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Digital dividend to boost economy

Over the past four decades, China has gone from being a low-wage supplier to one of the three most important links in the global value chain, alongside the United States and Germany. Despite growing concerns about China's corporate debt and its ability to escape the middle-income trap, rapid digitization will allow the Chinese economy to continue moving up the value chain.

Ideal maternity leave: Neither short nor too long

Recent years have seen local authorities revising the population and family planning regulations as well as woman employees' labor protection regulations. As a result, maternity leave has been extended in many areas, and women on maternity leave can receive salary and other welfare benefits, instead of only the basic salary.

Anti-dumping probes not to counter US move

China has been holding aloft the banner of free trade and criticizing the rising trade protectionism trend in some economies. So how do we analyze its anti-dumping investigations into optical fiber perform products imported from the United States and other economies? And its decision to launch investigations into halogenated butyl rubber imported from the US, the European Union and Singapore?

Japan-India plan should add to China's initiative, not challenge it

Japanese government offices have requested a record budget of $913 billion for fiscal 2018, with the Foreign Ministry seeking a bigger sum for the country's official development assistance, or ODA. In recent years, Japan has increased its ODA to countries along the routes of the China-proposed Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which together comprise the Belt and Road Initiative. Alone as well as with India, Japan is trying to minimize China's influence in those countries and regions.

Earthquake aftershocks continue to rock Mexico

MEXICO CITY - A magnitude-8.2 earthquake rocked Mexico on Thursday, killing at least 32 people and triggering a series of aftershocks and a tsunami alert in what the president called the country's biggest quake in a century.

Irma's deadly passage batters Caribbean

CAP-HAIEN, Haiti - Hurricane Irma on Thursday pounded more of the Caribbean, shredding homes and weather records and leaving at least 12 people dead as it honed in on the United States, where up to a million people were told to flee.

Movies hidden from Taliban go digital

KABUL, Afghanistan - When the Taliban stormed into Afghanistan's state-run film company in the mid-1990s. intent on destroying all the movies, Habibullah Ali risked everything to save them.

South Korean government vows efforts for suicide prevention

SEOUL - South Korea is finally getting serious about preventing suicides with the establishment of a dedicated ministry department with a budget of $9.3 million for 2018.

IN BRIEF (Page 10)

UN action along with talks is the way to solve DPRK issue

The message was clear. As President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Donald Trump on the phone on Wednesday, China remains "unswervingly committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, and preserving the international nuclear nonproliferation regime".

Strong fundamentals lift yuan

The yuan's middle rate rose to 6.5370 against the US dollar on Tuesday, up 298 basis points over the previous trading day's rate and the highest since July last year. It also marked the yuan's rise for seven consecutive business days, and a cumulative increase of 1,209 basis points.