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Priorities for Greece as EU President

Greece assumes its 5th Presidency of the European Union at a time that Europe is going through a crucial transitional phase. In Europe today we are called upon to tackle the economic and financial crisis by safeguarding our common currency through the deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union and by dealing with recession and unemployment through boosting growth. At the same time, security challenges in our external borders are forcing us to deal with immigration issues.

Back up rural land reform

The rural land reform that is to proceed in the years to come will undoubtedly produce great changes in villagers' lives, but whether the reform is carried out in line with central government policy will be key to its success.

China and a changing world

Once known for its ski resorts, the small Swiss town of Davos is now synonymous with The World Economic Forum, which it hosts every winter.

China key to Japan's recovery

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Yasukuni Shrine visit has dealt a blow to the recovering trade between the world's second and third largest economies. According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday, China-Japan trade in 2013 reached $312.55 billion, a 5.1 percent year-on-year drop. While China's exports to Japan decreased by 0.9 percent to $150.28 billion, its imports from Japan were $162.28 billion, witnessing a drastic 8.7 percent decrease.

Looking to Year of the Horse for peace

With the Year of the Horse round the corner, some Spring Festival greetings related with the horse have been tripping off many people's tongue, and a popular one is ma dao cheng gong, or speedy success (upon horses' arrival), with ma referring to horse. Also, Chinese paintings of galloping horses have become most sought-after new year items, favored especially by businesspeople craving for success in the coming new year.

Letters

Fireworks should be banned

From the Chinese Press

Trains need medical facilities

No real reform of surveillance

On Friday, US President Barack Obama made his first substantive speech on the surveillance programs of the US National Security Agency. Although he seems to have accepted a few recommendations of the NSA Review Panel, his proposed reforms of the United States' global surveillance fall far short of being satisfactory, as the White House has failed to address a number of issues.

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Reshaping the world needs unity and decisiveness

Seattle, Prague, Genoa, Melbourne. Over a decade ago, these cities were hosts to violent protests against a nebulous enemy: globalization.

Tackle income disparity

Six years after the onset of the global financial crisis, business and political leaders around the world can no longer shrug off the rising unemployment and widening income disparity as the price that needs paying for a global recovery.