3. Handshaking is used to greet another and to “seal” a contract or a promise. Most handshaking is right-handed, and this may come from an age when everybody carried weapons. Shaking right hands, that is, joining dominant hands could be a demonstration that neither party was with a weapon in his hand, or about to use a weapon, a sign of peace. It was a way of saying “I mean you no immediate violence, if you can show that your intention is the same.

4. This interpretation would also explain why, until quite recently, it was chiefly males who practiced handshaking, and why a man should not shake hands with a woman unless the woman extended her hand first. A man’s offering his hand to a woman would carry the offensive implication that the “gentler sex” too could be dangerous. It is now acceptable for American women to shake hands and even to do so firmly.

5. The Chinese private sector, which makes up more than 30 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, is seeking wider development space in the national economy. China’s private economy has developed from the position of playing a minor role to being one of the major components of the socialist market economy. It is estimated that the share of the private sector in China’s GDP has reached 33%, a little lower than the 37% of the state-owned economy. The other 30% comes from agriculture, the collective economy and the foreign-invested sector.

6. The development of the Chinese private economy started in the early 1980s, and it grew at an annual speed of 20%, much faster than the 9.5% growth rate of the national economy over the past two decades. Statistics show that the number of registered private enterprises had reached 2.76 million by 2005, and their total registered capital topped 2.33 trillion yuan. More than 30 million workers were employed by private enterprises. Earlier this year, the government canceled regulations limiting the development of private enterprises, giving them equal treatment with state-owned and collective enterprises in the fields of market access, land use, bank loans, taxation, and import and export.

7. The world is experiencing an information revolution whose influence far exceeds that of the industrial revolution. Asian countries should seize the opportunities offered by this new revolution and do a better job of cooperating with each other on trade issues instead of constantly competing against one another. Though Asia is home to 60 percent of the world’s total population, the continent’s economies equaled just one-third of the world’s total, and an overwhelming majority of Asian countries lag behind developed countries, especially in the degree of industrialization.
One important reason is that Asian countries, excluding Japan, have failed to react in time to the wave of industrialization. The aftermath of Asia lagging behind again in the information age would be more serious and the widening gap would plunge Asia into a vicious cycle.
 In terms of trade and investment, the situation in Asia today is nothing optimistic. Information technology-related trade fell last year, while investment levels haven’t recovered from the 1997 Asian financial crisis. To achieve recovery, Asian countries must actively pursue structural reforms, boost competitiveness and improve the business environment. //

8. Pudong’s government, along with about 200 companies based in the district will embark on an overseas recruitment tour later this month in an effort to recruit talented foreigners and Chinese living overseas to fill up to 500 job vacancies. Organizers of the tour, which will make stops in Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver and Hong Kong from April 26 to May 5, hope to attract potential employees with salaries ranging from 200,000 yuan (US$24,000) to 1.2 million yuan a year.
The district government is looking for talented people in the areas of urban planning, economic analysis and information networks. Apart from the competitive compensation and bonuses, the government offers a great opportunity for personal development as Pudong is one of the world’s most dynamic economic development zones. Potential candidates should hold a degree from an overseas university, have work experience at a Western enterprise and understand international business principles and cultures.

9. Statistics show that 5,000 Shanghai students went to U.K. last year, 30 percent more than 2004. The figure for Australia was 2,200, about the same as a year earlier. Since job markets abroad are not favorable for foreign students, or the positions are not up to their liking, many have chosen to come back for personal and career development. But the hard job hunting and face-to-face interviews at home have also made them realize that the investment on overseas education was not so cost-effective after all. Getting a job, leave alone a cushy position, is not at all a piece of cake.

10. Shanghai will build no more elevated roads in the next three years or extend the existing Elevated inner Ring Road downtown in order to alleviate the environmental burden. According to a previous plan, the elevated road should be widened by two meters on each side to create extra vehicle lanes.
But there is a growing concern that any extension or widening of the existing roads or the construction of new elevated expressways will unnecessarily compound noise and air pollution problems afflicting people who live near the existing and proposed sites. The increased traffic would bring more noise, worsen the air quality and affect the lives of residents nearby.

11. According to statistics, America’s skilled white-collar work force has overtaken the ranks of skilled blue-collar workers for the first time. Those who worry that America is becoming a nation of lawyers may have some evidence: There are now 1.4 lawyers for every farmer, whereas 25 years ago there were 4.5 farmers for every lawyer. Other occupations on the rise are computer analysts, doctors, police officers, and psychologists.