US must respect China's core interests, treasure ties

US Defense Secretary James Mattis, who has previously been critical of China, accusing the country of "intimidation and coercion" in the region and claiming it is "out of step with international law" with its "militarizing" of islands in the South China Sea, struck a more positive tone during his talks in Beijing on Wednesday.

Legislation shows Canberra's pursuit of political capital

It is normal for every nation to want to do everything it can to ensure that its politics are free of any foreign interference and to deter espionage. And under normal circumstances, Australian legislation aimed at preventing political interference by foreign governments, making lobbying transparent and criminalizing espionage, would have nothing to do with China.

Much still to be done to achieve goal of improving national soccer team

JAPAN'S PERFORMANCES in the ongoing World Cup in Russia should prompt China to reflect on the widening gap with its neighbor on the soccer field. People's Daily comments:

Verdict can ensure smoke-free railways

IN JUNE LAST YEAR, a college student sued the Harbin Railway Bureau of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province because of the secondhand smoke she was forced to inhale on a train. The student claimed compensation of 102.5 yuan ($15.54), the price of her ticket, plus 1 yuan for mental distress, and sought the removal of all the smoking zones and ashtrays in the bureau's railway stations and trains. The court ruled on Tuesday that the Harbin Railway Bureau should cancel the smoking zones and remove the ashtrays. Legal Daily comments:

Sexual assaults on students by teachers are serious offenses

A 19-YEAR-OLD FEMALE high school student committed suicide in Qingyang, Northwest China's Gansu province, last week, which was reportedly associated with her former head teacher, surnamed Wu, who forcibly kissed and molested her in September 2016. Thepaper.cn comments:

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Xi thought on diplomacy leads the way

Editor's note: The Central Conference on Foreign Affairs Work, held on Friday and Saturday in Beijing, established Xi Jinping thought on diplomacy, an essential part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as the guiding thought of China's diplomacy. Three experts share their views on the issue with China Daily's Liu Jianna. Excerpts follow:

Space cooperation, not new 'star wars'

US President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon recently to create a special "Space Force" as an independent branch of the US military, which has raised fears that an arms race in outer space is imminent.

US bike maker's decision exposes another ugly side of Trump policy

US motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson's announcement on Monday that it would move more production out of the United States is the latest reminder that the US' unilateral measures to increase tariffs is causing self-inflicted wounds.

Winning a trade war is not so easy, Mr President

By using tariffs to force US companies to import less and targeting Chinese investment in high-tech industries in the United States, US President Donald Trump is implementing a simple plan to blunt the competition from China and help create jobs in the US.

Progress and challenges in the fight against drugs

As China marked International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Tuesday by burning seized drugs and announcing the executions of some drug traffickers, there is no denying that despite the positive results of their crackdown, the authorities still face a serious challenge in the fight against drugs.

Reducing deposit reserve ratio releases funds for restructuring

THE PEOPLE'S BANK OF CHINA said it will lower the deposit reserve ratio for commercial banks by 0.5 percentage points on July 5, the third time this year, which will release about 700 billion yuan ($107 billion) to support debt-for-equity swaps and financing of small and micro-sized businesses. Economic Daily comments: