2016年CRI E-commerce Improves Living Standards in Rural China: Political Advisers

 

Mr. Zhang is a farmer living in northeast Beijing's Pinggu District.

"Farming in the past was mostly weather-dependent. After harvest, the only thing I could do was just wait for buyers. Sometimes I grew too much, and the vegetables rotted in the field. It always worried me."

Limited choices, low efficiency and information asymmetry¹, have long been the main shortfalls of traditional Chinese agriculture.

But Zhang says things changed when he began to use an online platform to sell products.

"Now I can sell my products directly to the city residents. Also we can grow the vegetables according to what they like."

Lots of efforts have been put into optimizing² the agricultural industrial chain and encouraging people to start new businesses in rural areas.

Earlier this year, E-commerce giant Alibaba reached a deal with the National Development and Reform Commission to work together in more than 300 rural areas to help develop e-commerce.

While rural Chinese are willing to spend online, many of them are still relatively³ poor, which limits their purchasing power and the resources they can invest to build businesses.

National political adviser⁴ Liang Weihua is one of the strongest promoters of introducing E-commerce into the countryside.

"During our filed trips to the remote rural areas, we have found that many of them were rich in agricultural resources, and products that are natural and organic. But they were limited by inaccessibility⁵ and transport hurdles⁶, and the lack of an information communication platform. E-commerce will largely shorten the distance between companies, costumers, and farmers."

Liang says the success of E-commerce will help China realize its goal to lift 70 million of people in rural areas out of poverty by 2020.

In this year's annual Government Work Report, Premier⁷ Li Keqiang has announced a "Fiber-optic networks" plan. It includes a program involving 50-thousand administrative⁸ villages, which will enable rural residents to enjoy a more digital way of life.

As the country has stepped into a new Internet era, political advisers⁹ including Liu Hanyuan are lobbying for building a big data platform for the agricultural sector¹⁰ at this year's CPPCC sessions.

"Building a big data analysis platform is necessary for balancing supply and demand, and a forecasting mechanism¹¹. The sharing of information will lower the risk of price fluctuation¹², as well as the costs during circulation, while improving efficiency."

For some entrepreneurs, long-distance transportation, logistics costs and storage conditions for fresh products are big concerns.

Political advisers including Liang Weihua are asking for a better logistics network.

Liang also says the government should play a better role in supervision¹³.

"The development of E-commerce also requires more regulations. We are living in an information age, so a supervision mechanism is needed in-case a false or misleading message gets widely spread. "

Though the scale of online shopping in rural areas is still lower than in the cities, political advisers and industry insiders believe there is huge space for growth.

For CRI, I'm Xu Fei.

1 asymmetry   

n.不对称；adj.不对称的，不对等的

参考例句：

• These bands must introduce longitudinal asymmetry in the planetary albedo.这些云带必定引起行星反照率的经向不对称性。
• In any event the asymmetry is clear enough.总之，不对称是非常明显的。

2 optimizing   

v.使最优化，使尽可能有效( optimize的现在分词 )；最佳化；寻优

参考例句：

• This model may be classified as either an optimizing model or simulation model. 这个模型可分为最佳化模型或模拟模型。 来自辞典例句
• Need to design crossover operator rationally while optimizing ANN. 优化网络需要合理设计交叉算子。 来自互联网

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

4 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

5 inaccessibility   

n. 难接近, 难达到, 难达成

参考例句：

• Her tone and her look still enveloped her in a soft inaccessibility. 她的语调和神态依旧把她禁锢在一种不可接近的状态中。

6 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

7 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

8 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

9 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

10 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

11 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

12 fluctuation   

n.(物价的)波动，涨落；周期性变动；脉动

参考例句：

• The erratic fluctuation of market prices are in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。
• Early and adequate drainage is essential if fluctuation occurs.有波动感时，应及早地充分引流。

13 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。