BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) -- China has urged the United States to abandon its generalized and excessive use of the national security concept, and to collaborate with all parties in maintaining a rules-based multilateral trading system, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.
At a regular press conference, He Yongqian, spokesperson for the ministry, made the remarks when asked to comment on the U.S. decision to raise tariffs on imported steel, aluminium and their derivative products from 25 percent to 50 percent.
He said that such U.S. moves not only harm others and itself, but also will severely disrupt the stability of global industrial and supply chains.
The United States should abandon the zero-sum mentality, address respective concerns through equal dialogue, and jointly maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains, He said.
China will take multipronged steps, including fiscal, tax and financial policies, to unleash greater domestic demand potential, the State Council — the country's Cabinet — said on Friday.
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Policymakers should optimize the implementation mechanism of the consumer goods trade-in program to better leverage its role in expanding domestic demand, according to the State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Qiang.
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The National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic regulator, said earlier this month that the fourth and final batch of 69 billion yuan ($9.6 billion) in ultra-long-term special treasury bonds will be allocated in October to support the trade-in program, completing the planned 300 billion yuan total for the whole year.
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The program has spurred purchases of more than 109 million home appliances, involving more than 66 million consumers, the Ministry of Commerce said in late July.
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Moreover, the program has driven sales of more than 74 million digital devices and nearly 9.06 million electric bicycles, the ministry said.
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However, Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, cautioned that as the effectiveness of trade-in programs for boosting durable goods consumption — which kicked off in 2024 — is likely to wane over time, greater efforts should be made to bolster services consumption.
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Policymakers could put in place similar incentives earmarked from the fiscal funds to boost consumption in the services sector, as China's current government debt-to-GDP ratio remains relatively low among major economies, Luo added.
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In the first half of 2025, China's total retail sales of consumer goods increased 5 percent year-on-year, while retail sales of services grew 5.3 percent, said the National Bureau of Statistics.
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To this end, the Friday meeting also called for efforts to stimulate sports consumption demand, including expanding sports consumption scenarios and encouraging localities to host sporting events.
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It was stressed at the meeting that greater emphasis should be placed on mobilizing market forces to drive the development of the sports and recreation sector, expand consumption scale, enhance the vitality of sports business entities and promote high-quality growth of the sector overall.
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Days ahead of the meeting, the country had unveiled a new loan interest subsidy for businesses in eight eligible categories of the service sectors, including sports, to help them enhance service offerings and spur consumer spending appetites.
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Under the initiative, businesses can receive subsidies for loans of up to 1 million yuan. Borrowers will receive a 1 percentage point annual interest rebate for up to one year.
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wangkeju@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
China will take multipronged steps, including fiscal, tax and financial policies, to unleash greater domestic demand potential, the State Council — the country's Cabinet — said on Friday.
\n
Policymakers should optimize the implementation mechanism of the consumer goods trade-in program to better leverage its role in expanding domestic demand, according to the State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Qiang.
\n
The National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic regulator, said earlier this month that the fourth and final batch of 69 billion yuan ($9.6 billion) in ultra-long-term special treasury bonds will be allocated in October to support the trade-in program, completing the planned 300 billion yuan total for the whole year.
\n
The program has spurred purchases of more than 109 million home appliances, involving more than 66 million consumers, the Ministry of Commerce said in late July.
\n
Moreover, the program has driven sales of more than 74 million digital devices and nearly 9.06 million electric bicycles, the ministry said.
\n
However, Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, cautioned that as the effectiveness of trade-in programs for boosting durable goods consumption — which kicked off in 2024 — is likely to wane over time, greater efforts should be made to bolster services consumption.
\n
Policymakers could put in place similar incentives earmarked from the fiscal funds to boost consumption in the services sector, as China's current government debt-to-GDP ratio remains relatively low among major economies, Luo added.
\n
In the first half of 2025, China's total retail sales of consumer goods increased 5 percent year-on-year, while retail sales of services grew 5.3 percent, said the National Bureau of Statistics.
\n
To this end, the Friday meeting also called for efforts to stimulate sports consumption demand, including expanding sports consumption scenarios and encouraging localities to host sporting events.
\n
It was stressed at the meeting that greater emphasis should be placed on mobilizing market forces to drive the development of the sports and recreation sector, expand consumption scale, enhance the vitality of sports business entities and promote high-quality growth of the sector overall.
\n
Days ahead of the meeting, the country had unveiled a new loan interest subsidy for businesses in eight eligible categories of the service sectors, including sports, to help them enhance service offerings and spur consumer spending appetites.
\n
Under the initiative, businesses can receive subsidies for loans of up to 1 million yuan. Borrowers will receive a 1 percentage point annual interest rebate for up to one year.
An aerial drone photo taken on Friday shows the site of a bridge construction accident on the Qinghai section of the Sichuan-Qinghai Railway in Qinghai province.
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Twelve people have been confirmed dead and four remain missing as of 6 pm Friday due to a steel cable failure at a bridge construction site in Northwest China's Qinghai province earlier in the day.
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The accident occurred around 3 am at the under-construction bridge on the Qinghai section of the Sichuan-Qinghai Railway, where 16 workers were on site at the time, according to Xinhua News Agency. The failure caused a 108-meter steel girder arch rib to collapse.
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The Ministry of Emergency Management has promptly dispatched a team to the site to oversee rescue operations and coordinate rescue efforts, focusing on searching for people who fell into the water.
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The ministry confirmed that it would determine the cause of the accident as soon as possible, and undertake decisive measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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China Central Television reported more than 806 rescuers have joined search and rescue efforts since the accident happened, with 91 vehicles, 27 boats, one helicopter and five robots deployed. Additionally, six hospitals have opened quick channels to provide medical aid for victims.
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As of press time, coordinated rescue operations, as well as efforts to comfort affected families, were ongoing.
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The bridge — located at the border between Jainca county in the Huangnan Tibetan autonomous prefecture and Hualong Hui autonomous county in Haidong — is the first steel truss arch railway bridge in China to cross the Yellow River, according to People's Daily.
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Qinghai Daily previously reported that two cable towers on either side of the bridge were completed on June 14, with its main bridge originally expected to be joined by the end of this month. The maximum cable force on the side spans of the bridge reaches 1,161 metric tons, equivalent to the weight of 750 small cars, and each tower weighs 1,800 tons, with the largest segment weighing 45 tons. The installation precision of the towers is directly related to the safety and success of the subsequent steel support beam, it said.
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Public information shows that the bridge, one of the key projects of its type on the Sichuan-Qinghai Railway, has a length of over 1,596 meters, with the arch's apex standing 130 meters above the water's surface, equivalent to the height of more than 40 stories. Its deck is 55 meters above the Yellow River's surface.
Shanghai hosted the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance last month. Earlier this month, Beijing played host to the World Robot Conference and the World Humanoid Robot Games — a dazzling display of China's technological energy, innovation and ambition in the era of "AIR", that is, AI plus robotics.
\n
From AI to embodied intelligence, these technologies are not just tools but also engines set to transform our world. Open, collaborative global development is one of the best ways intelligent science and technology can benefit humanity and help countries achieve sustainable growth.
\n
Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk recently said: "The path to solving hunger, disease, and poverty is AI and robotics." But he was only half-right, because AIR represents only a new paradigm for human survival, a kind of "intelligent air" that sentient life cannot do without.
\n
The real showstopper is the humanoid robot. This was reflected at the World Humanoid Robot Games, which featured 26 events and 487 matches, with more than 500 humanoid robots from 127 brands.
\n
Teams from 16 countries across five continents, including 192 university squads and 88 corporate teams, competed in the games. According to the International Federation of Robotics' Aug 14, 2025, report, "Vision and Reality", humanoid robots are on track to become "the next big thing in robotics".
