President Hu's Visit Series: East Meets West--Friend to Friend?

By Hou Dong

President Bush said that he regarded President Hu as his friend. So if there was conflict and disagreement, they were able to talk about them in a spirit of friendship and cooperation, just as two friends do. It is common sense that friends should protect each other when facing difficulties and troubles in life.

When President Hu was welcomed with full military honors and walked with President Bush, as CNN put it, "He desperately wanted to show his people back home the respect he had received from the United States, but that President Hu certainly didn't want the world to see a female protestor shouting into the camera, waving a flag with Fa Lun Gong on it." Almost at the same moment, Bush was saying: "China can grow even more successful by allowing its people the freedom to assemble, to speak freely, and to worship."

Meanwhile, outside the White House, thousands of protestors were shouting, "Stop prosecuting Fa Lun Gong." In their hands were banners with slogans such as, "Thousands of Fa Lun Gong practitioners tortured to death." CNN addressed Fa Lu Gong as a "banned religious movement in China."

What a coincidence! It renders me into thinking it was a show scheduled beforehand. The United States and China are two major countries in the world today. The visit was of vital importance in terms of its aim and the possible consequences it might bring. I wonder how this could happen. At the very moment President Hu was talking in front of the White House through the media to people all around the world? Or rather why America allowed this to happen? I also don't think the "thousands of protestors" were all witches and wizards who miraculously emerged in the blink of an eye.

So I cannot help asking what a friend should do under such circumstances. Friendship is not something on the lip but something deep in the heart.

President Hu's Visit Series: President Hu Unfazed by White House Attempts to Take His Mian Zi

By Li Mu

Suppose you have an appointment to visit the house of an old acquaintance with whom you've perceived some troubles in your current relations. When you arrive at the house with a lot of expensive gifts, and find the host does not plan to treat you to a stately dinner, you shrug and say, Okay. Then you find that your old-time pain-in-the-ass was also invited to the house, and then the host addresses you with a nickname you do not wish to hear for your entire life.

What is great about President Hu is that he kept his face well, even though he was not received properly by the White House.

While there are a hundred ways for the host to explain all these "snafus," and you keep an unperturbed smile, saying no, no, it will not affect our relationship; you know you have lost a thing Chinese cherish most: "Mian Zi."

Lu Xun said that there are several types of "Mian Zi." For each position, there is a type of "Mian Zi," also called "face." It is as if there is a line in the "face." If you do something beyond it, you have your face. And if your face drops beneath the line, you lose it.

In Chinese, some one who has a lot of "Mian Zi" speaks powerfully in his society. And President Hu is supposed to have more "Mian Zi" than any other Chinese. Unfortunately, he encountered the kind of embarrassment, which he had done nothing to deserve, that no Chinese will ever want to be associated with.

During our five thousand years of history, we have cultivated an etiquette stressing "propriety suggests reciprocity." A coin is for a coin, if not for a pile of gold. Having given enough "Mian Zi"--16o million worth of purchases, a mild appreciation of RMB value, anti-piracy regulations, and more favorable conditions for Chinese to invest overseas and buy imported beef--to a host who made you lose "Mian Zi" by allowing in someone who shouldn't have been there and announcing the wrong title of your country, you are in the most awkward situation any Chinese could imagine. However, President Hu did what most Chinese do when they have lost much face: prevent losing more.

That's why he kept an unfazed face.

That's why a delegation from the Chinese Embassy demanded an explanation from Washington for the disturbance during President Hu's address at the White House, but did not openly protest over being announced as the "Republic of China." They were not really in need of an answer, for nothing can be more explicit than what is seen and heard. What they wanted, however, was part of the "Mian Zi" that had been lost.

China, as one of the most powerful nations in the world, wants its face back.

Squabbling over protocol gaffes does not make any more sense than slapping the host in the face. So the long term China-U.S. relationship will unlikely be greatly affected by the embarrassment experienced by President Hu. But what many people probably do not realize is that a part of the mission of President Hu was spoiled by those unthinkable occurrences.

Back in 1894, Arthur H. Smith observed in his Chinese Characteristics: A Chinese man likes to put himself in a dramatic setting and think in terms of the drama he belongs to. If his troubles are unsolved, he finds it hard to "come off stage." If one plays his role well in a complex setting, he will have "Mian Zi." What really matters are not matters but formalities.

And what really mattered in President Hu's visit was to enhance the "Mian Zi" of the Sino-U.S. relationship instead of making concrete agreements with regards only to a U.S. agenda. In fact, there is not much impetus for him to make any more promises than what he has. So given the context of this visit, he couldn't have asked for much more than pomp and pageantry.

Of course, there is always trouble shooting behind the scene when "Mian Zi" is involved. No one can expect all grave matters such as China's trade surplus with the U.S. or piracy problems to be solved with the effort of a four-day visit by the Chinese President.

When it comes to an issue that touches upon the "Mian Zi" of China, be it a spiritual sect or a few jailed journalists, Chinese people will prefer to close the door and discuss it at home, because "domestic shame should not be made public."

Anyway, for many Chinese government officials, good "Mian Zi" outweighs a few of those who are dead from SARS infection.

President Hu's Visit Series: Both Mainland China and Taiwan appreciate Bush’s Attitude

Opposite Interpretations from Two Sides

By Shi Rui

Chinese President Hu Jintao met U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House on April 20, 2006, and the summit meeting attracted the attention of media all around the world, especially those in mainland China and Taiwan. Actually, the news hit the headlines in nearly all the Taiwan mainstream press. For every person in China, it was common sense that the Taiwan problem would be raised and discussed again during the meeting, since it has always been the most sensitive issue in the Sino-U.S relationship.

It is reported that President Bush mentioned the Taiwan problem initially when he gave the welcome speech on the White House's South Lawn. President Bush reiterated U.S. commitment to peace across the Taiwan Strait. Bush said that the U.S. would uphold its 'one China' policy based on the three Sino-US communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act and remained opposed to any side unilaterally changing the status quo, and that Taiwan's future must be resolved peacefully.

"This shows that the U.S. policy remains consistent and unchanged. This shows that the U.S. takes the issue of peace in the Taiwan Strait seriously and remains committed to preserving that peace," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Media in mainland China took the statement as opposition to the independence of Taiwan. Some Taiwan media and Taiwanese interpreted it quite differently.

China Daily, as well as other newspapers in mainland China, published the report on Taiwan with titles like "Presidents: No Taiwan Independence" or things alike. The lead in China Daily’s version was "WASHINGTON -- US President George W. Bush reiterated opposition to Taiwan independence on Thursday and called for the avoidance of 'confrontational and provocative' actions that will destroy stability across the Taiwan Straits."

Apart from reporting on the summit, Chinese media also paid attention to the reports on the same issue in the Taiwanese newspapers, and one report done by a Chinese journalist claimed that many Taiwanese media titled their reports with expressions like "Bush: No Support on Taiwan Independence."

