Only a Chinese character “五 (five)” is printed on the cover of the latest issue of Time magazine.

Once you see a huge “五”on the cover of an English international magazine, regardless whether you read Chinese or not, sure you'll ask: What is it?

It is creative indeed. Without hesitation, I bought it immediately just because of the Chinese character.

The cover story of the issue is: Five Things the US Can Learn from China.

It seems like the Americans have changed their temperaments.

When US President Barack Obama paid a visit to Japan recently, he bowed deeply to Japanese Emperor Akihito. Other than showing the good flexibility of his body, he also showed the resilience of Americans (but many said the deep bow was a humiliation).

Of course, Obama was courteous, too, when he was in China. He had praised whatever that should be praised (and some said that he did not say those things that should be said).

Let's get back to the Time magazine, which tells its readers what can the US learn from China:

(1) Be ambitious

When Sean Maloney, an executive vice president at Intel, visited northeastern China, he was impressed by the construction of a network of high-speed train lines covering 10,000 miles (16,000 km) nationwide.

Before the 60's, the US used to be so vital like today's China. However, the US is no longer a hard-working youngster, but a relaxed middle-aged man.

(2) Education matters

It is a weakness that the rigid Chinese education system has burdened the children but it is a strength that over the past few decades, even children living in remote mountainous areas have had access to education.

In the US, children spend more than 10 hours on homework each week but Chinese students, spend twice as many hours doing homework as do their U.S. peers.

Although China does not have a Nobel Prize winner yet, it has done well in providing basic education for labour force. It is one of the key factors that made China the world's factory.

(3) Look after the elderly

The US and China treat their elderly in totally different ways. It has been a family tradition for centuries in China: parents raise children; then the children care for the parents as they reach their dotage.

Such a big family model can help to save money, as well as create a more stable social security system.

(4) Save more

The US government keeps asking Chinese people to increase consumption, becoming more like Americans, for the sake of global economy.

On the contrary, Americans should save more. Currently, the household-savings rate in the US is about 4% while the household-savings rate in China exceeds 20%.

If Americans can save more and spend less like the Chinese, they will no longer have to worry about high debt load.

(5) Look over the Horizon

Chinese children are not born to study diligently, instead, they consider their future. Hard work today means a much better life decades from now.

For Americans who are trapped in the economic crisis, they must possess such a courage and will in order to break through the predicament.

These five things are a warning to Americans, as well as Malaysians! (By TAY TIAN YAN/Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/Sin Chew Daily)