中國教育發展面臨資金短缺

Government expenditure on education will again fall short of 4 percent of GDP in 2011, the China Economic Weekly reports.

《中國經濟周刊》報道，今年國家教育經費支出占國內生產總值(GDP)的比例仍然未到4%。而早在1993年制定的《中國教育改革和發展綱要》就曾明確提出，“國家財政性教育經費支出占國民生產總值的比例，在本世紀末達到4%。”從2000年到2009年10年間，以4%的比例為標準，國家教育經費支出10年已累計"欠賬"16843億元。而在2010年中共中央、國務院再次確定2012年實現4%這一目標。

官員升遷“車隨人走”

《新京報》報道，全國政協委員李宏透露，省部級官員配車，使用年限從5年一換變為8年一換，省部級官員提升職務后，也不能換車，調動后車跟人走。

芭比娃娃告別上海

據上海官方英文報紙《上海日報》記載，風靡世界的芭比娃娃全球首家旗艦店昨日在上海關門歇業，距傳奇玩偶芭比的52歲生日僅有兩天之遙。2年前的2009年3月6日，芭比娃娃所屬的美泰公司在申城繁華的淮海中路開設店面，并希望上海的經驗不久可以復制到中國其他地區。盡管芭比娃娃和美泰公司的其他產品在大洋彼岸銷量迅猛，但芭比娃娃旗艦店卻從未成為申城姑娘的最愛。

Education facing funding shortfall

Government expenditure on education will again fall short of 4 percent of GDP this year, the China Economic Weekly reports. This is despite a commitment made as early as 1993 in the Education Reform and Development Outline to raise education spending above the 4 percent threshold by the end of the century. Taking that as a starting point, in the decade from 2000 to 2009, the government accumulated a "debt" to education of 1684.3 billion yuan. In 2010, the Party Central Committee and State Council set yet another deadline for meeting the 4 percent target – 2012.

Officials to wait longer for new cars

Ministerial and provincial officials will have to keep their government-issued cars for eight years instead of five, according to Li Hong, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Beijing News reports. Even if officials are promoted they will be required to keep their current vehicles.

Barbie leaving Shanghai

Barbie Shanghai, the world's first flagship store for the world's most famous doll, closed its doors yesterday, just two days before the iconic toy's 52nd birthday, the Shanghai Daily reports. Parent company Mattel opened the store just two years ago, on Mar. 6, 2009, on Shanghai's bustling Huaihai Road. Mattel hoped to reach customers across China, but although sales of Barbie and other Mattel dolls have shown strong growth in the United States, the Shanghai store never became a popular attraction for girls.

(China.org.cn March 9, 2011)