Last weekend, 28-year-old Zhou Senfeng became mayor of Yicheng in central China's Hubei province, making him the youngest mayor in the province and perhaps in the whole country, Chinese media report (in Chinese here).

Zhou was appointed mayor of Yicheng, a small (by Chinese standards) city of about 200,000, following a vote by local representatives of the National People's Congress. Under China's dual party-government leadership system, each of the country's 660 administratively designated cities have a mayor and Communist Party secretary who govern jointly, though in practice the mayor is usually subordinate to the party chief.


A native of neighboring Henan province, Zhou received a master's degree in management and engineering from Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University in 2004. Prior to becoming mayor, Zhou held various posts, including vice-director of the municipal construction committee and vice-secretary of the planning bureau in Xiangfan city in Hubei.

China's Communist Party has been taking steps to provide more opportunities for younger officials at all levels (see this Chinese-language report from the People's Daily). Zhang Hui, 29, made headlines last year when he was appointed vice-secretary of the Communist Youth League's Shandong provincial committee.

The appointment of high-ranking local government and party officials from the 'post-80s generation,' as people born between 1980 and 1989 are known, has sparked heated debate online. Some applaud the appointment of young officials as an effort to make the leadership ranks more representative, while others question whether people in their 20s are qualified to handle the responsibilities of high-level positions.

'Age is not a problem here. Obama became President of the U.S. in his 40s,' said one writer on Netease.com. 'Why does experience count? The crucial point here is whether it's welcomed by the people.'

Others question the administrative abilities of young officials. 'It's a bit strange. Why has [Zhou] been promoted in such a short time? Why is he so special?' asked another writer.

Mayor Zhou acknowledged and responded to the concerns by emphasizing the need to give opportunities to young leaders.

'The concerns about my inexperience are reasonable, I should say,' he told Xinhua by e-mail. 'As a youthful mayor born after 1980, I lagged far behind senior officials in experience… But what young officials need is the stage where they can perform. We will develop better given such a stage.'

Within China, members of Zhou's generation, the first that grew up under the one-child policy, have long been described as spoiled, self-centered and lacking a sense of social responsibility. That has begun to change though. Young volunteers rushed to help victims of last year's devastating earthquake in Sichuan, for instance. The performance of China's new youthful political leaders may soon influence the debate too.

据中国媒体报导，上周末，29岁的周森锋成为中国湖北省宜城市市长，他是湖北省目前最年轻的市长，可能也是全国最年轻的市长。

周森锋经宜城市人大选举后，周森锋被任命为宜城市长。按中国的标准，宜城是个小城市，人口大约20万。按照中国的党政领导体制，中国660个建制市每个都由市长和市委书记共同治理，虽然实际上市长常常要服从书记的领导。

周森锋是河南人，2004年获清华大学管理工程学硕士学位。当上市长前，周森锋曾任多个不同职位，包括湖北省襄樊市建设委员会副主任以及襄樊市建设与规划局副局长。

中国共产党已经采取一系列措施，为各级年轻干部提供更多机会。29岁的张辉去年被任命为中国共青团山东省委副书记，一时成为媒体争相报导的对象。

从“80后”中选拔高级别地方党政官员在网上引发热议。一些人为年轻官员获任命而喝彩，认为这是令领导阶层更具代表性的举措，还有人则质疑20多岁的年轻人是否有能力担负起领导职位的各项职责。

网易的一则评论说，年龄不是问题，奥巴马40多岁就当美国总统了。资历为什么那么重要？关键是老百姓欢不欢迎。

也有人质疑年轻官员的施政能力。另一则评论说，真有点奇怪，周森锋为什么能在这么短的时间内获得提拔？他为何如此特殊？

周森锋承认这些担忧有其道理，也作出了回应，强调有必要给年轻干部机会。

他在给新华社发的电子邮件中说，应该说，人们担心我没经验也是正常的，作为80后的年轻市长，我在经验方面落后于年长的官员……但年轻官员需要的是可以有所作为的舞台。在这样一个舞台上我们会发展得更好。

在中国，周森锋这代人是在独生子女政策下成长起来的第一代，一直以来人们都认为他们这代人被宠坏了、以自我为中心、缺乏社会责任感。不过这种情况已经开始发生变化。举例来说，在去年的四川大地震中，年轻志愿者们争相帮助地震受害者。中国新一代年轻政治领导人的表现可能也会很快对这场争论产生影响。

1. dualadj. 两部分的，二体的，二重的

He has dual role as composer and conductor.

他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

2. subordinateadj. 级别或职位较低的，下级的

A private is subordinate to a corporal.

列兵的级别低于下士。

3. prestigiousadj. 受尊敬的，有声望的，有威信的

Her first novel won a prestigious literary prize.

她的第一部小说就获得了一个颇具声望的文学奖。

4. applaudvt. 鼓掌

The audience warmly applauded when the performance came to the end.

当演出接近尾声时, 观众热烈鼓掌。

5. crucialadj. 决定性的，紧要关头的

It's a crucial decision.

这是一个极其重要的决定。

6. spoil溺爱，宠坏

His grandmother spoiled him.

他的祖母把他宠坏了

7. devastatingadj. 毁灭性的

It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.

这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。

prior to表示“在……之前”

The will was made two days prior to his death.

遗嘱是在他死亡前两天立的。

2. China's Communist Party has been taking steps to provide more opportunities for younger officials at all levels.

中国共产党已经采取一系列措施，为各级年轻干部提供更多机会。

take steps表示“采取措施”

They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.

他们采取措施阻止流感的传播。

3. I lagged far behind senior officials in experience

我在经验方面落后于年长的官员

lag behind在本句中表示“落后于…… ”，例如：

Britain's economic development must lag behind that of almost every other industrial nation.

英国的经济发展肯定落后于几乎所有的其他的工业国。

lag behind还表示“逾期付款；落后”的意思，例如：

If your payments of rent lag behind, you will be asked to leave.

如果你不如期交房租, 你就会被赶走。

The lame child lagged behind.

那个跛脚的小孩落在后面了。

anyway, support young high-ranking political officals, this is good and right decision