Winds of change in Manila bring welcome relief

The Philippines and the United States began their main annual military exercises on Monday on a low key and a limited scale. The 12-day "Balikatan", or "shoulder to shoulder", joint military drills could serve as a barometer of the decades-old alliance. Some media reports say the number of troops taking part in this year's drills is less than half that in 2015, and the focus is only on anti-terrorism and disaster-response operations - in sharp contrast to the drills held when Benigno Aquino III was the Philippine president.

New ROK leader may help untie peninsula's Gordian knot

Almost all of a sudden, the apparently imminent danger of a military showdown on the Korean Peninsula seems to have evaporated into thin air.

A symphony for all to play

Increasing attention is being paid to the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative both at home and overseas, and there is a growing consensus that it should be a symphony played by all participants rather than a solo played by China alone.

State-owned companies can better mind the stores of grain

OVER 1.6 MILLION TONS OF GRAIN RESERVES in Central China's Henan province have reportedly spoiled after being stored for seven years. Nanfang Daily commented on Wednesday:

Natural for biologist to change university

YAN NING, a biologist at Tsinghua University, faced quite fierce criticism online when she announced she had accepted an offer from Princeton University and will become a tenured professor there starting this autumn. Many accused her of being "unpatriotic". Beijing Youth Daily comments:

Fathers need to pull their weight in raising kids

AHEAD OF MOTHER'S Day on Sunday, some media have reported that many working mothers feel stressful under the pressure of balancing family and career. People's Daily comments:

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Xiongan and Initiative made for each other

The proposed Xiongan New Area in North China's Hebei province is vital for coordinating the development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and relieving Beijing of its non-capital functions.

Young firefighter's life not lost in vain

Editor's note: Yao Weijun, a 23-year-old fireman, lost his life while trying to save a 95-year-old woman from a fire in a house in Ningde, East China's Fujian province last week. His death has triggered a heated debate recently on whether a young man should risk his life to save a nonagenarian. Following are the views of two journalists and a scholar on the incident:

Japan using DPRK issue to beef up military

New financing institutions' focus on cooperation

Competition is an integral part of modern economy, with various players vying with each other to grab market shares and become industrial leaders. But for major development financing institutions such as the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the buzzword is cooperation, not competition.

Tsai trying to hijack Taiwan's public health for political aims

Obviously Tsai Ing-wen was frustrated and found no better way to vent her disappointment at Taiwan's failure to receive an invitation from the World Health Assembly, which will open in Geneva on May 22.