Beyond 2018

Khashoggi

In October, Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist from Saudi Arabia, entered the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, never to come out. Later reports said he might have been killed inside the consulate. His death triggered a diplomatic crisis in the Middle East and beyond.

? Expert: Zou Zhiqiang, an associate researcher at the Middle East Studies Institute, Shanghai International Studies University

The situation in the Middle East is rather complicated, not least because the region has many competing leaders: Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, with the US always intervening in the region's affairs. Khashoggi's death has made the already complicated situation more complicated.

The incident dealt a big blow to Saudi Arabia's global image, and weakened investors' trust and market confidence in the Arab country, which could limit its role in regional affairs. The US, too, suffered because its alliance with Saudi Arabia triggered opposition within the country. Especially, the Donald Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions on Iran was opposed by many in and outside the US.

However, Washington cannot afford to sever its alliance with Riyadh just because of the death of a journalist. The US could make huge sums of money by selling arms to Saudi Arabia, as well as benefit from the latter's stabilizing role in the Middle East. So the US-Saudi Arabia alliance is here to stay.

Warning

In June, former news anchor Cui Yongyuan uploaded a post online explaining how a celebrity evaded tax by signing contracts showing a much lower remuneration than what he or she actually received. In October, Fan Bingbing, widely believed to be the celebrity in question, was fined 884 million yuan ($123 million) by the tax authorities for tax evasion.

? Expert: Luo Longping, a tax and criminal lawyer at Jingsh Law Firm
Fan's case will have a bigger long-term impact. Her being fined reaffirms the principle that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law, and even a celebrity will be punished for breaking the law.

The case has also set an example for other celebrities, warning them to not evade tax. Reports in November showed some other celebrities had started paying the taxes they had earlier evaded.

When news of Fan being fined was first reported, some netizens said on social media that she deserved a criminal penalty, not only a fine. This prompted several lawyers and law experts to explain that according to an important principle of the tax law, a suspect found to have evaded tax for the first time could be given administrative punishment instead of criminal punishment.

Fan's case provided an opportunity to further educate the public about the tax law, which in turn will help to further regulate taxation in the future.