Entrepreneurial Farmer

(XINHUA)

Ye Bailin, a farmer and entrepreneur in central China's Henan Province, has been in the Chinese media spotlight recently because of his efforts in helping his fellow country people to get rich.

In 1994 Ye borrowed 10,000 yuan ($1,515) to set up a peanut business. In 2000, Ye set up a website to sell peanuts and earned 500,000 yuan ($76,000) in the first year. The next year, he established a peanut factory and registered a trade mark.

In 2003, he engaged in modern agriculture. He borrowed 1.86 million yuan ($282,000) and rented more than 4 million square meters of land. The land's output is much higher than other areas nearby, as Ye uses advanced machinery and farming techniques and hires professional technicians. His company now sells more than 50 types of quality crops, with an annual profit of 6 million yuan ($909,000) and total assets of 22.28 million yuan ($3.38 million).

Ye didn't forget his fellow villagers after he became rich. His company provides work for more than 200 people in his village, and he has led 5,000 rural people out of poverty.

Best-selling Writer

(CFP)

Guo Jingming was the best-selling writer in China in 2010 for his book Tiny Times 2.0, which sold nearly 260,000 copies, said Beijing OpenBook Co. Ltd., a book market information service provider.

Guo, 28, is representative of Chinese writers born in the 1980s. His books are popular among young Chinese. Guo's first book Ice Fantasy was published in 2003 and immediately caused a sensation. Other works include the novel Never Flowers in Never Dreams, and essay collection Left Hand Reflection, Right Hand Time.

Guo became the chief editor of Zui Novel magazine in 2006. His Tiny Times series was published in the magazine from November 2007 and was later published as several books, all of which became best sellers. Guo is also a renowned scriptwriter and lyricist. He ranked second on the list of China's richest writers in 2010.

Panda Man

(CFP)

Zhao Bandi, a pioneering artist often dubbed Panda Man, recently shared stories about himself and pandas with art fans in Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong Province.

Zhao, 45, was born in Beijing and graduated from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts. In the 1990s, his works were exhibited in dozens of countries and have been collected by domestic and foreign collectors.

From 1999, Zhao began to use the panda as his only inspiration for art works. He has held many art exhibitions and activities about pandas in various countries, demonstrating the charm of the iconic animal to the world through his artistic creations and has become famous as a symbol of panda preservation.

"China's investments in Africa have increased rapidly and in a variety of forms, covering 49 countries on the continent and a wide range of areas."

Liu Guijin, China's special envoy on African affairs, on May 6 at the World Economic Forum in Cape Town, South Africa

"There are two 'bridges'—economic cooperation and cultural exchanges—between the mainland and Taiwan, both are very important."

Wu Poh-hsiung, Kuomintang Honorary Chairman of Taiwan, at the opening ceremony of the Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Culture Forum on May 7 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province

"From this year on, the Central Government will allocate special funds to subsidize herdsmen following the prohibition of grazing in some areas. The funds will also be used to reward those who have made progress in preserving the ecology of the grasslands."

Xie Xuren, Minister of Finance of China, at a joint press conference in Beijing with the Ministry of Agriculture on the grassland protection program on May 6

"The newly installed capacity of rural hydropower stations in China will reach 15 million kw in the next five years."

Chen Lei, China's Water Resources Minister, while attending a conference on rural hydropower construction in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on May 7

"Pakistan is fortunate to learn from the experience of a successful friend and a great neighbor. We are grateful to China for its commitment to sharing its development experience with us."

Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, during a function in Islamabad marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries on May 8