"Taiwan watched nervously as Bush and Hu held their summit at the White House, fearing that Bush might publicly criticize President Chen Shui-bian. Although Bush did not say he was opposed to Taiwanese independence, he did say that he did not support it. Analysts in Taiwan pointed out that Bush saying 'I do not support' did not amount to a declaration of opposition," reported the Taipei Times, Apr. 22, 2006 in the article Taiwan Welcomes Bush Remarks.

Several interviews done by the reporter of the Taipei Times showed that many Taiwanese officials held an optimistic attitude towards President Bush's speech. Many thought Bush's remark that "We [the U.S.] believe the future of Taiwan should be resolved peacefully" dealt a severe blow to China's "Anti-secession" Law and they claimed to appreciate Bush's support for Taiwan's democracy.

Earlier this year, Mr. Chen Shui-bian announced the termination of the National Unification Council and the National Unification Platform, which was viewed by the Chinese government as a behavior that "hit the bottom line." The Chinese government made its reaction to Mr. Chen's announcement in 24 hours and warned Chen Shui-bian not to go too far.

Both mainland China and Mr. Chen Shui-bian expected to get a clear idea of the standing point of the U.S. after Chen's big move, and ironically, it seems that both sides are satisfied now.

President Hu's Visit Series: A Long Way to Go Before Solving Piracy Problem

by Li Shuting

Chinese President Hu Jintao chose the Microsoft headquarters in Seattle as the first stop of his U.S. visit. During his talk with Bill Gates, President Hu restated that China would crack down on the problem of piracy. By this time, piracy has been recognized as not only a hot issue in Sino-US trade, but also a heavy headache for the Chinese government.

The hardest part in solving this problem is not to make it illegal to buy pirated-copies of products, but to make people realize its immorality. Though piracy has been recognized as an illegal act for many years, pirated products are still favorable choices of common people in China because of their low prices. That is also the reason why piracy is like a weed in the field--it will come back, however hard you try to eliminate it. As long as domestic demands exist, there will be supplies. As long as people do not consider it an immoral thing to do, they will not hesitate to buy pirated copies with low prices.

A serious promise was made. However, the problem is tough. It is necessary to impose more regulations for fighting piracy, and China has a long way to go before this problem is finally settled.

President Hu's Visit Series: Love Mingled With Pain

by Yuan Yaowen

When love is mingled with pain, it will make one remember it best.

Chinese President Hu Jintao has paid his four-day visit to the United States. The relationship between China and the United States has been a major issue in the work of the Chinese government recently. The appreciation of RMB, the measure for cracking down on piracy, and the purchase of 180 billion dollars worth of planes, show a huge sincerity on the part of the Chinese government.

Some people argue that China, as a strong and independent country, has no need to do so many things to "win favor from the United States," that the effort is shameful. At the same time, criticism of China is also heated in the United States: China still seems to be a country with a flawed legal system, few human rights, heavy pollution, and is a big danger. The most-favored-nation status is even being questioned.

However, take a look at what China and the United States can get from each other. According to statistics from the Chinese government, China's trade surplus with the United States adds up to 114,770,000,000 dollars in 2005. As to the United States, the export to China in 2005 increased by 20%, worth 41,800,000,000 dollars.

So, is there anything we can not agree on, given the basis of mutual benefit?

It is clear that both sides realize the relationship between China and the United States should be peaceful, which benefits both sides. In such a global village, two countries cannot develop smoothly without each other's support. It is senseless for China to compete with the United States to get the title of "biggest superpower." There is almost no likelihood of a war between the two sides because everyone, Chinese and American, want to enjoy their lives nowadays, and no one wishes for a war without any prospect of winning. Let us just sell our cheap goods during the day and enjoy Hollywood films at nights, peacefully.

Of course the position of the biggest superpower can make a country dislike threats from others; if a country has great success, it will not feel satisfied merely to trail behind others. So there must be some disagreements between the two countries. In the course of dealing with these disagreements, it is unavoidable that sometimes one side will bring pain to another. However, concerning the China-US love affair, some pain does not really distort the matter.

And sometimes when pain seems necessary, things can also improve. There is love so we can try to bear the pain, and there is pain so we can learn to value love.

President Hu's Visit Series: Lunch vs. President's Visit

by Deng Jing

The meeting between two of the most powerful men in the world inevitably results in great expectation and excitement, especially to journalists. As a journalist-to-be, I am supposed to have immersed my whole self into the follow-up coverage of President Hu's visit to America. Pitifully unprofessional of me, I find that my concern for the meeting of President Hu and President Bush is far less than for what I am having for lunch right now.

Ironically, my connecting these two seemingly irrelevant things is quite natural. My lunch shares something in common with his visit: both are routines with few alternative results.

What I will eat at lunchtime is comparatively certain, as long as my teachers release class on time. Though there are some choices between No. 1, 2 and 3 Dining Hall, I do not need to make a route plan, analyze statistics and food reports from First Mover, our school newspaper, or consult with experts about which dish comes first. Seldom do cooks innovate the dishes served. Nor is the school planning to open a new dining hall.

Then what can I expect from this prominent meeting? Similar things but in a much more troublesome manner. The acknowledgement is already known; the proposals are put forward in a paraphrased version in order to differ from those of previous times; the topics and reactions have been analyzed by journalists and experts, each seems reasonable in their own logic.

Hence I would rather think about my lunch: it's easier for me to decide where and what to eat, but harder to know whatever new I can get from this meeting as well as this visit.

if one often keeps abreast with the media, an illusion may take form: given both sides are rational beings, they can hardly miss the right, broad path to mutually beneficial, win-win results. It is, mysteriously, seldom the case.

Politics now has snowballed into a giant complex, too big to get an overall view of, and too intricate to see through. From the news reports I cannot discern the actual difference between this meeting and previous meetings of President Hu and President Bush. The topics and collocations in addressing those topics are so alike that they sound like a play of words. As outsiders, we cannot realize whether there is an actual breakthrough in Sino-U.S. relations brought by this visit, though as the audience, we seem to see it happen.

There is always something in politics that is beyond my understanding. The visit is thought to propel the state-to-state relation to a higher level since it is the first time Mr. Hu visits USA as a Chinese president. I don't know how higher the level has become. What I wonder about, however, is something trivial. I witness the visit from the beginning without being ensured whether it is a state visit or a working visit. The difference between the two terms, and the reason that causes the disagreement in addressing protocol may indicate something, something I don't know and don't have access to know. On Chinese media the information is similar to the former meetings. On American media are comments without explanation.

The dining halls in my school are far less complex. As long as I have enough money to buy food, my identity as a customer is guaranteed. And when I pay for "beef and tomatoes," the cook will not give me fried eggs.

