China on Its Way to Building 'Learning Society'

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 12, 2003

China on Its Way to Building 'Learning Society'

While many people sang and danced to celebrate the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year, many spent the week-long holiday in libraries and bookstores.

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While many people sang and danced to celebrate the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year, many spent the week-long holiday in libraries and bookstores.

Lin Yuanrong, who works in a law office in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, was one of them.

"Since I can rarely take time out during work time, I have to make up for my reading during the holiday," Lin said.

This new trend to spend holidays in libraries and bookstores inChina was greatly advanced by the country's call to build a "learning society" at the 16th Party Congress last November.

The Party Congress for the first time brought forward the concept of building a learning society in which all the people will learn or even pursue life-long education.

In response to this call, regions like Zhejiang, Shaanxi and Guangxi have adopted follow-up measures to encourage learning and reading among their officials and the general public.

"I read for at least an hour every day and the authorities alsoorganize learning and training among the staff," said Zhang Huanchang, a government employee in Nanning.

"China has created an excellent atmosphere for learning and reading now," said Zhou Keda, a professor with the Guangxi Regional Academy of Social Sciences. "Many Chinese, young or old, will by no means give up learning and reading during holidays."

Some experts said it is necessary for China to build a learningsociety to keep pace with the times, especially after its accession to the World Trade Organization.

"Only by learning hard can we handle problems emerging from ourreform and opening up," said professor Zhou Keda.

However, high book prices still thwart these efforts. The country of 1.3 billion people spent only about 56 yuan (6.7 US dollars) per capita on books in 2002.

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