"We hope both sides will work together to remove political obstacles and bring bilateral ties back on the track of sound and stable development as soon as possible."

Chinese President Hu Jintao, calling on China and Japan to strive to overcome the barriers plaguing their relations

"North Korea wants to get the U.S. to direct bilateral negotiations by using the missile card. Timing the launch date on July 4 is an attempt to apply maximum pressure on the U.S. Government."

Paik Hak Soon, North Korea expert at the Seoul-based Sejong Institute, on North Korea's test-firing of missiles on July 5

"With time not on our side, the only thing that can help us...is the readiness of members, starting with the big players, to exchange, to make concessions, to negotiate, and this is what I will be trying to do."

Pascal Lamy, head of the World Trade Organization, urging member nations to reach agreements on the core issues of agricultural subsidies and manufacturing trade to successfully conclude the Doha round of trade talks

"Most of the major airlines would hate to see a duopoly become a monopoly. So they'll be anxious to see Airbus solve its problems. That'll translate into patience and flexibility."

Doug McVitie, Managing Director of Arran Aerospace, a French consulting firm, after Airbus' troubled parent EADS announced a leadership reshuffle

"University students want to find an ideal job, but they don't really understand how society works. In reality they don't know what kind of job would be suitable, and the competition is fierce."

Computer science major Bai Yun in Beijing, expressing his worries about finding employment after graduation