\n
China, as the world's largest industrial robotics market, has laid out concrete plans and targets, and begun large-scale production and application. The goals are clear: transformation of manufacturing, embedding robotic intelligence in society, and accelerating the rise of a knowledge-driven, intelligent industrial ecosystem.
\n
But behind the glittering spectacle lies serious engineering. Participants tested hardware platforms, multimodal perceptions, decision-making, execution control, communications and energy management. The arena featured a mix of jaw-dropping leaps, awkward tumbles and occasionally comical missteps. They reminded us that humanoid robotics remains a frontier field, full of experimentation and rapid evolution.
\n
The competition highlighted both the performance limits of individual machines and the immense promise of collaboration. To fully realize this potential, open, shared data and model coordination, cross-platform interaction and multi-robot collective intelligence are essential. And with the end of the games, these skills must migrate from the stadium to the real world — factories, hospitals and homes — where robots can continuously improve safety, adaptability and intelligence.
\n
The games were more than a tournament; they were parallel experiments in motion, bringing together AI computational experiments and embodied agents' prescriptive intelligence. The goal was not merely winning medals but also practical, scenario-driven deployment. Robotics divorced from real-world application risks stagnating in low-level, repetitive development.
\n
By testing humanoids under extremely challenging situations, the games publicly assessed motion control, environmental perception and autonomous navigation, embodying the ACP methodology of parallel intelligence: artificial societies plus computational experiments plus parallel execution. Every physical robot has a digital twin in the virtual world. Pre-game algorithm optimization counts as computational experiment; each graceful jump — or spectacular fall — feeds priceless real-world data. This feedback is prescriptive intelligence, guiding the next iteration toward smarter decisions and more effective actions.
\n
The games also acted as a prism, reflecting the broader ecosystem, economic dynamics and social impact of humanoid robotics. First, they showed that intense competition can expose the industry's Achilles' heel. When a robot falters due to the limit of a gearbox or servo motor, the failure is far more visceral than any report.
\n
Second, the games helped reassure investors, redirecting capital from abstract hype to tangible applications, and making sure that enterprises clear core technical bottlenecks and increase real-world deployment.
\n
Third, they proved that robots on the field are athletes, not sci-fi villains. They assuaged the fear that "machines would replace humans" and instead helped many realize the fact that robots will liberate humans from repetitive or dangerous tasks while creating new value and employment opportunities. One minute a robot nails a flawless kick, the next, it trips spectacularly — both moments teach us the importance of persistence, learning and continuous technological development.
\n
And fourth, the games raised a fundamental question: What does AIR really stand for? As scientists like Geoffrey Hinton caution, without careful guidance, AIR could serve capital rather than humanity. Beyond showcasing the "hard power" of robotics, the games provoke reflection on its soft power — policies, ethics and rules shaping its development. True intelligence is not measured by how fast a robot runs but by our ability to craft a safe, inclusive, and sustainable path through the parallel interaction of virtual and physical worlds.
\n
In this sense, the World Humanoid Robot Games are far more than a competition. They are a thought experiment in action, blending spectacle, strategy and social insight. They demonstrate China's leadership in shaping an AIR era that is not only technologically advanced but also ethically grounded, economically rational and socially beneficial — a world where robots will not replace humans but empower them, and where intelligent machines become a true extension of human capability.
\n
The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
\n",
- "content": "
Shanghai hosted the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance last month. Earlier this month, Beijing played host to the World Robot Conference and the World Humanoid Robot Games — a dazzling display of China's technological energy, innovation and ambition in the era of "AIR", that is, AI plus robotics.
\n
From AI to embodied intelligence, these technologies are not just tools but also engines set to transform our world. Open, collaborative global development is one of the best ways intelligent science and technology can benefit humanity and help countries achieve sustainable growth.
\n
Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk recently said: "The path to solving hunger, disease, and poverty is AI and robotics." But he was only half-right, because AIR represents only a new paradigm for human survival, a kind of "intelligent air" that sentient life cannot do without.
\n
The real showstopper is the humanoid robot. This was reflected at the World Humanoid Robot Games, which featured 26 events and 487 matches, with more than 500 humanoid robots from 127 brands.
\n
Teams from 16 countries across five continents, including 192 university squads and 88 corporate teams, competed in the games. According to the International Federation of Robotics' Aug 14, 2025, report, "Vision and Reality", humanoid robots are on track to become "the next big thing in robotics".
\n
China, as the world's largest industrial robotics market, has laid out concrete plans and targets, and begun large-scale production and application. The goals are clear: transformation of manufacturing, embedding robotic intelligence in society, and accelerating the rise of a knowledge-driven, intelligent industrial ecosystem.
\n
But behind the glittering spectacle lies serious engineering. Participants tested hardware platforms, multimodal perceptions, decision-making, execution control, communications and energy management. The arena featured a mix of jaw-dropping leaps, awkward tumbles and occasionally comical missteps. They reminded us that humanoid robotics remains a frontier field, full of experimentation and rapid evolution.
\n
The competition highlighted both the performance limits of individual machines and the immense promise of collaboration. To fully realize this potential, open, shared data and model coordination, cross-platform interaction and multi-robot collective intelligence are essential. And with the end of the games, these skills must migrate from the stadium to the real world — factories, hospitals and homes — where robots can continuously improve safety, adaptability and intelligence.
\n
The games were more than a tournament; they were parallel experiments in motion, bringing together AI computational experiments and embodied agents' prescriptive intelligence. The goal was not merely winning medals but also practical, scenario-driven deployment. Robotics divorced from real-world application risks stagnating in low-level, repetitive development.
\n
By testing humanoids under extremely challenging situations, the games publicly assessed motion control, environmental perception and autonomous navigation, embodying the ACP methodology of parallel intelligence: artificial societies plus computational experiments plus parallel execution. Every physical robot has a digital twin in the virtual world. Pre-game algorithm optimization counts as computational experiment; each graceful jump — or spectacular fall — feeds priceless real-world data. This feedback is prescriptive intelligence, guiding the next iteration toward smarter decisions and more effective actions.
\n
The games also acted as a prism, reflecting the broader ecosystem, economic dynamics and social impact of humanoid robotics. First, they showed that intense competition can expose the industry's Achilles' heel. When a robot falters due to the limit of a gearbox or servo motor, the failure is far more visceral than any report.
\n
Second, the games helped reassure investors, redirecting capital from abstract hype to tangible applications, and making sure that enterprises clear core technical bottlenecks and increase real-world deployment.
\n
Third, they proved that robots on the field are athletes, not sci-fi villains. They assuaged the fear that "machines would replace humans" and instead helped many realize the fact that robots will liberate humans from repetitive or dangerous tasks while creating new value and employment opportunities. One minute a robot nails a flawless kick, the next, it trips spectacularly — both moments teach us the importance of persistence, learning and continuous technological development.
\n
And fourth, the games raised a fundamental question: What does AIR really stand for? As scientists like Geoffrey Hinton caution, without careful guidance, AIR could serve capital rather than humanity. Beyond showcasing the "hard power" of robotics, the games provoke reflection on its soft power — policies, ethics and rules shaping its development. True intelligence is not measured by how fast a robot runs but by our ability to craft a safe, inclusive, and sustainable path through the parallel interaction of virtual and physical worlds.
\n
In this sense, the World Humanoid Robot Games are far more than a competition. They are a thought experiment in action, blending spectacle, strategy and social insight. They demonstrate China's leadership in shaping an AIR era that is not only technologically advanced but also ethically grounded, economically rational and socially beneficial — a world where robots will not replace humans but empower them, and where intelligent machines become a true extension of human capability.
\n
The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
Visitors to Robot Mall, a store showcasing embodied intelligent humanoid robots in Beijing's E-Town — the city's leading hub of innovation — watch the demonstration of a robot chef on Aug 8.
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Robot chefs are gaining in popularity, on the back of significant cost-effectiveness and excellent quality control.
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Robot chefs are not a new concept. For example, the Changsha-based restaurant franchise Bawan uses such robots in its outlets. So far, Bawan has opened over 500 outlets, which have all deployed self-developed robots to cook food. According to its official website, these have now been updated to the third generation.
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Xiaocaiyuan, a Hong Kong-listed restaurant specializing in Anhui cuisine, deployed robotic cooks in some of its outlets as early as 2023.
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According to the prospectus released by Xiaocaiyuan before its listing, a portion of the funds raised from the public flotation will be used to purchase 3,000 such robots, with a unit price of 50,000 yuan ($6,972) per robot and an estimated total cost of 150 million yuan.
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The purchase quantity of 3,000 robot chefs, based on the current number of its over 600 stores, means that on average, each Xiaocaiyuan outlet will deploy about five of these robots.
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Several franchise restaurants are also deploying robot chefs, including Nonggengji Hunan Native Cuisine, Jin Ding Xuan, Beijing Micun Technology Co, CSC Group, and Nanchengxiang. They are able to cook highly standardized dishes such as Yuxiang shredded pork, fried eggs with tomato, and Kung Pao Chicken.
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Do these cooks really save money? Take Xunxiangdidai, a restaurant that serves Anhui cuisine, as an example. According to the Hongcan Industry Research Institute, by using intelligent devices and traditional stoves, robot chefs shoulder half of the stir-frying jobs, saving up to 60 percent in salaries. Normally, a kitchen needs two human chefs, and their salaries add up to around 18,000 yuan. Robot chefs can, however, operate five to six stoves at a time, greatly cutting down on salaries.
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Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said: "The labor cost of the catering industry continues to rise, and stir-frying robots can significantly reduce salaries and social security expenses of chefs. Long-term operation can significantly reduce overall costs. At the same time, its efficient operation can improve meal delivery speed, increase the number of customers served per unit time, and thereby increase restaurant revenue."
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In addition, robot chefs are able to accurately execute preset programs for cooking, strictly control the heat, seasoning dosage, and meal preparation time, ensuring stable and consistent taste and quality of dishes, which is conducive to shaping a unified brand image for chain catering, and enhancing consumer trust and recognition of the brand, he said.
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The current fast-paced lifestyle of consumers requires high efficiency in serving meals. The fast-serving feature of stir-frying robots can meet the demand for instant dining, and has great potential in the fast food and takeaway fields.
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Moreover, it conforms to the trend of digital and intelligent transformation of the catering industry, and can deeply integrate with restaurant management systems to optimize operational processes, he added.
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Guo Tao, individual angel investor and an expert in the artificial intelligence sector, said: "Although the prospects of robotic cooks are bright, the road ahead is full of challenges. At present, it is difficult to accurately replicate the unique taste and personalized flavor of Chinese cooking at the technical level, and significant breakthroughs are needed in the research and development of complex dishes. In terms of economic costs, high equipment purchase and maintenance costs have deterred many small and medium-sized catering businesses. In the field of health and safety, improper cleaning and disinfection of equipment can easily lead to health hazards."
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In addition, the operational programming of the robot chefs requires high digital skills from employees, which undoubtedly increases the difficulty and cost of employee training. How to improve cooking efficiency while also optimizing the taste experience has become the key to whether it can fully replace manual labor, he said.
Eighty years after China and the United States fought side by side in World War II, Beijing's top envoy in Washington said that the two countries must draw on their shared wartime history and recommit to peaceful coexistence and practical cooperation.
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Ambassador Xie Feng delivered the message on Wednesday at an art exhibition at the Chinese embassy marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.
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Xie hailed the "heroes" who resisted fascism, from Chinese civilians to foreign volunteers, and recalled how, during what he described as a "decisive war between justice and evil", China and more than 50 nations formed an international anti-fascist front.
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"The Flying Tigers soared across the sky to intercept Japanese aggressors, and opened up the treacherous 'Hump Route' over the Roof of the World, writing an epic story in pursuit of peace with their lives," he said.
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In 1941, volunteer US pilots, known as the Flying Tigers, fought alongside the Chinese against the Japanese in China.
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The ambassador praised foreign artists and journalists, including US illustrator Martha Sawyers and photographer Robert Capa, for rallying support for China during the war.
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"Today, to safeguard the post-war international order and protect the Earth, our only home, we still need such heroes, and should act together for peace and for the future," he said.
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Xie also pointed to the Doolittle Raid of 1942, when US pilots, running low on fuel after completing their attack on Japan, crash-landed in China.
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"Chinese soldiers and civilians spared no effort to rescue the pilots they had never met before," he said.
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That wartime experience left a lasting imprint on bilateral ties.
\n
"The friendship between the Chinese and American people was forged amid the trials of blood and fire," Xie said, "and has gained new life and injected fresh impetus into bilateral relations over the years".
\n
"It is a constant reminder that China and the US should see each other as a partner and friend, contribute to one another's success and benefit the whole world; that we should never forget what our two people went through together in the era of war, and should never waver in our commitment to peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation," he added.
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The envoy's message was as much about today as yesterday. The lesson of history, he noted, is that "prejudice, hatred and war will bring nothing but disaster and pain", while cooperation offers the only path forward.
\n
Common interests
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"Eight decades ago, our two countries fought against fascism side by side and jointly defended peace and justice. Eight decades later, we have more extensive common interests, broader space for cooperation, and more important international obligations," he said.
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As the world's two largest economies and as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and the US share a special and significant responsibility for upholding world peace and stability, and promoting global development and prosperity, Xie said.
\n
Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, also emphasized the importance of remembering the wartime bond.
\n
Echoing Xie, Greene described the sacrifices made by ordinary Chinese in aiding downed US pilots.
\n
"Families risked their lives to hide airmen, dress their wounds and guide them to safety," he said. "Never has one nation's people so consistently risked so much for those of another. This was not merely an alliance. It was humanity at its purest form."
\n
David Frazer, a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design, stressed the role of culture in bridging divides today.
\n
"Despite the political differences that exist today between our great countries, global appreciation for the arts transcends these differences," he said.
\n
More than 200 guests, including US dignitaries, attended the commemorative exhibition, jointly organized with state broadcaster China Central Television.
\n
huanxinzhao@chinadailyusa.com
\n",
- "content": "
Eighty years after China and the United States fought side by side in World War II, Beijing's top envoy in Washington said that the two countries must draw on their shared wartime history and recommit to peaceful coexistence and practical cooperation.
\n
Ambassador Xie Feng delivered the message on Wednesday at an art exhibition at the Chinese embassy marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.
\n
Xie hailed the "heroes" who resisted fascism, from Chinese civilians to foreign volunteers, and recalled how, during what he described as a "decisive war between justice and evil", China and more than 50 nations formed an international anti-fascist front.
\n
"The Flying Tigers soared across the sky to intercept Japanese aggressors, and opened up the treacherous 'Hump Route' over the Roof of the World, writing an epic story in pursuit of peace with their lives," he said.
\n
In 1941, volunteer US pilots, known as the Flying Tigers, fought alongside the Chinese against the Japanese in China.
\n
The ambassador praised foreign artists and journalists, including US illustrator Martha Sawyers and photographer Robert Capa, for rallying support for China during the war.
\n
"Today, to safeguard the post-war international order and protect the Earth, our only home, we still need such heroes, and should act together for peace and for the future," he said.
\n
Xie also pointed to the Doolittle Raid of 1942, when US pilots, running low on fuel after completing their attack on Japan, crash-landed in China.
\n
"Chinese soldiers and civilians spared no effort to rescue the pilots they had never met before," he said.
\n
That wartime experience left a lasting imprint on bilateral ties.
\n
"The friendship between the Chinese and American people was forged amid the trials of blood and fire," Xie said, "and has gained new life and injected fresh impetus into bilateral relations over the years".
