China to Measure Happiness - Guangdong - Media Review

From Wikiprogress.org

Revision as of 14:23, 21 March 2011 by Philippa (Talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to:navigation, search
This page is dedicated to gathering media coverage on the province of Guangdong in southern China and their decision to measure happiness. See the Community Portal for a wider selection of media coverage on a variety of topics this month. See the Media Review page for a list of media reviews by topic.

Media Review

As part of a special report on “the future of the state”, The Economist responds to the increasingly widespread view that “Beijing really gets things done”, pointing out areas like education and local government financing and accountability in which serious deficiencies remain.


In both developed and developing countries, there is an increasing interest in what can be called happiness economics.


The indication of 7-percent economic growth is a strong message by the Chinese Government to grow in its economy not just in terms of speed, but also by quality. Also, more efforts will be taken to make sure that the economic growth is not at the expense of environment.


The government introduces the country’s new mantra


China’s two parliamentary sessions [the National People's Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, held annually in Beijing] opened under heavy military presence because of echoes of the Jasmine Revolution reverberating in China since Feb. 20. 



30 years' of economic reforms in China have created an economic miracle. The government has promoted economic growth with a GDP target every year.


The two sessions, or called “Liang Hui” in Chinese, refering to the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC, the legislature of China) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC, the top political advisory body of China) were concluded a few days ago. As the most important annual political events in China, the two sessions have caught the eyes of the world’s media


"Farewell GDP fetish!" proclaims the cover headline of the latest issue of China Newsweek magazine.


The Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee has poured cold water on the idea that provinces will be able to double their GDPs within the next five years.


Chinese lawmakers and political advisors' enthusiastic discussions on building "a happy China" during two ongoing important meetings has attracted great attention from foreign media.


In denouncing a GDP cult (reckless pursuit of economic growth), China should avoid another form of cult: blind worship of the so-called "Happiness Index."


Chinese lawmakers and political advisors' enthusiastic discussion on building "a happy China" during two ongoing important meetings has attracted great attention from foreign media.



Premier Wen Jiabao on Saturday unfolded the road map for China's social and economic development during the next five years, setting targets for the quality and efficiency of economic growth and speaking about the transformation of the growth mode and economic restructuring.



In the years since the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan embraced the idea of measuring national progress by the happiness of its citizens, the idea has caught the imagination of leading economists and political leaders across the world.



China has ordered its officials to go out and "make people happy" in a bid to combat simmering discontent caused by a widening rich-poor divide, choking pollution, soaring inflation and endemic corruption.


Heading into China's National People's Congress (NPC) this week, which is something akin to the start of a new congress in the U.S., the chatter has been noticeably less on GDP growth and more on happiness.


In a two-hour online chat with Web users Sunday, Premier Wen Jiabao pledged to prioritize issues that are at the heart of "people's happiness," such as ensuring social equality and justice.


China has set a lower average annual economic growth target of 7 percent for 2011 to 2015, Premier Wen Jiabao has revealed.


Headline: “Rising China tops Japan as world's No. 2”. Looks like a big deal. Officially, the news came out of Tokyo two weeks ago when the Japanese government reported its economy shrank at a 1.1% annual rate in 4Q'10, a period when China's GDP surged 9.8% from a year earlier.


In Yevgeny Zamyatin's novel We, the author develops a society where everyone must feel happy. In Zamyatin's perfectly cheerful world, people subscribe to self-hypnosis by muttering to themselves "I am so happy ... so happy". If citizens do not accept this flawless utopia, the government's duty is to force happiness upon them.


To sustain the benefits of China’s rapid ascension, politicians should broaden their policy goals, writes leading economist Hu Angang, setting out his prescription for a national happiness index.


Economic growth may be an imperfect measure of human progress, but well-being indices are worse, writes Paul Ormerod. They furnish policymakers with misleading data – and an excuse to restrict our liberties.


Tim Jackson is a sustainability adviser to the British government and the author of Prosperity without Growth, a controversial rebuttal of GDP-focused notions of success. He explains his philosophy to Tan Copsey.


China’s newfound focus on well-being will be useless without wider political reform, writes Tang Hao, as we continue our special series on happiness.


China Dialogue: 'Happy Guangdong' initiative tempers single-minded pursuit of economic growth


Does economic growth improve our lives? Are there better ways to measure welfare? How do GDP and the environment interact? Opening chinadialogue’s week-long series on well-being economics, Sam Geall talks to Cormac Cullinan, an attorney, campaigner and author of a manifesto for earth justice.


See also

Related Categories
  • This article is uncategorized. Please edit it to add a category.

Article Information
Navigation
Toolbox
Print/export
Wikigender Wikichild GPRNet Wikiprogress.Stat ProgBlog Latin America Network African Network eFrame