CHINESE DIRECTOR LAUNCHES NEW FILM ACADEMY

　　Chinese director Jia Zhangke has formally launched his new venture： a filmmaking school in his native Shanxi Province staffed by top industry talent， including well-known Chinese directors.
　　The film academy is affiliated with the existing Communication University of Shanxi， which trains many graduates to enter media regulatory bodies and the television and film industry.
　　“As a filmmaker， I am grateful for this opportunity that allows me to do even more for cinema，” Jia said in a speech at the event as the academy’s first dean on April 17.
　　Jia， 52， born in Shanxi， is considered one of the sixth-generation directors in Chinese film industry. Jia has garnered international praise and awards with representative works including Mountains May Depart， Still Life， and A Touch of Sin. In view of his outstanding achievements in the Chinese film industry， Jia was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 68th Cannes Film Festival in 2015.

High-Speed Railway Construction

　　Economic Daily April 18
　　Today， China’s high-speed railway network spans a distance of over 37，900 km， ranking first in the world. The network connects a large proportion of Chinese cities and plays a prominent role in the nation’s economic development. However， building high-speed trains has required long periods of construction and large investments. Hence， from a longterm perspective， the future development of the railway should focus on further enhancing the quality of construction and operation.
　　According to a document released by multiple authorities， including the National Development and Reform Commission， passenger flow， city scales and other factors should be added to the list of considerations for future construction plans.
　　High-speed railway network should be integrated with traditional train system in order to improve the efficiency of passenger transport. Freight transport is also an important revenue focus for the railway sector and helps reduce overall logistical costs in China. For this reason， high-speed railway construction should also consider meeting the demands of freight as well as serving passengers.

Tea Market

　　China Newsweek April 19
　　Originating in China， tea is part of the country’s culture and people’s lives. However， in some cases， tea has been transformed from agricultural produce into a luxury product that many consumers cannot afford. 　　The Qingming Festival （also known as Tomb-Sweeping Festival） holiday，which falls in early April each year， is a critical period for tea trading. After this year’s festival， news that a batch of 10-kg fresh tea leaves had been sold for 10.68 million yuan （$1.6 million） sparked debate on social media. It is said the tea tree that produced the tea is 3，200 years old.
　　Some consumers think that the price of tea should not be used to determine its quality， and that it is this kind of consumption psychology that leads to skyhigh tea prices.
　　Chairman of the China Tea Marketing Association Wang Qing said that this issue has plagued the market and consumers in recent years. Relying on unaccredited experts to assess the quality of teas instead of relying on industry standards has resulted in a more chaotic market.
　　There are 166 national standards， as well as 171 industry standards， but all of these are recommended rather than mandatory. Furthermore， these standards only focus on basic aspects such as the characteristics of each type of tea but do not clarify the rules of grading and pricing. This becomes a source of privilege for tea companies.
　　Wang said that building mandatory standards for the industry is the basis for an orderly market.

“Growing” Pains

　　Guangming Daily April 19
　　In February， the China Internet Network Information Center released its 47th report on China’s Internet development. As of December 2020， the number of Internet users reached 989 million. Teenagers and seniors are the groups boasting major growth. Despite the increase in elderly users being a positive sign they are embracing new technologies， issues such as Internet addiction among the elderly should not be ignored.
　　Along with Internet usage， apps such as WeChat also bring increased opportunities for senior citizens. In addition to traditional communication channels， WeChat’s voice message and video chat functions have lowered the threshold for communication， through which the elderly can access information and emotional support.
　　However， an increasing number of seniors are becoming addicted to watching videos， playing Internet games and other online activities. Some even lose sleep due to their habits.
　　Addressing this problem requires communities to carry out online education to guide the elderly toward a reasonable use of the Internet. Governments at all levels should work with social agencies to create offline entertainment， study and communication activities.

MASTER TRANSLATOR CELEBRATES 100TH BIRTHDAY

　　Renowned Chinese translator Xu Yuanchong turns 100 on April 18.
　　Xu， born in 1921， was admitted to the Department of Foreign Languages at National Southwestern Associated University in 1938. He continued his studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing， and later in Paris. In the 1980s， he became a professor at Peking University.
　　Xu is the first Chinese winner of the International Federation of Translators “Aurora Borealis” Prize for the Outstanding Translation of Fiction Literature.
　　Xu is an inspiration through the mind-boggling quantity of translations he has completed throughout his life， including more than 180 novels， anthologies and plays that have reached millions around the world.
　　Though now at an advanced age， Xu has never stopped contributing to the pursuit of cross-cultural communication. Before his 100th birthday， a collection of Xu’s translations of several English literary classics， including 14 of William Shakespeare’s plays， were published.
　　“People should change their mentality. Our working styles and lifestyles will not return to normal， to the way they were prior to COVID-19. We have to live in a new reality.”
　　Liu Zhenmin， UN Under Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs， in an interview with CGTN on April 20
　　“The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership （RCEP） is the first step in the institutionalization of economy and trade in Asia， and the natural result of the shift of the world economic center to the Asia-Pacific region.”
　　Zheng Yongnian， a scholar from the Chinese University of Hong Kong （Shenzhen）， remarking on the RCEP during a sub-forum of the high-profile Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference on April 19
　　“China is engaging not only domestic players in a domestic setting， but also foreign players in the international environment. If China wins， we win.”
　　Joerg Wuttke， President of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China， with Xinhua News Agency， on April 20
　　“In the post-epidemic period， the Belt and Road cooperation mechanism needs to be further improved in order to promote more balanced development. By helping enhance economic growth in the region， the initiative will contribute to Asia’s development and global recovery.”
　　Xie Laihui， an associate researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences， in an article on the China Daily website on April 20