Cleaning Up the Air

正Heavy smog has prompted the government to reconsider its strategies2013 has passed,but memories of the smog that devoured many parts of the country are still fresh in the minds of China’s citizens.In January 2013,a thick haze shrouded many cities for more than 20 days,affecting more than 600 million people in 17 provinces,municipalities and autonomous regions.     

Rural Transformation

正Key goals for rural work set by the Central Government Adozen shipments of corn imported from the United States containing unapproved and genetically modified ingredients were denied entry by China in December 2013.Since China relies heavily on imported grain to guarantee its supplies,the     

Tightening Trusted Ties

正Five decades after forging diplomatic ties,China and Tanzania stand ready to inject new vigor into their traditional friendship,symbolized by the iconic Tanzania-Zambia Railway.Shortly before their golden jubilee,which falls on April 26,Abdulrahaman A.Shimbo,Tanzanian Ambassador to China,sat down with Beijing Review reporter Ni Yanshuo to share his thoughts on the latest development of bilateral relations.Excerpts follow:     

The Decline of Washington

正Washington and Tokyo issued a joint statement on April 24 during U.S.President Barack Obama’s Japan tour,claiming that the Treaty of Security and Safeguard Between Japan and the United States extends to"all the territories under the administration of Japan,"including the Diaoyu Islands.And"the United States opposes any unilateral action that seeks     

A Searing Threat

正outbreaks of destructive fires pose a danger for China’s ancient towns and cultural relics The phrase"Chinese fire drill"may come as a joke to Westerners,but in China,where towns and relics thousands or hundreds of years old stand at risk of being lost     

New Year,New Wish

正Chinese people embrace the Year of the horse As Spring Festival nears,all kinds of horsethemed products are filling the shelves of stores across the country.The reason is simple:the Year of the Horse is coming!The first day of the Year of the Horse falls on January31 this year,and ends on February 18,2015,according to the Chinese lunar calendar.     

THIS WEEK WORLD

正FRANCE People wearing World War II British uniforms stand in front of 22,000 British national flags on June 6 in Asnelles,Normandy,during a ceremony marking the70th anniversary of the D-Day landings that helped defeat Nazi forces     

LONELY STRUGGLE

正Modern life brings a new perspective on dealing with depression By Yuan YuanA series of suicides by employees of me-dia outlets in China over the past few months have shocked the public.Most of the deceased have been confirmed to have been suffering from depression.Song Bin,Editor in Chief of xinhua News Agency’s Anhui Bureau,was found dead on     

Syria's Electoral Experience

正Bashar al-Assad strengthens his grip on power via a presidential election that excludes opposition By Liu YueqinSyria’s presidential election featured many would-be candidates,but only one serious contender.On May 10,the Syrian Supreme Constitutional Court announced that three of the 24 presidential candidates,     

Local Governments Out of Pocket?

正Owing to authorities'efforts to tackle public debt,local governments now face difficulties in securing funding for urbanization By Wang JunAccording to a report issued by the National Audit Office,local government debt in China had totaled 17.9 trillion yuan($2.9 trillion)by the end of June 2013.Of this,local governments are responsible for     

Soft-Power Safari

正Focus of U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit on cooperation,not competition,with China By Dane EricksonIn just a few short weeks,51 African heads of state will descend on Washington,D.C.for a historic U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit With the theme of"investing in the next generation,"the White House has announced that the event will"focus on trade and investment in Africa,     

Brightening Up the Silk Road

正China-Central Asia oil and gas pipelines will facilitate the development of the Silk Road Economic Belt At 10:55 p.m.November 13,the screen of the control center of China National Petroleum Corp.(CNPC)reached a milestone,reading that the China-Central Asia natural gas pipelines had been in safe operation     

Taking Part at Sea China's first involvement in RIMPAC presents a positive message of Sino-U.S. military cooperation

正China sent a fleet to the Rim Pacific Exercise(RIMPAC)in June,marking the country’s first involvement in the world’s biggest marine military drill,headed by the United States.The drill has provided an opportunity for Beijing and Washington to enhance their military communication and mutual trust.     

Celebrate ‘Love in the Air' With Wedding Fair 2014 China World Hotel,Beijing

正China World Hotel,in association with The Precious Moment Wedding Consultancy,will host the 2014 Tailor Made for Eternal Love wedding show on 23 August.In honor of the occasion,the hotel has invited renowned wedding planner Ms.Gao Yijing,who is also the founder of The Precious Moment Wedding Consultancy.Ms.Gao is known for her     

Making Wrongdoers Pay

正Supervision is needed to guarantee compensation expenses are properly sourcedon May 5,Lin Qilei,a lawyer with the Beijing-based Ruikai Law Firm,sent out two express letters to the finance departments of central China’s Henan Province and east China’s Zhejiang Province,requiring them to publicly release details of funds used for compensating victims in two erroneously convicted cases in their jurisdiction.     

Educating Everyone

正New education models in Qinghai’s Tibetan-inhabited region prove successful Ji Caiben is a Tibetan pupil in the third grade at the Ethnic Boarding Primary School in Gonghe County,Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China’s Qinghai Province.There are 57 students in Ji’s class,with almost half of them being Han and the other half Tibetan.     

The Legacy of a War

正Exactly 120 years after its outbreak,the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95continues to evoke complex feelings among the Chinese people.The conflict,better known in China as the Jiawu War,started with the Battle of Asan on July 25,1894,and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki on April 17,1895.The Qing Dynasty(1644-1911),which ruled China at the time,was defeated dur-     

How Should Primary Schools Conduct Sex Education?

正Dear Readers,Forum is a column that provides a space for varying perspectives on contemporary Chinese society.We invite you to submit personal viewpoints on past and current topics(in either English or Chinese).yanwei@bjreview.com Please provide your name and address along with your comments     

Manzhong Norbusitar: the Lure of the Thangka简

正FORTY-six-year-old Manzhong Norbusitar is a national inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Thangka painting,a traditional Tibetan art form.The fourth generation in a line of Tibetan artists,he showed a strong interest in Thangka from a young age.Thangka painting involves highly skilled,geometric painting on cotton or silk and usually depicts a Buddhist deity,a ritual scene or symbol.Norbusitar learned the necessary techniques from     

China Is in?the?Mind of Every Arab and Muslim

正CHINA has a strong relationship with Kuwait,characterized by continuous improvements and mutual respect.To shed more light on these relations,China Today sat down with Kuwait’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Mohammed Saleh Ahmed Al-Thuwaikh.