Continued improvement, reform and opening-up

At the Boao Forum for Asia earlier this month, President Xi Jinping said that each age and generation have their own challenges and missions, and although China has come a long way, there are still challenges that have to be overcome on the way ahead.

Beautifying the countryside

The construction of a beautiful countryside has been set as an important goal in the country's rural revitalization strategy. The strategy, mapped out by the top authorities in January, lists a beautiful countryside, competitive modern agriculture, and farmers' prosperity as its three major goals.

UN welcomes China's development role

During a recent visit to Nepal, I met Shuvakala Devia Das, a local community member from the Terai in Nepal. After flooding hit Nepal last summer, the entire community has struggled to recover. About 160 people lost their lives, more than 43,000 houses were destroyed and 21,000 families displaced. Das's family needed to evacuate and were in urgent need of support.

Historical opportunity to be a cyber power

Editor's note: At a national conference on cybersecurity and informatization on Friday and Saturday, President Xi Jinping called for "keenly" grasping the historic opportunity informatization has offered, in order to build the country into a strong cyber power. Three experts share their views with China Daily's Zhang Zhouxiang on the issue. Excerpts follow:

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Heart-to-heart talks can be new marker for ties

The global spotlight will be on the truce village of Panmunjom on the Korean Peninsula on Friday as the leaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea are holding their summit there.

Hainan shows it may have learned its housing lesson

The latest restrictions on property purchases announced by the local authorities in Hainan province on Sunday are the toughest both nationwide and in the tropical island's own history.

Gridlock in smaller cities is a sign of progress, and problems

MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT statistics indicate that traffic congestion in third-and fourth-tier cities has worsened markedly in the first quarter of the year, while the first-and second-tier cities' traffic conditions have improved since last year. Beijing News comments:

Digital reading does not need to be superficial

MORE THAN HALF OF THE PEOPLE SURVEYED said they prefer digital reading to reading books, according to a survey report published by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication last week before the 23rd World Book Day. China Youth Daily comments:

Poor sense of risk led to dragon boat tragedy in Guilin

SEVENTEEN PEOPLE in Guilin in Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region drowned after two dragon boats capsized. Beijing News comments:

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Diaz-Canel will infuse vigor into ties

Cuba witnessed a historic transition of power on Thursday with outgoing president Raul Castro handing over presidency to the first vice-president, Miguel Diaz-Canel. Cuba has got its first leader born after the Cuban Revolution in 1959.