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Civil servants' pay rise a sensitive issue

A member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee has proposed at the annual session that public servants' salaries be raised, sparking a heated public debate. Many people believe civil servants' salaries are relatively high while some think they are low compared with other professions. The debate has, in fact, prompted some local officials to post online the relatively low amounts they earn to clear people's misunderstandings.

Safeguard female workers' rights

Beijing, Shanghai and some other regions have taken the lead in implementing the revised family planning policy, allowing married couples to have a second child if either the husband or the wife (or both) is the only child of his/her parents. Although Chinese people welcome the landmark revision, many are worried that it would make women more vulnerable in the workplace.

Reasonable range for economy

'As the economic performance remained within the proper range, we concentrated our efforts on improving the growth model and making structural adjustments by unswervingly following the underlying principles of our macro-control policy. This enhanced public confidence in the market and kept expectations stable," Premier Li Keqiang said in this year's Government Work Report approved by legislators on Thursday.

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Feinstein gives US a wake-up on spying

Veteran US Senator Dianne Feinstein probably never knew what it was like to be spied on until now.

Striving for balance

At a news conference where topics of concern were as diverse as they could be, Premier Li Keqiang's answers displayed the confident and no-nonsense style that has come to characterize the current leadership.

Updating MH370 search

Hearts are heavy over the fate of the crew and passengers, including 154 Chinese nationals, who boarded the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. Search teams from 12 countries and regions are scouring the seas for any sign of the plane, and people around the world are waiting for news.

Taking corruption by the horns

One of the most widely discussed issues since Xi Jinping assumed China's leadership has been his call for a war on corruption. On becoming president, Xi launched a one-year "mass line" in June with special emphasis on the war against corruption, which included measures to curb red tape and improve the Party's work style to bring officials closer to the people. So how has the anti-corruption drive fared in the past year?

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Ukraine at center of power struggle

As a former part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine, especially the Black Sea region, has long been the focus of the power games between the United States and Russia.

Top advisers speak up

The second plenary session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference closed on Wednesday. The suggestions its members put forward will have an impact on the central government's policymaking in one way or another.