Smartphone data too easily up for grabs

IN A RECENT EXPERT REVIEW MEETING on smartphone applications, the Internet Society of China found that 18 of their sampled apps are suspected of overly collecting key personal information such as SMS, address book, and personal audio records. 21st Century Business Herald comments:

All good things come to an end, even for Apple

Editor's note: On Jan 2, Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a profit warning in a letter to investors saying that due to new product supply restrictions and weak emerging markets, the first quarter would be less than anticipated. Liang Yunfeng, a columnist, comments in a post:

Hot word: 'Micro-lawyer' service platform

"微律师"服务平台(wēilǜshī fúwù píngtái)

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Kim's Beijing visit sends positive signals

Kim Jong-un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, who is on a four-day visit to China from Monday, has laid extra emphasis on the country's economic development this year in addition to giving a call for peace.

China will keep driving the world economy

In a year when the US economy accelerated, it is worth bearing in mind that it was still China that drove the world economy, delivering an estimated 25 percent-plus of total global growth in 2018. That is a reality we will have to get used to, with a range of estimates forecasting that China will eventually overtake the United States as the largest and most influential economy in the world within the next 10 years.

Sino-US relations at a critical crossroad

The 40th anniversary of China-US relations is a historical occasion, not least because the relatively steady development of Sino-US ties has made huge contributions to world peace and development.

Probe pyramid selling of health products

ON MONDAY, the team investigating the case of Quanjian Nature Medicine Technology Development Co, which is suspected of false advertising and pyramid selling, said it had detained 18 suspects, including the actual controller of the company's activities. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

Necessary for Chinese enterprises to participate in global competition

COMMEMORATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY of the reform and opening-up of China this year provided Chinese enterprises with an opportunity to reflect on their development and the way ahead. Beijing Youth Daily comments:

White House wakens to reality of Syria pullout

Following United States President Donald Trump's abrupt tweet on Dec 20 announcing the pullout of US troops from Syria, there was no lack of suspicion and criticism.

Trump squatting on whitewashed wall of insecurity

Editor's note: Some departments of the US federal government have been shut down for two weeks, affecting more than 800,000 employees. Beijing News comments:

West trying to smear China so it can hold Africa captive

In a sign of how it values its traditional relations with Africa, for nearly three decades China has scheduled its foreign minister's first overseas visits of the year to the continent. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has just concluded a five-day African trip, which took him to Ethiopia, Gambia, Senegal and Burkina Faso - from Wednesday to Sunday - once again testifying to what he described as the "unbreakable" friendship between China and Africa.