\n
"It is a constant reminder that China and the US should see each other as a partner and friend, contribute to one another's success and benefit the whole world; that we should never forget what our two people went through together in the era of war, and should never waver in our commitment to peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation," he added.
\n
The envoy's message was as much about today as yesterday. The lesson of history, he noted, is that "prejudice, hatred and war will bring nothing but disaster and pain", while cooperation offers the only path forward.
\n
Common interests
\n
"Eight decades ago, our two countries fought against fascism side by side and jointly defended peace and justice. Eight decades later, we have more extensive common interests, broader space for cooperation, and more important international obligations," he said.
\n
As the world's two largest economies and as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and the US share a special and significant responsibility for upholding world peace and stability, and promoting global development and prosperity, Xie said.
\n
Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, also emphasized the importance of remembering the wartime bond.
\n
Echoing Xie, Greene described the sacrifices made by ordinary Chinese in aiding downed US pilots.
\n
"Families risked their lives to hide airmen, dress their wounds and guide them to safety," he said. "Never has one nation's people so consistently risked so much for those of another. This was not merely an alliance. It was humanity at its purest form."
\n
David Frazer, a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design, stressed the role of culture in bridging divides today.
\n
"Despite the political differences that exist today between our great countries, global appreciation for the arts transcends these differences," he said.
\n
More than 200 guests, including US dignitaries, attended the commemorative exhibition, jointly organized with state broadcaster China Central Television.
A British student participates in an A-level program of the charity Engage with China in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu province during the 2023-24 academic year.
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A scholarship winner hugs H-J Colston-Inge, director of Engage with China (left) in Changzhou during the 2023-24 academic year.
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"I felt like I was leaving a part of myself in China because it has been a very tough journey to integrate myself into the culture and connect with the people here," said Calista Ajibola, a British student aged 18, who has just completed a two-year boarding school scholarship program in China.
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Even for someone who had been learning Mandarin for five years and who had achieved the top grade in the subject in her General Certificate of Secondary Education exam, or GCSE, the test taken by students in the United Kingdom at the age of 16, using the Chinese language, still posed some challenges, as textbook knowledge and real-life application can be very different disciplines.
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"People often couldn't understand me when I first arrived in China and would ask me to switch to English. I had scored a nine in my GCSE Mandarin exam, so it was incredibly frustrating, at times even disheartening," she said.
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"But as time went on, armed with the courage to make mistakes, a determination to improve, hours of practice, and plenty of help from my Chinese teacher, my Mandarin eventually reached the point where I could … guide my family around in China, chat with taxi drivers, haggle over prices, and sort out problems that came up."
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Ajibola returned with a mature command of the language, a clearer vision for the future, many genuine friends, countless memories, as well as 30 packs of Chinese-branded instant noodles, and a pile of refrigerator magnets.
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"The scholarship program is probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me," she added.
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Launched in 2023 by the UK charity Engage with China, in partnership with international schools in China, the scholarship program has enabled 34 British pupils to embark on a two-year journey to study A-levels in China.
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H-J Colston-Inge, director of Engage with China, said the aim of the program is to foster "China literacy" among British youths.
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It was in 2018 that she realized there was a major educational gap in UK schools, as knowledge of China was almost entirely absent from the classroom. "The UK curriculum contains virtually no content on China, despite its global importance," she said.
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Compared to short-term study programs, she said, the project aims to offer a fully immersive journey, one that allows pupils to truly experience, with their own eyes a country on the other side of the world that is culturally and socioeconomically, very different from what they are used to.
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Culture shocks can be striking. For Ajibola, the endless high-rise apartments instead of low houses, the "motorcycle army" dominating the roads, and the mosquito bites in the sweltering summer were all unusual for a British pupil. But as she put it: "If I had the chance to live it all again, I wouldn't change a thing."
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Zoe Capps, who has just completed her first-year scholarship in Hangzhou, the capital city of East China's Zhejiang province, said life in China, a place where "everything felt unfamiliar" at first but which has now become a "second home", has made her much more "mature".
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"I always used to say I'm very mature for my age, but I really wasn't," she said. "But now, I have a clear idea of what I want to do in the future. I know where I want to go, and I know what I need to do."
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Gaining global mindset
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The students have not only developed strong language skills that will give them greater competitiveness in future education and career paths, Colston-Inge said, but have also gained a global mindset and a sense of empathy, an understanding that the world can be vastly diverse.
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"No one typically sends their 16-year-old to study in China, so these students are bold, curious and globally-minded," she added. "In an era of geopolitical tension, initiatives like this can help shift perspectives and build better international relationships."
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"Life-changing" is how Colston-Inge often described the many refreshing China stories she has heard from the pupils, especially since many of the scholarship winners come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
\n
Yet in such an unprecedented and turbulent era, even just ordinary educational exchanges can hardly remain untouched by geopolitics.
\n
"It is more important than ever that, when there are difficulties, we push through," she said.
\n
"Children aren't interested in politics," she pointed out. "Well, maybe a little. But that is not what they want. They want to make friends. They want to play. They want to do music together, play sports and so on. That is what's important."
\n
For Capps, above all, it is also the friendships she has made during the first year that matter the most. "The people I've met here have become some of the most important things in my life."
\n
Soon, the third cohort of 10 teenagers will head to China, ready to begin an entirely new chapter in their lives.
\n
Colston-Inge, who studied Chinese at university and is now dedicated to passing on her enduring fascination with China to the next generation, quoted Laozi, a Chinese philosopher from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
\n
"Having 34 (scholarship winners) looks tiny, but just compare that with the 250,000 students coming from China to study in the UK, and that previously, very few children were going to China at the age of 16."
\n
At a reception hosted on Aug 12 by the Education Section of China's embassy in the UK, to welcome the scholarship winners, Zhao Fei, minister of China's embassy in the UK, said tomorrow's world needs builders of bridges between civilizations, especially in an era when challenges ranging from global health crises to climate change require collective effort.
\n
"Though our languages differ and customs vary, our aspirations for a better life and shared concerns for humanity's future resonate profoundly," he said.
\n
"This connection transcends borders, it is universal and it is shared."
\n
zhengwanyin@mail.chinadailyuk.com
\n",
@@ -3301,28 +3147,6 @@
"hash": "e349a063ca812525334e65d960589e0d",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "009LIFE - Famous Peking duck restaurant serves up a tasty treat in New York",
- "description": "\n
The interior of Quanjude in New York with decorations from the previous French fine dining establishment La Grenouille.
\n
After Quanjude's first failed attempt to enter the US market in Los Angeles some decades ago, it's coming back with a location situated in the vibrant Midtown area of New York City. This time with a different franchise ownership and a Michelin star.
\n
Located in a historical three-story building, the restaurant occupies the former site of the French fine dining establishment La Grenouille, which iDen & Quanjude, a Quanjude franchise under the ownership of Andy Zhang, acquired for $14.3 million.
\n
Under the dim light from crystal wall lamps around the restaurant, there's plush red velvet seats, classic oil paintings and bouquets of fresh flowers.
\n
The general manager of iDen & Quanjude, Wayne Pan, says this location has been a legendary restaurant site in New York with more than 60 years of history that once welcomed icons like David Bowie, Frank Sinatra and Truman Capote. It holds a deep meaning in many New Yorkers' hearts, which is why the original decor from La Grenouille has been preserved.
\n
Quanjude is a restaurant chain established in 1864 to serve royalty from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It witnessed and weathered some of the most important historical events including the end of the monarchy in China, World War II, and the founding of the People's Republic of China.
\n
Over the past 150 years, its Peking duck has become a national icon, with over 100 locations in China. It was also visited by several US presidents including Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
\n
On its return to the North America market in 2019, Quanjude franchise iDen & Quanjude opened its Vancouver location, which is still going strong. It is also the only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in Canada, and has received a Michelin star for three straight years.
