A NEW LEADER FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE

　　Wang Hongyang became the new president of the China Women’s Association for Science and Technology during its meeting on December 21， 2019.
　　Wang， a medical scientist and expert on cancer molecular biology， was born in Weihai of Shandong Province， east China， in 1952. She graduated from the Medicine Department of the Second Military Medical University of the People’s Liberation Army（PLA）， which is today’s PLA Naval Medical University， and went to Ulm University of Germany in 1989 to obtain her doctoral degree.
　　Since returning to China in 1997 after nine years of study and work abroad， Wang has been devoted to cancer research. She has made great achievements in the identification of key signaling molecules and the clarifi cation of tumor signaling pathways.
　　Wang has applied for 28 patents in the past fi ve years， 12 of which have been approved.
　　The association was established in 1993 and is made up volunteers working in the fi eld of science and technology.

Better Digitalized Life

　　Economic Daily December 20， 2019
　　In a report released by the Chinese Society for Urban Studies， second-tier cities are narrowing the gap with fi rst-tier cities during the development of digitalization， especially in urban governance and public services， according to the report.
　　Digital transformation has become a new engine to promote the modernization of China’s governance. Digital technologies have stimulated economic and social development， especially in some backward areas， and effectively promoted the equalization and availability of public services， providing greater convenience.
　　Government departments at all levels have attached great importance to the innovation of government services in recent years. They have encouraged online approval processes and services， and worked faster to build a national online platform for government services， enabling access via one website and remote processing， so that more matters can be handled without the need to be physically present. For business that does require people’s presence， things can be processed at a single window， within a specifi ed time， and without the need for a second visit.
　　In addition， some third-party platforms such as Alipay are being used to support digital governance. People can use these platforms to check their social insurance or traffi c violations， pay utilities， search for public transport or handle other affairs.

Solving Traffi c Congestion

　　Oriental Outlook December 26， 2019
　　Big city ills such as traffic congestion and pollution have become a headache for major cities in China with the increasing population and rising motor vehicle population. According to the Traffi c Analysis Report of Major Cities in China in 2018 released by leading Chinese online mapping service provider Amap， among the 361 cities analyzed， 61 percent suffered slow driving speeds during peak hours. Beijing was the city with the highest mileage ratio of congestion during peak hours， Guangzhou， capital of south China’s Guangdong Province， ranked second while Shanghai was eighth.
　　Traffi c problems are not only related to the supply and demand of road resources， but also closely related to urban planning and the spatial layout of a city. To solve the problem， functions of the city center should be limited while the layout should be better organized to cut down on commute times.
　　In recent years， many cities in China have announced a series of efforts to ease traffi c pressure， such as imposing restrictions on the use and purchase of vehicles and promoting environmentally conscious traveling. Public transportation has gradually become the mainstream choice.
　　Intelligent transportation systems have also played a signifi cant role in the modernization of urban governance. These systems can provide innovative services related to different modes of transport and traffic management， as well as enable users to be better informed and make use of safer， more coordinated， and smarter transport networks to ease congestion.
　　Moreover， rational allocation of industrial， population and public service resources can also help. Joint efforts from land resources and transport authorities to improve urban planning can reduce traffic congestion by clearing space and relocating populations to surrounding areas.

Support for the Elderly

　　China Youth Daily December 24， 2019
　　Since the State Council announced the transfer of parts of the state-owned equity for Social Security Fund （SSF） in 2017， assets have climbed to 840 billion yuan （$120 billion）. Along with fi nancial allocations and pensions entrusted by local governments at the beginning of the establishment of the fund， its total amount has added up to 4 trillion yuan （$571.6 billion）.
　　Set up in 2000， the SSF is used to supplement and adjust social security expenditures， such as pension insurance， during peak periods of population aging. The fund consists of central budgetary allocations， state-owned capital transfers， fund investment income and funds raised by other means. These funds are set aside to support social security payments through periods when population trends bring the fund down further than its contributions. 　　This kind of arrangement establishes a reliable source for China’s social security system. In case of an inadequate pension fund in some provinces， the SSF can provide timely support.
　　After the establishment of the SSF， its annualized return on capital markets has exceeded 15 percent. Moreover， capital transfer and other institutional arrangements have ensured the sustainability of social security funds， proving that China’s current pension system is fully safe and reliable.

NATURE’S MOST INFLUENTIAL CHINESE SCIENTIST

　　eng Hongkui， a professor with the school of life science at Peking University， was selected one of the 10 most infl uential people in science in 2019 by Nature. He is the only Chinese scientist on this year’s list.
　　Deng， born in 1963， earned his bachelor’s degree in cell biology from Wuhan University and PhD in Immunology from the University of California， Los Angeles. The Changjiang Scholar’s research focuses on somatic cell reprogramming and lineage specifi c differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells. His lab also explores chemical biological approaches for manipulating cell fate and function.
　　Nature， a British scientifi c journal， hailed him as a CRISPR translator for his research that shows CRISPR gene editing can be used safely in adults with HIV.
　　Deng and his team used this technology to treat a person infected with both HIV and leukemia for the fi rst time. After taking immunologically matched blood-forming stem cells from the bone marrow of a donor， they edited the gene and transplanted it to the patient.
　　“I have been editor in chief of Global Times for more than 10 years and deal with sensitive issues every day. I am accountable to both authorities and readers. It is precisely because their interests are compatible that I have held my office for so long.”
　　Hu Xijin， in his post on Chinese social media platform Weibo on December 24， 2019
　　“Because of its position as a gateway to China， Hong Kong enjoys significant importance in terms of the world economy and trade， which it can realize only when it is connected with the Chinese mainland.”
　　Mei Xinyu， a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation， on Weibo on December 24， 2019
　　“In 2019， China adhered to its new path of state-to-state relations based on dialogue rather than confrontation and partnership rather than alliance， representing an approach to international cooperation featuring mutual respect， justice and equity.”
　　Su Xiaohui， Deputy Director of the Department for International and Strategic Studies， China Institute of International Studies
　　“China has signed agreements on Belt and Road cooperation with more than 160 countries and organizations， allowing more countries to share the dividends of its development and enabling itself to solve domestic development issues through industrial internationalization and trade liberalization.”
　　Wang Wen， Executive Dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies， Renmin University of China， on Weibo on December 24 ， 2019