hearing directly from our Chinese counterparts in the private sector and in the government， the messages about the future of Chinese trade， how the government is seeing the future of Chinese trade and how Houston will play a role in that relationship.”

Horacio Licon， Vice President of the Greater Houston Partnership， commenting on the first China International Import Expo which will be held on November 5-10 in Shanghai

“The Belt and Road Initiative is opening a vast market and bringing lots of opportunities for the world， particularly for small countries like Samoa in the South Pacific region in these difficult times posed by climate change.”

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi， Prime Minister of Samoa， in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency

“The world needs to be more sober about climate change by realizing that， apart from causing extreme weather events， it could also affect consumer goodsprices， public well-being and employment.”

Xie Wei， a researcher at Peking University and lead author of a new article published in the scientific journal Nature Plants which involved scientists from China， the UK， the United States and Mexico

“Credulousness and a lack of web knowledge have made middle-aged and elderly netizens more vulnerable to Internet fraud.”

Chen Shiqu， Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Public Security， at the launching ceremony of a new educational program in Beijing on October 16 to help senior citizens avoid falling victim to Internet fraud