Equal opportunities need enforcing

Taking less than five hours to complete the 1,318-kilometer journey from Beijing to Shanghai, the high-speed line has garnered praise around the world.

However, news about the cabin crew is less praise worthy.

The 309 members of the service staff were selected from more than 5,000 employees of the Beijing Railway Bureau. But they had to meet strict requirements. They must be female, younger than 28, be of fair-complexion and have a shapely figure that conforms to selection standards. They must weigh less than 60 kilograms and be between 165-170 centimeters tall.