US still has a large plank in its eye

In Debating China, a collection of conversations between Chinese and US scholars on relations between China and the United States, the different views expressed by both sides are often enlightening.

Come back onto fair track

US Secretary of State John Kerry will find himself more than welcome in Beijing if he is here to convey Washington's commitment to a positive relationship, as the US Department of State put it.

Abe's march to militarism

The political energy displayed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in sending Japan off in the wrong direction is becoming a real threat that the international community needs to effectively guard against, says an opinion piece in People's Daily.

Tibetans enjoy religious freedom

The year 2014 marks the beginning of the Year of the Horse in China and the "Year of the Wooden Horse" in the lunar calendar of Tibetan people. The Year of the Horse is also the "recurrent birth year" of Gang Rinpoche (or Mount Kailash), a holy mountain in west Tibet. Since circling Gang Rinpoche in the Year of the Horse is a scared tradition among Tibetan Buddhists, this year has seen an endless stream of people flocking to the region to perform pilgrimage.

The road that leads away from thirst

Millions of the world's poorest people face serious water-related challenges - from lack of access and shortages to disputes over supplies - with profound implications for security, economic development and environmental sustainability. As world leaders design a development agenda to succeed the Millennium Development Goals, which expire in 2015, addressing these issues should be a top priority.

Hot words

Gift books 压岁书 (ya sui shu)

From the Chinese press

Grassroots officials deserve raise

Keep the reforms rolling

China's economy has entered a new development stage that requires the central government to make significant strategic policies to address the severe external and internal challenges the country faces. This means comprehensively deepening reform to re-energize the economy and avoid falling into the middle-income trap.

Cartoon

The bad and the good of micro texts

There are both advantages and disadvantages that come with the joining of micro text message groups. One of the advantages is reestablishing connections with old acquaintances with whom one may have long lost contact, while one of the disadvantages is the amount of time eaten up reading micro text messages, which are difficult to resist.

China's trade engine

The better-than-expected trade growth in January does not necessarily guarantee a strong sustained start in 2014, because the Lunar New Year, which fell at the end of January this year, makes the trade figures volatile at the start of each year.

Skills to match jobs

A shortage of labor is becoming an increasingly common headache in the coastal provinces. The latest figures show that Guangzhou, Guangdong province, traditionally one of the country's main manufacturing centers, might face a shortage of up to 123,300 workers this year.