PLAYER SUSPENDED FROM INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Liu Shiwen， a three-time winner of the Womens Table Tennis World Cup， has been suspended from participating in international competitions by Chinas national table tennis team.

Kong Linghui， head coach of the womens team， said Liu was suspended for her last-minute withdrawal from the Seamaster 2016 Womens World Cup in October.

“I will obey what the team has decided. There is still the Chinese Super League， and I have to adjust as soon as possible to play well. I hope that the team can give me an opportunity again to compete for a place in the 2020 Olympic Games，” said Liu.

Liu， 25， currently ranks second in the world. At this years Rio Olympics， she and her fellow players won the womens team title， but she failed to secure a spot in the womens singles.

Global Appreciation for Anti-Graft Campaign

Peoples Daily November 23

A video in English on the anti-graft campaign of the Communist Party of China （CPC） has spread rapidly online. In the video， party leaders in many countries laud the CPCs achievements in its efforts to discipline its members.

Since the convening of the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012， the Party has stepped up its anti-corruption efforts. Worldwide interest in dismissals and arrests of corrupt officials is nowadays turning into appreciation for the CPCs determination to fight corruption.

No ruling party in the world can avoid the question of how to govern itself well， particularly at a time of profound changes in international circumstances. Britains exit from the European Union and the rise of right-wing power in Europe， among other things， highlight that various problems accumulating for years are increasingly affecting politics.

Its widely known that corruption in developing countries is the source of many social issues， such as the disparity between the rich and the poor， and that it also pushes up the cost of economic development. Most developing countries are still struggling to move toward modernization， and a ruling partys selfgovernance capability is essential to achieving breakthroughs in this process.

The CPCs strengthening self-discipline is all the more striking when put in the international context. The political will shown by the CPC in its anti-graft campaign is not only key to the Partys own success and Chinas prosperity， but also offers a reference for other parties around the world.

Chicken Soup for The Soul

China Newsweek November 21

Before U.S. motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen compiled the first book in their Chicken Soup for the Soul series in 1993， such stories had already become popular in China. For instance， a book titled Cultivating a Beautiful Soul， written in the 1980s， encouraged young people to work hard in order to succeed.

In addition to motivating readers to overcome difficulties to achieve success， such writing also serves to comfort people who have experienced hardships in life. The purpose behind the concept of “chicken soup for the soul” was to soothe and provide comfort， just like grandmothers cooking.

Since the 1990s， the phenomenon has become increasingly commercialized. Authors of chicken-soup bestsellers profit by public speaking as well as sales of books. Some so-called soul-training institutes charge high fees for courses based on chicken-soup content. Even academics， such as Beijing Normal University professor Yu Dan， and business leaders， like former Google China head Kai-Fu Lee， have become creators of such content.

Chicken-soup writing， however， is not without its detractors. Short， condensed and easy to read， the format has played a role in shifting reading habits from deep to fragmented reading. Apparently， topics such as philosophy， culture and religion now have to be turned into chicken soup in order to get published and widely distributed. This will likely reinforce shallowness in reading and thinking and contribute to impoverishment of the cultural environment， an issue which society as a whole needs to address.

Lessons From the Japanese Animation Industry

The Beijing Times November 24

One of the highest-grossing animated films in Japanese cinema history， Your Name， hits the screens in Chinese mainland cinemas this month. When asked about the gap between Chinese and Japanese animations at the films release ceremony on November 22 in Beijing， the director， Makoto Shinkai， said he had watched popular Chinese animated films and thought the two countries were on the same page in terms of the use of technology and software in such productions.

His words prompted some animation fans in China to feel proud of domestic works. Others， however， insist that the Japanese animation expert made the remarks out of courtesy.

So， how do Chinese and Japanese animations stack up in terms of quality？ The animation industries in both nations are equal as far as technology and software are concerned. Chinas lucrative film industry has made it possible to catch up with international technological standards through acquisition of foreign special effects companies.

What sets high-quality animated films apart from others is the ability to use technology to create engaging content. In this regard， even top Chinese animated films are no match for average Japanese ones.

The animation sector has become the third largest industry in Japan， generating annual revenue of 230 trillion yen （$2 trillion）. In contrast， the industry in China is fragmented and suffers from plagiarism and low quality products. Chinas animation industry should learn from its Japanese counterpart and focus on improving content.

？BEST ACTOR AWARD WINNER

Fan Wei， 54， won the best actor award for his role in the film Mr. No Problem at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards， one of the most prestigious awards for Chinese-language films， at a ceremony in Taipei on November 26. In the film， he played the manager of a money-losing farm in Chongqing in the 1940s. Fan said he was grateful the jury had perceived the subtleness he brought to the character.

Fan gained popularity by performing at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala， beginning in the 1990s. He has starred in a number of films including The Parking Attendant， for which he was awarded best actor at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2003， and The Road， for which he won the Special Award at the Cairo Film Festival in 2006. Fan has also performed in many TV series， particularly comedies.

“I believe capital that has flowed out from China will return in the future.”

Yi Gang， Vice Governor of the Peoples Bank of China， the central bank， in an interview with Xinhua News Agency， citing the countrys abundant foreign reserves， huge market and sound business environment

“The trilateral summit should be held at an appropriate time and under proper conditions for the three parties， and should achieve positive outcomes.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang， saying that China is engaged in talks about an annual summit with Japan and the Republic of Korea， at a press conference on November 30

“The new economy has seen rapid development in China in recent years， with hi-tech industries accelerating， Internet-based businesses prospering， online retail sales soaring， and new products and services springing up.”

Xian Zude， Chief Statistician of the National Bureau of Statistics， revealing at a forum on November 24 that the bureau is working on an index to measure Chinas burgeoning“new economy”

“As a traditional knowledge system of time that enjoys thousands of years of inter-generational transmission， the 24 solar terms clearly embody the concepts of respect for nature， and harmony between man and nature.”

Zhang Ling， an official with the Chinese delegation， speaking after UNESCO decided to inscribe the 24 solar terms， seasonal division points in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar， on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at a meeting in Addis Ababa on November 30