Warding off danger of flood

China will accelerate efforts to repair flood-damaged water conservancy projects and help cities fight flooding in steps that will also boost investment and create more employment opportunities.

Policy review

Cabinet passes medical plan

Ministries address concerns

Departments and ministries under the State Council, China's Cabinet, have responded to a series of public concerns in the past week, including on ecological civilization construction, business system reform, the innovation demonstration district, national medical insurance network, and reporting lost train tickets.

Obama leaves provocative legacy that might be exploited

Signing into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, outgoing United States President Barack Obama added further complexity and potentially explosive uncertainty to China-US relations.

Fight separatism in HK

President Xi Jinping, in a meeting with Leung Chun-ying, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, in Beijing on Friday, praised Leung and the SAR government for their efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and the principle of One Country, Two Systems.

Procurement of medicines requires more transparency

THE NATIONAL HEALTH AND FAMILY PLANNING COMMISSION has urged its local branches in Shanghai and Central China's Hunan province to hold accountable all parties involved in a recent scandal, in which doctors received kickbacks for prescribing drugs. Beijing News commented on Sunday:

Strictly punish sellers and buyers of children

ACCORDING TO A LATEST JUDICIAL INTERPRETATION RELEASED by the Supreme People's Court on Thursday, acts that lure children under the age of 6 away from their parents or guardians will be defined as "infant stealing", which may result in 10 years behind bars at the minimum, even the death penalty under serious circumstances. Daily Sunshine, a newspaper based in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, commented on Friday:

Local authorities have duty to protect cultural heritage

THE COMPOUND surrounding Dayun Temple in Shangluo, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, has been encroached upon by the construction of a new development. This has caused damage to several relics including an ancient mulberry tree and four houses built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Beijing News commented on Saturday:

Cartoon

These words got a buzz and more out of 2016

Editor's Note: This is the last one of our six-part year-end review series. Today, four commentators review China's society and give their predictions for next year.

Two-child policy has demographic limits

The new family planning policy allowing all couples to have two children took effect on Jan 1, but the number of newborns this year has been less than expected. The total number of newborns is expected to be just over 17.5 million, which is only 950,000 more than the 16.55 million in 2015, and 630,000 more than the 16.87 million in 2014.

Real people, real issues deserve media focus

Whenever I check my cellphone for news, I'm greeted by entertainment news promos: One celebrity is having an extramarital affair while another faces a divorce. Sometimes these promos are hidden under the cover of "social news" in order to attract more clicks.