Scourge of online violence must be stopped

Rumors about what caused the death of Qiao Renliang, a widely known 28-year-old singer and actor, finally died down after his company announced that he was suffering from depression, implying that that was the cause of his death. Qiao's funeral will be held soon, yet his death has taught us some lessons about online violence and the social and economic damage it can cause.

Jobs can stem flow of refugees at the root

Bill Clinton won his presidential campaign on the slogan "it's the economy, stupid!" in 1992. Those who are engaged in resettling refugees and returning migrants may have to adopt the same approach, substituting "job" for "economy".

Chinese investors can help Belgium tide over hardship

The deadly terrorist attacks on Brussels airport and metro on March 22 are still taking a toll on Belgium's economy. Police and emergency forces are still stationed in cities, especially in Brussels and the major port city of Antwerp. In fact, Belgium has deployed nearly all of its security forces to patrol the streets and kept the risk alert at the third level, just one step below maximum, making security procedures, including bag checks, mandatory even at book fairs and concerts in the parks.

Get rid of vicious circle to improve China-Japan ties

Sept 18 holds peculiar significance in Chinese people's memories - as a "day of national shame". On that day 85 years ago, taking advantage of the Mukden Incident, which it had masterminded and blamed on the Chinese instead, the Imperial Japanese Amy started the full invasion of China.

Leaking personal info an offense

After the new school session started in early September, many parents in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu province, received calls from a variety of educational or training agencies enquiring about their children's educational needs. Shockingly, all the agencies had detailed information on their children, including the names of their schools and house addresses.

Local regulations may restrict the growth of ride-hailing services

AFTER ISSUING A REGULATION IN JULY which in principle confirmed the legality of ride-hailing service apps, the Ministry of Transport issued two other documents on Sept 9 that grant local governments the power to decide the total number and prices of ride-hailing services. But if local governments have too much power, they could intervene in the ride-hailing app market and thus curb its development, says an editorial in Southern Metropolis Daily:

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Strict law needed to monitor preschools

SOME PRIVATE PRESCHOOLS in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, reportedly charged parents more than 40,000 yuan ($6,000) for just a 10-month course. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Saturday:

Mountains can't be turned into graffiti walls

CHEN ZHICHENG, a Beijing resident in his 50s, scrawled his name and some crappy verses in large-sized characters with red paint on some cliff faces and boulders in at least two mountainous scenic spots in Fangshan district of Beijing. A Beijing News commentary on Sunday suggested Chen be blacklisted and fined for his irresponsible behavior. Excerpts:

How best to fight secular stagnation

Much of the world, especially the advanced economies, has been mired in a pattern of slow and declining GDP growth in recent years, causing many to wonder whether this is becoming a semi-permanent condition - so-called "secular stagnation". The answer is probably yes, but has limited utility. There are, after all, different types of forces that could be suppressing growth, not all of which are beyond our control.

Overcoming the second major steel crisis

Today, advanced economies blame China for steel overcapacity. Yet, four decades ago the United States and Europe were the ones that opted for bad policies, which China is seeking to transcend.

Nostalgic 'red tourism' also serves to inspire

It was exactly 80 years ago that the Long March - the strategic march of the Red Army that trudged and fought its way through thousands of miles across China - ended in the rugged, cave-riddled mountainous terrain of Yan'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi province. Yan'an was then (as it still is) something of a frontier, a waylaid place of farmers with miserable climate (stuffy summers and frigid winters), yet a place with a surprisingly delectable and distinct cuisine.