Priority for further reform

China has been facing obstacles in various aspects of reform. If the 7 to 8 percent annual growth rate is not maintained, many social problems will come to the fore, the most challenging of which is unemployment. Only by "making the cake bigger" will economic restructuring be achieved and these problems solved. So the question is: How to restructure the economy to make the cake bigger?

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Philippines moves in wrong direction

While the tree craves calm, the wind will not subside. This is a proverb the Chinese media frequently quoted last year when commenting on the rifts between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea. At the start of the new year, the wind from Manila is again blowing in the wrong direction, as politicians in the country have made irresponsible remarks that will stir up new tensions in the disputed waters.

Reducing air pollution

When the level of airborne particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less, known as PM2.5, has reached more than 400 on average, and in some cases as high as 900, in as many as 33 cities in eastern and central China, and caused serious air pollution for days, there is no reason to underestimate the harm it does to people's health. Neither is there any reason for us to not reflect on what we've contributed to the smoggy days.

Inflation risks

Low-income families are feeling chilly not only because the coldest winter in about 30 years, but also because of China's resurging consumer inflation.

Focus on local air quality

Over the weekend many parts of northern China experienced serous air pollution. PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometer in diameter) data in Beijing reached 470 to 490 on Saturday morning, which according to the Air Quality Index is the most polluted air quality. And heavy fog will continue to envelop a large swathe of East and Central China in several days.

Message of caution for Japan

The return of Liberal Democratic Party's Shinzo Abe to power is a culminating point for right-wing forces in Japan. Abe appears keen on making Japan's stance on militarism less apologetic by replacing the landmark 1995 Murayama statement (former prime minister Tomiichi Murayama had apologized for the Japanese atrocities committed during World War II).

What's the buzz

Does southern China need a heating system? As the cold weather continues to freeze the south of the country, people are calling on the government to introduce northern China's central heating model to southern China, especially the vast areas along the Yangtze River. However, there are those who say it would be too difficult and too expensive and would only waste energy. What's your opinion? China Daily's mobile phone news readers share their views:

Letters

Cooperation good for both

Put housing prices in order

The developments in China's real estate sector over the past decade indicate that it has been largely swayed by government policies. So to get an idea how the real estate market will perform and whether housing prices will rise or fall in 2013, we should understand the government's housing regulations and the extent to which it will tolerate price rise, instead of only analyzing supply-demand relations.

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The world seventeen years from now

What will the world look like about two decades from now? Obviously, nobody knows, but some things are more likely than others. Companies and governments have to make informed guesses, because some of their investments today will last longer than 20 years. In December, the United States National Intelligence Council published its guess: Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds.