EU at a crossroad as members ponder UK situations

The European Union is at a crossroad, with member states pondering the twists and turns of the transatlantic relationship, the United Kingdom's departure from the bloc, and a worsening geopolitical environment. Since the astonishing outcome of last year's Brexit vote, the 27 remaining EU member states are debating the bloc's future while sticking together.

Guo Wengui will finally be brought to justice

Three former executives of Pangu Investment Co Ltd stood trial in Xigang District People's Court in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province, on Friday for fraudulently obtaining loans and foreign exchange using fabricated documents. All of the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.

Unclear prospects for Brexit talks

After an election debacle on Friday, British Prime Minister Theresa May saw her Conservative Party lose its parliamentary majority just days before Britain is due to start talks on its departure from the European Union.

Guidelines aim to stop public funds from being wasted on e-governance

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS ABOVE THE COUNTY LEVEL should each have one official website that is open, informative, convenient to use and free from commercial advertisements, according to the guidelines on government websites released by the State Council, China's Cabinet, on Thursday. Southern Metropolis Daily commented on Saturday:

Protected building's demolition unforgivable

A PROTECTED BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN SHANGHAI has been demolished, after it was sold for about 80 million yuan ($12 million), according to reports. Thepaper.cn commented on Saturday:

Parking fees charged without legal grounds violate people's rights

EARLIER THIS MONTH a truck driver in Jinan, East China's Shandong province, was reportedly forced to pay 3,200 yuan ($482) as a parking fee to a property management company after he parked his truck outside one of the buildings managed by the company for just five minutes. Procuratorate Daily commented on Saturday:

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Expansion to add fresh vitality to SCO

At the 17th Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, President Xi Jinping witnessed the official inclusion of India and Pakistan into the regional bloc, as well as the adoption of a convention on anti-extremism. As China succeeds Kazakhstan as the SCO chair for a year, observers are wondering what the expansion of the bloc will mean for the "Shanghai Spirit".

China unlikely to see financial crisis

Moody's downgrading of China's long-term local currency sovereign debt from Aa3 to A1 is badly timed, as it coincides with China's efforts to attract foreign investment into the domestic bond market. However, China's massive credit expansion has led to misallocation of credit and build-up of financial risks.

Talks best way to settle Arab nations' row

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recently severed their diplomatic ties with Qatar, highlighting once again the turbulence engulfing the Middle East.

Beijing, Tokyo must build mutual trust to improve ties

In February 1972, then US president Richard Nixon visited Beijing in an effort to improve his country's relations with China. Since it didn't get prior information from the United States about the trip, Japan was caught unawares.