Eating a plate of many tomatoes and little beef is not a happy experience, but easier than thinking of the difference between "state visit" in Chinese media and "working visit" in American media, and much more enjoyable than hearing the title of my country announced as "Republic of China", the government existing in Taiwan.

Even though the quality of my lunch is comparatively poorer than the food for thought provided by journalists and experts, it goes without saying how important a lunch is to a young student who later has much homework to do and harsh teachers to deal with. Contrary to that, the significance of this visit is questionable.

I don't believe that the relations between the two countries can be determined or influenced to a great extent by mere visits of presidents without significant groundwork. Presidents are neither the sole decision-maker in a government nor the sole ruler in a country. It is various interests groups that participate in the course of decision-making and function behind the scenes when leaders perform under the spotlight, doing what they are expected by their countries to do.

(Robert Cappa used to say that if your pictures are not good enough, that is because you are not close enough to the front. However, people who start wars are always far from the front. Getting too close to the front does not necessarily lead to the truth.)

As for the agreements, oral agreements can be reached in every meeting and visit, but few take function after the press conference.

Signed pacts may not be reliable as well. As early as 1982, the American government promised in a Sino-U.S. Joint Communiqué to settle the question of United States' arms sales to Taiwan. Up to today, this question remains a question. And one does not have to go far to see that the settlement of either China's trade surplus and the question of piracy demands a long time. After all, as the cliché goes, Rome was not built in a day.

Therefore, let's have lunch first.

COMMENTARY: Why Must We Resolve Cultural Differences?

By Shi Rui

A sequence of questions was designed by our teachers when we finished reading the second part of Amy Tan's novel The Joy Luck Club. "What do you think of a cross-cultural marriage? Will you marry a foreign guy? Do you think cultural differences can be resolved?"

There is a premise in the last question: cultural differences should absolutely be resolved, or cross-cultural marriages can not be considered successful.

Why? I can see no logic here. Why must we resolve cultural differences?

There are two types of friends: those who share the same characteristics with you and those who complement you. Lovers fall into the same two categories. We are just more inclined to focus on the former sort of people when we make friends or look for lovers.

If the idea that only people who are alike can live together happily is true, then there would be few happy couples. When talking about cultural differences we must realize that they exist not only between countries, but also inside countries. In fact they exist everywhere.

A Sichuan man can be very different from a Cantonese woman. They were brought up on different landforms, in different climates, eating different foods; they speak different dialects, making it difficult to even understand one another initially. But do we ask them to resolve their cultural differences if they want to marry? No.

In ancient China people married their cousins or neighbors or their fathers' friends' children because they had similar family backgrounds (门当户对). Nowadays people marry whom they love, no matter if he or she is from Sichuan or Guangdong, no matter if one's father is a mayor and the other’s is a farmer. They believe their love and respect for each other can eliminate all the problems. In this, we have made great progress.

Class can not be resolved, neither can cultural differences. As long as the couple love each other and respect each other's differences they can have a family in harmony.

The design of this sequence of questions also shows a controversial social attitude towards international marriages. I think we should look at the whole thing from a progressive perspective. One thousand years ago, when the movement of populations was limited to a small area, people thought it was strange to marry a new comer who lived in the village for less than five generations. It's just the same as people nowadays who think it is strange to marry a foreigner.

With the advancement of the human race, I think there must be a day in the future when people will feel it is strange to marry an ET. Then, the so-called cross-cultural marriage will have another meaning, and the international marriage will not even be a topic worth discussing.

Last and also least, I'd like to provide a completely new way to judge the cross-cultural marriage, a scientific way actually. Geneticists tell us the more different the parents' genes are the better genes their kids can get. So, at least we can get cleverer, prettier and healthier babies from those controversial marriages.

President Hu's Visit Series: The Fault of Prices

by Dan Ran

The piracy issue has become a most sensitive topic in the dialogue between China and the United States. As a Chinese citizen, I fully understand America's concern for their great loss from the piracy in China. Yet, I am no less aware of the fact that a Chinese consumer, usually after lingering in front of the shopping window displaying an original American product, reluctantly turns away from the stunning price to a pirated one.

The piracy problem would have been easily and rapidly solved if it were a simplistic issue concerning only international trade laws and regulations. However, a major factor makes it so complicated that almost no final solution can be found: the high prices of the original products that are beyond the limited purchasing power of Chinese consumers.

The Chinese government does try to be responsible. From time to time, campaigns are launched to fight against the serious piracy problems in China. Yet the consequences are, as everybody can see, that people simply withhold their appetite for a newly-released Hollywood movie, an American pop music album, or a new version of PC software. They hold their money until after a period of time, pirated products gradually and secretly find their way onto street corners and the shelves of PC shops again. During this period of time, do original products enjoy a larger market when their pirating competitors are restricted? Yes, but to a very, very small scale.

I am strongly convinced that when Chinese consumers turn to those pirated products, they know well that they are supporting an illegal business behavior, an unfavorable cause. And I believe that when a rational Chinese consumer is facing original software, or an original DVD copy of a Hollywood movie, he or she must have adequate respect for the efforts that have been devoted to the production -- the time, the sweat, the energy and the intelligence.

Yet, if buying the original products while dismissing the pirated ones is the embodiment of such respect, the painful fact is that they simply cannot afford the respect.

A pirated DVD is often ten times cheaper than an original one, the same rule can be applied to a pirated book, a pirated PC game and pirated software, and sometimes the price can be even cheaper. The satisfaction of paying respect to the rights of the creators of intellectual property inevitably pales in comparison with the practical need of saving one's budget. If an average Chinese consumer exclusively buys original software to install on his PC, there is a good chance that a Windows System will cost a third of his monthly salary, and although his new computer will be moderately equipped with necessary software, he will end up with an empty wallet for the rest of the month.

Viewing from this perspective, I can say it is not the Chinese government that is intentionally indulging piracy in the domestic market, nor the Chinese consumers that are blindly ignoring the dignity of intellectual property. The Chinese consumers, if offered a chance to speak, may well say, "It is not my fault, but the prices'."

MOVIE REVIEW: Farewell My Concubine: A Real Tragedy

by Liu Yeqing

Farewell My Concubine is a masterpiece of Chen Kaige, one of the greatest of the fifth generation Chinese directors. The story, covering a span of 55 years, mainly deals with the legendary life story of Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou from 1929 to 1984.

The story started in the late Qing Dynasty. Little Bean, son of a prostitute, was sent to a theatrical troupe at the age of eight. Born with delicate and fine appearance, Little Bean was trained to act the role of a Dan, lady character in Peking opera show, and went through strict trainings to learn the basic skills. Little Stone, a fellow apprentice in the troupe, began to take care of him since the first day they met. They helped each other in difficulties when they grew up.

