Hard to know Moody's mood

On Wednesday, Moody's Investors Service downgraded China's sovereign credit rating from Aa3 to A1, the first time in nearly 30 years, saying China's financial strength could erode in the coming years as its growth slows and debt continues to rise.

Airports can avoid confusion by strictly following aviation rules

CHINESE PASSENGERS are allowed to use their passports, instead of identity cards, to book and board domestic flights, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said on Tuesday. The statement came in response to some reports that said, at several airports passengers are also required to present their IDs while boarding a domestic flight even if they had booked tickets using their passports. Legal Daily commented on Thursday:

Crack down on import of toxic waste

WHEN CUSTOMS OFFICIALS IN WENZHOU, Zhejiang province, checked six containers that had been imported on Tuesday, they found carbon residue from aluminum electrolytic capacitors, which are typically used in power supply equipment and converters. In total, the officials found 42 containers with 1,075 metric tons of carbon waste. Legal Daily comments:

Manual workers deserve the high wages they get

DATA ON AN employment exchange website show the average monthly income of construction workers in Chengdu, Sichuan province, was 8,300 yuan ($1,210) last year, with skilled bar benders, bricklayers, carpenters and painters earning more than 10,000 yuan. In contrast, the average monthly salary of clerks and secretaries was about 3,800 yuan. An article on youth.cn comments:

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Time US embraced a multipolar world order

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which concluded on May 15, was attended by representatives of both developed and developing economies, from the United States to Moldova. Washington's participation in the forum, however, is seen as a "sharp shift" in US foreign policy by some US scholars and strategists, who argue that the Belt and Road Initiative will grant China a bigger say in international rule-making at the expense of the United States.

Belt and Road may be a wise initiative for G7

That leaders from the world's leading industrialized countries - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States - are expected to discuss "building the foundations of renewed trust" in Sicily, Italy, on Friday and Saturday offers a glimpse of the challenges facing the G7 amid growing concerns over global governance.

Asia needs deeper financial integration

The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office, the regional macroeconomic surveillance unit of the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization, released the Regional Economic Outlook Report 2017 on Wednesday, the first release in China since its establishment in 2011.

China's diplomacy in the Pacific is positive in nature

A lot has been said about China's diplomacy in the Pacific region, but not as much positive role that China is playing in the development of the Pacific island countries has been mentioned. One viewpoint believes that what China is doing in the Pacific is aimed at trapping the Pacific island countries into a relationship which will in the future become more of a liability to the governments and states. This is mostly a Western framed argument.

Shared commitment critical to counter threat of terrorism

Monday's suicide bombing in the British city of Manchester, which killed 22 people, including children, was the most serious terrorist attack in the country since 2005.

Carry on cultural bloodline

Traditional festivals, such as the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on May 30 this year, are a continuation of the country's cultural bloodline, and more and more Chinese have come to realize their value.

Housing Provident Fund no longer serves its intended role

IN SHANGHAI, just 30 percent of those applying to the Housing Provident Fund for low-interest loans are low-income employees, while the percentage of middle-income applicants is much higher. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Wednesday: