Japan sets alarm bells ringing

Sino-Japanese relations have perhaps hit the lowest point this year, coinciding with the 75th Anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre that falls on Dec 13, and may remain frozen for some time to come. This is the last thing people committed to promoting Sino-Japanese friendship wanted to see on the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan.

The end of the world has been postponed

'Will the world end on the Dec 21?" was the question posted in cyberspace. "No, but rumors about it will," one wag replied. Of course it is foolish to think that the last day on the calendar used by the Mayans centuries ago is really going to be the day our world ends. But it has not stopped commercial interests from playing on people's fears: From the epic box-office movie portraying tidal waves wiping out civilization to the sales of "survival kits".

Doha delivers 'dead' deal on climate change

Doha was not supposed to throw up any surprises, and it didn't. The Kyoto Protocol, for all practical purposes, is dead. The only binding global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was to expire this year anyway. It's just that the UN climate change conference in Doha has given it an unceremonious burial before it could fulfill most of its promises.

Turning blueprints into reality

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, struck a chord with the nation when he talked passionately about the Chinese Dream during his visit with the other six members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to The Road Toward Rejuvenation exhibition.

Cartoon

Shanghai's uniqueness is attractive

A Shanghai television station has sparked heated debate on the Internet by broadcasting live interviews with people on Nanjing Road, the city's most popular shopping street, asking them what they like about Shanghai.

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