Years later, they costarred in the classical Peking opera Farewell My Concubine, which turned out a hit instantly and both of them became infamous stars. They were given stage names as Cheng Dieyi(Little Bean) and Duan Xiaolou(Little Stone). Dieyi hoped that they two will perform together all through their lives.

But his wish broke very soon as Xiaolou met and married a prostitute. Dieyi regard this as betrayal to their relationship and broke up with Xiaolou. However, they still helped each other out in emergencies until the advent of the Cultural Revolution. They slandered each other during the Criticism and Denunciation Meeting during campaigns against anti-socialism intellectuals in the sixties, which resulted in the death of Xiaolou's wife.

Many years later, both Dieyi and Xiaolou are already in their late sixties when they were rehearsing Farewell My Concubine in a theater. In the last scene of the film, Dieyi finished his last performance by cutting his throat with a real sword, quite as what concubine of the King of Chu did when her King lost the battle.

Farewell My Concubine is a milestone in Cheng Kaige's directing career. The plot is filled with the twists and turns. The shooting and music were beautiful; the lines were well-written and the acting was great, especially that of late Leslie Cheung. In the films, Leslie’s role was to star a lady character, Yuji, in the Peking Opera. His spotless performance even stunned some senior Peking Opera actors, rewarding him with the Best Actor Award by the Japanese Film Critics Society.

Ironically, just like its plots, road towards success for Farewell My Concubine was also full of twists and turns. Due to the film's involvement of Cultural Revolution, it was banned in cinemas and domestic film awards. As Chen Kaige is a mainlander, the film was also banned in Taiwan. And in Hongkong, it was regarded as a foreign film because Leslie Cheung was the only native actor in it, which barred it from winning Hong Kong Film Awards.

Leslie Cheung once sighed: "This is a tragedy for Chinese films. There shouldn't be so many restrictions imposed upon film making."

Thanks to the International Film Festival de Cannes, after winning the Golden Palm Award, the film was finally allowed to enter domestic cinemas.

The film was banned in Mainland China also for its indication of homosexuality. But Dieyi's affection for his Xiaolou is more of a reliance than homoerotic love. Since the time his mother left him in the troupe, Dieyi had nobody to depend on except Xiaolou. Xiaolou comforted him when he had been beaten up by the master and shoulder the blame for his trying to escape from the troupe and consoled him when he was abused by the eunuch. Their relationship has been built upon everyday care, which brought about kinship, brotherhood and love.

Farewell My Concubine isn't the only film that has encountered the dramatic fate of being barred from domestic cinemas first before drawing attention from exhibits on international silver screens.

In recent years, there have been more and more Chinese films dealing with stories in the 1960 and 1970s. To a certain extent, their choice of material can be attributed to their success in international film award academies. As some people in the film industry indicated, they have not been given much pressure from the domestic box office, as the overseas market has brought them a fat reward. In 1987, Zhang Yimou, a fifth generation director who directed the blockbuster Hero, made a name for himself by his masterpiece Red Sorghum. This film sparkled in the international market but was severely criticized at home. Now the sixth generation directors are faced with the same problem.

It is a tragedy for such a great tragic film.

How long will it be before great films are recognized without having to go abroad?

The Awards won by the film:
Golden Palm Award at the 46th International Film Festival de Cannes
Best Foreign Movie at the 51st US Golden Globe Award
Best Actor Award by the Japanese Film Critics Society in 1994 (Leslie Cheung)
Best Director Award by the Japanese Film Critics Society in 1994 (Chen Kaige)

President Hu's Visit Series: Doom for Piracy?

by Li Mu

Pirated products will remain, unless most people in China think as seriously as President Hu before buying pirated CDs at street corners. The only unlikely alternative is when the prices of these original products can be, at least, as competitive as those pirated ones.

It's not the first time our president has given emphasis to intellectual property protection. The banner of "enhancing original innovation capacity" has been waving for years before he made his speech during his stay at the mansion of Bill Gates yesterday. And still people carry pirated Louise Vuitton handbags, spray pirated Hugo Boss, read pirated Harry Potter, and watch pirated Brokeback Mountain.

Complaints from American officials and businessman are overwhelming, but they do not reduce the temptation of lower prices. In fact, most people who do not have clean shopping records know that piracy is not only damaging the interest of giant international corporations such as Microsoft, but also blocking the growth of industries at home. Now and then, domestic publishers and music companies launch propaganda campaigns against pirating rivals, yet pirated products hardly experience shrinking markets.

It is not as if our government has been ignoring the rampant piracy at home. The recent anti-piracy regulation demanding PC manufacturers to set up original editions of operating system software is only a small part of government efforts to battle against piracy industries across the country. Since the patent law was issued in 1999, there has been a string of government policies on tramping down pirated products. These policies do have an impact on pirated products, but only for a limited time and in limited areas. At different times in Beijing, pirated CDs seem to become extinct, only to flourish on every street corner a short while later. Officials could close down shops selling pirated products, but they face more challenges from rampant street vendors and internet sellers.

The biggest dilemma facing our government is that the vast piracy-consuming market will not simply evaporate even when all piracy producers are gone. How to handle millions of piracy-oriented consumers when it seems that bans will only make piracy more popular? One way is to push for lower prices among producers who have paid higher costs. And that amounts to economic suicide to some of them.

With all the difficulties considered, and having reserved full optimism in our government's strong measures enforcing patent law, we only have to adjust to our life without pirated CDs and handbags when the doom of piracy really comes. What if there comes another censored Hollywood blockbuster like Brokeback Mountain? Well, that could be another problem.

CHINA, INTERNATIONAL, MEDIA, A Note From the Editors

We wish to congratulate Joseph Kahn and Jim Yardley of the Beijing bureau of The New York Times for jointly winning the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. They won the award for their groundbreaking series on Chinese jurisprudence, " The Rule of Law."

While we are not endorsing all of their work or ideology as foreign journalists in China, as English language journalism students at China's premiere foreign studies university, we would be remiss if we did not applaud their winning of this prestigious award for reporting on the important changes taking place in the Chinese legal system.

From your future colleagues in the news business, Mr. Kahn and Mr. Yardley, a hearty: gambei!

This award, for this series, is further affirmation of the notice being paid to China at the very zenith of international journalism.

-- The editors

EDITOR'S NOTE: WOW Wishes President Hu a Successful Visit

As President Hu prepares his upcoming visit to the United States, the WOW staff is following closely on related news coverage. We hope that his visit will strengthen Sino-U.S ties and bring progress to the state-to-state dialogue that will affect vital political and economical issues. As students with interest in major international issues, we would like to bring forward our views on President Hu's visit and welcome guest comments.

BOOK REVIEW: The Remains of the Day: Portrait of Stevens the English Butler and His Love Story

by Wang Yan

Some people may not be fond of love stories, especially tragic ones. It can be a torture to see the lovers waving goodbye to each other, misty-eyed, risking a lifetime departure.

