Deal aims to make evasion of taxes hard

Significant progress was made in fighting tax avoidance by multinational corporations at an international forum on taxation that brought 44 heads of tax authorities from around the world to Beijing, officials said.

Treasured stone houses become art haven

When she arrived in Pingtan's Beigang village last year, Taiwan backpacker Alice Lin was obsessed with both the beautiful scenery and the unique stone houses in the coastal countryside.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Life and death in the house of hope

A ramshackle building in the backstreets of the capital of Anhui province is a home for some of China's sickest children. Zhao Xu reports from Hefei.

Ministry says gaokao rule won't hurt

Provinces with greater resources asked to take more students from poor regions

Accused fraudsters from Taiwan confess

A total of 32 suspected telecom fraudsters from Taiwan, who are currently detained on the Chinese mainland, have confessed to their crimes, the Ministry of Public Security said on Saturday.

Police sweep Guangdong in crackdown

A senior police officer said Guangdong province will not be allowed to become a haven for criminals from the neighboring Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Connections to Chinese mainland remain tight

The central message of the poem, which was written decades ago, has not been diminished by the passing of time. Its verses still resonate with the heartache of those stranded by the ebb and flow of history.

4,500-year-old Yan Emperor links modern neighbors

About 2,000 people, more than half of them from Taiwan, attended an annual memorial ceremony on Saturday for the Yan Emperor in what is thought to have been his hometown in Gaoping, Shanxi province.

What they say

People from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan may have different opinions regarding some issues connected to the cross-Straits relationship. Such differences are caused by both historical and practical factors, and time is needed to boost communications and enhance exchanges. People should try to understand each other with open minds. I am optimistic about the further development of cross-Straits ties, even after the Democratic Progressive Party takes office. The Chinese mainland leaders have reiterated that they will maintain the current beneficial policies toward Taiwan investors.

'I feel much better than I did before'

I began to seriously consider losing weight when I hit 120 kilograms.