"China has woken up... The world spent one-fourth of a century trying to change China, but now China is changing the world."

- From the foreword to the book "When China is changing the world", which has recently become a best-seller in France.

"Who can attend the public hearing? Are there any travellers participating? The attendants are strictly selected and I think it's fake just like a show."

- Wu Bihu, director of the Tourism Research and Planning Centre of Peking University, argues public hearings have not helped to control hikes in admission prices to some scenic spots.

"To some extent, whether or not doctors earn a lot from the private treatment of celebrities has become a criterion for judging whether they have good surgical skills."

- A doctor saying the profession is torn by discussions about the relative importance of public and private medical practice.

"It seems to me that driving is quite difficult. But I am not afraid of it because of the 271 tests I've taken previously."

- A 70-year-old South Korean citizen who has finally passed the written test on the traffic laws, after attempting and failing the exam 271 over the previous five years.

"Fast driving by Chinese who are not very skilled is like operating a rocket on the highway."

- A German criticizes Chinese drivers.

"The GDP curve is closely related to people's sleep patterns. The higher the GDP growth, the less people sleep. People in the United States in the 1960s and in Japan in 1970s... were all 'sleepless' due to the excitement of economic development. Now it's China's turn."

- A media comment on how wealth and development influences Chinese life.