This time again, lovers waved goodbye in The Remains of the Day, third novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, a Japanese writer. Ishiguro's former stories are all Japan-based, and this is the first one with an English background.

The novel shows consistency in his writing style. Told from the first person point, the story concerns life of an aging butler, Stevens, who has spent thirty years in service at Darlington Hall. Stevens is definitely a competent butler, following every order of his master and always placing the the interest of the family in the first place. When he has been assigned to the job, Mr. Stevens, son of the previous butler, devotes almost everything to this career, including his relationship with the woman he had long loved at heart, Miss Kenton.

Mr. Stevens and Miss Kenton's love story is not exciting, but moving. To me, their reserved but sincere love is like a fossil, hard, emotionless, but is always there to stay.

But they never really got together.

On Kenton's side, the question is: is it true that to love is to tolerate? She accepts everything, whether good or not, from her lover and she does not intend to put burden on Stevens. Once her beloved Stevens wants to pursue his "real meaning of life", she lets him go, even though he may no longer be by her side. Stevens regards his work and responsibility towards the family as the most important thing. He is brave enough to sacrifice his name of a "gentleman" (which was extremely important to a butler like him) in protecting his master’s honor, but doesn't dare to admit his love towards Miss Kenton even when being asked.

So he lets her go, when he is informed that she is marrying another man. "I'm not the one for her. She might be happier with another person." And that is the best he could be.

Mr. Stevens is a good person and a good butler, but he has sacrificed too much to earn this name. What has he got in the end? Unable to accompany his own father when he was dying and losing the woman he loved most in return for gentleness and loyalty, he allowed some of the most unimaginable things to happen in his life.

Mr. Stevens could be qualified as a good son, since his father, being a butler himself, might understand his choice. Yet he could never be referred as a good lover. Stevens has tried his best to hide his feelings towards Miss Kenton, and even deliberately ignored her hint when she tried to express her love. In this relationship, he doesn't give anything.

While reading the book, I sometimes even wondered: is Mr. Stevens really in love with Miss Kenton?

One thing to be sure is that the character of Mr. Stevens is very well developed. This is also the reason why people would be sad about him losing Miss Kenton. From Care arises emotion. The two could have made a nice couple. But one cannot change the fate decided by character.

The book is interesting in terms of character study of Mr. Stevens. His traits, experiences and personalities are described in detail and balance. Ishiguro wrote his story with a controlled tone and carefully crafted language. Though inevitably affected by the author's Japanese heritage, the story reflects England's past and culture in a realistic way. Coming across the gap between two cultures is not an easy task for a writer, but Ishiguro succeeded. His Japan-based and England-based novels assured the readers his ability to handle the influences and lay out facts of both cultures.

Since the story is narrated by a traditional, serious-minded butler in the 19th century England, the associated language is, to be sure, mannerly, periphrastic and lenthy, displaying the author's talents in such kind of language.

Awarded the 1989 Booker Prize, The Remains of the Day deserves such credit.

CHINA, BEIJING, LOCAL NEWS: Spring Book Market Opens up at Ditan Park

by Li Mu

Friday, Ditan Park, or Temple of Earth, embraces another spring book market, which lasts eleven days. With hundreds of thousands of books brought together by thousands of book stalls, the event is the biggest of its kind in Beijing, featuring lectures, book-signings, educational consultations, and a string of folk entertainment such as yangge, a popular rural folk dance.

The spring book market is the first book event in Ditan Park in 2006. The park usually holds four book markets in each season, but starting last year, the winter book markets are held at Workers' Gymnasium.

The books at the market range from newly published magazines to decades-old used books, all sold at discounts. Book lovers can pick out books from almost every major press in China at cheapest prices possible. Newly-published books are usually sold with 20 percent off, and older books, mostly classic novels and academic books, can be 50 percent off or even be sold below 10 yuan. Prices of used books are even lower: with ten yuan, people can get a heavy bunch home.

"The magazines sold here, especially those related to computer software, are definitely attractive to me." says Zhao, a veteran book buyer at Ditan Park, "I can get newly printed magazines with one or two yuan. That's definitely worth it."

He suggests that the best time for picking out books at Ditan book market is a few days after the open-up. "The first few days are usually crowded and the prices have not come down. But if you go at the last two days, a lot of good ones are sold out. So the best time is in the middle. The more inside you go, the more likely you are going to get good cheap books."

Aside from books, all sorts of sundries including CDs, tapes, and stationary are also sold at the book market, attracting a lot of non-book buyers while making some book lovers feel disturbing. "It wasn't like this ten years ago, when all sold here are books. Now you have Bonsais, clothes, and even vegetables. A lot of children are coming here for video games discs. Where is the place for book lovers?" Wang, another veteran complains. However, many others find that this increased the appeal of the book market.

"Usually weeks before open-up, I would be searching for related information about the book market. And I usually come back with a lot of other findings." Zhao says.

CHINA, NATIONAL, SOCIETY, COMMENTARY: Beggar Man or Thief?

By Liu Yieqing

Southern Street is the most prosperous business street in Nantong, a middle-sized city in eastern China. However, when you take a walk there, you cannot avoid seeing multifarious beggars on both sides of the street, apart from the large crowds and numerous shops. This special group is comprised of children, women, elders, handicapped, as well as young people with sound conditions.

Some stay on their knees making bows to the passers-by with hands cupped in front. Some reach out dirty hands to passers-by for money. In most cases, they arouse the pity of the public with their poor appearance or unfortunate life experiences or both. The truly impoverished makes up only a small proportion of the large number of beggars, many of whom are really just slobs in sound health.

Beggars come in all different types

One old lady in her middle fifties sits on the ground outside of Wenfeng Big World--the largest shopping mall in Nantong. She is busy painting with her handicapped hands. Two fingers are missing from her right hand and the other ones are attached together; so is it with her other palm. In spite of her handicap, her paintings are so excellent that many people stop and offer to buy her works. In no time, coins pile up in front of her.

A middle-aged man sits only a few meters away, with a big basket in front of him. Inside are three kids with ragged clothes. There are other elders holding bowls with several coins rattling inside.

Most are from other provinces. Some are truly disabled; however, many are in good health. Some are middle-aged men. However, most are elders and children. More beggars flood into the city in spring and summer. Usually, they "work" from 9 a.m. until 6 or 7 o'clock. Some are newcomers, but a number have been here for more than five years. Some roam around the city and some beg at the same spot. Some disabled beggars are brought to their "working place" in the morning and picked up and taken home in the evening. In a word, begging has become a profession.

Many beggars do not choose the profession because of economic conditions. Some of them live a decent life and are even well off. As soon as they accumulate a certain sum of money, they will send it home. Some will deposit the money into a bank and carry the bank note with them.

