Envoys' job is to build ties, not destroy them

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Harry Harris, commander, United States Pacific Command, is likely to be the next US ambassador to Australia. The Post and several other media outlets, highlighting Harris' tough past rhetoric aimed at China in the maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea, assume he will rally Australia to counter a rising China.

Storm clouds over climate change deniers

Recent catastrophic weather phenomena provide yet more strong evidence that global warming is very much a reality. Typhoons and hurricanes are among the uncontrollable forces of nature that afflict humankind from time to time.

Japan's Security Council dream illusive

China's assessed contribution to the United Nations is likely to outstrip Japan's by more than 2 percentage points between 2019 and 2021, during which China's share is expected to reach 10.8 percent of the total, nearly 3 percentage points more than that in the 2016-18 period. That will make China, which contributes more than 10 percent of the UN peacekeeping budget, the second-largest contributor to UN funds.

Imagine a train running at 4,000 km/h

Military adventure could lead Japan into own trap

Japan's Defense Ministry is seeking by far its highest budget for fiscal 2018 beginning next April, which, if approved, will be the sixth consecutive increase in the country's defense expenditure, reflecting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's penchant for military expansion. The proposed 2.5 percent hike will raise the budget to 5.26 trillion yen ($48 billion), which the ministry says is needed to pay for upgraded missile interceptors, six F-35 stealth fighters, four V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, and new naval vessels, including a submarine and two compact warships.

Triumphant march of diplomacy

Since going on air on China Central Television from Monday, the six-episode political documentary, Major Country Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics, has sparked heated discussions among people while receiving rave reviews for its panoramic portrayal of China's diplomatic achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core.

Wounds inflicted on Qinghai reserve must be healed soon to save 3 rivers

THE SANJIANGYUAN NATURAL RESERVE in Northwest China's Qinghai province is the source of the Yangtze River, Yellow River and the Lancang River, making it one of the most important sources of freshwater in the world. But illegal coal and iron ore mining in recent years has seriously damaged the environment and ecology of the reserve and its surrounding areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Beijing News comments:

Parking problem not difficult to solve

THE BEIJING MUNICIPAL COMMISSION OF TRANSPORT issued a report on local parking places on Wednesday, which said by the end of last year, the city's urban districts had parking space for 3.82 million cars, while 3.84 million cars were parked at night. Beijing News comments:

Prison the only place that suits pedophiles

A WEBSITE promoting pedophilia and inviting paid "members" has been shut down and its operators detained in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province. Police in some cities have launched a crackdown on such websites after a video of a man groping under a teenage girl's dress at a railway station in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, went viral online. Beijing News commented on Thursday:

Cartoon

Africa seeks rivalry-free BRICS' support

Although the theme of the 9th BRICS Summit is "A Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future", there is likely to be some underlying tension among the five member states when they meet in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, from Sept 3 to 5.

Why youths are drawn to cosplay, subculture

Editor's note: Many cosplay and ACG events are being organized in China, making the subculture popular among some youths. ACG means anime, comics and games subculture, and cosplay means costume play, in which participants wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character, real or fictitious. Two experts from the animation industry share their views on the issue with China Daily's Wu Zheyu. Excerpts follow: