Tech firms must respect users' rights

APPLE ADMITTED ON WEDNESDAY that it slows down older models of the iPhone as they age via updates to the operating system, claiming it did so in order to "prolong the life" of the devices and maximize diminishing battery power. Beijing News comments:

Greater attention should be paid to plight of elderly

AN 85-YEAR-OLD MAN in Tianjin was recently seen holding a sign asking: "Can anyone adopt me?" It said he could contribute to his care with a pension of 6,000 yuan ($917.8) a month and all he wanted was to avoid living alone. China Youth Daily comment:

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Watching China's year for history

When future historians reconstruct the long history of China, they will likely circle 2017 as a year of significance. I've seen it all this year, and attended or even participated in the major events. I've conversed with Chinese leaders and experts, and searched for meaning.

Island expansion is discernibly reasonable

Worrywarts upset themselves by worrying about troubles of their own imagining, and trigger mass hysteria if they find receptive ears for their fears. This is what keeps happening with China's so-called island building in the South China Sea.

Aviation industry taking off

China's first large amphibious aircraft, the AG600, completed its maiden flight in South China's Guangdong province on Sunday, making China among the few countries capable of developing a large amphibious aircraft.

Institutionalized supervision needed for long-term environmental health

THE FOURTH BATCH of Central Environmental Protection Inspection teams started informing eight provincial-level regional governments of the results of their inspections on Friday. A total of 6,471 people are being held accountable in 335 environmental pollution cases that are under investigation by the judicial and supervision authorities. Guangming Daily commented on Sunday:

Tailored rural revitalization efforts

AFTER THE ANNUAL CENTRAL ECONOMIC Work Conference concluded on Wednesday, Wang Xiaoyi, a senior researcher on social studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, commented on its significance in an article published by China Youth Daily:

Govt websites are a means to serve the public

THE BEIJING municipal government recently said that most of the official websites of its agencies and departments would be shut down, but this would not involve any online service being cut. Beijing News comments:

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China's first domestic amphibious aircraft

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The world economy's risky recovery

One year ago, I predicted that the most distinctive aspect of 2017 would be uncertainty, fueled by, among other things, Donald Trump's election as president of the United States, and the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union.