"The size of a company doesn't matter when it comes to the bankruptcy issue."

Li Rongrong, former head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, on the restructuring of China's state-owned enterprises. Nearly 5,000 state-owned enterprises reportedly went bankrupt each year from 2002 to 2009

"We are suggesting imposing carbon tax on thermal power plants and using the revenue to subsidize solar and wind energy development."

Cheng Siwei, a renowned Chinese economist and former senior legislator, putting forward future directions for China's emissions reduction efforts at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2010, also known as the Summer Davos, in north China's port city of Tianjin

"I think the decisions that were taken are the right decisions, they go in the right direction, and I also believe the fact they gave the banking industry so much time for implementation clearly reduces the effects on the real economy, which is also very positive."

Josef Ackermann, Deutsche Bank's CEO, after the world's major central banks endorsed Basel III rules on September 12, which will gradually require banks to hold a greater capital buffer to absorb potential losses

"The people who do this, these are people without a soul, without a heart."

Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Russia, after a suicide bomber killed at least 16 people and wounded 100 others in North Ossetia on September 9

"We're putting nature's systems under huge strain, and we can't go on like that if we want to hand over something reasonably worthwhile to our children and grandchildren."

Prince Charles, expressing dismay toward climate-change doubters, during an eco-tour of Britain

"With the project we wish to help these young students to launch their entrepreneurial careers."

David Wei, Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Group, China's largest e-commerce company, announcing on September 11 a $3-million initiative for e-commerce job creation to help 3,000 U.S. students in 2011