LETTERS

I am a lawyer from an island nation – Papua New Guinea – in the Pacific Ocean， now studying at the Emerging Market Institute of Beijing Normal University. I am particularly interested in your magazines reports on Chinas contributions to the world. Recent years have seen a number of global calls for China to take a leading role in world affairs， given its rising status as the worlds second largest economy. I think China has taken on a lot of responsibilities， for example， through its response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. China also helped rescue other nationals in addition to Chinese citizens earlier this year as the crisis in Yemen worsened， and it also responded promptly to the Nepal earthquake disaster last April. I also notice that the Chinese government has done much to reduce poverty in rural areas. In Daping Village of Gansu Province， where I carried out field research， local residents told me that President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang had both visited their village. This kind of commitment is rare among governments in general. Reports indicate that a total of 690 million people have been lifted out of poverty in China since 1978. This is an amazing achievement.

Johnny Mek Kolkia

Beijing

I am a project manager of the World Innovation Summit for Education. Every year we hold a convention to discuss new approaches to educational studies and practices around the world. Many participants are curious about Chinas education. They often wonder what changes Chinese schools should make to nurture creative minds， and whether Chinese schools are indeed capable of such a change. It was consequently interesting to read in China Today the article “Nurture Childrens Creativity.” Creativity is the most important skill through which children can survive and thrive in the 21st century. Robbing children of their creativity amounts to robbing them of a future. Although schools in China top international rankings in reading and math skills， their risk-averse culture and obsession with test scores often inhibit students creative confidence. However， this article helps us to know what Chinese schools have done to advance in this respect， and gives convincing examples and opinions.

Meng Xu

Paris， France

I am a reader from Latin America and I came across China Today at an international meeting. I was deeply impressed by the article “Chinese UN Peacekeepers Safeguard World Peace.” Its good to know that China proactively participates in keeping world peace. The size of China as regards its population testifies to the crucial role it plays as world peace keeper； however， we are concerned about the sacrifice these people make. Meanwhile， I have read touching stories about Chinese doctors in Africa. It is very humbling to see how countries， when they are able， give help to others when it is needed. It would be an excellent idea for other countries to follow the example of Chinese doctors in Africa， in their specific areas of expertise.

Patricia Perez

Peruendprint