Some sentences from editorial

The prolonged drought, which has been hitting northern China harder than expected since last autumn, surely justifies greater efforts to accelerate the development of water conservancy projects and promote the sustainable use of water resources in this country.

To quench the current thirst is indeed a pressing task. But it is of far greater significance for policymakers to ensure that the upcoming massive investment on water conservancy will effectively boost long-term food security and environmental sustainability if the country is to survive the dire consequences of climate change and win the future.

The country has let slip an opportunity to change these statistics for the better.

China lags far behind other countries in its efforts to impose restrictions on smokers. There are no national regulations on banning smoking in public areas.

Banning smoking in all indoor public places is a nut that the government must crack, regardless of the immediate impact on its tax revenues.

Spectacular collapses of businesses owing the public money or services, such as a number of yoga studios recently, are the tip of the iceberg.

But "naming and shaming" can still be an effective tool in the hands of the Consumer Council, firstly for warning the public against persistent improper practices and also as a deterrent to people who will not desist.