China media: Germany ties
Media assess ties with Germany as Chancellor Angela Merkel holds talks with China's leaders on the second day of a three-day visit focusing on trade issues.
Mei Zhaorong, former Chinese ambassador to Germany, tells the China Daily that relations between the two countries are good and they are "joining hands in seeking free global trade and fighting trade protectionism".
"There have been some questioning voices within the European Union because the China-German relationship is growing fast... Some of them are trying to alienate the two sides. There is jealousy behind this," says the pundit.
The Chinese edition of the The Global Times notes that the World Uyghur Congress, an international organisation of exile groups representing Uighurs who live in China's far western region of Xinjiang, had "pressurised Mrs Merkel before her trip".
Ding Chun, an expert on European affairs with Fudan University, tells the daily that the Merkel administration has been "able to withstand the pressure" and has adopted a "pragmatic approach and made a pragmatic choice that will benefit Germany".
He adds that the Beijing-Berlin relationship has entered into "the phase of increased mutual trust" with "closer economic co-operation".
Noting that Mrs Merkel made Chengdu her first stop, and not the capital, Beijing, Cui Hongjian, director of the Department for European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, says that this "sends out two signals".
"Firstly, it shows the close relationship between China and Germany. She has visited China frequently and wants to have a deeper understanding of China. Secondly, this also shows that Germany may deepen its trade co-operation," he tells the Beijing Times.
China-Japan war anniversary
Elsewhere, media continue to slam Japan as Beijing marks the 77th anniversary of the start of the second Sino-Japanese war on Monday.
Leaders including President Xi Jinping attended the ceremony at the Museum of the War of the Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing, reports say.
"Regrettably... there are still some people who neglect the historical fact and millions of innocent lives lost in the wars, go against the tide of history and repeatedly deny or even whitewash the aggression history, damage international mutual trust and create regional tension," Mr Xi is quoted as saying.
State-run Xinhua news agency criticises Japan for "fraying the nerves of neighbouring countries" by approving a resolution last week that would allow it to exercise the right of collective self-defence.
"The Japanese government has played up hard the so-called China-threat theory, and has dressed itself up as a victim of Beijing's peaceful development, paving the way for the country to develop its self-defence forces," says the agency.
A commentary on the People's Daily website points out that right-wing forces in Japan "have been denying the country's history of invasion and have even been beautifying the war".
"The anniversary will serve as a reminder to the world to learn lessons from history and to create a world without war… The action of beautifying your own sin and covering the truth must be condemned and stopped," writes the paper.
And finally, media raise concern over public transport security after a blaze on a bus in Zhejiang province.
According to reports, 32 people were injured in the incident that took place on Saturday.
The Beijing News notes a lack of security on buses and the absence of "self-help knowledge" among passengers.
"Safety awareness on public transport is weak. There is a pressing need for better communication between the government, the transport providers and the public so that a sound safety network could be put in place… People should also start to learn how to deal with disasters," the paper argues.