Quotable

The pain is inevitable, but it is a necessary part of the leadership's shift to supply-side reform next year."

Yang Weimin, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Financial and Economic Affairs, said during a Beijing forum that slashing the number of inefficient and unprofitable "zombie enterprises" is a priority for China.

"China, when shouldering its duty as a major country and an emerging economy, has been working on resolving problems and proposing designs for new mechanisms and frameworks."

Chen Fengying, a senior researcher with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said London's endorsement of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and President Xi Jinping's visit to the United Kingdom in October were "ice-breaking steps" in China's relations with the West.

"There should be no discrimination of other victimized Asian nations regarding such human rights issues."

Zhang Jingquan, a professor of Northeast Asian studies at Jilin University, commenting after Japan and South Korea reached a deal on the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during World War II. The agreement includes an apology by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a decision to set up a 1 billion yen ($8.3 million; 7.6 million euros)fund for the victims.

(China Daily European Weekly 01/01/2016 page3)