US is ahead of China - in poverty stakes

Statistics can be a blur, but recently one piece of data stood out like a beacon. According to World Bank statistics, China now has fewer people living below the poverty line than the United States.

Initiative will help achieve shared growth

Why do Western commentators look at China's Belt and Road Initiative with Cold War prejudice, calling it a modern-day version of the US-initiated Marshall Plan for rebuilding European economies after World War II, or the 19th century Great Game, in which Britain and Russia battled for control in Central Asia?

Exponents, not kung fu, to blame for blow

Many regard the defeat of tai chi master Wei Lei at the hands of mixed martial arts fighter Xu Xiaodong in 20 seconds in a contest in Chengdu, Sichuan province, last week as a humiliation for tai chi despite the outspoken Xu saying his intention was to challenge "fake masters", not Chinese martial arts or kung fu.

Space program signals wider Sino-European ties

News that space experts from Europe and China are to discuss collaboration on a manned "Moon Village" as a launch pad for potential missions to Mars offers a colorful symbol of a wider growing relationship between the two sides.

Japan's divisive TPP move seems mission impossible

During this week's meeting of the chief negotiators for the 11 countries remaining in the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, which was held in Toronto, Canada, on Tuesday and Wednesday, it became clear that Japan is keen to take over the helm relinquished by the United States, and it is pushing hard for the deal to be executed on time.

People-oriented urbanization

According to a recent report published by the National Bureau of Statistics, China had 281.71 million migrant workers by the end of 2016, an increase of 1.5 percent from the previous year's figure.

Property tax holds promise for deflating real estate bubble

BEIJING HAS INTRODUCED NEW MEASURES to cool its real estate market. At least eight banks have raised their mortgage interest rates, and five no longer accept personal applications for loans if their pledges are commercial real estate. The Mirror, a Beijing-based newspaper, comments:

Cultivation of cooperatives could aid farmers

WITH THE PRICE OF GARLIC SPROUTS plummeting due to oversupply, some farmers in Henan province have reportedly discarded their harvest of garlic sprouts, a popular ingredient in many Chinese dishes. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Thursday:

Fees for plane ticket refunds still too high

SOME AIR TICKET agents and airlines charge high fees, up to 80 percent of the ticket price, if a consumer seeks a refund for a ticket they want to cancel. Some will even not accept claims for discounted tickets. Beijing Youth Daily comments:

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Aviation industry to fly on wings of C919

Editor's note: China's passenger jet C919 is due to make its debut flight at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Friday. Gao Zhenghong, a professor at the School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, who led the team that designed the airfoil for the C919, explains the importance of the aircraft to China Daily's Zhang Zhouxiang.

Reprieve or reform in European Union

The first round of the French election turned out much as expected: the centrist Emmanuel Macron finished first, with 24 percent of the vote, rather narrowly beating the right-wing National Front's Marine Le Pen, who won 21.3 percent. Barring a political accident of the type that befell the former frontrunner, conservative Fran?ois Fillon, Macron will almost certainly win the second-round runoff against Le Pen on May 7. The European Union seems safe - for now.