'Leftover men' in countryside reflect urban-rural gap of social wealth

THE IMBALANCE IN THE GENDER RATIO of newborns in China has remained high over the past 20 years, with more than 120 male babies born for every 100 female, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Wednesday. It warns about the problem of "leftover men":

Scrutiny over research funds to yield better results

A PRIVATE COMPANY in Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has reportedly received more than 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) in funds for research over the last decade, yet made little progress in its so-called projects. China Youth Daily on Wednesday urged greater scrutiny of how scientific research funds are used:

Fireworks ban in Shanghai gets thumbs-up

A REPORT ABOUT the positive effects of Shanghai's ban on fireworks received a thumbs-up from the public, Beijing News reported on Wednesday. The paper further comments:

Hot words

Reexamination of anti-graft inspection results

Cartoon

Clear mist of confusion over South China Sea

The report of China deploying a missile system on Yongxing Island, part of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea came as a "surprise", with the Western world citing it as further evidence of China's "direct military provocation" to other countries and a threat to regional peace and order. The United States expects to hold "very serious talks" with China, and its allies have expressed concern over the development.

Guard against real traps in virtual world

The huge price society has paid for a fabricated story that went viral during the just-concluded Spring Festival, which sparked heated debates online and offline, highlights the need to reflect on how we should use cyberspace.

Monetary magic is no substitute for policies to increase growth

The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, to be held later this week in Shanghai, should try to drive home the message that cheap money has not been able to resolve the 2008 global financial and economic crisis.

Open residential roads by law

Whether walled residential areas should have their walls torn down has sparked debate, after the State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a document on Sunday stating walled residential areas will not be constructed in the future and those that have walls will gradually have them removed so the roads are open to public traffic.

Beijing not being led astray by TPP intentions

From Washington to Beijing, signs of ambivalence abound in the discourse about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

No need to politicize HK students' ability to read in Simplified Chinese

THE DELIBERATIONS OF the Hong Kong education authorities on Chinese courses recently came to an end, and the document has aroused debates in Hong Kong because it mentioned students becoming able to recognize characters in Simplified Chinese after having mastered Traditional Chinese, as the former is mainly used in the Chinese mainland. Do not politicize the issue, says an article in the Global Times Chinese edition on Tuesday:

Poverty relief is not a stage for shows of power

THE ONGOING poverty-alleviation campaign in China has witnessed some local governments trying to fabricate the impression that they have significantly improved local residents' well-being, even though they have not. Officials in less developed areas have reportedly resorted to tricks to fool superiors. People's Daily condemns such actions and calls for genuine efforts to aid those struggling to escape poverty in its comments on Tuesday: