"The ovum trade is the same as trade in human organs: illegal. A regulation related to assisted reproduction bans trade in embryos."

Kang Kai, a lawyer with the Beijing Jinghua Law Firm, responding to an online advertisement seeking female undergraduates in Beijing willing to sell their ova, or unfertilized eggs, on August 4

"Many elderly people in rural areas can no longer depend on their children as a result of the great economic and social changes over the past three decades, and the pension system fails to compensate."

Liu Yanwu, a sociologist at Wuhan University, drawing on his recent research which found that the suicide rate among the rural elderly has increased from 100 per 100,000 to 500 per 100,000 in the last two decades

"Children should be taught how to protect themselves, but the deletion of 'acting bravely' can only bring forth selfish citizens."

Tonghuaizu, a user of Chinese microblogging website Sina Weibo, responding to the draft of a new code of conduct for primary and middle school students recently issued by the Ministry of Education, which removed stipulations calling on students to "act bravely, stop violations of social norms and report serious criminal acts."

"Many Chinese have less knowledge of breast cancer and feel that cancer is very threatening, and they associate it with immediate death."

Qian Lu, Director of the Culture and Health Research Center at the University of Houston, drawing on her study which shows that Chinese survivors of breast cancer have a better chance of recovery if they write about their fears and emotions, on August 5