CHINA S FIRST F1 DRIVER

Zhou Guanyu， a Chinese racing young gun， has made motor racing history after being named Chinas first Formula One （F1） driver， as Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN announced on November 16 that Zhou would be joining their team for the 2022 season， with the opening race scheduled for the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain on March 20， 2022.

Born in 1999， Zhou first hit the go-kart track at 7. He left his hometown of Shanghai at 11 to study and train in the UK. He initially joined the Ferrari Driver Academy before switching to the Alpine Academy （formerly the Renault Sport Academy） in 2019， when he debuted in Formula 2 （F2）.

Zhou has been racing in F2 since 2019， with an encouraging seventh-place in his rookie season. He won his first F2 race in Sochi in 2020 and became the first Chinese driver ever to win a race on an F1 weekend.

Ice and Snow Economy

People.com.cn November 13

The swift approach of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games has ignited a nationwide enthusiasm for ice and snow sports. The Chinese Government has taken the preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics as an opportunity to promote the popularization and development of ice and snow sports. In line with the new trend， the ice and snow economy entered the fast lane of development.

Thanks to technological breakthroughs， ice and snow projects can go beyond seasonal and geographical limits. Even in summer， people will still be able to partake in winter sports activities to cool off and at the same time enjoy some sporty fun.

However， the industry needs more innovation in terms of project development. To most consumers， ice and snow activities only refer to traditional ones， including skiing， ice-skating and viewing ice sculptures. Additionally， professional guidance is a must for newcomers.

Stable Energy Supply

China Newsweek November 15

In October， the National Development and Reform Commission stated it would use all necessary lawful means to bring coal prices back within the appropriate range and ensure a secure and stable energy supply.

The recent hike in coal prices has completely deviated from the fundamentals of energy supply and demand， and prices are still showcasing further irrational rises， Chinas top economic planner said.

Chen Xin， a professor at the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance with Shanghai Jiao Tong University， said： “It is a result of the supply-side reform， and the supply will be restored after a certain time period.” The soaring domestic coal price also bears more underlying macro reasons such as the tight global energy supply and economic fluctuation worldwide.

Professor Yuan Jiahai at the School of Economics and Management at North China Electric Power University thinks it will take some time before the supply-side reform can better interact with the coal industry. “It is natural to see the government implementation cannot immediately link to market demands，”he explained.

Chinas large coal-producing areas， such as Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region， should explore new ways to enhance energy efficiency and develop productivity， as the country emphasizes saving energy， reducing emissions and protecting the ecology. Heavily relying on coal resources not only wields a great impact on their local economy and employment， due to the coal price fluctuation， but also plays a detrimental role in regional industrial transformation and upgrading.

Village Protection

Guangming Daily November 12

According to a recent field study by China Comment magazine， Huludao and Jinzhou in Liaoning Province hold several villages with a nearly 600-year-long history. Experts have been calling for the intensified protection of the ancient villages for many years. Now their requests are echoed by newly designed local policies. Yet many villages across the country remain in need of urgent and upgraded protection， including those in Liaoning.

In China， industrialization and urbanization have brought profound changes to villages. The negative side includes the rising number of migrant workers and damaged ru- ral community structures. The positive side is that city culture， new building materials and advanced technology are helping the villages adopt a new lifestyle and architectural styles.

Fortunately， several regions that are more developed in terms of economy and culture， such as the Yangtze River Delta， have achieved good results in this regard， providing blueprints for more traditional villages to lean on. Based on the premise of maintaining the overall layout of the villages and their local-style housing， people have upgraded their hometown facilities and environment. By introducing modern concepts and advanced technologies in both management and construction， those villages today are revitalized and attract more visitors.

NEW ANTI-MONOPOLY REGULATOR

Gan Lin， currently deputy head of the State Administration for Market Regulation （SAMR）， was appointed head of the national Anti-Monopoly Bureau under the SAMR， according to an announcement posted on the website of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on November 15.

Born in 1963 in Hunan Province， Gan rose to prominence earlier this year for her role in the anti-monopoly campaign. She has been the first deputy director of the SAMR in charge of antimonopoly since 2018.

Gans appointment represents yet another substantial step by the Chinese Government to accelerate the crackdown on market monopolies that stifle free competition. The bureau， though under the SAMR， is relatively independent， experts said， noting that a relatively independent and powerful government department may be more conducive to anti-monopoly work.

“China has always wished to promote the balanced development of China-Africa trade and has never deliberately pursued a trade surplus with Africa.”

Qian Keming， Vice Minister of Commerce， at a news conference in Beijing on November 17

“Latin America and the Caribbean （LAC） is Chinas second-largest investment destination. The economic and trade cooperation between China and LAC countries is creating a new route across the Pacific.”

Gao Yan， Chair of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade， at the 14th China-LAC Business Summit on November 16

“The world expects to see more stable and sustainable relations between China and the U.S. The rest of the world can make little progress in addressing the international challenges without full participation and cooperation of the two countries.”

Cavince Adhere， an international relations scholar based in Kenya， in an interview with Xinhua News Agency on November 17

“Since 2017， ‘my country first doctrines have undermined world trade， investment and migration， and hence global economic recovery... When developing countries increasingly fuel global economic prospects， what the multipolar world economy needs is a WTO dedicated to inclusive multilateralism.”

Dan Steinbock， founder of global consultancy Difference Group， in an article published by China Daily on November 11