Comments on: China’s New Style of Public Policies http://jennyzhu.com/2008/08/29/chinas-new-style-of-public-policies/ Observations and Reflections on China Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:58:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Jenny Zhu http://jennyzhu.com/2008/08/29/chinas-new-style-of-public-policies/#comment-563 Jenny Zhu Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:03:20 +0000 http://jennyzhu.com/?p=103#comment-563 Lester, MSG/味精/wei4 jing, (which litereally means 'flavor essence) was extensively used in Chinese cooking, at home and in restaurants. There is however increasing awareness of its downsides. A lot of people (my mom and myself included) have stopped using it and turned to chicken powder/鸡精/ji1 jing1 (although it's still quite heavily chemical based). But most restaurants are still crazy about MSG since it's a shortcut to good flavor. This obsession reveals how Chinese define as good taste. Lester,
MSG/味精/wei4 jing, (which litereally means ‘flavor essence) was extensively used in Chinese cooking, at home and in restaurants. There is however increasing awareness of its downsides. A lot of people (my mom and myself included) have stopped using it and turned to chicken powder/鸡精/ji1 jing1 (although it’s still quite heavily chemical based). But most restaurants are still crazy about MSG since it’s a shortcut to good flavor. This obsession reveals how Chinese define as good taste.

]]> By: Lester http://jennyzhu.com/2008/08/29/chinas-new-style-of-public-policies/#comment-553 Lester Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:20:50 +0000 http://jennyzhu.com/?p=103#comment-553 Actually, the UK recommendation is also 6g (not 4g - http://www.salt.gov.uk/no_more_than_6.html). But it is still high. We are grappling with all of these numbers over here, particularly as it's so hard to track how much salt goes into a lunch sandwich, etc.! But true, yes it's all about awareness. I wonder, Jenny, what some in China might say about MSG? Actually, the UK recommendation is also 6g (not 4g - http://www.salt.gov.uk/no_more_than_6.html). But it is still high. We are grappling with all of these numbers over here, particularly as it’s so hard to track how much salt goes into a lunch sandwich, etc.!

But true, yes it’s all about awareness. I wonder, Jenny, what some in China might say about MSG?

]]> By: Jenny Zhu http://jennyzhu.com/2008/08/29/chinas-new-style-of-public-policies/#comment-515 Jenny Zhu Mon, 01 Sep 2008 05:20:42 +0000 http://jennyzhu.com/?p=103#comment-515 Nathan, It's Open Source Radio with Christopher Lydon. A very stimulating show with various academics mostly. Here is the link to the analogy http://www.radioopensource.org/george-lakoff-obama-in-a-bind/. The guest is George Lakoff, who is described as 'the most astutely political of the best-selling brain scientists'. The show actually looks at Barack Obama's triumph from a 'politically astute' neuron scientist's point of view. Hope you enjoy it! Jing, Thank you for the lovely note. Will see you in November! PS Baidu has seriously let me down. What happened to open source content? Aaron, I think there is a lot of great work and studies being done in the public sector. But it tends to go unnoticed and unanalyzed because of the spectacular failures on key issues and that in a healthy society the media and cilvil society’s role is to challenge and scrutinise the government. Nathan,
It’s Open Source Radio with Christopher Lydon. A very stimulating show with various academics mostly. Here is the link to the analogy http://www.radioopensource.org.....in-a-bind/. The guest is George Lakoff, who is described as ‘the most astutely political of the best-selling brain scientists’. The show actually looks at Barack Obama’s triumph from a ‘politically astute’ neuron scientist’s point of view. Hope you enjoy it!

Jing,
Thank you for the lovely note. Will see you in November! PS Baidu has seriously let me down. What happened to open source content?

Aaron,
I think there is a lot of great work and studies being done in the public sector. But it tends to go unnoticed and unanalyzed because of the spectacular failures on key issues and that in a healthy society the media and cilvil society’s role is to challenge and scrutinise the government.

