JD reported to plan for banking license

JD.com Inc, China's second-biggest e-commerce player, said on Friday it is carrying out work related to financial service licenses, after media reports said the internet giant is willing to cooperate with a domestic traditional bank to open a direct bank, engaging in direct banking business as a separate legal entity.

IN BRIEF (Page 6)

Snap Inc files for $3b initial public offering

Snap Inc, the maker of the disappearing photo app Snapchat, filed for an initial public offering, the first social-media company to do so since Twitter Inc more than three years ago.

Stocks fall slightly over geopolitical uncertainty

The Chinese mainland stock market slumped slightly and its transaction volume reached a two-year low on Friday, the first trading day in the Year of the Rooster, as a result of profit-taking and investors' sentiment affected by uncertainties arising during the seven-day holiday, said analysts.

Developers' diversification worries creditors

Chinese property developers investing in new ventures outside their core business are hurting the market value of their bonds.

China's fintech companies extend overseas business

Chinese shoppers can now enjoy a real-time VAT refund service via their mobile phones at airports in three European cities: Milan, Munich and Helsinki, saving them weeks of waiting time if receiving the refund by card.

Trump's past remarks and current actions bode ill

Less than two weeks into his presidency Donald Trump seems to have proved - in an ominous sense for many people in the United States and abroad - that his campaign rhetoric was not just empty promises.

China is an opportunity for EU

China's development provides an enormous opportunity for the European Union and it is a pity that EU President Donald Tusk has failed to realize that. He said recently that China represents an external threat to Europe, an accusation which is groundless as well as outrageous.

Fireworks belong to the past and should be banned in cities

PRIOR TO THIS YEAR'S SPRING FESTIVAL, many media outlets and scholars called for a total ban on fireworks because of the air pollution they cause. A comment on ifeng.com said:

End illegal deals between patients and doctors

MORE THAN 1.5 BILLION YUAN ($218 MILLION) was misappropriated from the medical insurance fund last year, according to a report released by the National Audit Office. Beijing News commented on Wednesday:

Legal duty to limit visitor numbers

THE RESTRICTIONS on the number of tourists that can visit scenic attractions are compulsory legal limits that must be strictly abided by for safety concerns. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Thursday:

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