Tsai's harmful prevarication

Even before she delivered her speech to mark the "national day of the Republic of China" on Tuesday, it was not difficult to predict what approach Tsai Ing-wen, the leader of the "independence" advocating administration on the island, would take with regard to cross-Straits relations.

New ROK ambassador to China may help promote improvement in ties

NOH YOUNG-MIN, the Republic of Korea's new ambassador to China, assumed office on Tuesday in Beijing. Wang Junsheng, an expert on Korean Peninsula affairs at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, shared his views on Noh's appointment and its implications for the China-ROK ties with China Daily:

Transparency lesson for local officials

ON FRIDAY, a video was spread online, showing two SUVs chasing wild antelopes in the Tibet autonomous region. Two days later, the local authorities said they had found those involved and fined them 105,000 yuan ($15,900). Beijing Youth Daily comments:

Kids' talents now second to money in online contests

MANY CHILDREN compete in various kinds of commercial talent competitions on the internet, and their parents will often use WeChat, the most popular mobile social media platform in China, to canvass votes for them. China Youth Daily comments:

Cartoon

New guidance, strategies and ideas

During the July 26 workshop meeting for provincial-and ministerial-level officials held in preparation for the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that socialism with Chinese characteristics has been the theme of the theories and practices of the Communist Party of China since reform and opening-up was launched in 1978, and only by fully understanding this theme can the nation achieve rejuvenation and better serve the people.

How fast can housing investment grow?

Urbanization and upgrading needs will create an estimated demand for 6 billion square meters of housing from 2017 to 2021. This will keep the investment in housing growing at around 5 percent in real terms over the next five years. Investment demand, however, may lead to overbuilding and derail China's rebalancing and industrial upgrading agenda. The Chinese leadership therefore needs to promote reforms by introducing a property tax, which will be an integral part of any long-term solution, preferably implemented in a revenue-neutral manner.

Africa can enjoy leapfrog development

Can Africa leapfrog its way into the future? There is no doubt that technology and innovation are transforming Africa. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, phones now act as banks for millions of Africans who cannot even dream of opening a traditional bank account. With the touch of a button, small farmers can find out how much they should be charging for their crops. People can buy solar energy using a phone, get their hearts examined in rural Cameroon using a medical tablet, or get blood delivered by drones in Rwanda.

Positive changes the defining feature of the past and future

The Chinese Dream, proposed by Xi Jinping when he became general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in late 2012, has been the catchword for the country since then. It will continue to frame the agenda for the nation after the 19th CPC National Congress that begins later this month.

Nothing to gain from uncertainty

US President Donald Trump may have a personal interest in keeping the rest of the world wondering what he is actually up to. But the pervasive sense of uncertainty he has created since Day 1 in the White House is hardly conducive to his presidency or US national interests, never mind global stability.

Well-run rental market best way to deflate real estate bubbles

THE LARGE CITIES such as Beijing and Shanghai have managed to cool their previously overheating real estate markets thanks to rounds of policy interventions since September last year. However, the enthusiasm of prospective homebuyers in some third-and fourth-tier cities seems to have been rekindled. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Monday:

Rumormongers paint false picture

AFTER THE SHOOTING in Las Vegas that left 59 people dead and more than 500 injured, the whole world extended its sympathy to the victims. Yet a video was spread online with misleading intent. Wang Tong, assistant to editor-in-chief of Beijing Literature magazine, comments: