NEW TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

Grand Slam champion-turned coach Liu Guoliang was elected as the new president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association （CTTA） on December 1. The 42-year-old was unanimously elected along with fi ve vice presidents.

“My priority as CTTA president will be preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and the restructuring of the management to promote the sports professionalism， industrialization and globalization，” said Liu.

The winner of the mens singles and doubles gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics， Liu was appointed to coach the Chinese national mens team in 2003 and became head coach of the national team in 2013. In June 2017， he became a CTTA vice president.

Under Lius reign， China， which has won 28 out of the 32 gold medals awarded since table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988， extended its dominance for a decade by taking all 12 gold medals at the last three Olympics.

Income Tax Reform

Beijing Youth Daily December 3

According to the latest data from the State Administration of Taxation， October saw 31.6 billion yuan （$4.58 billion） of person income tax cuts. The threshold was raised to 5，000 yuan （$714） and the scope of the low-grade tax rate was expanded， with six additional special deductions.

The special deduction will be officially implemented from January 1， 2019. It is expected to increase the disposable income of residents and stimulate consumption.

These improvements， which increase the money in peoples pockets， help contribute to an overall sustainable market.

Multi-dimensional improvements to the consumer market by individual income tax reform refer to not only the increased confi dence in the market but also a multiplication effect on the market as a whole.

Reducing the burden on enterprises can fuel the economy from a supply perspective while cutting taxes for employees can help in boosting consumption.

In addition to the cuts in income tax， other instruments being used to boost spending and growth include special deductions and a package of comprehensive benefit measures.

Changing Times

Oriental Outlook December 6

A photo exhibition is part of the ongoing exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of Chinas reform and opening up at the National Museum of China in Beijing. A range of captivating photos are on display， such as young ladies harvesting cotton flowers in east Chinas Shandong Province in 1979. The photos were taken by photographers from Xinhua News Agency and selected from China Photo Archives， the largest photo archive in China， jointly managed by Xinhua and the National Archives Administration of China.

Over the past four decades， peoples living standards have seen remarkable change and the photographs record these shifts capturing important historical events and significant moments in peoples lives.

Photos document the ever-changing architecture as well as clothes and hairstyles of the day， mirroring the improvement in peoples livelihoods. In Xinhuas archive， a photo taken in March 1979 showcases local Chinese in drab clothes watching a fashion show by French designer Pierre Cardin in Beijing. In another photo taken in April 2016， people are wearing fashionable clothes and looking relaxed and comfortable—an example of how far China has come. Family and wedding photos also show happy memories. What is clear is that people have become more comfortable having their photos taken over time.

Pop Culture Guidance

Guangming Daily November 22

Idolatry is a common phenomenon in society， especially among adolescents. Throughout the process of reform and opening up， pop culture has established itself in China and so idols for Chinese teenagers have been formed.

This new fan culture mainly draws its subjects from the world of entertainment. The worshiping of such figures is easily cultivated as young people are often very impressionable and it is possible that such role models can be used to help establish moral principles.

However， young peoples attention needs to be shifted from this narrow perspective of entertainment to broader horizons. Alternative models who refl ect the spirit of the times should be admired.

Families， schools and societies should all educate young people to think rationally about the role models they look up to. And effective measures are going to be adopted to resist fan culture being used to exploit people for economic gains.

Utilization of capital on fan culture should be based on comprehensive understanding. In addition， the governance of modernized culture needs to be systematically realized through the scientifi c and standardized development of networks.

DEMOGRAPHERS NEW HONOR

Chinese demographer Zeng Yi was elected a member of The World Academy of Sciences （TWAS） along with 13 other researchers from the Chinese mainland at the 28th TWAS General Meeting in Trieste， Italy， on November 28.

TWAS was founded in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the developing world to promote scientifi c research in developing countries.

Zeng was chosen for his outstanding contributions to research on fertility policy transition and the cross-natural-social sciences study of healthy aging.

Born in 1952 in east Chinas Jiangxi Province， he received a bachelors degree in economic geography from the Shanghaibased East China Normal University in 1982. He received a PhD in demography from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 1986 and fi nished his post-doctorate studies at Princeton University in 1987.

Zeng became a professor at Peking University in 1989 and served as director of the Institute of Population Research at the university from 1993 to 1998.

“Im impressed with Chinas commitment to its climate goals， evidenced by the fact that China has met its 2020 targets three years ahead of schedule.”

UN General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency

“Translations of public signs not only help foreigners， but their quality also shapes the image of a city.”

Chen Mingming， Executive Vice President of the Translators Association of China， commenting on a campaign launched by Beijings Foreign Affairs Offi ce to improve public signs on December 3

“Radio， TV and Internet audio and video should say no to over-entertainment and high paychecks， and focus more on presenting ordinary peoples lives.”

Nie Chenxi， head of the National Radio and Television Administration， at a national conference on the management of radio， TV and Web programs held on November 27

“I am thankful to China for supporting us in the production of skilled human resources who can contribute in the development of the country.”

Giriraj Mani Pokharel， Nepali Minister for Education， Science and Technology， at the fi fth gathering of Nepali students who have studied in China held in Kathmandu on December 5