Liu Shinan
Liu Shinan is China Daily's assistant editor-in-chief. He writes commentaries on social and cultural issues.
Now is the time for hard slog, persistence
[2006-12-06 07:31]During an exhibition showcasing the occupational skills of disabled people, an armless man used his mouth and feet to repair a watch. He completed the task in just a few minutes at the show, which was held in Beijing last Saturday.
Reinstate compulsory pre-marriage medical tests
[2006-11-22 07:58]Vice-Minister of Health Jiang Zuojun revealed a few days ago that less than 3 per cent of China's newly-weds have a medical examination before they tie the knot. He said the rate had fallen dramatically since China scrapped the compulsory pre-marriage medical check three years ago.
City officials need to work on their management
[2006-11-15 05:49]I was considerably saddened by a piece of news widely reported last week.
Substitute teachers should be respected
[2006-11-08 05:38]Teaching made up well over a quarter of my working career, so I have a strong campus complex. I closely follow any news about teachers. Yesterday, a piece of such news upset me greatly.
We should stand up against evil
[2006-11-01 06:29]A few days ago, an American woman stopped her bicycle in front of a car in a Beijing street, blocking the way of the motorist who was driving on the cycle lane. She signaled for the driver to turn onto the lanes for motor vehicles, while smiling to suggest her goodwill.
Do not leave language to the whims of big pawns
[2006-10-25 05:42]If somebody calls you an "Ashes Class" maestro, don't be angry. This person is not cursing you to death; actually, he is expressing his admiration of your seniority in your profession.
AIDS fight needs a wider perspective
[2006-10-18 05:54]A move by the AIDS and venereal disease (VD) prevention authorities in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has caused widespread controversy and placed local police in an awkward position.
Behaviour of tourists has no quick fix
[2006-10-11 06:09]When I returned from an overseas trip at the end of last month, a piece of news struck me as coming just in time: the central authorities urged Chinese tourists to mend their ways when travelling abroad.
Stop charging unreasonable overdue fines
[2006-09-06 07:30]A man in Henan Province bought a second-hand crane in July for 80,000 yuan (US$10,000), but was told to pay 700,000 yuan (US$87,500) in overdue fines and other related penalties when he registered the vehicle with the road authorities, because the original owner had not paid the "road maintenance fee" since February 2003.
'Efficiency' made at cost of workers' interests
[2006-08-30 05:48]A high-level official of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) explained why the robust growth of China's economy has not brought along a corresponding growth in employment during an interview with the Xinhua News Agency on Monday.
Don't go soft on offenders who profit from crime
[2006-08-23 06:09]When I read the news on the front page of yesterday's China Daily about the punishment of a company for sending massive amounts of junk mail, I thought my colleagues at the news desk must have made a mistake, for the fine was a mere 5,000 yuan (US$625). I thought it must be 10 or 100 times bigger.
Respect other people's sense of decency
[2006-08-16 05:42]My column last week about a female singer showing her underpants in a Super Girl contest caused controversy among cyberspace critics. Some of them showed perplexity about our society's attitude towards sexual openness.
