Timely information sharing

More than 10 days after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared from radar, triggering an unprecedented multinational search, the sharing of information among the search parties has become all the more imperative.

What to expect from Xi's Europe visit

These are exciting times for EU-China relations. Just a few months ago, the two sides agreed to the 2020 Strategic Agenda. The second session of the 12th National People's Congress has just ended in China, and President Xi Jinping will visit Brussels at the end of this month, becoming the first Chinese president to visit the European Union headquarters. The course seems to be set for change.

Time for Chinese media to come of age

A message board on a Chinese website reads: "To our domestic media: can you do anything other than lighting candles?" Such complaints are all over Chinese websites because the Western media have been providing most of the key information on the missing Flight MH370, with the Chinese media playing second fiddle.

Letters

A critique of top US schools

From the Chinese press

Punish all rumormongers

A game with no winners

Ukraine's Crimea region held a referendum on Sunday offering voters the choice between becoming a constituent part of the Russian Federation or remaining part of Ukraine. With the overwhelming majority of those who voted in favor of joining Russia, Crimea's parliament formally applied to join Russia on Monday, and Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by signing a decree recognizing Crimea as a sovereign independent state.

Cartoon

Guns in America more deadly than smog

From the safety of my polluted perch in Beijing, I was thinking how much difference one year could make to gun control in the United States. In this short interval, Americans have stopped mourning in America and gone back to business as usual.

Help get relations right

He may have been overly optimistic in portraying relations between the United States and China as "friendship", but Max Baucus, the new US ambassador to China, hit the nail on the head when he said the two countries had to get their relationship right.

Keep kids from harm

The scandal of two private kindergartens in Xi'an, which administered antiviral drugs to the children in their care without the parents knowing, is just the latest in a string of cases that have tainted the country's education system, says a Xinhua commentary.

Meaning of the Crimea crisis

The referendum in Crimea, the evolving situation in Ukraine and Russia's proactive foreign policy will have a far-reaching impact on international relations. New facts have been established in Eastern Europe. Ukraine does not recognize the referendum and will not agree to Crimea becoming a part of Russia, nor will the United States and most members of the international community. But no country will attempt to physically challenge it.

Xi's proactive foreign policy fruitful

The first year of Chinese President Xi Jinping has been one of the most active periods for China's foreign policy. By championing a proactive foreign policy, Xi has injected enormous energy into China's diplomacy, though he also must ensure that it does not result in unnecessary conflicts with neighboring countries, for he would not like his foreign policy to disrupt his two main goals of economic reforms and eliminating corruption.