SPECIAL ENVOY FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS

SPECIAL ENVOY FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS

Wu Hongbo has been appointed Chinas fi rst special representative for European affairs， the Foreign Ministry announced on November 1.

The new envoy will promote sound and stable development of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and strengthen communication and pragmatic and mutually benefi cial cooperation.

Wu， born in May 1952， is a senior diplomat familiar with European affairs. He served as deputy director of the Western Europe Department of the Foreign Ministry from 1999 to 2000 and ambassador to the Philippines from 2004 to 2005. He was an assistant foreign minister in charge of European affairs， press and consular affairs from 2007 to 2009， and ambassador to Germany from 2009 to 2012. He served as the UN under secretary general from 2012 to 2017.

He will assist the Foreign Ministry in coordinating Europe-related affairs， promoting high-level exchanges， participating in important exchanges and cooperation between China and Europe， as well as advancing the China-EU partnership for peace， growth， reform and civilization.

Oracle Bone Research

Peoples Daily November 4

Oracle bone inscriptions， inscriptions in Chinese on animal bones or turtle shells used in divination that can be traced back to over 3，000 years ago， are under the spotlight with the National Museum of Chinese Writing launching an activity. The museum will collect results of researches to decipher the inscriptions， which will be examined by a panel of experts. The ones chosen by the panel will be awarded 100，000 yuan （$14，298） per character.

Oracle bone inscriptions， which date back to the Shang Dynasty （16th-11th century B.C.）， were discovered 120 years ago in the ruins of Yin （todays Kaifeng）， an ancient city in central Chinas Henan Province. However， the characters， considered the earliest form of Chinese writing， are yet to be fully deciphered. Of the 4，500 oracle bone characters that have been discovered， less than 1，500 have their equivalent in the Han Chinese in use today and can be understood.

The prize offered by the museum shows the importance it attaches to research on oracle bone inscription. It also indicates the diffi culty of decoding this form of writing.

However， we need to continue research to shed light on the history behind. Oracle bone inscription research， which is of significant cultural value， concerns cultural heritage inheritance. The good news is that the research has been strengthened by new technologies such as big data and cloud computing. Also， overseas Sinologists are showing interest and taking part in it.

Sand Shortfall

China Newsweek November 4

Sand is one of the most exploited and transacted resources in the world. But sand exploitation is also one of the least regulated human activities. At present， the speed of sand exploitation in the world far exceeds the speed of its regeneration.

As the largest producer and consumer of sand， Chinas sand exploitation in the past has had a big impact on its ecology.

Sand is an indispensable part of concrete used in construction. However， sand from the desert， which covers 20 percent of Earths land surface， cannot be used in concrete because its too slippery. The sand used in concrete mostly comes from the rivers， which cover less than 1 percent of the land mass.

The Ministry of Water Resources published instructions for sand mining from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in 2002， 2011 and 2016. They stipulated the amount， scope and time of excavation. However， the amount excavated far exceeded the stipulated amount.

The lax management of sand dredging enabled the construction industry to develop by keeping its costs low. However， the impact on the environment is gradually showing.

Take Poyang Lake， Chinas largest freshwater lake located in east Chinas Jiangxi Province， for instance. The lake is important for storing waters from the Yangtze River when it is flooded and provides water for living and agriculture for 44 million people in its surrounding areas. It has a rich biodiversity and is home to many rare animal species.

However， in recent years overexploitation of sand has drastically shrunk the area of the lake and led to drought， threatening its ecology.

Recently， the government took steps to regulate sand mining and save the ecology. The Ministry of Water Resources launched a six-month campaign to overhaul sand mining in June last year. The new measures， which reined in sand mining， have led to sand shortage and higher prices.

Machine-made sand is a new option. However， as this industry is underdeveloped in China， the quality of sand cannot be guaranteed. Therefore other new sources such as old river banks which have turned into dry land may be explored for sand.

Controversial Headband

Guancha.gmw.cn？ November 1

A headband which can monitor students attention level during class was used in a primary school in Jinhua City， Zhejiang Province in east China， and spurred a controversy. The headband monitors how active students brains are by using sensors and based on the fi ndings， grades the students. The data is sent to an online parents group.

With the advancement of technology， theres nothing wrong in aiding education with new technological products. However the precondition should be that the products are safe and necessary.

In this case， the safety and necessity of the product are questionable. The producer of the headband is taking advantage of the school and parents eagerness to improve students level of attention and the loopholes in the management of educational authorities to make a profi t.

Also， students personal data might be leaked in the process.

Even if the headband is as miraculous as the producer advertises it to be and is not harmful for the wearer， it will kill students creativity and diversity. Students are not machines. They are vibrant entities with their unique personalities. Education should be carried out based on their differences rather than imposing a uniform standard on all.

Students are already overloaded with homework. What they need is more relaxation rather than more discipline under the guise of hi-tech.

EXPLORER EYES POLE OF INACCESSIBILITY

Feng Jing， the fi rst Chinese woman to ski to the South Pole， has embarked on another challenging expedition—hiking to the Southern Pole of Inaccessibility （POI）， the farthest point from all the coastlines of Antarctica.

The 37-year-old set off from Cape Town， South Africa， on November 5. She plans to complete a trek of over 1，800 km from the Antarctic coast to the Southern POI in 90 days. She will be accompanied by two guides.

So far， only three such expeditions without mechanical force have been carried out successfully. Seven men have reached the POI by kite skiing.

Feng reached the South Pole in 2018 after skiing 1，130 km， becoming the fi rst Chinese woman to achieve the feat.

“The agreement will forge a unified system of rules within the region， thus reducing operating costs and uncertain risks， and bringing huge convenience to import and export companies in the region.”

Wang Shouwen， Vice Commerce Minister and deputy China international trade representative， commenting on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership at a press conference on November 6

We will bring the latest and hottest Chinese theatrical releases directly to the North American audience through the mobile platform and help Chinese films incrementally increase their overseas market.”

Jack Gao， CEO and co-founder of Smart Cinema， a movie-streaming mobile platform launched on November 3 to bring Chinese fi lms to the U.S. audience， in an interview with Xinhua

“Chinas iron and steel sector has been experiencing a sluggish market this year. Producers should step up efforts to reduce costs and seek new revenues.”

Wang Guoqing， Director of Lange Steel Information Research Center， commenting on the sluggish iron and steel industry on November 1

“Chinas sports apparel consumption will enter another stage of rapid development， mainly driven by the integration of the sports industry platforms， customized consumer experience， the rise of outdoor sports consumption and the emerging female consumer market.”

Willie Tan， CEO of Skechers China， Republic of Korea and Southeast Asia， in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency