A new survey into China’s print media reveals that the most common phrases used in the spring and summer of this year have been the “harmonious society”, the Olympic slogan “One World, One Dream”, “food safety” and “Lian and Soong visit the Mainland”, referring to the recent tours taken by Taiwanese politicians Lian Zhan and James Soong . Educational issues and the gap between rich and poor were also shown to be of concern.
“As the country is in a deep transitional period, the survey tells us what people from different layers of society are looking for,” Professor Zhang Pu of the Beijing University of Languages and Culture, who was in charge of the survey, told Interfax.
At the very least, it suggests that 15 of China’s state-owned newspapers – including People’s Daily, Beijing Youth Daily, Legal Daily, Guangzhou Daily, Global Times, and the occasionally controversial Southern Weekend – are paying a great deal of attention to growing concerns in official circles about inequality and unrest. The “harmonious society” has been one of the key phrases of President Hu Jintao as his government attempts to get to grips with issues such as rural poverty, the rule of law and the easing of social tensions.
