“I doom-scroll short videos too, and every time I do, I berate myself for wasting one more hour on meaningless content. So, short videos are just a temporary phenomenon. It’s reading that is most worthwhile and deserves our spare time the most.”
Mo Yan, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize of Literature, on his WeChat account to mark World Book and Copyright Day
“The Central Economic Work Conference emphasizes the need for concerted efforts in various policies. However, when it comes to consumption, we are simultaneously stepping on the gas to expand while hitting the brakes with restrictive measures. For example, we have strict restrictions on car consumption [to curb congestion in major cities]. That is hitting the gas and the brakes at the same time. How can this vehicle not spit out smoke?”
Yao Jingyuan, former general economist and spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, at an economic analysis forum held by news portal guancha.cn on April 18
“The Central Economic Work Conference emphasizes the need for concerted efforts in various policies. However, when it comes to consumption, we are simultaneously stepping on the gas to expand while hitting the brakes with restrictive measures. For example, we have strict restrictions on car consumption [to curb congestion in major cities]. That is hitting the gas and the brakes at the same time. How can this vehicle not spit out smoke?”
Yao Jingyuan, former general economist and spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, at an economic analysis forum held by news portal guancha.cn on April 18
“We have not made good use of many rules. For example, the origin rules in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are crucial. Their utilization rate by Japanese and South Korean enterprises for exports has reached 50-60 percent, while for Chinese enterprises it’s only 4.2 percent and less than 1 percent for ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries.”
Chi Fulin, director of the China Institute for Reform and Development, at an economic analysis forum held by news portal guancha.cn on April 18
“We shouldn’t simply tell young people to develop the right views on relationships just because they are not dating, or the right views on marriage just because they are not getting married, or the right views on employment just because they are not finding jobs. These statements may sound good, but they lack empathy. We have to first understand their difficulties and needs, and then engage with them as equals.”
Cao Dongbo, professor at the School of Marxism, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics on communicating with younger generations in a May interview with dixiansiwei, a news account on WeChat
“I think that the US should also have an open mindset. Why not import more from China while their inflation is still high?”
Li Xunlei, chief economist of Zhongtai Securities and deputy director-general of the China Chief Economist Forum, at an economic analysis forum held by news portal guancha.cn on April 18
“There was a longstanding idea in the US that they were too strong to care about foreign influence. But in recent years, we have seen an increasing level of attention from the US going toward external influences. Whether I am engaging with American scholars or observing the statements of American politicians, it is evident that the US’s confidence has somewhat declined.”
Fan Hongda, professor at the Middle East Studies Institute under Shanghai International Studies University, talking about his visit to the University of California, Berkeley in a recent interview with guancha. cn
“Compared to Japan and the US, the Chinese government’s fiscal situation is relatively stable. As demand for risk avoidance keeps growing, China’s government bonds can provide the international market with a secure asset. The gradual increase in trading of government bonds in the central bank’s open market operations will help to optimize the investment environment for future financial openness. Furthermore, it will attract non-resident investors, contributing to the maturity of the currency market. This provides a good channel for the internationalization of the Chinese yuan.”
Sun Lijian, director of the Financial Research Center, Fudan University, quoted by the 21st Century Business Herald after the People’s Bank of China announced plans to buy and sell government bonds on the secondary market