Rising global oil prices have brought the issues of domestic gasoline prices and energy conservation firmly into the political spotlight this week.

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CHENG TA-CHEN 鄭大誠
The Russian media recently reported that China has agreed to sell 24 Jian-10 (J-10, 殲十) fighter aircraft to Iran. This will not be the first time that China has sold military aircraft to Iran, and the amount of money involved in this deal is not particularly high. Some people think that the reason China has made this transaction public is to pressure the US into not selling its advanced F-16 C/D fighter aircraft to Taiwan.

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If you are puzzled by what is known as the "one China" policy, please take a number -- a very high number -- and go stand in a long, long line.

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By Chong-Pin Lin 林中斌
On Oct. 21, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) concluded its 17th Party Congress and announced the new nine-member Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), the apex of power in China. To many China watchers, the line-up meant a setback for Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), as Liaoning Province Party Secretary Li Keqiang (李克強), his favorite, was outranked by Shanghai Party Secretary Xi Jinping (習近平). However, seven observations to the contrary warrant our attention.

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