Quotable

"We must profoundly recognize the important role of political work in building the army and pass on to following generations all the great traditions that our ancestors forged in blood."

President Xi Jinping, at a military-political conference on a former revolutionary base in Gutian, Fujian province. He called for "serious reflection" on breaches of discipline and the law by former Central Military Commission vice-chairman Xu Caihou.

"Student couples love haunted houses. They provide an opportunity for boys to display bravery and girls to 'play the woman', or for a group of young girls to clutch one another's hands in case there are ghosts."

Lin Yajun, a Beijing office worker and a haunted house enthusiast, speaking before Halloween.

(China Daily European Weekly 11/07/2014 page3)