Chen Zhu， a Chinese molecular biologist， together with two French cancer researchers Anne Dejean and Hugues de Thé， was awarded the Sj？berg Prize 2018 worth $1 million by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on February 5. Together they have successfully discovered a cure for one of the deadliest forms of cancer through a unique treatment method based on arsenic and retinoic acid， according to the academy.

Born in Shanghai in 1953， Chen obtained his masters degree from the Shanghai Second Medical Sciences University in 1981 and got a Ph.D. from the University Paris Diderot in 1989. He has been engaged in hematology and cancer research for 30 years. Chen holds a professorship at the School of Medicine of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Chen has also assumed top positions in various institutes and health authorities as the president of the Shanghai Institute of Hematology， vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and minister of health. Chen is now vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress.

A Cultural Spring Festival

Nanfang Daily February 9

The Ministry of Culture announced on February 6 that public libraries， museums and galleries would stay open to the public free of charge during the Spring Festival holiday. In addition， various cultural institutions have prepared cultural activities and exhibitions. The China National Tourism Administration estimated that more than 385 million trips would be made during the Spring Festival holiday.

Recently， people have begun to embrace new ways of spending the weeklong Spring Festival holiday， rather than staying at home or visiting relatives and friends.

More and more convenient transportation makes traveling easy and economic growth has greatly enriched peoples material lives. Peoples demand for culture keeps rising， and they no longer restrict themselves to certain ways of celebrating the Spring Festival.

Of course， change is only happening in the ways people spend the holiday， while the cultural essence of the festival remains unchanged. Wherever they go and however they celebrate， the feeling of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new is the same. This is and always will be a festival for family reunions.

Its important to respect peoples diversified choices for celebrating the Spring Festival. Meanwhile， the underlying values of the holiday should be upheld， so that the spirit of this traditional event wont be diluted simply because people have more choices.endprint

Commercial Insurance For Pensioners

Oriental Outlook February 8

China has the largest aging population in the world. It has become crucial for the government to ensure peoples access to elderly care. In his report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China （CPC） held last October， General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping pledged to “develop a sustainable multi-tiered social security system that covers the entire population in both urban and rural areas.”

In such a system， basic pension schemes for all citizens are the foundation and various commercial insurance plans act as important supplements. The World Bank indicates that a sound social security system is held up by three pillars： a basic pension scheme offered by the government， corporate annuity and commercial pension insurance that can be purchased for individual demands.

China started building a basic pension scheme for urban residents in the 1990s and later launched a similar system for its rural residents. Now these schemes cover more than 85 percent of the countrys residents. Yet the other two pillars remain undeveloped. While the progress of corporate annuity is slow，commercial pension insurance has attracted growing attention.

In the past， there was little public awareness of commercial pension insurance. According to data from the China Insurance Regulatory Commission， commercial pension insurance accounted for only 4.4 percent in all personal insurance in 2016. Less than 1.3 percent of the Chinese population was insured for their pensions.

The government has recently adopted a series of policies to encourage the development of corporation annuity and commercial pension insurance. These policies are expected to help make a difference in the near future.

Public Protection of Cultural Relics

Guangming Daily February 8

North Chinas Shanxi Province is rich in ancient cultural heritage. There are more than 28，000 historical buildings in the province， but due to the fiscal difficulties of the local government， measures for the protection of ancient architecture are insuffi cient. The local government recently adopted a policy to encourage individuals and companies to participate in the protection of architectural relics.

Chinas wealth of ancient cultural heritage belongs to the whole nation， and thus the government is supposed to take primary responsibility for preservation work. The problem now is that the relevant authorities are economically incapable of doing a good job. Given that the Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics stipulates that all government departments， organizations and individuals are liable for the protection of cultural relics， the local governments decision is a correct one. There are already reports that some entrepreneurs have donated money for protection.endprint

Most of those willing to get involved in the protection efforts are lovers of cultural relics focusing primarily on well-known ancient sites， while lesser-known temples in rural areas， which make up the majority of the provinces cultural relics， continue to be exposed to harm. These lesser-known structures are unlikely to bring economic benefi ts in the form of tourism. Thus， how long this policy can last and how well it can perform remain pertinent questions.

Relevant authorities in Shanxi need to further clarify the rules and regulations. There must be a long-term mechanism that provides permanent security to these vestiges of ancient culture.

ELDERLY GRADUATE INSPIRES STUDENTS

Xue Minxiu， an 81-year-old graduate of Tianjin University， recently attracted attention due to her inspirational story. Xue graduated from the prestigious university on February 4 after four years of studying an online program offered by the institution.

Xue was born in Tianjin City in 1936. She graduated from secondary school in 1954 before working as a pharmacist. Despite passing the entrance examination， she missed the opportunity to enroll at the Northwest University in Xian in 1957. For more than half a century， Xue did not realize her dream of studying for a degree until 2014 when she applied for admission to Tianjin University， majoring in e-commerce.

Regardless of her advanced years， Xue believes people should never abandon their dreams. She completed the course after passing exams in all 18 subjects within four years， becoming the eldest graduate in Tianjian Universitys history.

“The stealth jets will improve the air forces comprehensive fighting ability and enable it to better safeguard Chinas sovereignty， security and territorial integrity.”

Shen Jinke， spokesman for the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force， announcing the commission of J-20 stealth fi ghters into combat units on February 9

“The memristor exhibits excellent thermal stability and can operate at temperatures of up to 340 degrees Celsius.”

Miao Feng， a professor at Nanjing University， speaking on February 9 about a high-temperature-resistant memristor developed by his research team. The device is tipped for the future of storage and neuromorphic computing

“The Asia-Pacific region has surpassed America and Europe in crude consumption， but a benchmark with high recognition is still missing.”

Wu Libo， a professor at Fudan University， commenting on the necessity to launch crude oil futures on the Shanghai International Energy Exchange on February 9

“A football star who shows commitment to society will set a good example for young people and encourage more to play the game.”

Cai Zhenhua， President of the Chinese Football Association， speaking in Beijing about the benefi ts of charitable work in Chinese football on February 9endprint