Letters

Foreign education trends

From the Chinese press

Kids deserve healthy growth

A legacy for the future

On Sept 7, 2013, while visiting Central Asia, President Xi Jinping proposed that China and the countries of Central Asia draw on the inspiration of the ancient Silk Road and join hands to build on their friendly cooperation over the past 20 years to construct a Silk Road economic belt. This initiative represents a blueprint for common development and common security that will improve the lives of people throughout the region.

Cartoon

Dual public-private education model needed

In a bid to establish more equal education opportunities, the Ministry of Education is piloting a new policy in the country's 19 biggest cities whereby all primary schools must enroll all their students from within their communities while 90 percent of junior middle schools should enroll a majority of their students from within their communities. This is aimed at preventing the best schools being the preserve of children whose parents have money, power or connections.

Cool heads over Crimea

So far, each of the parties involved, directly and indirectly, has proceeded on its set course:

Heavy fine on air polluter

Last week, the Beijing environmental authorities issued the first fine to a company under the city's new Air Pollution Prevention and Control Regulation, which came into effect on March 1.

Western hypocrisy in Ukraine

Double standards are on display as Western leaders attack Russia for its stance on and "actions" in Ukraine, while they themselves endorse or commit worse aggression on other countries.

Widen the trading band of the yuan

On Saturday the People's Bank of China (PBoC) announced that, as of March 17, it would widen the trading band for the yuan from +/- 1 percent to +/- 2 percent. The widening was widely anticipated, although its timing was earlier than most people expected.

Letters

Xi will achieve great success

From the Chinese press

A case of delivering dirty laundry

Root of regional instability

Removing the restraints on collective self-defense imposed by Japan's pacifist Constitution through constitutional interpretation has become a top priority for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his cabinet, as these restraints are the last "defensive line" of the Japanese pacifist Constitution. If this defensive line is breached, the pacifist Constitution will exist in name only.