EDITORIAL : THE GLOBAL TIMES, CHINA

 

 

Population growth can solve aging issue

 

The latest population census indicates that the numbers of both Chinese senior citizens above 60 and of the floating population rank top in the world.

In the past decade, Guangdong Province became the most populated place in China, and Henan dropped from being top to the third most-populated province. No country except China has seen such significant changes in population distribution.

China's population balance system has partially failed. The western development strategy cannot reverse the trend of increasing population in the eastern regions. As to the expansion of large cities, there is no sign of this trend changing. Society seems to accept it, and life in large cities is organized around the process. Our society also seems to be giving up on avoiding resource limits in large cities.

In the past, public opinion paid most attention to the aging problem in China as it is also being faced in Europe and Japan. Their examples could be used by China to handle the issue.  Because China has a large population base and the aging problem is more serious in the eastern region, such problem has a good chance of being diluted.

The census results again show that the huge size of the population is an overwhelming for China. The combination of the world's largest population and fastest-growing economy has thrown up new problems for both economists and politicians. The overall rapid urbanization rate in general is a good thing, but the market pressure brought housing demands for hundreds of millions of people and the benefit disputes due to relocation may be politicized at any moment.

We have too many problems to solve. The huge size of the country is at the root of the problems. However, a balance can be established between different ones. For example, aging can ease employment pressure and reduce the "rebellious" impulses in many young people.

The population base and super-diversity thus caused should be the starting point of various research projects. China has adopted a market economy, but the Western market economic theory and related social theory cannot be fully applied in China. Some successful cases such as the contract responsibility system and "one country, two systems" are incredible to foreigners.

China should make more efforts to make its population of 1.339 billion become the first factor considered Westerners. As a socialist country with rapid rise and a "threatening" military force, it is truly difficult for China to manage a country with a population twice of the total of the United States, Russia, Japan, Britain and France combined. They should understand this.

Critical spirit of media should not be abused

 

In an era when mass media dictate the global perception of many, each outlet competes to tell a different kind of story to attract readers. Chinese media is no exception. A handy weapon that Chinese media resorts to, either reluctantly or voluntarily, is cast doubts on or criticize celebrities.

The latest victim of media spats is Chen Guangbiao, the former No.1 philanthropist in China, who is noted for his high-profile charity activities. In recent years, both flamboyant fame and sharp criticism have loomed as Chen's footsteps took him from the mainland to Taiwan, and from home to Japan.

Earlier this week, the China Business newspaper challenged Chen's honesty and suspected him of having fabricated donations and of gaining personal profit from his philanthropic work.

To appease these suspicions, Chen then released his donation receipts and some charity organizations have supported him. The media then quickly piled in.

This is progress for China's media, which is often described as a mouthpiece of the government, when it can express different opinions on current affairs.

However, impartiality is a prerequisite for the media as is following basic journalism ethics when doing investigative reports. Any hasty conclusion drawn without enough proof will be dangerous, threatening to hurt credibility.

Without asking the opinion of Chen himself, the aforementioned report had adopted a preoccupied position, triggering mountains of criticism on the Internet.

As a result, the report not only overshadowed Chen's follow-up argument but also sowed seeds of distrust among the public toward Chinese philanthropists and charity organizations. Many Internet users have now concluded that charity work does not lead to good karma.

Fortunately, some commentators have sensed that the diatribe against Chen will be detrimental to China's charity causes in the long run. In a country that lacks a philanthropic tradition, the benefit of the doubt should be given to entrepreneurs like Chen, who may turn good works into publicity but it is undeniable that people are helped by their efforts anyway. The world is not black and white, and people like Chen are neither villains nor saints. They should be encouraged to continue their charity work no matter what the public believe to be their "real purpose."

Being an entrepreneur-cum-philanthropist, it is Chen's choice to choose a high- or low-profile method of donation. Neither the public nor the media can ask a philanthropist to be a role model of morality. Netizens' comments have reflected public opinions in this regard.

From a media perspective, it is unprofessional either to give extravagant accounts of the good deeds of philanthropists, or to cast aspersions on the manner of their donations.