Nation ready for a more constructive Mideast role

President Xi Jinping is on a three-nation tour of the Middle East, during which he is visiting Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran. Before Xi's first foreign trip of this year, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Khaled Khoja, president of Syria's main opposition National Coalition, earlier this month and urged him to participate in negotiations to end the Syrian conflict, and Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Ming visited the three Middle East countries.

Time to reinvigorate demand across Asia-Pacific

The Year-end Update of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2015, published by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, identifies an emerging slowdown in the region's economic growth, which has implications for Asia and the Pacific's continued ability to drive the global economic recovery.

Maintaining peace across Taiwan Straits can benefit all

Tsai Ing-wen, candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party, won Taiwan's leadership election on Saturday. The elections in Taiwan have the potential to lead to strains among the US, Chinese mainland and Taiwan for the first time in over seven years.

Growing middle class globe-trotters sign of great potential

For those who are bearish on the Chinese economy, they need to square their assumptions of dim growth prospects for the world's second-largest economy with the seemingly unstoppable rise of outbound Chinese tourists.

Abe backtracks over 'comfort women'

All looked well on Dec 28.

Growth challenges and gains

Since China has been a long-term engine for the global economy, its economic slowdown has understandably sparked worries among investors and policymakers.

Authorities must enforce the law and protect migrant workers' rights

THE TRAGEDY IN XI'AN, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, in which a migrant worker died on Jan 13 trying to get the pay he was owed has once again drawn attention to the problem of migrant workers asking for wages overdue. People.com.cn said on Tuesday:

If this prejudice is patriotism, forget it

JIANG YUE, a 19-year-old Chinese student in the United States, was shot to death by a local woman during a road rage incident over the weekend. While many in China have mourned her death, some "patriots" have claimed she deserved to die because she was being "unpatriotic" by staying in the US. It is time to give up the irrational mentality, says Qianjiang Evening News on Tuesday:

Teaching students first aid skills can help save lives

A MIDDLE SCHOOL invigilator in Taixing, East China's Jiangsu province, died of a heart attack while she was watching over an examination on Jan 14, Xinhua reported. As she was at the back of the classroom the students did not notice until the exam was over, when they immediately called for help and the emergency services. The students are not to blame for the invigilator's death, but they might have been able to save her life if first aid was taught in schools, says Guangzhou Daily on Tuesday:

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Growth continues to be slow but steady

The National Bureau of Statistics has reported that real GDP growth in China's two-track economy eased to 6.8 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter, making the whole-year growth 6.9 percent in 2015, just shy of the government's target of 7 percent and in line with our expectations.