Infrastructure financing need

Both developed and developing countries are facing the dual challenge of deteriorating or inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of fiscal funds. The question of how to take comprehensive measures in the coming years to meet the challenge has thus become a common problem for governments.

Zero Dark Thirty dims inauguration

Killing Osama bin Laden has often been touted in the United States as one of the major achievements of US President Barack Obama's first term. But just as he gets ready for a grandiose second-term inauguration on Monday, the Hollywood movie Zero Dark Thirty is set to cast a shadow on this.

Healthcare for villagers

If tilting State finance in favor of the needy is what China needs to do in the near future to strive for common prosperity and social harmony, increasing the input in healthcare services for rural residents is definitely the right thing to do.

Intervention in Mali

French military intervention in Mali entered its seventh day on Thursday. Given the stark contrast between the military prowess of the French forces and the disorderly extremists, the world should not wait too long before Paris declares victory in the West African country.

Japan's grand Asia-Pacific strategy

In the post-crisis era, though Japanese politicians and pundits acknowledge the world is moving toward multi-polarization, their belief in "hegemonic stability" is still deep-seated and they recognize and support the Pax Americana in the Asia-Pacific region. Or, taking a step back, Japan at least believes in maintaining an order dominated by Western developed democracies in the Asia-Pacific and the fundamental task of Japan's long-term foreign strategy is taking in emerging powers that are capable of challenging and revising this "order".

Women's place is no longer only at home

The rumored relationship between film star Zhang Ziyi and popular TV anchor Sa Beining has become a hot topic, and many netizens have expressed "concern" over it because the annual income of Zhang is about 790 million yuan ($127 million), almost 77 times that of Sa.

Letters

Focus on schools for migrants' kids

From the Chinese press

Chow can be a good adviser

Soft landing is expected

In the context of decelerating real estate investment, feeble external demand and the economic stimulus measures implemented a few years ago running out of steam, China's economic growth rate is expected to be 7.8 percent year-on-year in 2012, down from 9.2 percent in 2011 and 10.4 percent in 2010.

Cartoon

Fight affordable housing theft

A probe into the case involving a girl known as fang mei (housing sister) and her father in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province, has resulted in the father, the head of the housing management department of a district in Zhengzhou, being arrested. However, the story is far from over.

Abe's dangerous doctrine

In 1977, then-Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda articulated Japan's diplomatic policy toward Asia. The Fukuda Doctrine outlined Japan's commitment to share peace and prosperity with the rest of Asia through "heart-to-heart" interactions and never becoming a military power.