Cool Gadgets

Airless Bike Tires The Airless Bike Tire was developed to eliminate the necessity for air in tires and to help prevent punctures, inner tube replacements, and pressure checks. Instead of airlled inner tubes, the tires use rubber stretched over a series of carbon nano tube-reinforced composite rods to provide cushioning. These rods can be adjusted, changing the     

ECONOMY

<正>Adjusting to Slower Pace Growth in China is expected to decelerate to 7.1 percent in 2015 and 6.9 percentby 2017,reflecting a growth trajectory that is slower but more balanced and sustainable——a"new normal"for the world’s second largest economy—according to the World Bank’s China Economic Update released on July 1."In the short run,the slowdown in China’s economic growth means the     

A Meeting of Transatlantic Minds

<正>Compared with the cold weather that plagued the 2019 and 2020 Munich Security Conference(MSC),it was unusually warm outside the Hotel Bayerischer Hof,where the MSC 2023 was set to take place from February 17 to 19.Nevertheless,when hundreds of people from around the world gathered in the conference hall—the largest-scale meeting of the MSC since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in early 2020—to discuss topics ranging from war to climate change,     

Green for Green

<正>China pushes for green bond directives The world may be no stranger to green finance—finance that pays special attention to environmental health,but when it comes to China,the country remains—well,green to the concept.In recent years,it has     

Refining the Laws on Procedure

<正>China starts to amend the rules relating to court processes Amendment of China’s three major procedural laws—the Criminal Procedure Law,the Civil Procedure Law and the Administrative     

Jingle Bells—Cyber Sales

<正>The numbers on Singles Day and Black Friday are great,but not the real storySometimes the numbers don’t tell the whole story when it comes to major societal,cultural and economic shifts.That is most certainly true as we try to measure the impact of Singles Day in China and Black Friday and Cyber Monday—originally an American phenomenon—on the way shoppers think and act.We must also pay attention to the reactions of major economies and the bottom lines of     

A Win-Win for Britain and China

<正>President Xi Jinping has returned home after an impressively smooth state visit to the UK.The ceremonial part of the visit was flawlessly conducted—this is one thing that the British do really well—with a state banquet hosted by the queen,meetings with other members of the royal family,traditional gun salutes,and an address to parliament by the Chinese president.It is clear that the British Government has decided to put its weight behind building a solid relationship with     

Near ISIS threat

<正>Islamic State of Irap and al-Sham seeks to extend its presence to Central Asia and beyond the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham(ISIS),although currently limited to fighting in north Iraq and east Syria,has managed to gain the support of Muslim extremists from across the world—igniting a trend that threatens to expand their jihad outside the confines of the war-torn Middle East.     

Rebalancing Efforts on Track

<正>China's economic growth has undergone significant change,shifting from one primarily dependent on investments and exports to one of consumption.According to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics,of the 7.7-percent GDP growth registered in the first quarter,more than half—or 55.5 percent—was due to consumption,while investment contributed 30.3 percent to growth.Net exports of goodsandservicesonlyaccountedfor14.2percent.     

A Gracious Reciprocation

<正>How the panda became a part of Hong Kong When celebrations started in 1999 to mark the second anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China,the special administrative region(SAR)received a gift from the Central Government—a pair of giant pandas,An An and Jia Jia.And that was the start of a closer relationship between the coastal city and the home of the rare animals—Sichuan Province—in southwest China.