Commercial banks must rein in bad assets

The nonperforming loans (NPLs) of China's commercial banks have grown rapidly in recent years, exerting enormous pressure on the banks' asset quality, and posing a big challenge to their operation and management. And the resultant accumulation of credit risks is detrimental to the stable development of the economy.

Proper rules vital to healthy realty sector

The ever-rising housing prices have been tamed thanks to the intensive macro-control measures of local governments. In fact, housing prices have either fallen or increased at a much slower rate in 70 big or medium-sized cities because of the purchase restrictions imposed on homebuyers in many first-and second-tier cities.

Online tutorials can't replace schools

Xue Zhaofeng, a professor from Peking University, reportedly has more than 170,000 subscribers to his online teaching course and could be making about 35 million yuan ($5.3 million) a year. Xue is only one among the hundreds of online teachers making millions of yuan a month. According to iResearch, an agency specializing in internet data collection, the online education market was worth 156 billion yuan by the end of last year, and it is expected to reach 260 billion yuan by 2019.

US politicians use double standard to assess China's growing influence

For most of this year, many US politicians were busy with their witch-hunt against Russia. However, of late they have found a new target as they are afraid of the growing Chinese influence in the United States and the rest of the world.

Meeting charts course for growth in new era

High-quality development and prevention of major risks are top of the agenda in the policy road map laid out at this year's Central Economic Work Conference, which wrapped up on Wednesday.

Beijing working to narrow Israeli-Palestinian divide

The two-day peace symposium for representatives from Israel and Palestine that started in Beijing on Thursday couldn't have come at a more timely moment given US President Donald Trump's decision to ignore UN resolutions and unilaterally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on Dec 6.

Securities commission sets example for other central departments to follow

HUANG WEI, assistant chair of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, appeared in court in Beijing on Tuesday, as a representative of the top securities watchdog in an appeal hearing. Beijing News commented on Thursday:

House prices have hopefully been tamed

THE NATIONAL BUREAU of Statistics has released the latest data on property prices in 70 big and medium-sized cities. The prices of new houses in 11 key cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, have all fallen slightly since last year. Beijing News comments:

Law must stipulate what electric cars are allowed on road

ON MONDAY, the local police in Baoding city, North China's Hebei province, launched a special campaign to regulate the illegal electric cars on road. Thepaper.cn comments:

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Resolve to shift to clean fuel must not waver

Editor's note: The government's plan to use gas, instead of coal, for public heating in North China to reduce air pollution has caused a shortage in natural gas supply in northern cities, leaving thousands of residents shivering in the winter. This has sparked a debate on the unprecedented campaign to replace coal with gas as well as on what China's future energy policies should be. Three experts share their views on the issue with China Daily's Yao Yuxin. Excerpts follow:

Cross-Straits discord may continue next year

Official exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have remained frozen since Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen refused to recognize the 1992 Consensus after taking office in May 2016. And there is no sign of official talks resuming any time soon, as Tsai seeks to ally with the United States and Japan, instead of taking steps to improve cross-Straits ties.