FIRST ASIAN RECIPIENT OF THE VEGA MEDAL

Yao Tandong， 63， an academic with the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences， recently won the 2017 Vega Medal for his contributions to research on glaciers and the environment on the Tibetan Plateau.

The Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountains， called the Third Pole by scientists， are the most sensitive and readily visible indicator of climate change. Yao and his team have been working hard to reveal environmental change processes on the Third Pole and their influence on global changes.

Yao is the first Asian scientist to win the award and the 65th laureate since the Vega Medal was created in 1881.

The prize， given by the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography（SSAG） roughly every three years， is regarded as the one of the worlds top awards in the realm of geography. SSAG is a scientific society founded in 1877.

Dont Ignore Criticism

Guangming Daily December 30， 2016

The sharp contrast between box-office success and low online audience ratings has triggered heated debate about films produced in China.

Some of the nations filmmakers have questioned the online ratings of movie portals including Douban.com and Maoyan.com. They say the low scores and negative comments in such Internet media have harmed Chinas film market. It is not strange that filmmakers cannot agree with media and critics. But will the negative comments hinder the development of Chinas film industry？

Homegrown films have achieved apparent progress in recent years. Several movies in 2016 not only gained box-office success， but also earned high ratings by critics and audiences. For example， the action film Operation Mekong， released in October 2016， earned 1.18 billion yuan （$169.7 million） at the box office and won an approval rating as high as 8.1 （out of 10） on Douban.com. But many films produced in China with large investments and all-star casts garner contempt from audiences.

In fact， popular movie portals have become a battlefield between film producers and audiences. Some film companies even pay people to post positive comments in order to improve the ratings. Such fraudulent acts affect the objectivity of online ratings.

Also， some filmmakers and directors are not open to criticism， but tend to turn their back on their audiences and critics. A genuinely good film would never fear criticism. Filmmakers in China must listen to critics if they want to go international.

Convenience Store Boom

China Financial Weekly December 26， 2016

Convenience stores are injecting impetus to the domestic retail market. According to statistics from the China Chain Store and Franchise Association， the number of convenience stores belonging to 62 operators and franchisers in China reached 83，000 at the end of 2015， and their market size is expected to have reached 100 billion yuan（$14.4 billion） in 2016.

Convenience stores are mostly located in residential neighborhoods， office buildings， airports and petrol stations and are open for 16 to 24 hours a day. Prominent market participants in China include both foreign brands， such as 7-Eleven， Lawson and Family Mart， and domestic ones such as Wumart. The business model was borrowed from abroad， and the first convenience store in China， a 7-Eleven in Shenzhen， opened in 1992.

The mushrooming of convenience stores has resulted from Chinas rapid economic growth and urbanization over the past decades. As modern compounds become the main form of residence for urban citizens， convenience stores are gaining popularity for their geographical proximity to consumers.

By comparison， large department stores and supermarkets are going through a tough time under competition from online stores. However， in spite of the rapid expansion of convenience stores， their profitability is unsatisfactory. Some operators are expanding while losing money.

The government should facilitate the development of convenience stores by streamlining registration procedures for opening a store， while store operators should embrace innovation. For instance， they could cooperate with e-commerce platforms to accept orders online and deliver products to consumers.

Train Ticket Booking Service Charge

Workers Daily January 4， 2017

As the Spring Festival approaches， hundreds of millions of people in China are concerned about obtaining train tickets to return to their hometowns for family reunions.

Train tickets are always hard to book in China Railway Corp.s booking system whenever the Spring Festival draws near. Some online service providers have found this situation provides business opportunities. In the past， they offered free software enabling people to gain an advantage in the ticket booking system. This year， they are introducing paid services to help people book tickets. The service charges range from dozens of yuan to several hundred yuan.

According to predictions， acquiring tickets for travel around the Spring Festival will be harder this year than in previous years due to the increased number of passengers and adverse weather conditions. Under these circumstances， the sale of paid booking services looks good. Many people who will travel during the festival are willing to pay extra for tickets. From a market perspective， charging service fees for booking tickets which are difficult to buy through normal channels is reasonable.

But such paid assistance is suspected of spoiling fair competition in booking tickets. People pay for the service so they can jump the queue when buying tickets online. This encourages buyers to pay more for tickets and will ultimately lead to speculation， which raises the question： What difference is there between the paid service provider and ticket scalpers？

The government should keep an eye on such paid services and ensure the healthy and stable order of the train ticket booking system.

SENIOR OFFICER INVESTIGATED FOR BRIBERY

Wang Jianping， 64， former Commander of the Chinese Peoples Armed Police Force （CPAPF）， is being probed for suspected bribery. National Defense Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun said at a press briefing on December 29 that military prosecutors had opened an investigation into Wang.

From 2009 to 2014， Wang commanded the CPAPF， a branch of Chinas armed forces mainly tasked with performing guard duties， dealing with emergencies and combating terrorism. Before the probe began， he was deputy chief of staff at the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission （CMC）. Wang is the first serving general to be investigated as part of the current anti-corruption campaign， launched in 2012， which has also seen the downfall of former CMC Vice Chairmen Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong.

Yang said the military is dedicated to opposing corruption and has improved its systems to prevent officers from becoming corrupt.

“Chinas efforts on the issue[of the Korean Peninsula] are obvious to all.”

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang in response to U.S. President-elect Donald Trumps statement that Beijing was not assisting in the Korean Peninsula issue， at a daily press briefing on January 3， 2017

“It is essential to explain and reaffirm its own national projects and ensure a comprehensive understanding of Chinas approach to the most important problems in contemporary society.”

Xulio Rios， Director of the Spanish Observatory of Chinese Politics， on China Central Televisions creation of China Global Television Network， a multi-language， multi-platform media group， on December 31， 2016

“The technology spillover of Chinas fast-paced military helicopter industry will surely boost the development of more civilian helicopters to meet commercial demand.”

Wu Ximing， chief designer of Avicopter， a subsidiary of China Aviation Industry Corp.， on the civil-military integration strategy in a recent interview

“Legally the verdict is fair， but the court should also consider the defendants potential harm to society and the social consequences of the case.”

Yang Yueming， a lawyer in Tianjin， commenting on the verdict for a 51-year-old woman who ran a roadside recreational shooting gallery in the city and has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for illegal gun possession