\n
The food critic from the Michelin Guide said, "It has a pedigree that traces back to an original location in Beijing from 1864, but the latest outpost in Vancouver proves that this legacy hasn't lost any of its luster. Indeed, the gold-accented dining room is a feast for the eyes, blending classic opulence with strikingly modern design."
\n
According to Pan, the ducks they serve are from a farm in Pennsylvania and are high in fat. All the ducks are fresh and never frozen. "We have high standards on our ducks," Pan says. "They are all the same size, packed six ducks per case, with the duck hair carefully removed, and the skin kept completely intact and undamaged."
\n
Pan explains that after all the organs are removed, the ducks are rinsed with hot water. Then, a special in-house sauce is applied to enhance the flavor and give them a rich, brown color. Afterward, the ducks are placed in a special drying cabinet for at least two days, which ensures the skin will be extra crispy. The final step involves roasting the ducks in an oven, as fire roasting is prohibited in New York.
\n
Then the duck is ready to be served with leeks imported from China, cucumber from Tianjin, paired with sweet bean paste made in house with a recipe from Quanjude in Beijing and wrapped in paper-thin pancakes.
\n
Other than the iconic Peking duck, the New York menu features a selection of upscale dishes crafted with premium ingredients such as bird's nest, sea cucumber, fish maw, lobster and geoduck (clams).
\n
Currently, iDen & Quanjude in New York is in a soft opening as, Pan explains, the second and third floors of the restaurant are still being decorated.
\n
"I hope Chinese people can experience the taste of home here, because many of us from northern China feel so happy when we eat this duck. I want Chinese people to feel at home, and I also hope Americans can experience the rich culture of Chinese food," says Pan, who also expressed the hope to promote Chinese high-end cuisine.
\n
This is not the first attempt by a Chinese Peking duck restaurant chain to enter the US fine dining market. In 2017, Dadong, another renowned Peking duck chain from China, also ventured into Manhattan with a prime location near Bryant Park. However, Dadong closed its doors just over two years later.
\n
The reviews for the iDen & Quanjude New York location have been mixed. New York Post food critic Steve Cuozzo gave the compliment that, "The bird from Pennsylvania's Jurgielewicz farm was flavor-rich and winningly moist beneath its amber skin", and "the food is as grown-up as the vibe".
\n
However, it didn't really impress Beijing native Jill Wang, 39, a Peking duck enthusiast, who came after hearing about it on RedNote. She says, "It's too greasy, not crispy enough … I don't think the duck here reached the Quanjude (Beijing) standard."
\n
Jill Wang's companion, Wei Wang from Shenyang, adds, "I like the environment here. This place used to be a French restaurant and they kept the decoration."
\n
He mentions that he would also like to try out places in Flushing and Washington DC for Peking duck.
\n
The success of iDen & Quanjude in Canada can be attributed to several key factors: its innovative decor featuring traditional Chinese elements, direct endorsement by the Michelin Guide, Quanjude's unrivaled reputation for Peking duck worldwide and the significant Chinese population residing in Vancouver.
\n
Only time will tell if iDen & Quanjude will survive New York's cutthroat dining landscape.
\n
bilinlin@chinadailyusa.com
\n",
- "content": "\n
The interior of Quanjude in New York with decorations from the previous French fine dining establishment La Grenouille.
\n
After Quanjude's first failed attempt to enter the US market in Los Angeles some decades ago, it's coming back with a location situated in the vibrant Midtown area of New York City. This time with a different franchise ownership and a Michelin star.
\n
Located in a historical three-story building, the restaurant occupies the former site of the French fine dining establishment La Grenouille, which iDen & Quanjude, a Quanjude franchise under the ownership of Andy Zhang, acquired for $14.3 million.
\n
Under the dim light from crystal wall lamps around the restaurant, there's plush red velvet seats, classic oil paintings and bouquets of fresh flowers.
\n
The general manager of iDen & Quanjude, Wayne Pan, says this location has been a legendary restaurant site in New York with more than 60 years of history that once welcomed icons like David Bowie, Frank Sinatra and Truman Capote. It holds a deep meaning in many New Yorkers' hearts, which is why the original decor from La Grenouille has been preserved.
\n
Quanjude is a restaurant chain established in 1864 to serve royalty from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It witnessed and weathered some of the most important historical events including the end of the monarchy in China, World War II, and the founding of the People's Republic of China.
\n
Over the past 150 years, its Peking duck has become a national icon, with over 100 locations in China. It was also visited by several US presidents including Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
\n
On its return to the North America market in 2019, Quanjude franchise iDen & Quanjude opened its Vancouver location, which is still going strong. It is also the only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in Canada, and has received a Michelin star for three straight years.
\n
The food critic from the Michelin Guide said, "It has a pedigree that traces back to an original location in Beijing from 1864, but the latest outpost in Vancouver proves that this legacy hasn't lost any of its luster. Indeed, the gold-accented dining room is a feast for the eyes, blending classic opulence with strikingly modern design."
\n
According to Pan, the ducks they serve are from a farm in Pennsylvania and are high in fat. All the ducks are fresh and never frozen. "We have high standards on our ducks," Pan says. "They are all the same size, packed six ducks per case, with the duck hair carefully removed, and the skin kept completely intact and undamaged."
\n
Pan explains that after all the organs are removed, the ducks are rinsed with hot water. Then, a special in-house sauce is applied to enhance the flavor and give them a rich, brown color. Afterward, the ducks are placed in a special drying cabinet for at least two days, which ensures the skin will be extra crispy. The final step involves roasting the ducks in an oven, as fire roasting is prohibited in New York.
\n
Then the duck is ready to be served with leeks imported from China, cucumber from Tianjin, paired with sweet bean paste made in house with a recipe from Quanjude in Beijing and wrapped in paper-thin pancakes.
\n
Other than the iconic Peking duck, the New York menu features a selection of upscale dishes crafted with premium ingredients such as bird's nest, sea cucumber, fish maw, lobster and geoduck (clams).
\n
Currently, iDen & Quanjude in New York is in a soft opening as, Pan explains, the second and third floors of the restaurant are still being decorated.
\n
"I hope Chinese people can experience the taste of home here, because many of us from northern China feel so happy when we eat this duck. I want Chinese people to feel at home, and I also hope Americans can experience the rich culture of Chinese food," says Pan, who also expressed the hope to promote Chinese high-end cuisine.
\n
This is not the first attempt by a Chinese Peking duck restaurant chain to enter the US fine dining market. In 2017, Dadong, another renowned Peking duck chain from China, also ventured into Manhattan with a prime location near Bryant Park. However, Dadong closed its doors just over two years later.
\n
The reviews for the iDen & Quanjude New York location have been mixed. New York Post food critic Steve Cuozzo gave the compliment that, "The bird from Pennsylvania's Jurgielewicz farm was flavor-rich and winningly moist beneath its amber skin", and "the food is as grown-up as the vibe".
\n
However, it didn't really impress Beijing native Jill Wang, 39, a Peking duck enthusiast, who came after hearing about it on RedNote. She says, "It's too greasy, not crispy enough … I don't think the duck here reached the Quanjude (Beijing) standard."
\n
Jill Wang's companion, Wei Wang from Shenyang, adds, "I like the environment here. This place used to be a French restaurant and they kept the decoration."
\n
He mentions that he would also like to try out places in Flushing and Washington DC for Peking duck.
\n
The success of iDen & Quanjude in Canada can be attributed to several key factors: its innovative decor featuring traditional Chinese elements, direct endorsement by the Michelin Guide, Quanjude's unrivaled reputation for Peking duck worldwide and the significant Chinese population residing in Vancouver.
\n
Only time will tell if iDen & Quanjude will survive New York's cutthroat dining landscape.
