The german weekly, DER SPIEGEL, reports in its online edition on the FLTRP Cup in Beijing, China. Thanks to Michael Shapira the Achte Minute is able to provide the full set of topics debated in Beijing. Michael Shapira wons this year’s World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC or Worlds) at Gaborone, Botswana in the category “English as a Second Language” (ESL) and judged in Beijing.

• Demo: The International Olympic Committee should remove any age requirements for children to compete in the Olympics.
• Adjudication Test: China should designate zones in municipalities in which prostitution would be legal.
• Practice #1: All money currently spent on Confucius Institutes abroad should be spent instead on alleviating domestic poverty.
• Practice #2: China should explicitly support Iran’s right to develop nuclear weapons.
• Practice #3: China should hold the passengers of cars driven by drunk drivers criminally liable.
• Round 0: China should use taxpayers’ money to compensate the entertainment industry for losses due to piracy.
• Round 1: Prisoners who agree to donate their organs should receive lessened prison sentences.
• Round 2: China should require students to learn “red songs” (Hong ge) at all levels of education.
• Round 3: China should establish military bases abroad.
• Round 4: China should allow international adoption to homosexual couples whose union is legally recognized in their home jurisdiction.
• Round 5: The Arab League should take the lead to achieve regime change in Lybia.
• Round 6: China should provide financial incentives to rural families who bear and raise daughters.
• Round 7: China should require all foreign direct investment projects in Africa to hire least 50% of their workforce locally.
• Round 8: Contestants who have undergone cosmetic surgery should be prohibited from competing in beauty pageant.
• Octofinals: The United States was justified in violating Pakistan’s sovereignty to assassinate Osama Bin Laden.
• Quarterfinals: The Chinese government should require corporations to provide compensation to families of employees who commit suicide.
• Semifinals #1: China should establish an inheritance tax on the rich intended to prevent the transference of wealth between generations.
• Semifinals #2: Chinese local governments should abolish housing purchase restrictions that require local Hukou for buyers.
• Grandfinal: China should criminalize academic dishonesty.

The FLTRP Cup took place from 7 to 14 May this year! FLTRP stands for Foreign Languages Teaching and Research Press, the host of the National English Debating Championship in the People’s Republic to be held for the 15th time. The tournament was open to Chinese students only, but since the British Parliamentary Style has not been introduced before 2010, the convenors set a certain standard of parliamentary debate by inviting international judges.