Passengers prepare to board a train in Shenzhen North railway station in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan 7, 2023. Photo:Xinhua

When the COVID-19 hit our lives, many people believed that our new way of life working from home would last for a long time. Yet, being full time at home lacks interpersonal communication has made many companies to ask their staff to come back to work for face-to-face engagement. There is a saying that effective communication is seven percent tone, 55 percent body language, and 38 percent voice. Though this conclusion has been challenged by many, it's basic logic toward the meaning of communication is thought-provoking. Human beings achieve cooperation through text and pictures, but more importantly, through language signaled by our body. And this kind of rich content of expression can only be understood when people talk face to face.

The Paper

The local government in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, is about to introduce new regulations over the maternity allowance. These new regulations mean families having their first child will be given 6,000 yuan ($885) in total, and families with a third child will receive 19,000 yuan ($2,800).
In addition to Shenzhen, other cities have issued similar policies over the past few years since China's third-child policy was first introduced. Although the beneficiary groups, the dollar amount available, and distribution vary from place to place, the signals and goals are clear: Sometimes it seems to be necessary to ensure people's living standards by offering a subsidy than doing other things.

Banyuetan magazine

As the Spring Festival approaches, many scenic spots across China have decided to open to public for free to attract tourists. For example, eight scenic spots in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, have announced they will be open free of charge from the Chinese New Year's eve for six days. This could place pressure on the management of these attractions. Will it cause other problems? This is worthy of further consideration. Safety issues brought by large numbers of visitors also need to be minded.

Guangming Daily