A property consultant in Jinan, Shandong province, who sold houses worth 695 million yuan ($111.69 million) and became the top real estate salesman, was given 5 million yuan as reward, which equals the amount for the State Science and Technology Top Award. This has drawn strong reactions from the public, says an article in Beijing Youth Daily. Excerpts:

There are many stories about huge amounts being paid to senior company employees as yearend bonus. But the after-tax bonus of 5 million yuan is still astonishing.

Given the income gap in today's society, the news about a property consultant getting an astronomical amount as bonus is likely to trigger heated public discussions on income distribution reform.

But we should not let the news agitate us. Irrespective of how fantastic the 5-million-yuan bonus appears and how much the public derides the real estate industry, the property consultant's income is legal according to social and real estate industry norms.

Wang Yawei, who received the huge bonus, has been rewarded for her hard work and excellent performance throughout the year.

What the bonus tells us is income distribution needs urgent reform. Hopefully, the income distribution reform plan will be implemented without any further delay to allow the fruits of economic development to be distributed more equitably among people working in different industries and regions of China.

(China Daily 01/11/2013 page9)