http://www.bjreview.com MARCH 26, 2020 BEIJING REVIEW 11THIS WEEK
“At this moment we can’t beat
this virus unless we eliminate
boundaries to resources and
share our knowhow and
hardearned lessons.”
Jack Ma, former Executive Chairman of
Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group, calling
for international cooperation in the ½ ght
against the novel coronavirus on March 16“For the economic resilience of a country
after an outbreak, we should consider four
questions. Has the safety of people’s lives
and property been guaranteed? Can the
political and economic order remain stable?
Is our tradable industry competitive?
Has the country’s governance capacity
been improved?”
Zhai Dongsheng, Deputy Di rector of the School of
International Studies at Renmin University of China,
speaking on March 18Protecting Consumers’ Rights
Beijing Youth Daily
March 16
Complaints pertaining to consumption during the epidemic are revealing various problems in
the market. They are also an indicator of local authorities’ emergency strategies.
According to data released by the China Consumers Association on March 15, the orga-
nization received over 180,000 complaints related to the epidemic between January 20 and
February 29. The top three causes for complaint were price, contracts and Tuality, account-
ing for nearly 45 percent, 19.5 percent and 11.7 percent, respectively.
In response to people’s dissatisfaction, the government has increased the supply of ne-
cessities such as pork and vegetables, with complementary efforts by companies to meet
people’s demands. Market regulators at national and provincial levels have introduced regu-
lations to stabilize prices. In terms of masks, authorities have cracked down on manufacture
and distribution of low-Tuality products. New challenges continue to emerge during the
epidemic. For scarce commodities, such as masks and disinfectants, protecting consumers’
rights has traditionally focused on whether people can access products. Yet the current crisis
has lowered people’s reTuirements on product Tuality. Restricted by certain controls, testing
institutions are also Ķ nding it difĶ cult to provide comprehensive services.those who either lose their jobs or are This is an opportunity for many departments to realize and address their problems.
forced to change their employment due
to the pandemic.
Specific approaches should be
implemented according to the cir-
cumstances of different sectors. This
year will see 8.74 million new college
graduates. To lessen the pressure on
the job market, the State Council has
decided to expand the admission of
master’s and undergraduate students.
Authorities, including the Ministry
of Education, have also announced
policies to aid students in handling
graduation formalities. It is hoped that
measures by universities themselves
will further increase the number of jobs
for graduates.
Huang Zhibo, a 22-year-old trainee of a Chinese entertainment group, was sentenced to three
years and three months in prison and Ķ ned 10,000 yuan (1,424) for fraud during the epidemic
on March 17.
On January 30, Huang advertised non-existent face masks during a shortage brought about
by the novel coronavirus outbreak. He won a buyer’s trust by using false personal information
and pictures of surgical masks and production licenses downloaded from
the Internet.
After securing a payment of 117,000 yuan (16,700), he blocked the
victim and cut off contact without delivering the product. On February 5,
Huang was arrested and brought to justice.
After an investigation, it emerged that Huang lied about selling masks
to defraud others of 280,000 yuan (39,600).
Huang became popular after appearing on an online audition program in- His contract with the entertainment group has since been terminated.
¾ TRAINEE SENTENCED FOR FRAUD
The workshop of a networking and
communications supplier in Shenzhen,
Guangdong Province in south China,
on March 12XIN
HU
A