Will foreign coaches, players help improve Chinese soccer?

China aims to become a global power in science and innovation, and a force on the soccer field. To fulfill its goals, the country has been busy attracting world-class scientists, not to mention star soccer players and coaches.

Supervision of watchdogs to strengthen anti-graft fight

Who will supervise the discipline watchdogs?

Virtual versus real economy

Alibaba Group's recently published "list of social responsibility" for 2016 has sparked discussions because of the huge amount of tax it paid. On a China Central Television program not long before Alibaba made its tax disclosure, some entrepreneurs criticized the virtual economy, saying the booming sector - along with the high entrepreneurial taxes and the realty bubble - is responsible for the current predicament of the Chinese economy. They said the development of internet enterprises like Alibaba has had a negative impact on the national economy.

Consensus between govt and people important in fight against pollution

AT A MEDIA BRIEFING on Friday, Chen Jining, minister of environmental protection, said he "felt guilty" for the air pollution that has inconvenienced people's lives. Cai Qi, acting mayor of Beijing, expressed similar concerns at a seminar on Saturday that was also attended by 16 citizen representatives. Beijing News commented on Sunday:

Twitter diplomacy not good for Trump

ALTHOUGH THE US CONGRESS tallied the Electoral College votes on Friday and officially declared Donald Trump has been elected president, a number of organizations are still planning demonstrations on Jan 20, the day of his inauguration. Beijing News commented on Saturday:

Local authorities must not interfere in weddings

TAIQIAN COUNTY in Central China's Henan province has reportedly issued a guideline that imposes restrictions on the amount of money people can spend on weddings and funerals. For example, it says a man cannot pay his would-be wife's family more than 60,000 yuan ($8,645) as betrothal gift. Southern Metropolis Daily commented on Saturday:

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Healthy realty sector vital to yuan stability

China faced the double challenge of an overheating housing market and depreciation of the yuan in 2016. To some extent, housing prices have been kept from dropping dramatically but the exchange rate of the Chinese currency has been its victim.

Use clean energy for heating to reduce smog

Another thick shroud of smog has covered cities in North, Central and even East China, forcing the closure of expressways and delaying flights, and compelling Beijing to issue an orange alert, the second-highest level in a four-tier emergency response system, for the week-long heavy air pollution.

Nuclear weapons race could weaken US security

US president-elect Donald Trump twittered in late December that the United States "must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes". Later, he declared: "Let it be an arms race," and asserted that the US would win it. It seems he is committing a major mistake.

China can learn from Japan how to fight pollution

Mount Fuji was obscured behind a perpetual fog of exhaust and particulate matter. Traffic police were equipped with oxygen tanks on particularly hazardous days and many students were treated in schoolyards for inhaling photochemical smog.

China bids to attract more investment

The authorities on Friday moved to lure more direct foreign investment, with one minister announcing that international companies would be entitled to participate in bidding for government procurement contracts - as long as their products are made in China.