Youth Ambassador

(YANG ZONGYOU)

Deng Zhonghan, Chairman, CEO and President of Vimicro Corporation, the largest multimedia semiconductor technology company in China, has been chosen as China's ambassador for the Year of China-Europe Youth Exchanges during 2011, along with four other celebrities. The one-year campaign aims to deepen understanding between young people of European countries and China.

Deng, 42, graduated from University of Science and Technology of China with a bachelor's degree. He later received a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Since Deng returned to China from the United States, he has been actively involved in promoting China's semiconductor industry. He co-founded Vimicro Corporation in 1999. In recognition of his achievements, Deng has received numerous awards, most recently the National 1st Class Scientific Achievement Award.

Deng was appointed academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering on December 2, 2009, which makes him the youngest member of the academy.

Building a New Shanxi

(CFP)

Yuan Chunqing, Secretary of the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, is determined to build the province anew.

"Shanxi Province has huge potential," said Yuan six months after assuming the post on May 31, 2010.

Yuan has made great efforts to change the environment for Shanxi's officials. Officials have been forbidden to use public funds for dining out or entertainment.

Listening to the people's hardships is vital, Yuan said. He has formed a habit of "going to the countryside" each week.

Transformation of the mode of economic development in Shanxi is another challenge for Yuan. As a province famous for coal mining and also severe environmental problems, Shanxi is now aiming to modernize agriculture, and develop a circular economy, safe and clean production and sustainable development.

Out for Season

(FILE)

Houston Rockets All-Star center Yao Ming will miss the rest of the season because of a stress fracture in his left foot. Thirty-year-old Yao underwent surgery in January this year.

It's the ninth season since Yao started his NBA journey and the sixth in which he has had to deal with injuries. After a predicted 10-month recovery, whether Yao will retire or come back remains to be seen.

"I want to thank all the support people have given us," said Yao. "I know the recovery will take a long time. I'll use it to think about the choices I have made and I will make a decision about the future of my career when the recovery process ends."

When Yao was chosen as center of Houston Rockets in 2007, some critics thought that he would never be a first-class center. But Yao proved himself and earned a reputation as one of the most outstanding centers in history.

"He is a representative of the globalization of NBA," said NBA Commissioner David Joel Stern. Thanks in large part to Yao's impact, the NBA launched NBA China in January 2008, attracting an audience of more than 500 million.