The art of maintaining a healthy debt

The Third Plenum of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee issued a communiqu in November saying local governments could issue bonds to generate funds. A month later, the Central Economic Work Conference said minimizing local governments' debt risks would be one of the major economic missions in 2014. This shows the country's leadership is determined to resolve the local governments' debt (LGD) issue.

Cleanse academia of filth

If the brawl over the alleged dishonesty of an academic continues, it will damage the reputation of not only the Chinese Academy of Sciences, but also the academia across the country.

He did a world of good

As Hong Kong-based Television Broadcasts Limited announced the death of 107-year-old Run Run Shaw, its honorary president and media mogul, on Tuesday, media outlets were flooded with messages praising the philanthropist who donated billions of yuan to spread education in China.

Chance for peace in South Sudan

As peace talks between South Sudan's government and rebels started in Ethiopia on Monday, China has urged South Sudan's warring sides to seek a reasonable and rational solution to their conflict and to restore the rule of law and order.

Yellen should taper off cautiously

The United States Senate on Monday confirmed that Janet Yellen, a key force behind the Federal Reserve's unprecedented and controversial efforts to boost the US economy, will succeed Ben Bernanke as Fed chairman, when his second four-year term expires on Jan 31.Yellen, who is currently the Fed's vice-chair, will be one of the few women heading a central bank and the first to run the Fed in its 100-year history.

Letters

Rescue a unified effort

From the Chinese Press

Job hunter can't blame phone

Work to make a sea change

A State security committee will be set up to improve systems and strategies to ensure national security, according to the Decisions on Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms, issued by the Third Plenum of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee in November. The plenum document also calls for bolstering maritime law enforcement in China's territorial waters, including around islands.

Cartoon

In search of genuine intellectuals

Intellectuals and Society by Thomas Sowell, translated into Chinese and published in August 2013, provides some insight into the verifiability of ideas. To be precise, the book talks about how ideas of some intellectuals in the West have had a negative impact on society. Although Sowell talks about intellectuals in the West, the role that intellectuals play in China is as important as that in the West.

Clipping the wings of power

Detailed rules stipulating how much Party and government officials can spend on accommodation and transport during business trips were published on Monday as part of the central leadership's efforts to build the cage to lock up power, that is, to make it difficult for those in power to abuse it for personal gains.

Meet Abe the hypocrite

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's hypocritical remarks on Monday should once again alert the region against the efforts of Japan, which has been hijacked by right-wingers, to roll back history and relive a militaristic dream, says a Xinhua News Agency commentary.