Participants and officials take a photo after a dialogue on The Vision of Youth for the Future of Cultural Districts at the Palace Museum in Beijing.
\n
Students share ideas on digital storytelling, visitor engagement and cultural branding, drawing on their learning journey and internship experiences during the Bi-city Youth Cultural Leadership Program.
\n
Sixteen university students from Beijing and Hong Kong gathered at the Palace Museum on Tuesday, not just to tour its historic halls but to imagine the future of China's cultural districts.
\n
The discussion was a highlight of the ongoing Hong Kong Palace Museum's fourth Bi-city Youth Cultural Leadership Program.
\n
By promoting cultural development in both cities, the program aims to strengthen Hong Kong's position as an East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange.
\n
During the exchange, Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum, emphasized the Palace Museum's unwavering commitment to safeguarding China's cultural relics. He highlighted its role in advancing cultural heritage conservation through innovative strategies and international collaboration.
\n
Bringing fresh perspectives, the students shared ideas on digital storytelling, visitor engagement and cultural branding, drawing on their learning journey and internship experiences under the program in Hong Kong and Beijing.
\n
They stressed the importance of providing platforms to young local artists, integrating audience traffic across different venues within a cultural district, and creating inviting spaces that encourage longer visits. Their insights also included the need to bridge the gap between the districts and local grassroots communities, enhancing cultural exchange and community involvement.
\n
The students also visited the Sensory Experience Gallery of the Palace Museum, which they said deepened their understanding of cultural intellectual property, brand operations, and the development of cultural and creative products.
\n
"We are pleased to welcome students from the Bi-city Youth Cultural Leadership Program to the Palace Museum," Wang says.
\n
"This meaningful initiative offers young people a platform to explore the changing landscape of cultural institutions and apply their creativity to real-world challenges. Their participation brings fresh perspectives and energy into the future of cultural districts. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with the Hong Kong Palace Museum to jointly nurture cultural talents and advance our shared mission of Chinese culture," he adds.
\n
Louis Ng, director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, says the program encourages students to envision the future of cultural districts through creativity, community, and innovation.
\n
"The program underscores our mission to nurture cultural leadership through cross-boundary collaboration and contribute to sustainable urban development. We are proud to see students exploring complex cultural questions and proposing thoughtful ideas that reflect both ambition and a grounded understanding of the opportunities and challenges shaping the cultural landscape across different cities," Ng says.
\n
Besides the Palace Museum visit, the Beijing stage of the program will enable students to participate in inspiring dialogues with industry experts, and a curated district city walk in Beijing.
\n
After Beijing, the students will conclude their cultural journey in Shanghai, where they will visit landmark developments and urban cultural hubs.
\n
Since its launch in 2022, the program has engaged nearly 150 students from Beijing and Hong Kong, aiming to inspire and nurture the next generation of cultural talent from Hong Kong and Beijing.
Yangzom (left) and her sister Zhoigar are given a national flag that flew on Kaishan Island, an outpost in the Yellow Sea by national role model Wang Shihua (right) in 2019.
\n
The two sisters pay their respects to their father.
\n
Zhoigar holds her grandson and talks to her daughter via a WeChat call on Oct 15 in Yulmed.
\n
The owner of a convenience store arranges the goods on a shelf.
\n
Tourists admire the beautiful scenery of Yulmed from the roadside in Shannan, Xizang autonomous region in 2023.
\n
Wei Xin, a representative of the Hunan aid team, presents Children's Day gifts to students at the primary school in Yulmed on June 1, 2022.
\n
Pan Long (left), a doctor from Chuzhou, Anhui province, provides medical checkups to a Tibetan resident in Yulmed on July 20, 2020.
\n
When Pasang Tsering took a teaching job at the school in Yulmed, Xizang autonomous region, in 2007, he was warned by many people that the living conditions in the township located in the southern foothills of the Himalayas were very tough.
\n
But he was still surprised by the reality of everyday life in what was once the least-populated township in China.
\n
"Surrounded by mountains on three sides at an average altitude of more than 5,000 meters, it took me about four days to get to the township from the county seat of Lhunze due to the poor condition of the road," Pasang Tsering said. "I literally had to traverse steep slopes and rugged paths on foot to get to Yulmed. I will never forget that trip."
\n
With an unstable electricity supply from a small hydropower station, even watching TV was a luxury back then. In Yulmed, located in the remote area near the China-India border, communication with the outside world was often cut off, he added.
\n
But things are completely different today. A three-person township decades ago, it is now home to over 200 people and oversees two villages. Pasang Tsering has become the Party chief of one village, also called Yulmed.
\n
With improved infrastructure, such as roads and telecommunications, the locals can access the latest information via social media and have online orders delivered to their doorstep, just like people in Beijing, Pasang Tsering said proudly.
\n
"If a place like Yulmed can thrive so much in less than two decades, the development of Xizang as a whole is even more extraordinary," he said.
\n
People have to get through two mountain passes at an altitude above 5,000 meters to get to Yulmed from Lhunze, Shannan city. Besides the stunning view of the snow-capped mountains and grand valleys, the 10-kilovolt power transmission line extended by the State Grid to Yulmed in 2019 along the well-paved road is also hard to miss.
\n
The reconstruction of a 50-kilometer paved road connecting Yulmed to a neighboring township was completed in the same year with investment of over 500 million yuan ($69.67 million) by the state, which stopped it being snowbound every year.
\n
"Before the reconstruction of the road, Yulmed would become inaccessible to vehicles when it started to snow in October, until at least the following June. The widened and hardened road has fundamentally changed people's life," Pasang Tsering said.
\n
Since 2018, Yulmed has built itself into a prosperous border township with steel-framed houses, an electricity grid, roads, a 5G network, medical care and financial services facilities.
\n
"As life in Yulmed has become more convenient than ever, more young people are willing to come and run businesses including shops, restaurants, family inns and teahouses," he said. "The children can also receive good education via online courses, which is something I wouldn't even dare to dream about when I was a teacher."
\n
Family patrols
\n
Tenzin Samdrup came to Yulmed about 10 years ago, married and had children. The couple run a courier business, which has become increasingly busy.
\n
Delivery services can now reach Yulmed after roads were improved, and it's very convenient for residents to buy things online. In the past, people had to travel for days to buy daily necessities from nearby townships, Tenzin Samdrup, 31, said.
\n
"Nowadays, there are hundreds of express parcels arriving in Yulmed every day. More and more people are shopping online. It's quite something considering how remote Yulmed is."
\n
With improved infrastructure, tourism is also booming, especially between June and September. By the end of 2024, a total of 55 families in the township had set up homestays to accommodate tourists.
\n
Rinchen Phuntsog, the township head, said a tourist service and reception center has been built and is expected to begin operating by the end of this year. "It will be helpful to attract tourists and increase the income of our village collective."
\n
Although the population in Yulmed has continued to grow, between 1964 and 1996 only three people lived in the township — Yangzom, her sister Zhoigar, and their father Sangye Chopa, the former township head.
\n
The family was determined to protect a total of 3,644 square kilometers of township land on the border between China and India.
\n
Yangzom, 62, began patrolling the border with her father when she was 16 years old. He passed away in 2001, but he instilled in her the attitude that protecting the land beneath your feet is to protect your country, she said. Their old residence has been turned into a museum that faithfully recreates the former poor living conditions of the family.
\n
"Many people moved away because life in Yulmed was too tough to endure back then," Yangzom said.
\n
"I asked my father why we must stay. He said if people all moved away, the land beneath would be lost, which is something he wouldn't allow. They were his exact words," she said.
\n
Father's legacy
\n
Zhoigar married a herdsman named Pasang who took on the family responsibility of patrolling the border while also herding his yaks. From the outset, he upheld the traditions established by his wife's father.
