“You Irish people are white because you eat potatoes!” a Beijing taxi driver announced to my Irish husband on a trip before moving here, about a decade ago. We all laughed, though he didn’t seem to be entirely joking. “Who’s Irish?” asked the Chinese-American writer Gish Jen in her story collection of the same name, exploring cultural differences and misunderstandings in the United States. “Who’s Chinese?” is the question here.

One Hong Kong university and 15 in mainland China have made the list of the best places to study if you want to be chief executive officer of a global company. Polytechnic University was ranked 72nd out of 100 universities worldwide in the Alma Mater Index, a new study by Times Higher Education, which rates universities based on the studies of Fortune Global 500 CEOs.

China's new envoy to the United Nations Liu Jieyi has presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the UN Headquarters. After an official ceremony, Liu told reporters China will continue to firmly support the UN, uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and play the role of a responsible major country in world affairs. Liu said that being the most universal, representative and authoritative international organization, the UN bears the expectations of the people all over the world and shoulders a significant mission.

In a 1958 article in The Atlantic, the Sinologist George E. Taylor considered this Moscow-Beijing alliance in an article entitled "Why We Do Not Recognize Red China." Aside from the era-appropriate use of the term "red"—scholars then distinguished between the Communist-led Chinese government on the mainland and the Nationalist-led one in Taiwan—Taylor's essay argues that the United States shouldn't recognize the Communist government ruling Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has left Beijing to attend the G20 summit in St. Petersburg and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, in what is his third overseas visit since he became president in March this year. His trip, which will also include visits to Central Asian countries, has attracted extensive attention. The Chinese and Russian leaders appear very close on the international stage, reflecting the special relationship between China and Russia and triggering the topic of a China-Russia alliance once again.

China’s gaffe-prone media are at it again – this time regarding the U.S. government’s military action in Syria. According to a report published by the South China Morning Post, yesterday China Radio International put together a photo gallery that was intended to show worldwide protests against military intervention in Syria. However, the international radio broadcaster overlooked one photo that clearly features people protesting China instead.

To prepare for an endless barrage of secondary-school exams, Zhang Ruifan learned to memorize entire science textbooks. So when his family sent him to high school in the United States, he was so far ahead of his fellow freshmen in math and science that he usually knew the correct answer even before the teacher had finished speaking.

Chairman, Pakistan- China Institute,Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed was honoured in Beijing by China's top Tsinghua University with an award for his 'Outstanding Contribution to Pakistan China public diplomacy.' The award was given by Ms Yang Yanyi, Assistant Minister at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Professor Li Xiguang, Director Tsinghua University International Centre for Communication during a seminar of China Pakistan Think Tanks held Sunday in Beijing.