History was made on April 27, when the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress approved the nomination of Wan Gang, a non-Communist Party member, in China’s cabinet, the first such appointment in 35 years.

Wan, 55, is vice chairman of the Central Committee of China Zhi Gong Dang, one of the country’s eight democratic parties. The president of Shanghai-based Tongji University replaced Xu Guanhua, 65, as minister of science and technology.

A professional in automotive engineering, Wan obtained his doctorate at the Clausthal University of Technology, Germany. He began to work for Audi AG in 1991, managing the German carmaker’s production and then overall planning division.

In 2000, Wan submitted a proposal to the Chinese Government, calling for an independent development of vehicles powered by clean energy in China. At the invitation of then minister of science and technology, he returned to China at the end of the year and was later appointed to head a national electric vehicle project and serve as chief scientist on the research team.

Wan’s recent appointment has been recognized as a notable move by China to encourage members of democratic parties and personages without party affiliation to play a more active role in the country’s politics.

In 2005, the CPC Central Committee issued a directive, urging central and local governments to open up high-level jobs to non-CPC candidates.

By January this year, more than 32,000 non-CPC members were holding leading positions at and above the county magistrate-level in governments and law enforcement departments at various levels, according to statistics from the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.

“The appointment of a non-Communist minister represents both a revolution of the concept of democracy and a breakthrough in official selection in China, which will have a far-reaching impact on democratic parties’ participation in state affairs and the development of the country’s political democracy.”

Wang Yukai, Professor at the National School of Administration

“As China’s market economy develops and society diversifies, not all talented people join the CPC. Professionals with management capabilities are valuable human resources for society and should be given an active role to play.”

Zhou Shuzhen, Professor at Renmin University of China

“Without faster reconstruction and an efficient method of economic growth, China’s natural resources and the

environment will not be able to sustain its economic development.”

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, calling for

society-wide focus on energy saving and

emission reductions after official statistics show China’s economy grew 11.1 percent in the first quarter and power consumption surged 14.9 percent

“These systems will control Russian territory up to the Urals if we do not take countermeasures-and we will.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, announcing on April 26 the suspension of Moscow’s participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, which imposes strict limits on troop deployments across the continent, in response to the planned U.S. missile shield

“I think we’ve made a quantum leap here in terms of our

understanding of the genetic variants that contribute as risk factors to type 2 diabetes.”

Michael Boehnke of the University of Michigan, during a telephone interview after he and his colleagues in four international teams of researchers identified a new batch of genes that increases risk for the disease affecting 200 million people globally. They published their

findings in the journals Science and Nature Genetics on April 26

“We are being exploited by the wealthy multinationals.

They are on the lookout for the country that gives them

the greatest benefit and the best returns for their capital.

This has to end.”

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, railing against the power of foreign multinationals in his country, where unemployment has soared to 10.3 percent, at a large demonstration in Quito on May 1

“I think this is where we should be clear about the glass being half full instead of half empty.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who also holds the rotating presidency of the EU, defining global warming as a serious problem requiring “urgent” action on the sidelines of the annual U.S.-EU Summit at the White House on April 30