英文摘要

《财经》杂志   

2021年05月24日 12:29  

本文3945字,约6分钟

Latest Census Shows New Characteristics of China’s Demographic Structure; The Global Trend of Interest Rate Hikes Will not Affect China; Jinsha River Agricultural Cooperative Pioneering New Model of Modern Agriculture and Rural Development; Israel, Hamas Agree to Cease-Fire While Disputes Deepen

Latest Census Shows New Characteristics of China’s Demographic Structure

Here’s a peculiar question to ponder: is China’s population large or small? With the release of the results of the seventh national census, discussions concerning that question thus has a new theme. The results show that China’s total population is growing at a lower rate over previous decades. At the same time, China’s demographic structure presents some new characteristics. The proportion of children has risen, and the proportion of working-age population has declined. Also, more people are getting older and the size of families has shrunk. Previously, China’s demographic transition has generally gone through several stages, including a low-growth stage; a high-growth stage; then the birth rate continued to decline and entered a low-speed growth stage. Many scholars told the Caijing reporter that although China’s total population continues to expand, the overall birth rate is on a downward trend. Some sources claim that the central government will fully liberalize childbirth by 2023. Caijing reporters have asked many insider experts on this basis. Many of them said that they have not received any information to confirm this.

 

The Global Trend of Interest Rate Hikes Will not Affect China

Since 2020, the influence of quantitative easing policies have been emerging globally in complicated ways.

Faced with domestic inflation, some economies have begun to raise their interest rates. For example, since this past March, many emerging market countries such as Russia and Turkey have taken the lead and announced interest rate hikes. In addition, indicators from emerging market countries such as India, Argentina, and Malaysia all show expectations for central bank interest rate hikes to increase at least once from now going into the first half of 2022. Many scholars interviewed by reporters from Caijing pointed out that China’s current economic and financial situation is stable, with external fluctuations having little impact on China. In addition, price pressures will not impede monetary policy in the short-term. Furthermore for the short run, the probability of interest rate adjustments is small, but the possibility of interest rate hikes is unlikely.

 

Jinsha River Agricultural Cooperative Pioneering New Model of Modern Agriculture and Rural Development

The Hebei Jinsha River Agricultural Cooperative has established a set of standardized agricultural management systems. This will apply industrial standards to agricultural production, and sharply improve the efficiency of local agriculture. Since 2016, the area planted by the Jinsha River Cooperative has expanded from more than 6,000 mu to more than 35,000 mu. Moreover, the average yield per mu has remained above 1,000 kg. This is a drastic increase. Indeed, the higher grain output shows that the Jinsha River Cooperative has made achievements in the exploration of refined agricultural management. This year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs introduced the achievements of the Jinsha River Cooperative to the whole country. This kind of large-scale farmers’ cooperatives with cross-administrative divisions and industrial integration has become a new model for exploring the direction of modern agriculture and rural development. In the next few years, the cooperative will establish branches in various places to form a cluster of cooperatives with a unified business model. And this is truly pioneering!

 

Israel, Hamas Agree to Cease-Fire While Disputes Deepen

At 2 a.m local time on May 21, Israel and Hamas, the political organization that controls the Gaza Strip, reached a ceasefire agreement. This marked the end of a 11-day bloody conflict. As of May 20, the death toll caused by this round of conflict has reached 232 people. Although the international community has continued to pressure Israel and Palestine to stop fighting this past week, the media has repeatedly reported that the two sides, “are about to reach a ceasefire”. But these rumors have been denied by both sides. On May 19, U.S. President Joe Biden, under continuous pressure, finally called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to cool down the conflict. Biden’s pressure finally yielded results.

Israel’s bombing attempts to eradicate Hamas are in vain. The international community should help Palestinians to solve its problems, help with the reconciliation, unity and democratization. At the same time, the international community needs to put pressure on Israel to gradually stop its occupation activities.