What effect will strict Party discipline have?

Editor's Note: This week we are presenting a year-end review of the global economy, China's politics, economy, society and diplomacy, and the international situation. Today, four researchers review the politics and give their predictions for next year.

Will Nie's case prevent wrong court verdicts?

The Supreme People's Court declared Nie Shubin innocent on Dec 2, 21 years after the resident of Shijiazhuang in North China's Hebei province was executed for "rape and murder" at the age of 21. The correction of the verdict against Nie, a milestone in the legal history of China, shows the promotion of the rule of law has made great progress.

Which way will supervision reform move?

China launched a pilot program for supervision reform in Beijing, Shanxi and Zhejiang provinces in November with the aim of setting up anti-corruption bodies established by provincial-level people's congresses that will jointly work with Party disciplinary committees at the same level.

How promising is the cutting of red tape?

The government made amazing achievements in 2016. At a press conference during this year's session of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, in March, Premier Li Keqiang said the government had already abolished one-third of the unnecessary administrative licenses and will reduce them by half by the end of the year.

Recognizing one China is unambiguously correct

Beijing has warmly welcomed Sao Tome and Principe's decision to sever "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan, praising the West Africa country for returning to the correct path of recognizing one China.

End dependency on land sales

The real estate markets in China's major cities are showing signs of cooling down, as indicated by the housing price data recently published by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Stricter system required for proper disposal of clinical waste

A RECENT CASE IN NANJING, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, shows that the authorities must put the disposal of medical waste under strict supervision. Beijing News commented on Tuesday:

Rural residents top priority for social aid

REPORTS OF A 20-YEAR-OLD STUDENT IN CHENGDU, Southwest China's Sichuan province, who looks after her 93-year-old grandmother on her own when not in class, have given rise to heated a debate over the country's social security system. Guangzhou Daily commented on Wednesday:

Schools must suspend classes if there is red alert for smog

A TOTAL OF 23 CITIES in northern China, including Beijing, issued red alerts and took measures to ease the heavy smog that has smothered the region since Friday, including suspension of classes for primary and secondary schools. Yet Shijiazhuang city, which issued a red alert, did not suspend classes until Wednesday. Beijing News comments:

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Is globalization on irreversible retreat?

Editor's Note: This week we are presenting a year-end review of the global economy, China's economy, society and diplomacy, and the international situation. Today, four researchers review the international situation and give their predictions for next year.

How will Brexit affect EU and China?

In the six months since the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, the impact on EU's economy has been barely noticeable. A small dip in economy-wide confidence in July and August quickly reversed, and a modest recovery across the region has continued uninterrupted. Looking forward, indicators of activity even suggest that business activity is picking up.