I put three coins in the bowl in front of the old lady painter and had a little chat with her. As it was getting dark and few people stopped to buy her paintings, she was quite willing to talk with me. She was from Anhui Province but refused to give a further detailed address. (Most beggars are unwilling to refer to their hometowns.) She came two years ago and was sent to the street by her husband everyday.

"What kinds of people buy your paintings?" I asked.

"Most of the old folks are only looking, unwilling to give any money. Seldom will they give me even a few mao. As time goes by, they no longer pay any attention to us. The givers are middle aged women and girls in love."

To the right of her was a small old man also from Anhui Province. His dirty appearance would never give you the idea that he has more than 10,000 Yuan. Or rather, he used to. He gave his banknote to a fellow beggar for safe keeping and now that beggar is missing. The old man is very upset.

The attitudes of people towards beggars

1) When I see a grandma or a little child, even a baby, I will give some money to them unconsciously even though I already know they are cheating, or they are not actually as poor as they appear to be. It may be to my detriment, but I just cannot control it.

2) I was cheated once and now I will just walk past them without stopping. If they badger me, I will chide them.

3) It depends on the circumstance. If the beggar is deformed or very old, I will give them some money.

The deep root of the phenomena

One of the reasons for this behavior is that many people think it is not disgraceful to be a beggar. In some regions, there still remains the consuetude that people go far away to cadge. And some villagers even regard cadging as a proper method to enhance the quality of life.

Such customs are a terrible influence on others--some villagers buy expensive appliances like a TV set, fridge, and so on, with the money they begged and everyone sees and knows. Many beggars go out to beg instead of learning skills to improve their life in their leisure time.

The problem of repatriation

More and more beggars hustle into downtown Nantong to seek big fortunes before major holidays, especially the Spring Festival, which badly tarnishes the reputation of the city. The police try to persuade the beggars to return home. However the measure of 'neatening' is hard to deploy.

I joined the urban police to investigate the measure and when we came to the east of Huanxi square to persuade the beggars to leave, we met a beggar who we had just told to go home in the west of the square. And some beggars are crafty. In the square, a little child was begging, but when he saw the police, he returned to an elder man and pretended to be his son. Then the adult told the police that they were father and son who were going to buy something.

Then how do we end the phenomena of begging? As we know, the professional beggars snatch their fortune by imposing on people's sympathy. In such cases we should not hand out anything to the professional beggars; if they get nothing, surely they will get out of the horrible circle of begging.

Never enable indolent people.

Proverbially, we should show our charity to people who are really in poverty like old people who have no relatives to support them; people who lost their ability to work or to own anything. But now, most beggars are those people full of energy and some are little children goaded by cruel-hearted adults. We are indeed giving our money to the cruel-hearted adults! How can we remain our benignity? But if we lose our remorse one day, what would the world be?

So it is important to make a new project of repatriation. Many professional beggars go back to the city immediately after they are sent home. To the real beggars, like the handicapped, we should introduce them to jobs they can do to help them stand on their own feet rather than begging in the streets.

When the real beggars are no longer begging in the streets, there will be no circumstance for people who are actually not beggars to stretch out their hands to the passers by.

CHINA, NATIONAL, SOCIETY, The Dream and the Reality of Studying in Japan

By Li Shuting

"Going abroad for further study" used to be a beautiful dream of many Chinese people. Traditionally, parents are proud of their children who are admitted to foreign universities. During recent years, more and more Chinese youngsters pour out to some developed countries for this dream, and Japan, a nearby-developed country, becomes many people’s first choice or destination.

Thousands of Chinese students are now in Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. All of them are struggling--struggling for dreams and struggling against the reality.

"We all major in Japanese."

Before going aboard, students whose destination is Japan have to take an exam to test their Japanese. According to the rule, those whose results have not reached "level one" have to study in Japanese "language training schools" for two years. After graduation from the language training schools, they have chances to take university-enterance examinations in Japan.

As a matter of fact, most Chinese students cannot reach "level one" and have to enter language training schools. That means their first two years in Japan are spent on language training instead of the subjects they actually hope to learn.

Gao Bin, a 20-year-old boy from Beijing, is studying in one of the language training schools in Tokyo. "This school is so different from a school in the traditional sense." Gao said, "My classmates are from different countries. The youngest is 15-years-old, and the eldest is more than 30. All the teachers are part-time instead of full time; their professions are various and many are irresponsible. I really doubt their teaching ability."

Gao believed few people could really learn something from this kind of school. "We can learn nothing from this kind of school. The only subject in it is Japanese, which we can learn from daily life. Since it is meaningless to attend the class, truancy is very common."

Gao said it was very embarrassing when people ask him about his major. "To be honest, I am here for architecture. However, I have to say I major in 'Japanese' now. It seems that I am far away from my dream… I believe everyone comes here with his own dream, but we (Chinese students in Japan) all major in Japanese now. It is ironic, isn't it?"

"I want to study, but I have to survive first."

Zhao Jiang is from a common family in Liaoning province, northeast China. He said it cost his parents a fortune to send him abroad. Considering the economic situation of his family, he decided to work hard and support himself in Japan as many other students do.

"Before actually living in Tokyo, I considered it a paradise. However, as soon as I arrived, I realized I was wrong...the tuition is 650,000 yen (about $5,690 US) per year; the expense of lodging and food is at least 840,000 (about $7,350 US) per year. It is shocking to even hear the number, isn't it?"

Zhao is working in a Tokyo-based Chinese food chain now. Work is tough, and the salary is about 800 yen (about $7 dollars US) per hour. "Though I try my best, I can only get 200,000 yen (about $1750 dollars US) per month. That means if I save every cent apart from the basic expense and the tuition, I can get 910,000 yen (about $7,963 dollars US) per year."

However, Zhao said money is too hard to save. "Besides the basic expense, new coats, dinners with friends, books and CDs cost me at least 700,000 yen (about $6,125 dollars US) per year. Actually, I am a frugal person. The reason for spending a seemingly large mount of money is because the general price in Tokyo is fearfully high."

According to all the other interviewees, Zhao's statistics are pretty close to the average. In another word, Zhao's economic situation is quite typical of Chinese students in Tokyo.

"If I did not come here, I can never imagine life can be so harsh. Money is the biggest threat, and I have to work desperately in order to feed myself. I come for study; I do want to study, but I have to survive first," said Zhao.

"I am too tired."

"Sometimes I fall asleep when I am standing in an elevator or talking with somebody on the telephone. I am too tired," said Li Zhitian, a 19-year-old Chinese girl from Fujian province.

"Students cannot survive without jobs in Tokyo. However, it is difficult for newly arrived Chinese students to find jobs," she said.

According to Li, newly arrived people usually speak poor Japanese. Though some have studied Japanese in China, few can really communicate effectively with local people.

