China demise theory wrong and unhelpful

Predicting the end of China has now become a fad. In the past quarter century or so, at least three rounds of "death notifications" on China have been issued: first at the turn of the 1990s and then in the early 2000s, most famously epitomized by Gordan Chang's eye-catching book, The Coming Collapse of China. Last year, veteran China watcher David Shambaugh joined the rank with his op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, warning about "the coming Chinese crackup" and claiming the "endgame of communist rule in China has now begun".

Tax policy won't derail online retail sector

China's new taxation policy targeted at imported goods sold on e-commerce platforms has drawn a lot of complaints from dealers as well as consumers, but it will not prevent the industry from expanding at a fast pace.

Obstacles to railway deal must be ironed out for region's benefit

The latest twists and turns in the mega railway project between China and Thailand have triggered concerns in both countries. Such an undesirable scenario may be normal for an ordinary business deal, but the railway cooperation between the two countries deserves more prudence and sincerity as it is based on the premises of reciprocity and win-win outcomes.

G7 on wrong course following lead of Japan

Although it does not mention China by name, a statement issued after the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Hiroshima on Monday about the disputes in the South China Sea can be interpreted as veiled criticism of China for being the cause of the increased tensions in the region.

Carter's excuse holds no water

Due to his "work schedule", US Defense Secretary Ash Carter has excluded China from his Asia trip, which started on Sunday.

Empty homes in desert a sign of administrative indifference

HENGSHAN COUNTY in North China's Shaanxi province built its largest government-subsidized residential community in Maowusu Desert, 40 kilometers from the downtown area, a few years ago. It remains largely unoccupied. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Monday:

'Lack of paper' points to dereliction of duty

THE TRADEMARK OFFICE of China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce has not issued a single trademark registration certificate in more than seven months, as it lacks the "paper" used to print them. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Monday:

Treat child prodigies as normal kids

WEI YONGKANG, a child prodigy who could recognize about 1,000 Chinese characters at the age of 2 and who graduated from Xiangtan University, Central China's Hunan province, at 17, was recently persuaded to withdraw from the Institute of High Energy Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences at the age of 20. On hearing the news, his mother who had accompanied him during his studies, allegedly shouted at him to commit suicide. The Beijing News commented on Monday:

Who should lead the United Nations?

Chinese cities climbing up global cost ladder

When it comes to how much we spend on groceries, few of us are given options. We don't fly off to a city in a distant country to do our food shopping more economically. Yet we are aware that there are significant variations in prices of everyday goods across different locations, even within the same country. For example, according to the findings of the latest Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, a kilogram of white grain rice costs 19 yuan ($2.99) in Shanghai but only about 9 yuan in nearby Suzhou.

Belgium gets back to normal but still has much to do

When I got out of a taxi and rolled my suitcase into Brussels-South station to get a train to London on Thursday evening, two heavily-armed soldiers patrolling the concourse stared at me up and down, with their hands holding their guns against their chests.

Uncivilized behavior by passengers unacceptable

For the first time, airline passengers have been blacklisted for uncivilized behavior. Their names will remain on the blacklist for one or two years, according to an announcement by the China Air Transport Association on Saturday.