Legal push for reading
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E-mail ChinAfrica, October 22, 2013
Recently, China's lawmakers are mulling over a regulation to promote reading among the public. The General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television said it planned to submit the first draft to the State Council, the cabinet, for approval by the end of the year.
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Recently, China's lawmakers are mulling over a regulation to promote reading among the public. |
The legislation, which has been in the pipeline since the countryís sessions of National Peopleís Congress and National Committee of the Chinese Peopleís Political Consultative Conference in March of this year, is motivated by new research showing that Chinese people read fewer books than people in many other countries.
According to a national survey conducted by Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, among the Chinese people between the ages of 18 and 70, each read 6.7 books on average in 2012, including paper books and e-books, an increase of about one book compared with 2011, but still lagging in comparison to the 15 books per year, per person read by Americans.
As the legislation plan was revealed, it sparked heated discussion. Supporters believe the law will be an institutional guarantee to peopleís right to read and will invigorate Chinese peopleís weakening appetite for reading. Skeptics argue that reading is personal and should not be interfered with by law. They say that other measures besides legislation should be taken to boost reading - like reducing studentsí study load, regulating the publishing market and creating a more conducive environment for young writers.
Pro
Ye Zhuyi, Beijing Morning Post
On one hand, the overall national reading rate remains low; on the other, more people are becoming interested in reading on the web. With the progress of electronic technology, traditional ways of reading are being gradually abandoned. More importantly, in modern society, people are living fast-paced and busy lives, with reading becoming a kind of “luxury.” While entertainment and leisure magazines are extremely popular, traditional publications are no longer well received. People read books more flippantly. With the increase of soap operas and other TV shows, fewer and fewer people are attached to reading. Although electronic media helps spread information, it still defers to the traditional practice of reading.
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