Editor's Note: The following article was translated and edited from an article that appeared in a recent issue of IT Times Weekly. The article is a compilation of opinions from powerful political, business and academic figures in China, as published on their Sina Weibo accounts. The topics, which range from opinions on corruption and morals to economic development and political reform, provide a window into some of the modern views and insights coming from China.

1) On prices and society: Ren Zhiqiang (任志强) - Former Chairman of Huayuan Group

The National Development and Reform Commission says that excluding taxes, China's oil prices are less expensive than America's. The real estate industry says that excluding land prices, China's housing prices are very low. The Discipline Inspection Committee says that excluding corrupt government officials, Chinese civil servants are very honest. The Red Cross says that excluding embezzlement, China's donations management is very good. The Bureau of Quality Supervision says that excluding unscrupulous merchants, food in China is very safe. The Bureau of Statistics said that excluding ordinary people, Chinese people lead very rich and happy lives.

2) On real estate: Han Zhiguo (韩志国) - Expert Economist

China's economic development is mainly driven by real estate. Real estate development mainly relies on bank loans. The Chinese financial sector has fostered an unbalanced real estate industry: banks become awash with excess liquidity and real estate and land prices rise suddenly as a result. The prosperity of a country is marked by the continuous improvement of its peoples' lives. A country does not become a world power because of its ability to build houses.  Simply put, China's economic miracle is nothing but a paper tiger.

3) On private equities: Shen Guojun (沈国军) - Chairman of China Yintai Investment

Because of the structure of the system, civil service positions have long been the most desireable to the Chinese population. As a result, it's more difficult for private equity companies; there's been a dramatic increase in the number of business speculators and there are fewer labor-intensive businesses. Businesspeople often sell their companies at high rates, essentially making money from money, while the government makes money from land, and banks loan out money with a soft hand. How would employment work if every entity functioned as a private equity company? Where would taxes come from?

4) On political reforms:  Qiu Yi (邱毅) - Taiwanese Political Commentator

Jing Lian, a famous economist in Mainland China, said that economic reforms are a necessary prerequisite to political reforms. However, without political reforms first, economic reforms will eventually bottleneck, making it very difficult to maintain economic growth. The most important aspect of political reform, even more than democratic elections, is the removal of the corrupt parts of the bureaucratic system.
 

Related links
Fang Zhouzi: Exposing Academic Fraud, One Weibo Post at a Time
Get Connected: Why Are Foreign Dignitaries Increasingly Turning to Weibo?
The Weibo Revolution - 140 Characters for a Voice

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Famous Chinese Weibo users Weibo opinions