Easy Come, Easy Go

Thousands of local governments' liaison offices in Beijing are reportedly to be closed this year. Only offices of provincial and municipal governments will continue operating in Beijing.

Generally speaking, the liaison offices were established to receive officials from outside Beijing and also to provide communication channels between associated local and central government agencies. But as there is no clear definition of the two tasks, corruption has occurred. For example, in order to secure greater state funding for local construction projects, some liaison offices have bribed officials at central government agencies.

As long as local governments still need financial support from the Central Government, even if the current liaison offices are scrapped, other agencies will be used for the same purpose.

The best solution is to standardize the Central Government's financial allocations and transfers to local governments.

Guangzhou Daily

Buds Need Protection

On January 17, a kindergarten in Beijing's Chaoyang District caught fire. While nine children were lucky enough to survive, a two-year-old girl lost her life in the blaze. It was later found the kindergarten was operating without a license. Facilities of the kindergarten was shockingly poor--two rooms in a dilapidated bungalow and a small garden.

In new residential communities in Beijing's Daxing District alone, there are now more than 10,000 children attending 142 unlicensed kindergartens, 6.8 times the number of children in licensed kindergartens. These kindergartens are largely in terrible condition regarding sanitation and safety, and of poor quality.

Because of repeated appeals, facilities in compulsory education schools have improved greatly over the past years, but kindergartens seldom drew attention. After the recent fatal fire, the government announced plans to close unlicensed kindergartens.

When local residents sometimes cannot find quality kindergartens for their children, it's really difficult for migrant workers to deal with the problem. The closure of unlicensed kindergartens might put children of many migrant workers in very dangerous situations, because their parents are too busy to attend to them.

In addition to zero tolerance to high-risk unlicensed kindergartens, the government must take quick action to build more well-equipped and low-charge nursing institutions for children.

Children are the future of this nation. To ensure their growing up safely and happily is the common responsibility ofr society. Government and all of society are expected to care for them.

The Beijing News

A Forced Free Choice

Students from central China's Wuhan University recently conducted a survey involving 300 graduating junior middle school students from migrant workers' families. Its result shows only 18 percent of the respondents plan to go to senior middle school, while 10 percent hope to find a work after graduation and the remaining 72 percent expect admission into vocational and polytechnic schools. Fearing unemployment after costly study in senior middle school and college, most surveyed teenagers said they believe it's better to find a job as early as possible.

Students are not doomed to a future of poor prospects in vocational and polytechnic schools, but most of them will no longer have the opportunity to pursue regular higher education. Poor economic situations are partly responsible for their choice, because their struggling families need their incomes to support life.

Without adequate social security protection, many young students from impoverished families can only choose what they think is the most secure way of life. If the problem remains unsolved, maybe their children will have to repeat that way of life and never be able to have a better one.

Qianjiang Evening News

The Nation's and the World's

A peak formerly known as "Southern Pillar" in Zhangjiajie Nature Reserve in central China's Hunan Province was recently renamed "Mount Hallelujah" after a fictional extraterrestrial site in Hollywood's blockbuster Avatar. A large number of dramatic images in the movie are said to have been inspired by various scenic sites in Zhangjiajie. Local officials said it is a sign that Zhangjiajie is now a famous natural heritage around the world.

The "Southern Pillar" peak is famous for its unique shape. Some people also call it "Pillar of the Universe." From an aesthetic perspective, a foreign name limits visitors' imagination and expectations, especially those who have not seen Avatar. A perfect name for a scenic site should be a mixture of features and imagination, but "Mount Hallelujah" can only suggest its obscure links with Avatar. Although Zhangjiajie is a World Natural Heritage site recognized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, foremost it belongs to China.

Local officials have repeatedly stressed the renaming had nothing to do with the worship of Western culture, but their intention to make use of Avatar for self-promotion is obvious. It shows a lack of confidence in Chinese culture.

Chongqing Times