China Moves to Reform Public Institutions to Improve Social Services

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Summary:

On April 10th, the Chinese government got together and collectively decided to make many of its public institutions and services more efficient and serviceable in order to aid the people of China more. The government has supposedly set up a blueprint for the restructuring of many government institutions, depending on their function. According to government releases last week, the reforms require that institutions, "stop performing government and business functions, that supervision be separated from day-to-day functions, and for non-profit institutions to be separated from profit-oriented ones." These reforms are aimed at taking care of the out-dated institutions that are taking up too many of the resources of the Chinese people. Experts have noted that public institutions with inadequate or ambiguous functions will either be put away with or merged with other institutions. Meanwhile, those public institutions dealing with social benefits are being encouraged to stay afloat, and likely, more government money and oversight will be afforded to them. These institutions will likely become the major forces behind the social welfare in China.

Significance: This article is very interesting in that seems to deviate from the normal structure of welfare in China. Instead of having everything come directly from the state, government institutions that may not seem as connected to the Chinese government are taking credit for peoples' welfare. However, this still shows the tremendous amount of social welfare that the Chinese people receive annually. Being a Communist state, there is a heavy reliance on social welfare, and many people see this as their inalienable right. This can be strictly contrasted to the American welfare situation, where the people have historically seen themselves as the main source of income and prosperity. The inadequacy of government institutions should not come as a surprise, however, due to a marked lack of competition and thus, a lack of initiative to get better. Communist states promote a lagging behind in terms of efficiency and technology because of this lack of competition among institutions and companies.

Hu Jintao and Obama Sign New Set Cooperation Agreements

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Summary

Yesterday, Hu Jintao and Obama signed a number of cooperation agreements, which included agreement to promote denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and attempt to maintain peace and stability between the respective parties. It also includes sections dealing new military cooperation to deal with terrorism, piracy, and regional hotspots. In addition, they agreed to increased exchange and cooperation in trade, the environment, and science and technology.

Significance

The meeting between the to leaders was an important step for China, a nation becoming in increasingly involved on the world stage. The meeting highlights the steps China is taking to bring itself, and its mighty economy, to the forefront of the worlds nations. The meeting also speaks of the mutual interest that both China and the United States have in the friction that has been occurring on the Korean Peninsula and it is not inconceiveble to imagine the two nations actively working in the same place that they warred over 60 years. All-in-all, the meeting illustrates the increasingly important role that the two nations have in each others economies, politics, and futures.