"In my first week in Tokyo, I knocked on almost all of the doors in this shopping center looking for a job. Though the refusals were always polite, I felt frustrated and ashamed. What's more, I was panicking. The general price is so high here I am afraid I could not afford to live here for one month without a job," Li said. "Fortunately, I got a job in a restaurant by the end of that month. I knew the work would be very tough, but I was glad to take it then."

In Tokyo, the most common job for Chinese students is washing dishes, and that is what Li is doing. "This job tells me that 'being tired out' means standing in hot water vapor for hours and working like a machine. However, I do not plan to change jobs. No job is easy."

In order to survive in Japan, students usually have to take more than one job; Li is not an exception. "Later I found only one job was far from enough, so I got another one. As a result, everyday I have only 3 to 4 hours to sleep."

Due to the heavy workload, students have nearly no energy to study. Li said all of the Chinese students she knew could not help falling asleep in class, and she reckoned the situation of all the Chinese students in Tokyo was similar.

"To leave is not an option."

To the following two questions, all of the 15 interviewees surprisingly gave the same answer--"To leave is not an option." However, their explanation seems to touch some other social phenomena in China.

Question one: Since language training school is not satisfactory and the tuition is so expensive, why do you remain there?

Answer: "Though it is meaningless to attend the language training school, to leave is not an option."

According to the relative law in Japan, students who quit language training schools would be sent back to their own countries. In other words, it is necessary to remain in the language training school if a student wants to have legal identity in Japan. So in order to remain in Japan legally, to leave language training schools is not an option for them.

Question two: Since life is so tough in Japan and "further study" is unavailable, why do you still stay there? Why not go back to China?

Answer: "However hard it is, to leave is not an option."

According to the statistics from Beijing-based Tianyi Agency, it cost 100,000 to 200,000 RMB (about $12,500 to $25,000 dollars US) to send a student to Japan. To many Chinese families, it is a large number.

Liu Yi, a 20-year-old boy from Shandong province, said his parents spent their ten-year-savings to send him to Tokyo. "When I left, there was only 2,000 Yuan (about $250 dollars US) left in my family. I promised my parents that I would come back with a diploma and scholarship. Though I know it is unpractical to realize my promise now, I will keep on trying. However hard it is, to leave is not an option."

"Struggling for a diploma in order to make the price worthwhile" is a common idea in those Chinese students' mind. In their opinion, only in this way can their parents and they be rewarded.

However, other reasons also block the road of leaving, one of which is "face."

Zhou Xinxin is from a wealthy family in Shanxi province. Money is not a problem for her and her family. However, she also refused to leave Japan. "I am not good at studying, and I performed awfully badly in the university-entrance exam. Every time when other people ask my father which university I study in, he feels embarrassed. He is a man who is especially caring about 'face,' so he sent me here. And now he can answer the ‘embarrassing question’ confidently by saying his daughter is "studying in Japan."

Zhou said she stayed in Japan to "avoid losing her father's face." "I felt awful to do so, but I have to. However hard it is, to leave is not an option."

Zhou's situation is not extraordinary. Actually, many students are sent to Japan just for "face," and they have to stay there also for "face." Leaving is not in their consideration.

Which will win, dream or reality?

"We came here with dreams, but it turns out that life here is incredibly harsh. Again and again, we ask each other and ourselves why the hell did we come here? Well, nobody can offer an answer, and nobody can leave," Zhao Jiang shrugged. "Anyway, we won't go back. We are just wondering which one will win, dream or reality... ."

CHINA,ENTERTAINMENT,NEWS: "Super Girl" Returns, With New Rules

by Li Mu

A new season of the Super Girl contest was kicked off in Changsha on Sunday, shortly after Hunan TV obtained the long-craved official permission from the state administration of radio, film and television.

Producers said that the Super Girl contest, now famous nationwide, will gain more momentum in 2006 with a range of new rules to enhance its popularity. Changsha, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Shengyang, and Guangzhou are settled as the contest zones of the year, and preliminary contest has begun in Changsha, lasting until the startup of Hangzhou contest in May.

As part of adjustment, female participants of the contest are required to be above 18 years old and without any contract with entertainment agencies, barring underage girls who could have entered last year's contest. New opportunities are provided to singers ranking from No.4 to No. 10 in the regional contest, with the introduction of a rule that permit them to enter the finals with enough test message polls from TV audiences. Singers with the least polls from TV audiences can chose rivals on their own during PK screening process.

The announcement of Super Girl revival is a relief to anticipating fans, purging their fears that the program will be banned owing to the recent restrictions on performing contests released by state administration of radio, film and television. These restrictions forbad provincial television to host cross-province contests and criticized the contest for admitting underage participants, requiring the program to make overall adjustments. However, the program received recognition in a national meeting on reforming culture administration, and was approved to run for another year.

The revival of the program ignited a fierce sponsor competition for the title. Mengniu won another year's title. And the bidding conference to be held at April 15th is expected to bring over 200 million RMBY of advertisement for Hunan television.

Former winner Li Yuchun and An Youqi also staged the press conference for Super Girl Startup. Li Yuchun has become the hottest idol after her winning the 2005 contest and is expected to have an influence on this year's participants, who want to emulate her success.

CHINA, NATIONAL, ENERGY, Commentary: U.S. And China Have a Similar Problem: An Addiction to Other People’s Oil.

By Ding Xiaoyue

President George W. Bush recently said that the United States must reduce its dependence on foreign oil. To avoid the oil problem ultimately turning into a tougher national security issue, and also achieve the transformation of U.S. energy conditions, Bush propounded a future substitute energy plan that included the development of multi-power batteries, solar power, and bio-energies.

The reasons why Bush proposed the plan consist of three aspects. In the short term, the plan might serve Republican candidates well for the mid-term Congressional elections coming in November. It is necessary for President Bush to define the position of the administration on the energy problem and establish the image of a "green president" to gain public support, and help the Republicans retain their majority in both houses of Congress.

From the long term perspective, it indicates the deep concern the U.S. has over its energy problem. The threat the U.S. has faced for decades comes from international politics and economy. For instance, the two oil crises in the mid-seventies and early eighties of the last century had a severe impact on the U.S. economy. In recent years, global oil prices have continued rising, carrying the price of U.S oil-based products up with it, thus adversely affecting the growth of the U.S. economy.

In terms of the national situation of the U.S., the oil problem actually reflects the change of supply and demand in the market. If the government carries out the energy transformation plan in the future, the influence of imported oil on the U.S. energy supply and demand, Middle East oil included, will accordingly shrink. As a result, another "safety net" is provided for both the response to sudden international events and the development of the U.S. economy.

As for China, what can we learn from this case? Similar to most countries, oil occupies a large proportion of the Chinese energy structure and statistics show that the increase of imported oil is going to continue, which China really should try to prevent in the future. Referring to the proposed solution in America, I think China should set up an 'oil-safety' system as soon as possible.

