Some top executives held posts in both companies, including Wang Xianzhang, who serves simultaneously as president of the parent and the subsidiary.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

An announcement on Taylor's website said she had received "every award the blues world has to offer" for songs including her best-selling hit, Wang Dang Doodle.

BBC: 'Queen of Blues' Koko Taylor dies

Mr. Wang said long-term investments, including direct investments, private equity, infrastructure and real estate, now account for more than half of the fund's global portfolio, with the rest in public-market securities.

WSJ: China's CIC Works on Funding Mechanism

Meanwhile, papers including the China Daily also report on the comment by Wang Shouwen, foreign trade head at the Ministry of Commerce, which warns that China's foreign trade " is facing a severe situation next year".

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The crucial influences, Mr Wang reckons, are the benefits of development, including better health care and sharp drops in high infant-mortality rates which led people to have many children in order to ensure that at least some would survive.

ECONOMIST: China's population

In addition, the city is peppered with old city walls, temples, pagodas and tombs from Han Dynasty rulers, including the Hanyangling Tomb, which houses Emperor Jingdi and his wife Empress Wang.

BBC: Living in: Great cities for history and ancient ruins

Mr. Wang also declined to offer specifics on Mr. Buffett's appearance, including whether it would also appear on the Spring Festival television special, a four- to five-hour series of songs and skits produced by the state broadcaster that is watched by 700 million people in China and might be the world's most-viewed TV show.

WSJ: No Song, or Dance, for Buffett

The stimulus project will be sponsored by several government departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), State Grid and the National Energy Administration, Wang Sicheng, a senior energy researcher from NDRC, said at a solar industry conference in Beijing last week.

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