\n
"We wanted people to see that there are Chinese people guarding the border. We all do it from our heart and proudly," he said. "As shown to us by Sangye Chopa, we put the Chinese national flag at key intersections near the border to show our presence, which is very important.
\n
"We had to make those flags all by ourselves. Even the red cloth for the flags was hard to source back then, so they were the most valuable things," said Pasang.
\n
A giant slogan in red on a hillside that reads our "Home is Yulmed, country is China" once uttered by Sangye Chopa, is now the most famous landmark in the township.
\n
"Everyone in the village knows the family and its story. Those words still represent the spirit of the Yulmed people," Pasang Tsering, the teacher, said.
\n
Since setting foot in Yulmed, Pasang Tsering has also been taking border patrol trips regularly in the mountains lasting three to five days.
\n
The family's legacy has become well known in China after President Xi Jinping replied to the letter they wrote to him in 2017 introducing Yulmed.
\n
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, acknowledged the family's efforts to safeguard the territory, and thanked them for the loyalty and contributions they have made in the border area.
\n
"Without the peace in the territory, there will be no peaceful lives for the millions of families," Xi wrote.
\n
Xi also expressed his hope that the family would motivate more people to set down roots in the border area and become guardians of the Chinese territory and constructors of a happy hometown.
\n
In 2021, Zhoigar was awarded the July 1 Medal, the highest honor in the Party established by the CPC Central Committee, for her decades-long guarding of the country's territory.
\n
Since 2018, Xizang has launched a campaign to develop its 624 villages along the 4,000-kilometer border with India, Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan, which is of great significance to the long-term peace of the region and China's sovereignty.
\n
The region has ramped up policy support for the project, sped up construction in those border areas, and made extensive efforts to improve the livelihoods of residents living there.
\n
Nowadays, the border villages in Xizang have been provided with paved roads, while all the border townships in the region are now connected to power networks and mobile internet services.
\n
Furthermore, local people's access to safe drinking water has been guaranteed, and public facilities have been further improved to make sure local residents can enjoy education and medical care. Specialty industries have also been developed in the region's border areas to promote prosperity for rural residents.
\n
Yangzom now mainly runs a homestay and takes care of her naughty grandson who she believes spends too much time watching cartoons on an electronic tablet.
\n
"I am sure my father would be very happy to see how Yulmed has been developed and transformed," she said, "and I have nothing to worry about now since the younger generation of villagers can have a good life here."
\n
"More importantly, they all understand the importance of protecting the homeland, just like we do," she said.
\n
cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
Online See more by scanning the code.
\n
Yangzom (left) and her sister Zhoigar are given a national flag that flew on Kaishan Island, an outpost in the Yellow Sea by national role model Wang Shihua (right) in 2019.
\n
The two sisters pay their respects to their father.
\n
Zhoigar holds her grandson and talks to her daughter via a WeChat call on Oct 15 in Yulmed.
\n
The owner of a convenience store arranges the goods on a shelf.
\n
Tourists admire the beautiful scenery of Yulmed from the roadside in Shannan, Xizang autonomous region in 2023.
\n
Wei Xin, a representative of the Hunan aid team, presents Children's Day gifts to students at the primary school in Yulmed on June 1, 2022.
\n
Pan Long (left), a doctor from Chuzhou, Anhui province, provides medical checkups to a Tibetan resident in Yulmed on July 20, 2020.
\n
When Pasang Tsering took a teaching job at the school in Yulmed, Xizang autonomous region, in 2007, he was warned by many people that the living conditions in the township located in the southern foothills of the Himalayas were very tough.
\n
But he was still surprised by the reality of everyday life in what was once the least-populated township in China.
\n
"Surrounded by mountains on three sides at an average altitude of more than 5,000 meters, it took me about four days to get to the township from the county seat of Lhunze due to the poor condition of the road," Pasang Tsering said. "I literally had to traverse steep slopes and rugged paths on foot to get to Yulmed. I will never forget that trip."
\n
With an unstable electricity supply from a small hydropower station, even watching TV was a luxury back then. In Yulmed, located in the remote area near the China-India border, communication with the outside world was often cut off, he added.
\n
But things are completely different today. A three-person township decades ago, it is now home to over 200 people and oversees two villages. Pasang Tsering has become the Party chief of one village, also called Yulmed.
\n
With improved infrastructure, such as roads and telecommunications, the locals can access the latest information via social media and have online orders delivered to their doorstep, just like people in Beijing, Pasang Tsering said proudly.
\n
"If a place like Yulmed can thrive so much in less than two decades, the development of Xizang as a whole is even more extraordinary," he said.
\n
People have to get through two mountain passes at an altitude above 5,000 meters to get to Yulmed from Lhunze, Shannan city. Besides the stunning view of the snow-capped mountains and grand valleys, the 10-kilovolt power transmission line extended by the State Grid to Yulmed in 2019 along the well-paved road is also hard to miss.
\n
The reconstruction of a 50-kilometer paved road connecting Yulmed to a neighboring township was completed in the same year with investment of over 500 million yuan ($69.67 million) by the state, which stopped it being snowbound every year.
\n
"Before the reconstruction of the road, Yulmed would become inaccessible to vehicles when it started to snow in October, until at least the following June. The widened and hardened road has fundamentally changed people's life," Pasang Tsering said.
\n
Since 2018, Yulmed has built itself into a prosperous border township with steel-framed houses, an electricity grid, roads, a 5G network, medical care and financial services facilities.
\n
"As life in Yulmed has become more convenient than ever, more young people are willing to come and run businesses including shops, restaurants, family inns and teahouses," he said. "The children can also receive good education via online courses, which is something I wouldn't even dare to dream about when I was a teacher."
\n
Family patrols
\n
Tenzin Samdrup came to Yulmed about 10 years ago, married and had children. The couple run a courier business, which has become increasingly busy.
\n
Delivery services can now reach Yulmed after roads were improved, and it's very convenient for residents to buy things online. In the past, people had to travel for days to buy daily necessities from nearby townships, Tenzin Samdrup, 31, said.
\n
"Nowadays, there are hundreds of express parcels arriving in Yulmed every day. More and more people are shopping online. It's quite something considering how remote Yulmed is."
\n
With improved infrastructure, tourism is also booming, especially between June and September. By the end of 2024, a total of 55 families in the township had set up homestays to accommodate tourists.
\n
Rinchen Phuntsog, the township head, said a tourist service and reception center has been built and is expected to begin operating by the end of this year. "It will be helpful to attract tourists and increase the income of our village collective."
\n
Although the population in Yulmed has continued to grow, between 1964 and 1996 only three people lived in the township — Yangzom, her sister Zhoigar, and their father Sangye Chopa, the former township head.
\n
The family was determined to protect a total of 3,644 square kilometers of township land on the border between China and India.
\n
Yangzom, 62, began patrolling the border with her father when she was 16 years old. He passed away in 2001, but he instilled in her the attitude that protecting the land beneath your feet is to protect your country, she said. Their old residence has been turned into a museum that faithfully recreates the former poor living conditions of the family.
\n
"Many people moved away because life in Yulmed was too tough to endure back then," Yangzom said.
\n
"I asked my father why we must stay. He said if people all moved away, the land beneath would be lost, which is something he wouldn't allow. They were his exact words," she said.
\n
Father's legacy
\n
Zhoigar married a herdsman named Pasang who took on the family responsibility of patrolling the border while also herding his yaks. From the outset, he upheld the traditions established by his wife's father.
\n
"We wanted people to see that there are Chinese people guarding the border. We all do it from our heart and proudly," he said. "As shown to us by Sangye Chopa, we put the Chinese national flag at key intersections near the border to show our presence, which is very important.
\n
"We had to make those flags all by ourselves. Even the red cloth for the flags was hard to source back then, so they were the most valuable things," said Pasang.
