IN BRIEF (Page 26)

Women from Minguo

A new book Minguo Hongfen (Beauty of the Republic) features 22 women from the Republic of China (1911-49), also known as the Minguo period. The book features political figures like Soong, and socialites such as Ruan Lingyu and Sai Jinhua. As a historian of the Minguo period, author Zhang Yaojie writes about these women from a researcher's perspective using reliable sources and unearthing a wealth of new information. The 22 women have been selected from diverse fields. The author says he is trying to portray a well-rounded picture of women in those times, who were faced with the dilemmas of protesting oppressive ideals stemming from Confucian ideology or remaining true to their family and maintaining independence and assertiveness.

Economic perspective

A new book by Chen Yunxian, vice-governor of Guangdong province, and Qiu Jianwei, who works at an insurance company, puts forward their own economic theory. They say that from the perspective of the global economy, market competition consists of two components - businesses and government. Government Foresighted Leading Theory and Practice of the World's Regional Economic Development says the government can shape the economy by establishing the foundations, mechanisms and regulations of the market economy. The book says the government can employ the visible hand to make up for the margins and defects caused by the invisible hand and remedy market malfunction.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 03/28/2014 page26)