Society

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Society

Number of Smokers on the Rise

Despite legislation and public education, China hasn’t curbed tobacco use. Smoking prevalence remains the same as it was five years ago, a recent national survey found.

The Chinese Adult Tobacco Use

Survey 2015 by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, found that 27 percent of adults smoked in 2010, the same as now, but that the absolute number of smokers has climbed. The total smoking population in China is now 316 million, up 15 million since 2010.

Currently, more than half of Chinese male adults and 2.7 percent of women light up, the survey found. Each smoker, on average, goes through 15.2 cigarettes per day, compared with 14 in 2010, when the previous survey was conducted.

On the positive side, nonsmokers suffer less passive smoke now in public indoor places, including at work, on public transportation, and in homes, the report said. In 2010, nearly 61 percent of nonsmokers reported exposure to second-hand smoke in their workplaces. That figure has since declined to 54 percent.

More than 15,000 of Chinese over the age of 15 were surveyed for the report, which looked at tobacco control awareness among members of the public, media attitudes, and second-hand smoke exposure.

Domestic Violence Law Passed

Chinese policymakers approved the nation’s first law against domestic violence on December 27, 2015, which will come into force on March 1.

The law defines domestic violence as physical or mental harm inflicted on someone by a family member, and includes verbal abuse.

“The most heated arguments (among lawmakers) were over the definition of ‘family member’ and what constitutes domestic violence,” said Guo Linmao, a member of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. “Under current law, family members are blood relatives, people related by marriage, and those related by adoption. The general definition in Chinese law needs to be expanded.”

The new domestic violence law includes an article that covers “people who live together” – for example, guardians and their charges, those living in foster families, and people in cohabiting relationships, Guo said. He said that cohabiting relationships are not recognized under current Chinese law, which leaves room for judicial interpretation in many court cases.

According to the All-China Women’s Federation, almost 25 percent of Chinese women have experienced violence in their marriage, yet the organization said it receives only 40,000 to 50,000 complaints from women each year.

Chinese Cities More Sustainable

The 2015 Sustainability Report of Chinese Cities confirms improvement in the ecological input index in all 25 Chinese cities it studied over the past year. The report was jointly released by UNDP and Oriental Outlook.

By employing the Human Development Index and ecological input index, the report conducted research on 35 big and mediumsized cities in China and 16 cities above prefecture level in the Yangtze River Delta. It concluded that seven of the 35 major cities, including Wuhan and Changsha, have successfully maintained a high level of human development and a comparatively low level of human impact on the natural environment. Four other cities, such as Beijing and Guangzhou, have achieved high development efficiency. The report said that although cities outside of the developed eastern provinces need more assistance in their transition to sustainable development, the overall situation in China is optimistic.

100 million

During the 12th Five-year Plan period the impoverished population in China (under the country’s current poverty line) shrank by 100 million, from 166 million in 2010 to 60 million by the end of 2015.

Fangchenggang Reactor Starts Operation

The first nuclear power plant located in western China began commercial operation of its first reactor on New Year’s Day. The Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Plant, jointly funded by CGN and Guangxi Investment Group, is located in the namesake city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. In total, six generators are planned, two for the first phase of the project.

The No.1 reactor of the plant began generating power in October 2015. It can supply 24 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a day, catering to the needs of a medium-sized city. The No. 2 reactor is scheduled to begin operating in the second half of 2016.

The pair will in combination produce 15 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. It will change the current energy supply structure in Guangxi, currently dominated by hydropower and thermal power. This will save 4.8 million tons of coal usage annually and slash carbon dioxide emissions by 11.8 million tons, which is equivalent to planting 32,500 hectares of forest.

Activity

Berliner Barock Solisten Concert

Date: February 12, 2016

Place: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: RMB 80/160/300/350/400/500

Rainer Kussmaul and other prominent members of the Berlin Philharmonic founded the Berliner Barock Solisten in 1995. These musicians have pooled their talent to create a unique approach to musical works of the 17th and 18th centuries. The Berliner Barock Solisten won a Grammy for their 2005 release of Bach’s cantatas, and the German recording industry’s Echo Classic Prize for two successive CDs featuring solo concertos composed by Telemann.

Henry V by the Royal Shakespeare Company

Date: February 27-28, 2016

Place: Shanghai Grand Theater

Price: RMB 80/180/280/380/480/680/880

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), based in Stratford-upon-Avon, creates theater at its best. Everyone at the RSC -- from actors to armorers, musicians to technicians -- plays a part in creating the world you see on stage. All the productions begin life at Stratford workshops and theaters. Wherever audiences experience the RSC, they experience work carried out in Shakespeare’s hometown.