FATHER OF HYBRID RICE MAKES NEW BREAKTHROUGH

FATHER OF HYBRID RICE MAKES NEW BREAKTHROUGH

Yuan Longping， the father of hybrid rice， and his team have set a new record with the yield of their third-generation hybrid rice variety reaching 911.7 kg per mu （about 667 square meters） in an experiment in Hunan Province， central China.

Plus an early season rice yield of 619.06 kg， the same plot in Qingzhu Village， Hengnan County， produced 1，530.76 kg per mu in a year. The output is equivalent to 22.96 tons per hectare.

Last year， the same hybrid rice variety， Sanyou No.1， gave a single-cropping yield of 1，046.3 kg per mu from the same plot.

Yuan said he wants to ensure the variety can promote greener and more sustainable development of Chinas rice production with higher quality.

The 90-year-old， who developed the worlds first hybrid rice in the 1970s， has set multiple world records in hybrid rice yields， making incalculable contribution to food security， both in China and elsewhere. His team is still working on third-generation hybrid rice combinations and conducting studies for simplifying the cultivation with less use of fertilizers.

A Helping Hand for The Elderly

www.banyuetan.org October 29

Some universities in Nanjing， Jiangsu Province in east China， have recently set up modules to teach elderly people how to use smartphones. The classes include many basic applications， such as making e-payment， online hospital appointment registration and using the health code. These classes are popular among seniors who face inconveniences in their daily life as they lag behind electronic product knowledge.

Considering the situation， during this years National Day holiday， October 1-8， shops， hospitals， banks and railway stations waived the requirement for the elderly to show their health code. For seniors， staff service was provided. However， teaching them to use smartphones is the best way to help them adapt to the information era.

The popularity of the smartphone classes indicates that the elderly are willing to learn new things. But limited access has hampered their progress. Therefore， local governments， public service organizations and smartphone companies should create more opportunities for them to explore advanced technologies.

When this group becomes skilled at using smartphones， the consumption potential they would unleash would contribute to the dual-circulation development， where domestic consumption and indigenous technological development play an important role in driving Chinas growth.

Lifesaving Defibrillators

Guancha.gmw.cn October 28

Beijing Subway has installed automated external defibrillators（AEDs） at 22 stations on its Line 1， its oldest line， and at five more stations with large passenger flows on Line 4， according to Beijing MTR Corporation Limited. By the end of this year， 104 stations on seven subway lines in the city will have the devices. The machines will be placed in prominent locations at the stations， with appropriate signage and detailed instructions for use.

The AEDs are portable， lifesaving devices designed to treat people experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest. They can help the heart re-establish its normal beat by administering an electrical shock. People without a medical background can also use the devices after training. They are an effective tool for saving lives.

According to a report released by the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in 2016， every year about 540，000 people die of sudden cardiac problems. But these devices can reduce the tragedies. Therefore their distribution in public places is a measure that will meet with social endorsement.

Beijing Subway said training would be provided to the staff to use the devices. By December 2022， more than 80 percent of the staff at Beijings subway stations will be trained to use them. But since a heart attack victim generally requires assistance within four minutes， the authorities have asked more people to learn how to use the AED to save lives with prompt action.

In 2019， the State Council issued the Healthy China Initiative that asks people to learn lifesaving techniques in emergencies， such as a heart attack or near-drowning. Therefore， the authorities should accelerate the progress of promoting defibrillator training in schools and communities.

Strengthening Information Security

Beijing Youth Daily October 28

Over 90 percent of respondents have used face recognition， generally for e-payment， according to a report by the Personal Information Protection Task Force on Apps on face recognition application on October 13. However， the report says over 60 percent of people think the technology has been abused， while 30 percent faced problems， including violation of privacy and property loss.

Risks usually happen in data storage and application. Unscrupulous companies can take advantage of science and technology and the market to collect and use private information excessively. Although China has strict regulation on those processes， personal information security is not guaranteed due to the lack of uniform industry standards.

Therefore， the authorities should improve policies and regulations related to personal data protection with a standard for the industry. Technology developers and app operators can help relevant departments crack down on illegal actions. Governmental supervision is vital to enhance information security.

Companies should adhere to ethics in science and technology， ensuring their business operations are legal. During research and development， users privacy needs to be given the same importance as technological innovation. Also， people should strengthen their awareness of information security protection and avoid behaviors that carry risks.

WORLD SAILINGS FIRST CHINESE PRESIDENT

Li Quanhai has become World Sailings new president， the London-based global governing body for the sport of sailing announced on November 1.

Li， 58， is the first Chinese to hold the office. His term will end in 2024.

He topped the election with 68 votes ahead of former president Kim Andersen of Denmark.

Li， Director General of the National Olympic Sports Center， said he will work to make sailing more exciting， easier to participate in and a showcase of human power combined with the energy of nature.

Li had previously served on World Sailings Board of Directors for eight years. Founded in 1907， World Sailing is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee. Its principle members are the national governing bodies for sailing around the world and more than 100 class associations with different types of boats.

“The U.S. has repeatedly pitted regional countries against one another， flexed its muscles and instigated tensions. It is becoming the biggest factor fueling militarization and the most dangerous factor jeopardizing peace in the South China Sea.”

Xiao Qian， Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia， in a statement on the embassys website on October 31

“A new development blueprint is important not only for China but also for the whole world， as the Chinese Government can usually deliver on its development goals once they are set out.”

Carl Fey， a professor of international business at Aalto University School of Business in Finland， on Chinas 14th Five-Year Plan（2021-25） in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency

“For those unwilling to focus on containment， like the U.S.， the long shadow of COVID-19 speaks volumes for the ever-present perils of a double-dip recession. The contrast with Chinas self-sustaining recovery couldnt be more striking.”

Stephen Roach， former Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia， in an article for New Zealands financial news website Interest.co.nz on October 27

“Chinese companies remain the top-paying customers for UK intellectual properties （IPs）. Additionally， having spent the last 20 years developing and protecting their own IPs， Chinese companies are now among the worlds largest patent applicants.”

Ting Zhang， Co-Vice Chair of the UK-China Tech Forum， in an article on the website of British newspaper The Independent on November 2