Behind self-immolations

True Buddhists do not lie because that is one of the five essential commandments of the Buddhist Sila, or ethics.

Fighting global warming

A package of drafts on the second period of the Kyoto Protocol and a weak commitment on climate finance adopted at the climate talks in Doha, Qatar, have sent a better-than-expected message.

Crisis, challenge and chance

A friend mentioned Winston Churchill's quip, "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma", while referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's plan to launch a rocket allegedly to explore space.

Europe's path to a new humanism

Few people realize the great appeal of Chinese thought in today's Europe. Germany, for example, is de facto undergoing a transformation away from sheer philosophical idealism toward a lofty Confucian pragmatism.

What's the buzz

Over the last two decades, texting has become part of daily life. This week marks the 20th anniversary of SMS, or short message service. Can you still recall the first text message you sent or received? Do you have a memorable story related to texting? China Daily cellphone news readers share their stories with us.

Letters

A different view on citizenship

Tokyo raises nuclear fears

The international community should heed the alarm bells that are ringing following the bellicose comments on military buildup, especially nuclear armament, by the leaders of Japan's two main opposition parties.

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Why NATO is deploying missiles in Turkey

NATO's decision to accede to Turkey's request of deploying Patriot missiles along the Turkish-Syrian border will have profound implications on the security scenario in the Middle East. Since there is no guarantee that NATO's allegedly defensive measure will not be used against others, the move will complicate the already tricky situation in the region and prevent the Syrian crisis from being resolved diplomatically.

Singapore's SMRT saga driven by miscalculation

In wealthy Singapore, laborers from China are known to be a cheap, stoic and resigned lot. They speak little English, if any, and toil at jobs shunned by local people as too menial and dirty, without much complaint.

Sights set on growth quality

Based on the report delivered by Hu Jintao, the former leader of the Communist Party of China, to the 18th National Congress of the CPC and the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) for national economic and social development, the upcoming Central Economic Work Conference is likely to set a 7.5 percent growth rate as the target for China's economy in 2013.

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