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Time to target grassroots corruption

No one is immune to disciplinary investigation, and that includes the deputies of the people's congresses at all levels, said Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, at a news conference on Friday.

Navigation freedom no excuse for interference

The United States was back again in the South China Sea recently, this time with a muscle-flexing navy fleet in a greater show of strength. The US Navy John C. Stennis strike group exited the South China Sea on March 6 after six days of debut "routine operations" since its regularly scheduled deployment began Jan 15, putting the Asia-Pacific region on high alert and leaving many wondering what are the signals behind the move and what impact it will have on regional peace and stability.

Making head and tail of eco-problems

Purple haze. For those who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, the words bring back memories of the electrifying Jimi Hedrix and his more electrifying ways with the guitar. For many living in North China today, they may sound more like one of the stanzas in the song: Purple haze all in my eyes/Don't know if it's day or night/You got me blowin', blowin' my mind/Is it tomorrow, or just the end of time?

Better help consumers do the heavy lifting

To turn domestic consumption into an engine powerful enough to make up for the slack of other growth drivers, lawmakers and policymakers should make full use of the ongoing session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, to boost and meet consumers' upgraded demand for quality goods and services.

Misperceptions root cause of frictions with China

Beijing's quarrels with Tokyo and Washington, whether about territorial disputes or so-called freedom of navigation, are essentially about international law.

Income tax needs quick fix

Despite calls for the current threshold for individual income tax to be raised, the standard has remained unchanged since it was raised from 2,000 yuan ($307) to 3,500 yuan in 2011.

Better let market forces decide if high-speed trains offer WiFi

WANG MENGSHU, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said at a panel discussion on the sidelines of the current annual session of the National People's Congress that WiFi should not be provided on high-speed trains, as it might disturb onboard communication signals and would also cost a lot in maintenance. He also encouraged passengers to enjoy the views, instead of fixing their eyes on the tiny screens of smartphones and laptops. However, on Tuesday Beijing Youth Daily said it should be market demand that decides whether the WiFi is offered on board trains or not:

Colleges have long way to go to end gender bias

SINCE SHANDONG UNIVERSITY INITIATED it in the early 1990s, so-called Girls' Day on Mar 7, one day before International Women's Day, has been celebrated by an increasing number of Chinese universities. On this day, male students are supposed to take care of their female peers, but in recent years some of them have resorted to banners embroidered with abusive quips that they then display on campus. Rednet.cn condemned such sexual harassment on Tuesday:

Social media chats have to observe law

AN ELDERLY COUPLE in Haidian district, Beijing, who were ridiculed by two other people in one of their chat groups because they grabbed e-hongbao, or red envelopes containing small amounts of cash, without immediately offering any in return, are taking the two who mocked them to court. The couple claim the two "friends" damaged their reputation in the chat group, and are asking for an apology along with compensation of 200 yuan ($30 dollars) from each. Haidian District People's Court has accepted the cases. Beijing Times said on Tuesday:

Hot words

Pain points for people's livelihoods

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