]]> By: Jenny Zhu http://jennyzhu.com/2008/08/29/chinas-new-style-of-public-policies/#comment-513 Jenny Zhu Mon, 01 Sep 2008 05:02:14 +0000 http://jennyzhu.com/?p=103#comment-513 Lester, I think it's the kind of things very difficult to observe precisely unless you are a nutritionist or hypocondriac. A spoon won't be the solution to our dietary hazards, but at least it has made a lot of people aware of a largely overlooked problem. 阿皮， That's shocking! We are the saltiest nation in the world! I guess it's not too surprising after all given China's undying love affiar with MSG and other kinds of salty seasoning. Maybe we've built mechanisms to handle all the extra salt. Lester,
I think it’s the kind of things very difficult to observe precisely unless you are a nutritionist or hypocondriac. A spoon won’t be the solution to our dietary hazards, but at least it has made a lot of people aware of a largely overlooked problem.

阿皮，
That’s shocking! We are the saltiest nation in the world! I guess it’s not too surprising after all given China’s undying love affiar with MSG and other kinds of salty seasoning. Maybe we’ve built mechanisms to handle all the extra salt.

]]> By: Aaron Posehn http://jennyzhu.com/2008/08/29/chinas-new-style-of-public-policies/#comment-501 Aaron Posehn Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:29:55 +0000 http://jennyzhu.com/?p=103#comment-501 Wow Jenny, the insight into policy design vs product design is amazing. I never realized how one could be of benefit over the other when it came to government policy. I swear sometimes I think China is a real genius. Wow Jenny, the insight into policy design vs product design is amazing. I never realized how one could be of benefit over the other when it came to government policy. I swear sometimes I think China is a real genius.

]]> By: 阿皮 http://jennyzhu.com/2008/08/29/chinas-new-style-of-public-policies/#comment-483 阿皮 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:39:19 +0000 http://jennyzhu.com/?p=103#comment-483 6 grams of salt per day? Wow...in the US we recommend less than 2.3 grams per day in all of our foods. We'd never dream of giving people spoons to encourage eating salt directly. Britain recommends no more than 4 grams, but acknowledges they'd like people to consume less. On the other hand, western pregnant women would never dream of eating sushi and yet Japanese women don't seem to suffer any ill effects... 6 grams of salt per day? Wow…in the US we recommend less than 2.3 grams per day in all of our foods. We’d never dream of giving people spoons to encourage eating salt directly. Britain recommends no more than 4 grams, but acknowledges they’d like people to consume less.

On the other hand, western pregnant women would never dream of eating sushi and yet Japanese women don’t seem to suffer any ill effects…

]]> By: Jing@syd http://jennyzhu.com/2008/08/29/chinas-new-style-of-public-policies/#comment-481 Jing@syd Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:19:25 +0000 http://jennyzhu.com/?p=103#comment-481 jenny, lets catch up when u get to syd. shirley is marrying in nov? i thought she and john married like decades ago. im learning new things abt shanghai from u, its good, cos i dun read news at all, let alone shanghai's. btw, that spoon picture did not show up on the blog, seems like its for baidu users only. jenny, lets catch up when u get to syd. shirley is marrying in nov? i thought she and john married like decades ago. im learning new things abt shanghai from u, its good, cos i dun read news at all, let alone shanghai’s. btw, that spoon picture did not show up on the blog, seems like its for baidu users only.

]]> By: Nathan http://jennyzhu.com/2008/08/29/chinas-new-style-of-public-policies/#comment-477 Nathan Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:38:25 +0000 http://jennyzhu.com/?p=103#comment-477 Very interesting, Jenny. Out of curiosity, what was the professor you referred to? Was it part of the MIT Open Courseware site? Very interesting, Jenny. Out of curiosity, what was the professor you referred to? Was it part of the MIT Open Courseware site?

]]> By: Lester http://jennyzhu.com/2008/08/29/chinas-new-style-of-public-policies/#comment-476 Lester Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:09:34 +0000 http://jennyzhu.com/?p=103#comment-476 Only question I have. If you eat out a lot, how are you meant to know how much salt you've eaten. If you then add 3 spoons of salt when at home, then you're bound to be over the recommended level?? Only question I have. If you eat out a lot, how are you meant to know how much salt you’ve eaten. If you then add 3 spoons of salt when at home, then you’re bound to be over the recommended level??

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