Concrete step for destocking

In a move believed to be aimed at reviving the housing market, the People's Bank of China and the China Banking Regulatory Commission announced on Tuesday that the down payment requirements will be reduced from 25 percent to 20 percent for first home buyers and from 40 percent to 30 percent for second home buying.

For some officials, New Year visits simply a chance to put on a show

AS LUNAR NEW YEAR approaches, leading local officials, as part of established practice, will visit poor residents in their communities and bring gifts for them. However, China Disciplinary Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the top anti-graft agency, found some of them pretended to make such visits by faking photos:

Campaign strategy more important than stance

US SENATOR Ted Cruz beat billionaire Donald Trump in Iowa's Republican caucus on Monday. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders had to settle for a tie in the Democratic caucus. Beijing News says this signals a notable change in US politics:

Customary for people to read before buying

A XINHUA BOOKSTORE in Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has been criticized after a video was posted online showing employees making two children leave the store. The manager, Yao Fang, explained that before they were expelled, the children had been frolicking in the store for over half an hour. Gmw.cn said:

Hot words

Lower minimum down payments

Cartoon

No fear of a major economic slump this year

China's GDP grew by 6.9 percent in 2015, the lowest since 1990, the National Bureau of Statistics announced on Jan 19. But some economists doubt whether the Chinese economy grew at that rate given the poor performance of the stock market, the yuan's depreciation, and a series of poor economic data.

Year of the Monkey connects China and India

China is not alone in preparing to celebrate the Year of Monkey.

Shut down zombie firms, compensate staff

Zombie companies, referring to those that need constant bailouts in order to operate or indebted ones, owe their existence for a variety of reasons. Some met their sorry fate after being stripped of their performing assets, while others did so because the central and provincial governments left them to rot after they fulfilled the temporary purposes for which they were established. Still others are paying the price for not fully implementing reform and meeting market demands.

Is the domestic box office boom a lipstick effect?

As frequent data underline the fact that China's manufacturing is slowing, it is convenient and common for almost all the world's economic woes to be laid at its door.

False personal records show lack of integrity

If an official cooks the books of his or her personal record for promotion, can he or she still be trusted? This is a question that the ruling Communist Party of China must consider carefully.

Consumers wooed by better quality

It should shame domestic manufacturers that there are frequent stories in the media about Chinese tourists traveling to Japan and frantically purchasing ordinary goods.