Low cost no excuse for breaking the ban on official banquets

VILLAGE OFFICIALS in Suzhou, Central China's Anhui province, who used some of the donations to help poor students to pay for a banquet for themselves and the donators, were punished recently. This is not an isolated incident, and the higher authorities need to make greater efforts to stop grassroots officials from violating the rules, says People's Daily:

Youngster's luxurious clothes cause of concern

A 14-YEAR-OLD middle school student in Shenzhen in Southeast China's Guangdong province was recently invited to the annual meeting of the local political advisory body as a youth representative. His designer outfit, however, gave rise to instant online discussions about his suitability and intentions. The teenager should not be judged by his clothes nor by his willingness to participate in local political affairs at a young age, says Beijing News:

Hiring partner for the holiday not a good idea

HIRING A "boyfriend" for the Spring Festival holiday is proving a lucrative business for some dating agencies. Some agencies in Henan province, Central China, are charging up to 10,000 yuan ($1,519) for introducing and matching a seven-day "boyfriend" with a young woman looking to convince her parents that she has a prospective husband. Scol.com.cn says:

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Two-child policy alone can't fix aging problem

China has formally introduced a national two-child policy. Most newspaper reports say the move is aimed at addressing the problem of the country's rapidly aging population. In late January, an article in China Daily, headlined "Two-child policy to add 30 m workers", was accompanied by a second-deck headline, "Scrapping one-child policy should help China ease challenges of aging society". The article quoted Yuan Xin of Nankai University, who suggested that the fertility rate would increase to about two children per woman by 2018 (up from about 1.3-1.5 today).

To go, or not to go Dutch, that is the question

For most Chinese people who work far from home, the Spring Festival holiday offers a rare time for a get-together with relatives and friends. This is also a good occasion for promoting social and interpersonal interactions.

Texting while driving: Should it be a crime?

Late last month Leqing court in Zhejiang province sentenced a 22-year-old man to one year in prison with an 18-month reprieve and and ordered him to pay 200,000 yuan civil compensation for accidentally hitting a pedestrian while driving and trying to delete a game app on his cellphone.

In search of workable growth strategies

To understand the weak, deteriorating and fragile growth patterns seen in many countries nowadays and in the global economy as a whole, one should compare what is actually happening with what reasonably comprehensive growth strategies might look like. Of course, there are many policies that sustain high growth, and to some extent they are country-specific. But a few key ingredients are common to all known successful cases.

Late justice a lesson for judicial practice

We have mixed feelings about the acquittal of Chen Man, who was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in 1994 on the charge of arson and murder.

Boost agricultural supplies

Bumper harvests can no longer guarantee handsome income growth for Chinese farmers, especially as global commodity prices have collapsed in recent years.

China's progress in structural adjustment justifies optimism in its economic prospects

AT THE RECENT World Economic Forum in Davos, George Soros, the billionaire investor, said that China is headed for a hard landing. A broader view of China's overall economy is needed, says People's Daily: