A slew of bad news hit Hong Kong recently. On the financial side, downgrades of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's credit rating and ranking as an international financial center followed in quick succession. The real economy is faring no better because both visitor arrivals and retail sales registered sharp declines in the first two months of this year. Businesses fear that the decline is not cyclical but part of a secular downturn arising from Hong Kong's loss of competitiveness across many sectors.
Even though US presidential candidate Donald Trump's rivals in the Republican Party appear to be gaining some kind of momentum, it still looks as if the billionaire businessman is about to secure the nomination to contest one of the most powerful positions on the planet.
In the West, many scholars tend to compare the Communist Party of China with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. But one should view the Party in the context of China's thousands of years of civilization and history, rather than its recent history, say, from the First Opium War in 1840 onward.
China's environmental crisis and its dependency on coal for generating energy have been the favorite topic of discussions. But do we know China is by far the biggest producer of wind energy? Or, is it known China has also become the top solar energy producer?
Experts say faster testing methods and earlier treatment are essential to curb an epidemic spreading among young gay men, as Shan Juan reports.
Earlier this month, Peter Reis, senior vice-president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in the United States, visited gay men who frequent Mudanyuan Park in north Beijing. Free HIV tests were being offered by mobile HIV-testing vehicles sponsored by the foundation in partnership with the YouAn Hospital.
A former reporter cooked up a recipe for controversy after posting online videos of him eating genetically modified food.
In 2013, a small county in China's mountainous west was the epicenter of an earthquake that left more than 200 people dead and destroyed the local economy. Three years later, renovation projects are healing the devastated community. Li Yang reports from Ya'an, Sichuan province.
Areas of improvement include air pollution, traffic congestion and water resources
After spending more than 14 years in China, environmental expert Dimitri de Boer sometimes forgets about the smog.
"Having spent 60 years in Beijing, I have seen numerous changes. The river in the park where I exercise, which was once filled with stinky sewage, is now refreshed with clean water. I have also enjoyed many springs in Beijing without being disturbed by dust storms. What really bothers me is the foggy winters. Since the haze is harmful to our health, I hope this problem can be solved soon."
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