Steps in wrong direction

Although the cornerstone of Japan's foreign policy is its alliance with the United States, the newly formed cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is seeking to "encircle" China by consolidating ties with neighboring countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Still a developing country

China's rapid economic development and its ever-growing international economic and political clout over the past decades have produced many optimistic predictions at home and abroad about its future.

Security challenge in 2013

The United States' move to bolster its strategic presence in the Asia-Pacific region to contain China's rise and Beijing's response to it will define the security environment in the region in 2013. If Washington is expected to continue exploiting maritime disputes in Asia-Pacific to strengthen its security ties with its allies in the region, China is likely to be more determined to safeguard its maritime territories and sovereignty and resolve the islands disputes in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

Nipping monopoly activities in the bud

The penal action against Samsung and LG, and four Taiwan companies, earlier this month for manipulating the prices of LCD panels on the Chinese mainland sent another signal to multinational companies to abide by China's Anti-Monopoly Law.

Letters

People need to be media literate

From the chinese press

Bring dog owners to heel

Real interest rate risk

Since 2007, the financial crisis has pushed the world into an era of low, near zero, interest rates and quantitative easing, as most developed countries seek to reduce debt pressure and perpetuate fragile payment cycles. But there is a strong risk that real (inflation-adjusted) interest rates will rise over the next decade.

Cartoon

Prism of expediency problematic

Is there an afterlife? Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander III has added to the many descriptions of near-death experiences. Eben has been an academic neurosurgeon for the last 25 years, including 15 years at the Brigham and Women's and the Children's Hospitals and Harvard Medical School in Boston. During his academic career he has authored or co-authored more than150 chapters and papers in peer reviewed journals and made over 200 presentations at conferences and medical centers around the world. He thought he had a very good idea of how the brain generates consciousness, mind and spirit.

Re-education through labor

Re-education through labor, a kind of administrative penalty, will be subject to reform this year, according to a national legal work conference convened on Monday in Beijing.

Ending Syrian crisis

That Syrian President Bashar Assad's peace initiative was given a cold shoulder by some members of the world community indicates the difficulty in finding a political solution to the crisis in the Middle East country.

Sino-US ties in times of fiscal cliff

The recent mini-deal to help the United States avoid the fiscal cliff is just another timeout. In the next few weeks, a highly divisive showdown is likely to take place in Washington.