"Cloud seeding to coax rain can relieve agricultural drought, reserve water for lakes, cool down high temperatures and ease pollution."

Yao Zhanyu, a senior researcher of the Weather Modification Center under the China Meteorological Administration, suggests artificial weather creation is not harmful. To better meet agricultural demand and alleviate disasters, China plans to increase annual precipitation by 60 billion metric tons and extend the coverage of artificial hail suppression to more than 540,000 square kilometers by 2020.

"I think the government should take our generation more seriously. It is impossible for our generation to behave like the generation of our fathers."

Zong Fuli, heiress of Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co Ltd, the mainland's largest soft-drink company by sales, quoted by news portal people.com.cn on Aug 30. Zong said dealing with authorities is a "big headache", and she would not exclude the possibility of moving the company to another country.

"We speak positively of the comment by the UN chief. Preserving historical justice and urging Japan to face up to and reflect on its aggressive past is the unanimous call of the international community."

Hong Lei, Foreign Ministry spokesman, responding on Aug 28 to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's remarks that Japanese leaders should face up to the past. On Aug 26, Ban urged Japan's leaders to conduct "very deep introspection" with particular reference to its plans to revise its pacifist Constitution.

(China Daily European Weekly 09/06/2013 page3)