In the past, the import channels of China focused on Southeast Asia and the Middle East, where the extremely fluid situation is likely to continue. Therefore, China should increase its oil import channels to decrease the risks brought by unsettled political conditions and regional conflicts. Besides, China should also take its own initiative in the development of international oil resources and set up an overseas oil production base.

What's more, China should also construct an oil-reserve system so it can react to the fluctuating impact of the international oil market. Such a system will largely enhance the safety of China's energy needs and the economy.

CHINA, NATIONAL, SOCIETY, REPORTING/COMMENTARY: We Owe Them Their Due

The Tragic Plight of Rural Laborers

Reporting by Vivian Guo, Leslie Sun and Andrew Lv

A barely subsistence level of living by weaker groups has always been an important problem facing societies everywhere. Rural labor in the new China is a typical representation of these weaker groups. Nowadays, many people say that they are concerned about the problems that rural laborers face everyday. But their words remain only words. Most of them ignore these common people and their problems. Too many of them treat rural laborers badly, which hurts them deeply.

One after another, high-rise apartment buildings mushroom from the ground of big cities in China today, and many people happily move into their new homes. But there is a group of urban dwellers that is inharmonic with the flourishing cities. They wear rubbishy clothing and live beggarly lives. They make great contributions to the development of big cities, but are quickly forgotten when people move into their new house. People pay attention to whether their houses are well-built, not who built them. That's the situation rural laborers are facing. Their lives need our attention.

Basic living

Rural laborers can work efficiently only when they have a nutritious meal; but reality is harsh. Even the basic hygiene of their meals is not guaranteed, how can it be nutritive?

One rural laborer said that he had once accidentally seen how their meal was made in the kitchen: the cook ripped out the yellow leaves of a pile of rotten cabbage, chopped them en masse on the chopping block, and then put them into a big pan to cook. From raw to done, the cook left out the process of washing totally. The rural laborer said it was not that the cooks don't have time to wash the cabbage, it was cut out for their convenience. They themselves would not eat such food.

He also said that the kitchen concessions were mostly contracted to the relatives or friends of the person in charge of the project, which meant that there was no one to stand up for the rural laborers' interests. This rural laborer had thought of dining somewhere else, but the boss had the trick for that: the rural laborers were given dining tickets to eat in the kitchen, with the fee for the tickets taken from their salary. The rural laborer could not dine anywhere else.

After a day's hard work, the rural laborers wish only to have a good rest in a comfortable dormitory. However, the reality is much harsher. Accommodations on construction sites are always in shortage; it is common for 8 to 9 workers to live together in one room of about 15 square meters. One rural laborer said that there was no heat in the rooms on the construction site; apart from beds, only a lamp and an electric plug were provided.

Because they start working early, and rest late, several people only had one plug available. What's more embarrassing is that married couples working together have to live with other laborers. One rural labor said he had the experience of living with a couple. The result was embarrassing for everyone.

Mental Life

Compared with their low standard of living, what makes rural laborers' lives even more unbearable is the discrimination towards them, and their spiritual vacancy. So constantly are they victims of discrimination they just take it for granted. In random interviews with classmates and friends for this report, many of them, especially girls, expressed unjust views towards rural laborers. They in common have fears towards rural laborers. One girl said she dare not walk past the rural laborers' dormitories alone at night. She said she didn't despise them; her fear was out of unconsciousness.

The TV program Law Today told such a story: the boss of a certain company rented a house for the rural laborers in a local community because the houses at the construction site were out of the lease period. It was supposed to be a common event; however, the residents in the community were not happy. They tried to prevent the rural laborers from moving into the community. When they couldn't stop the process, and the rural laborers moved into their houses, the local neighbors continued to make trouble for them. It hurt the rural laborers very much.

We Chinese people treasure dignity more than anything else. No Chinese will ever forget the humiliation we used to bear 100 years ago--signs that said: "no Chinese or dog should enter." Now the foreigners no longer write signs like this, we are writing such signs ourselves. There are signs that read "rural laborers are prohibited" on public facilities. In the cities, rural laborers are still referred to as a group of people who are poor, filthy and uneducated. They are still being cursed, humiliated or bullied by others, even by college students.

Discrimination against rural laborers is seen everywhere. There is no doubt that the rural laborers are not as clean and neat as common citizens, and some of them are not well-educated. But they don't mean to be dirty. They work under dusty conditions. They make the city clean and beautiful at the cost of their neatness. They come from the countryside where education conditions are poor. Is that their fault?

Of course, some rural laborers' behaviors are not appropriate. But they are trying to improve themselves. One rural laborer said that there were no garbage cans in rural areas, so he was used to throwing garbage anywhere. But he found he would be looked down upon if he kept doing this, so he tried his best and changed this bad habit. When talking about this, he was full of pride.

Homesickness and the disconnection with family is another problem of rural laborers. They especially need family after the hard work. But the fact is visits home are infrequent. One rural laborer said he hadn't been home for a year, and he missed his two sons deeply. This year the project ended early and he had gotten his salary; he wasted no time buying a ticket home. For the ticket he went to the railway station a few days in advance. Although he only got a "no seat" ticket, he said as long as he could see his sons, nothing else mattered.

Rights

Migration into the cities is the main way of transferring rural laborers. It is the trend of industrialization and modernization. It has proved to be an efficient way to increase the income of rural laborers, reduce the large income disparity between urban and rural areas, and keeping the society secure.

No matter what the rural laborers have contributed to the prosperity and development of cities, these days their rights are being seriously infringed upon. Some rural laborers even commit suicide in despair at having to demand and wait so long for their wages. Many rural laborers' wages are defaulted. This is the problem that draws the most attention of rural laborers. "I don't care how tired I can be or how dirty the place is," a laborer said. "I worked, and I demand my pay. How am I supposed to live if they don't give me my money?"

Their very right to life is threatened. Some companies take advantage of rural labors because of their lack of awareness of how to use the law to protect them selves. Rural laborers usually don't know they can sue their employers, or if they do they don't know how. When a reporter asked if they knew how to protect their rights, most of them didn't really understand the concept. That's why they are still waiting for their wages, which should have been paid them a long time ago.

What rural labors care about are: 1) When will the unjust policies of restricting their entrance to cities be abolished? 2) Whether they will get their pay? 3) Will their life standard be improved? 4) Will their kids' rights to an education be guaranteed? If the government solved these problems, rural laborers' lives would be highly improved, and many intractable problems would be easily solved.

Till now, hundreds of laws have been made to protect rural laborers' rights, and there are no obvious blanks in these laws. Then why are rural laborers' rights still so infringed upon? When asked about this, a rural laborer said: "It means nothing if the government only talks without doing anything helpful." To protect rural laborers' rights does not need more useless lists in law books. It's no longer a matter of making law, but of executing the law.

Rural labors need our care and help. They make our life more convenient, and we have the responsibility of making their life easier.