TRAGIC CASE FOCUSES SPOTLIGHT ON LEFT-BEHIND CHILDREN

Suicides and girl's drowning trigger calls for action

When Liang Denghua, 43, and his female companion, Xie Yanfang, 45, decided to end their lives in the depths of Dongqian Lake in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on July 8, they had just 31.70 yuan ($4.60) in their possession.

That is barely enough to buy a bowl of beef noodles or a Mc-Donald's meal for two in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai or Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang.