Cross-border e-commerce deals increase 80.6%

Cross-border e-commerce trade rose 80.6 percent year-on-year in China to 90.24 billion yuan ($14.33 billion) in 2017, top officials said on Friday.

Didi banking on SoftBank alliance for Japan foothold

Didi Chuxing, the largest ride-hailing company in China, is entering the Japanese market through a taxi-hailing joint venture with SoftBank Corp.

Banks set to put greater focus on 'real economy'

Tighter financial regulations have prompted Chinese banks to apportion greater resources to the real economy, the part that produces goods and services, and improve the overall quality of financial services while keeping risks at controllable levels, said an official of the China Banking Regulatory Commission.

SOE reforms get Chengtong boost

China Chengtong Holdings Group Ltd, an asset manager under the State Council, plans to bring in more private capital to finance the mixed-ownership reform of the country's State-owned enterprises, a top official said on Friday.

IN BRIEF (Page 6)

TME nurtures singing talent

Lights down, music on, and a grassroots singer steps onto the stage. It's the competition for the uncovering of a new singing star, held by a popular music app that is part of Tencent Music Entertainment Group, one of the country's largest musical service operators.

Appliance giant considers listing on Frankfurt bourse

Qingdao Haier Co Ltd, the listed arm of home appliance giant Haier Group Corp, said on Friday that it is studying the feasibility of issuing D-shares in Frankfurt, with no specific plans yet, after media reported that the company plans to be among the first Chinese companies to be listed in Germany.

Chinese aerospace firm plans space ride with UK partner

A United Kingdom satellite company has secured a 25-million-pound ($35 million) contract to lend a high-resolution Earth observation spacecraft to a Chinese partner for seven years.

Trump's parade provokes much fretting about nothing

As a president who has divided his country in an unprecedented way, Donald Trump is no doubt used to the barrage of criticism that comes his way. Nevertheless, he might still have been caught by surprise when he found himself being jeered and lambasted by critics just because he voiced his desire to hold a military parade.

US' self-harming protectionism

If it is understandable that the United States would want to prohibit government departments from purchasing high-tech products from other countries for security reasons, such concerns do not justify the US authorities placing a ban on Chinese smartphones in the US market.

Who will be arbitrator in any student appeals against school punishments?

AFTER REMAINING unchanged for almost 20 years, revised regulations on the awards and punishments for primary and middle school students come into effect in Beijing on Feb 26. Beijing News commented on Thursday:

Protect lawyers' rights to safeguard rule of law

TWO LAWYERS from Beijing were violently attacked in broad daylight just 50 meters away from the court where they had been representing the plaintiff in an illegal demolition case in Jingmen, Central China's Hubei province, on Dec 6. Ten people were seized and put on trial, and their ringleader, the person in charge of the demolition work, was sentenced 22 months imprisonment on Wednesday. Thepaper.cn comments: