China-Europe ties set to blossom in Sofia

The seventh Leaders' Meeting between China and Central and Eastern European Countries is set to open on Saturday in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria, which is known as the land of roses. This will soon be followed by the 20th China-European Union Summit in Beijing. These summits are important barometers of relations between China and Europe, two major players in international relations.

World Cup highlights two sides of Japan

Japan's 2-3 loss to Belgium on Monday to a last-minute goal in the round of 16 at the ongoing Football World Cup in Russia has given the Chinese people plenty of food for thought and off-the-field issues for debate.

Internet firms will gain by heeding rules

Editor's note: Cyberspace regulators recently directed Douyin, a popular platform for short videos operated by ByteDance, and Chinese search engine Sogou to carry out rectifications for their illegal advertisements insulting martyrs. Two experts share their views with China Daily's Yao Yuxin on the issue and internet regulations. Excerpts follow:

US must recover checks and balances of its political system

Americans are proud of their system of checks and balances established by their founding fathers. But as their President Donald Trump wages a trade war against the entire world, many feel that that system is broken.

Setting minimum height for teachers illegal

A GRADUATE of Xi'an-based Shaanxi Normal University was informed by the school's employment center that she cannot obtain a certificate to work as a teacher just before leaving school, because she is shorter than the province's minimum height requirement for teachers - 1.5 meters for women and 1.55 meters for men - jointly settled by the Shaanxi education and public health authorities in 2009. ThePaper.cn comments:

No reason for arrogance, but China can be confident

While it is true that China has made remarkable achievements in many areas since the launch of reform and opening-up 40 years ago, from the surfeit of online and social media stories with sensational headlines bragging about how strong or powerful the country is in seemingly every respect, one would be forgiven for thinking that the country was the world's only superpower.

Banning feasts well-intentioned but goes too far

A GOVERNMENT department of Tianzhu county in Southwest China's Guizhou province recently issued a document banning local residents from holding banquets if they are marrying for the second time. Fawan.com comments:

Speculation by listed companies distorting the real estate market

STATISTICS SHOW THAT 46 percent of the 3,582 companies listed in China's A-share market possess real estate investments, which are worth about 990 billion yuan ($149 billion) in total, up nearly 20 percent year-on-year. Beijing News comments:

Joint defense against Trump's trade assault

While it is true that China and Europe do not always see eye to eye with each other, one thing they agree on is that the protectionism of the Trump administration should be opposed.

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China-Europe partnership benefits all

Editor's note: In the run-up to the Seventh Leaders' Meeting of China and Central and Eastern European Countries in Sofia, Bulgaria, eight scholars share their views with China Daily on the role of the 16+1(16 CEE countries plus China) framework and Belt and Road Initiative, and regional geopolitics amid rising protectionism. Excerpts follow:

US economic hegemony bodes ill for the world

The Trump administration, in its latest attempt to block Chinese entry into the US market amid its ongoing trade dispute with China, is recommending that the application by China Mobile to provide telecom services in the United States be denied.