CHINESE SCHOLAR IN WEF SCIENCE COMMUNITY

　　Meng Ke， a professor of Tsinghua University， has been included in the 2020 Young Scientists community of the World Economic Forum （WEF） in late May for his research on public policy on the aging population and declining fertility. The project started in 2008 to engage rising-star researchers.
　　Meng is also a principal investigator in the project Fundamentals of Veteran Affairs initiated by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs. A graduate from the University of Oxford， he has been working as an associate professor at the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University since 2015.
　　Each year the WEF selects a group of extraordinary scientists under the age of 40 for their contributions to advancing the frontiers of science and passion for integrating scientifi c knowledge into society for the public good.
　　Six Chinese scientists are among this year’s 25 scientists. Five of them are from some of China’s most prestigious universities.

On the Top Of the World

　　People.com May 27
　　In 1975， China measured Mount Qomolangma， the highest peak in the world， for the first time， determining its height to be 8，848.13 meters. Three decades later， a new attempt was made to update the information and the mountain was found to have shrunk to 8，844.43 meters.
　　A new round of measurements was initiated on April 30 by the Ministry of Natural Resources， Ministry of Foreign Affairs， General Administration of Sport of China and Government of Tibet Autonomous Region. It took nearly a month for the eight-member survey team to reach the summit at the third attempt， after failing twice due to weather changes.
　　Measuring the world’s highest peak is a formidable mission， which requires advanced surveying and mapping technologies. The innovations used in this survey included the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System， an airborne gravimeter to measure gravity， and 3D interactive virtual reality instruments.
　　The success of the project showcases the courage and spirit of the Chinese amid difficulties. The updated information will enhance human knowledge of nature and boost scientifi c work.

Meeting Basic Needs

　　Gmw.cn.com May 29
　　Today， the per-capita annual disposable income in China has reached 30，000 yuan（$4，220.7）. However， nearly 600 million people’s monthly income is still barely 1，000 yuan （$140.7）， according to a press conference where Premier Li Keqiang answered questions raised by Chinese and foreign reporters on May 28. 　　“It （1，000 yuan） is not even enough to rent a room in a medium-sized Chinese city. Additionally， because of the novel coronavirus disease （COVID-19）， many families are in diffi culty. So it is a high priority on the government’s work agenda to meet the essential needs of vulnerable groups and families who are in new diffi culties because of COVID-19，” he said.
　　Though the incomes of the Chinese have increased in the past decades， there is still a wide gap. In 2017， China’s Gini coeffi -cient， a measure of income disparity widely used by economists and governmental sectors around the world， was 0.467， which shows the income gap in China.
　　Li said governments at all levels must always put people’s interests fi rst and bear in mind the hardships of the people. “In introducing each and every policy， we must make sure that it contributes to the wellbeing of all families and to the better lives of our people，” he said.
　　The government will implement measures to increase people’s income and expand employment channels to narrow income inequality. One of them has been easing the ban on roadside booths or food stalls.
　　The ban was enforced to keep cities clean. Since recently， vendors are allowed to set up temporary roadside businesses in designated places， provided they follow environment protection and traffi c regulations. The measure was taken to improve the livelihood of people with low incomes and revive the local economy.

Dream Destination

　　Beijing News Daily May 27
　　China remains an ideal destination for foreign investment with its improving business environment， growing economy and expanding market access， Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said in a recent interview. “Smart foreign investors will not give China up，” he remarked.
　　According to the ministry， in April， the actual use of foreign capital nationwide was 70.36 billion yuan （$9.8 billion）， up 11.8 percent from the year before. A Ministry of Industry and Information Technology survey shows about 40 percent of these foreign enterprises intend to increase their investment in China.
　　Besides a huge market and cost-effective workforce， the government is committed to improving the business environment and protecting the rights and interests of foreign investors with the Foreign Investment Law and negative lists. Also， China， a global manufacturing hub， has upgraded from initial low-end manufacturing to high value-added manufacturing， providing more room for foreign investment. 　　For many multinational companies that have expanded their Chinese market for decades， their growth is closely related to China’s development. Leaving China will not only mean they have to rebuild the supply chain but also find another country that provides an equally good business environment. So it is impossible for some countries to realize their dream of repatriating their companies and capital from the world’s second largest economy and the largest trader in goods within short term.

TCM EXPERT WINS NATIONAL AWARD

　　Huang Luqi， President of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences， received the second National Award for Excellence in Innovation for his contribution during the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease （COVID-19）， on May 30.
　　During the outbreak of COVID-19， Huang led the fi rst traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） team to Wuhan， the country’s hardest-hit city. As a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference， he suggested building platforms for research on the combination of TCM and Western medicines for infectious disease prevention and control during this year’s Two Sessions， the annual meetings of the national legislature and the top political advisory body.
　　The award is endorsed by the Central Government for scientifi c and technological workers’ outstanding achievements and research teams.
　　“The novel coronavirus disease will reemerge in China later this year for the global epidemic situation is still severe…However， although still in existence， the virus will only have a minor impact on people’s daily life.”
　　Zhang Wenhong， Director of the Infectious Diseases Department of Shanghai Huashan Hospital， talking about epidemic reemergence possibilities in China with Xinmin Evening News on May 31
　　“The U.S. and its allies desperately need an external foe to distract their people from ever-worsening economic problems and to justify multi-billion-dollar military-industrial expenditures， which explains their obsession with sparking a new cold war with China.”
　　Andrew Korybko， a Moscow-based American political analyst， in an article on CGTN website on May 31
　　“China’s taxation system needs to further tax and fee reduction to drive up domestic economic growth， especially for boosting the manufacturing industry.”
　　Xu Shanda， former Deputy Director of the State Administration of Taxation， talking about China’s taxation system with China Newsweek on June 1
　　“If European politicians， out of geopolitical or ideological considerations， use administrative or legal means to force European enterprises to act against market rules， they may gain short-term private benefits but this will hurt the companies and their economies in the long run.”
　　Ding Yifan， a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University， in an article in the Global Times on June 1