"In the current climate, no responsible finance minister could say that's the job done, far from it. We are far from through this."

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, talking about the world economic crisis in an interview with the Financial Times

"The proposals offer much substantive goodwill and once the cross-straits military security mechanism of mutual trust has been set up, the tragic scenes of a military conflict between compatriots will not reoccur."

An editorial of Los Angeles-based Chinese Biz News, welcoming Chinese President Hu Jintao's proposals

on developing mainland-Taiwan relations at a ceremony on December 31, 2008, that suggest enhanced contacts and exchanges on military issues

"Inherent in the idea of China's 'peaceful rise' is the obligation to take on greater responsibilities in keeping with its status as one of the world's most powerful countries."

Stewart M. Patrick, Director of the U.S. Program on International Institutions and Global Governance, saying that China is well placed to help build a stable, prosperous and peaceful world in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency

"There is no doubt in my mind that we are dealing with a full-blown and major crisis in humanitarian terms. The situation for the people in Gaza is extreme and traumatic."

Pierre Kraehenbuehl, an official from the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Palestinian death toll from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict surged above 660 as of January 6

"Those structures-the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, among others-date from World War II's end, when the victors enjoyed a monopoly on economic and political power, and the state system seemed impregnable. We no longer live in such a world."

James Traub, Director of Policy for the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect, calling for a reform of world bodies in his article "Shaking Up the Boardroom at World Government Inc." in The New York Times on January 3