EU-China relations

President Xi Jinping arrived in the Netherlands on Saturday to begin his first trip to European Union since taking office more than a year ago.

First lady's soft diplomacy

US first lady Michelle Obama is on a week-long visit to China that focuses on educational and cultural exchanges. Given that the United States' first ladies are unique ambassadors for the country, the trip represents "gentle diplomacy" on the part of Washington, says a Xinhua commentary.

Shanghai must act on its air pollution

Shanghai is destined to play a key role in spearheading financial reform. But as the most cosmopolitan city on the mainland, it can do much more than that.

Japan has nuclear weapons capability

While the world is wondering what the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit, held on Monday and Tuesday in The Hague, the Netherlands, will achieve, Tokyo is busy working on a draft statement, due to be considered in a nuclear disarmament meeting in Hiroshima next month, aimed at urging China to engage in nuclear arms reduction talks with the United States and Russia. As a driving force behind the efforts to pressure China, Japan is choosing to ignore the gap between the size of China's nuclear arsenal and those of the US and Russia, which are by far the largest in the world.

Ukraine crisis little threat to energy prices

The crisis in Ukraine still has the potential to have a significant impact on the European economy and global financial markets. Nonetheless, the most likely outcome appears to be a limited exchange of sanctions and a diplomatic settlement that results in the crisis dropping out of the headlines again. Even if tensions do escalate the balance of economic and financial power favors the West rather than Russia.

Letters

Teachers' behavior disgraceful

From the ashes of war, seeds of peace

What was once the biggest United Nations peacekeeping operation in the world winds down this month, and the most extraordinary part of this historic development is that international troops are not the only ones departing the country-nationals from the once war-ravaged nation are donning blue helmets as they deploy to serve with the UN in other troubled parts of the world.

Brighter China-EU relations

Xi's visit will enhance mutual understanding and respect and promote settling disputes and expanding common ground in global issues

Cartoon

Sense of justice needed by all in our society

Consider this incident. A group of homebuyers in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, rushed to the office of the real estate company where they had purchased their apartments and smashed whatever they could put their hands on simply because the price of their properties dropped after they bought them.

Nepal supports China for stable border

There is no doubt that the development of the Tibet autonomous region bears a direct influence on Nepal's domestic situation and foreign affairs. Nepal shares a 1,400-kilometer border with the autonomous region and the development and stability of Tibet is an important theme in relations between Nepal and China.

Positive policy for food security

It will never be too late for the world to appreciate the Chinese government's recent change to its food policy, from its previously stated "95 percent self-sufficiency" for food across the board to specific commodity-based self-sufficiency targets, with emphasis on the three staple grains: rice, wheat and maize.