FIRST CHINESE IN OLYMPIC WOMEN’S 800M FINAL

Wang Chunyu became the first Chinese athlete to leap into the Olympic Women’s 800m Final. She finished fifth and improved her personal best by more than 2 seconds with 1：57：00 at the Olympic Summer Games Tokyo 2020 on August 3.
　　Born in Anhui Province， the 26-year-old started her running career when she was 12. In 2017， she won the women’s 800m at the 13th National Games in Tianjin. At the Asian Games in Jakarta， Indonesia， in 2018， she won the Women’s 800m Final and set the best score of that season.
　　“I did it， representing China’s middle- and long-distance running， and even representing Asia in the women’s 800m. I proved that the ‘yellow race’ is capable，” Wang said.

Parental Leave

　　www.thepaper.cn August 1
　　A company located in Shanghai announced that employees who have served the business over six months and have children under the age of 6 are entitled to three to five days of parental leave depending on their years of service. It also said the measure can be adjusted after municipal or national regulations on parental leave are issued.
　　Applauded by staff， it is seen as a means of pioneering support of the birth policy. Also， helping employees tackle practical problems such as childcare can enhance company cohesion and create more profits.
　　The Chinese Government announced the three-child policy on May 31 to offset the effects of an aging society. It is also expected to be followed up by a comprehensive support system to build a fertility-friendly environment.
　　The new policy is not a method that only bolsters the fertility rate， but aims to meet people’s needs and solve their problems in terms of childcare， education and other issues. That is the key to intensifying the people’s desire for more children.

Facing Floods

　　Lifeweek August 2
　　A heavy rainstorm slashed Zhengzhou in Henan Province on July 20. The city with a population of 12 million was badly hit.
　　In the past decade， tremendous development has taken place in Zhengzhou， the heart of China’s railway network， including the upgrade of flood control construction. However， as is the case for many other cities， its flood control mechanism has not been elevated along with its urban progress.
　　The rare rainstorm in Zhengzhou forces governments at all levels and urban planners alike to evaluate the local disaster tolerance capability. It cannot create economic value， but can become a hazard to all when natural disaster strikes. 　　According to the meteorological department， Zhengzhou received a total of 617.1 mm of rainfall in the three days from July 17 to 20. However， the average annual rainfall of the city is 640.8 mm. Official data show that the torrential rains have affected nearly 12 million people in Henan， with almost 300 people perished in the disaster caused by the rainstorm.
　　In the face of torrential rain， it is not a water conservancy issue， but an urban management challenge.
　　“A city should have its own disaster recovery capability， which means a comprehensive mechanism including various plans and standards for different areas，”Wan Yanfang， a professor with the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in central China， said.

Rebirth of Erke

　　Economic Daily July 28
　　On July 21， Chinese sportswear company Erke announced it was donating 50 million yuan （$7.71 million） worth of flood relief supplies and other aid to areas affected by the floods in Henan Province. The gesture impressed Chinese netizens as the brand has been keeping a low profile in recent years. As a result， its live-streaming channel the following day attracted over 2 million consumers—when it usually has less than 10，000 people.
　　The company， founded in 2000 and headquartered in Xiamen， Fujian Province， has over 7，000 sales outlets across the world. However， it has experienced a decline in recent years， compared to other Chinese brands with legions of supporters.
　　While praising Erke’s strong sense of social responsibility， netizens also called on the company to do more marketing to increase its sales. Some consumers say that shoes they bought decades ago still wear well now， reminding the company to maintain its quality despite having too many orders to handle now.

POP STAR DETAINED ON SUSPICION OF RAPE

　　Popstar and actor Kris Wu， or Wu Yifan， one of China’s most high-profile celebrities， has been detained on suspicion of rape.
　　According to a statement released by the police on July 31， the 30-year-old Chinese Canadian had been placed under detention after accusations of him drugging young women for sex.
　　Wu， born in Guangdong Province， immigrated to Canada with his mother at the age of 10. He moved to Seoul in 2008 to become a trainee of an entertainment company of the Republic of Korea. He first shot to fame as a member of the K-pop boy band EXO in 2012. After filing a lawsuit to terminate his contract to leave EXO in 2014， he launched a successful solo career in China as a singer， model and actor. 　　Further investigation is underway.
　　“Last year， China’s digital economy made up for roughly 40 percent of its GDP， playing a leading role in the world economic recovery. In the next step， e-commerce negotiations in the WTO are very important.”
　　Zhu Guangyao， former Vice Finance Minister of China， in an interview with CGTN on August 4
　　“Hong Kong has unrivaled connectivity with the mainland’s financial markets and offers direct two-way access through stock and bond connect programs， as well as the future wealth management connect program.”
　　Carrie Lam， Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region， at an online forum on August 4， adding that Hong Kong’s financial system has proven its resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic
　　“China hopes that all parties will uphold a scientific， fair and objective position， oppose the attempts to politicize the virus origin-tracing and work together to prevent future risks as well as maintain global public health security.”
　　Wang Yi， Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister， at the foreign ministers’ meeting of ASEAN-China， Japan and the Republic of Korea on August 3
　　“No good outcome can arise from conflict. It’s vital for the U.S. and China to strive to engage each other to head off a clash， which would be disastrous for both sides and the world.”
　　Lee Hsien Loong， Prime Minister of Singapore， at the 2021 Aspen Security Forum via video link on August 3