\n
A giant slogan in red on a hillside that reads our "Home is Yulmed, country is China" once uttered by Sangye Chopa, is now the most famous landmark in the township.
\n
"Everyone in the village knows the family and its story. Those words still represent the spirit of the Yulmed people," Pasang Tsering, the teacher, said.
\n
Since setting foot in Yulmed, Pasang Tsering has also been taking border patrol trips regularly in the mountains lasting three to five days.
\n
The family's legacy has become well known in China after President Xi Jinping replied to the letter they wrote to him in 2017 introducing Yulmed.
\n
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, acknowledged the family's efforts to safeguard the territory, and thanked them for the loyalty and contributions they have made in the border area.
\n
"Without the peace in the territory, there will be no peaceful lives for the millions of families," Xi wrote.
\n
Xi also expressed his hope that the family would motivate more people to set down roots in the border area and become guardians of the Chinese territory and constructors of a happy hometown.
\n
In 2021, Zhoigar was awarded the July 1 Medal, the highest honor in the Party established by the CPC Central Committee, for her decades-long guarding of the country's territory.
\n
Since 2018, Xizang has launched a campaign to develop its 624 villages along the 4,000-kilometer border with India, Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan, which is of great significance to the long-term peace of the region and China's sovereignty.
\n
The region has ramped up policy support for the project, sped up construction in those border areas, and made extensive efforts to improve the livelihoods of residents living there.
\n
Nowadays, the border villages in Xizang have been provided with paved roads, while all the border townships in the region are now connected to power networks and mobile internet services.
\n
Furthermore, local people's access to safe drinking water has been guaranteed, and public facilities have been further improved to make sure local residents can enjoy education and medical care. Specialty industries have also been developed in the region's border areas to promote prosperity for rural residents.
\n
Yangzom now mainly runs a homestay and takes care of her naughty grandson who she believes spends too much time watching cartoons on an electronic tablet.
\n
"I am sure my father would be very happy to see how Yulmed has been developed and transformed," she said, "and I have nothing to worry about now since the younger generation of villagers can have a good life here."
\n
"More importantly, they all understand the importance of protecting the homeland, just like we do," she said.
Doctors in Shanghai have successfully performed an ultra-complex surgery on a man with a severe neck injury akin to an "internal decapitation" after he was struck by a mechanical arm, saving his life.
\n
The 55-year-old patient, surnamed Li, suffered a rare and severe cervical vertebra fracture and dislocation. He underwent reduction and fixation surgery at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital and was discharged in July. Upon release, he was able to move his shoulders and lift his wrists, doctors said.
\n
The accident occurred on May 31 in Changshu, a city in neighboring Jiangsu province, when Li was hit from above by a mechanical arm. The blow caused catastrophic damage to his cervical spine. He immediately suffered high-level paralysis and cardiac arrest at the scene. His weak vital signs were restored only after receiving CPR.
\n
On June 3, Li was transferred to Shanghai Changzheng Hospital. Imaging showed an extremely rare and extensive cervical dislocation, with a severe spinal cord contusion and tearing of critical nerve and vascular structures.
\n
The patient was at a high risk of severe bleeding and vertebral artery injury, potentially causing shock or a fatal stroke. A massive hematoma had formed at the site, causing dangerous drops in blood pressure. He relied on high doses of vasoactive drugs to maintain circulation.
\n
Doctors said any attempt at surgery carried enormous risks, including uncontrollable bleeding, vertebral artery damage and severe cerebrospinal fluid leaks. Many of the challenges had no precedent in medical literature.
\n
Chen Huajiang, deputy director of orthopedics at the hospital, described the case as the most dangerous of his decades-long career.
\n
"My colleagues and I reviewed extensive medical literature, but found no precedent for such a severe cervical separation case, let alone a successful treatment that allowed the sufferer to survive," said Chen, who also heads the hospital's cervical spine surgery unit.
\n
"Various challenges during the surgery were undoubtedly unprecedented and could have potentially led to situations that are hard to manage. However, the certainty of no recovery without surgery left no other option," he said, adding that the determination of the patient's family motivated the medical team to proceed.
\n
The surgery took place on June 18. Using advanced microsurgical techniques, the team removed the hematoma, overcame severe adhesions and deformities, and precisely realigned the severed cervical structures.
\n
Chen said the team also applied an innovative "satellite plate" fixation technique — adding auxiliary plates to the conventional method — to provide extra stability. It was the first use of the technique in such an extreme case.
\n
Before surgery, the team carried out a comprehensive evaluation of the injuries and drafted detailed contingency plans for possible complications such as circulatory collapse. The operation concluded within three hours without any major incidents.
\n
Afterward, Li's condition steadily improved. After he regained consciousness, his vital signs stabilized and the tracheal tube was removed. He was able to sit up with assistance, showing signs of neurological recovery.
\n
Li was discharged on July 9 and is now in rehabilitation to restore upper limb function.
\n
The case has drawn wide attention in China's spinal surgery community, with experts praising the hospital's handling of the unprecedented challenge.
\n
"Our team aims to continue expanding the frontiers of cervical spine surgery and challenging the limits of technology, offering hope to more patients facing life-threatening conditions," Chen said.
Dzhovid Yogibekov delivers a speech on anti-desertification at a symposium held by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
\n
For nearly 10 years, Tajik geologist Dzhovid Yogibekov has made his life in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, where his studies have grown into a deep connection with local society.
\n
In 2016, at the suggestion of his professor in Tajikistan, Yogibekov applied to study for a master's degree in geology at the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It was his first time setting foot in the region.
\n
Xinjiang, which borders Tajikistan, is easily accessible from his home country. Yogibekov said he could reach Tajikistan in just a few hours via the Karasu Port in Kashgar, which makes it more convenient for him to study in the region.
\n
After completing his master's degree, Yogibekov decided to remain in Xinjiang to pursue a doctorate.
\n
"There is no restriction to study, the experiment facilities are well-equipped and the research team is well-organized," he said.
\n
Since 2016, he has witnessed rapid urban growth and technological advances, particularly in the fight against desertification.
\n
"One of the main aspects that surprised me was how fast China is developing and how people are devoting themselves to the popularization of science, technology and the landscaping of desert regions," he said.
\n
He credited these efforts with helping control sandstorms and improve air quality, which in turn has created better living conditions.
\n
Yogibekov noted that international students and teachers are increasingly coming to Xinjiang to share knowledge, further enriching the academic environment.
\n
Outside of research, he took part in tree-planting efforts in Urumqi for three years.
\n
"I was amazed by the way people are afforesting deserts," he said, emphasizing that ecological transformation requires a multidisciplinary approach, including geology.
\n
He pointed to China's "Great Green Wall" — the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program designed to slow the Gobi Desert's expansion — as a model that could benefit other countries, including Tajikistan.
\n
Yogibekov's life in Xinjiang has also been shaped by cultural ties. While Tajikistan's Persian-Tajik language and traditions differ from those of Uygur and Han communities, he has connected closely with Xinjiang's ethnic Tajik population.
\n
"Their languages are identical to those of Tajikistan's Pamir region, and their dress and dance styles are exactly the same," he said.
\n
China is making efforts to preserve the cultures of all its ethnic groups, he added.
\n
Yogibekov said he sees himself as a bridge between China and Tajikistan.
\n
"Student exchanges are key to mutual understanding," he said.
\n
Despite differences among countries and ethnicities," human nature is the same," he said, adding that learning local languages and cultures is vital to reducing misunderstandings.
\n",
- "content": "\n
Dzhovid Yogibekov delivers a speech on anti-desertification at a symposium held by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
\n
For nearly 10 years, Tajik geologist Dzhovid Yogibekov has made his life in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, where his studies have grown into a deep connection with local society.
\n
In 2016, at the suggestion of his professor in Tajikistan, Yogibekov applied to study for a master's degree in geology at the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It was his first time setting foot in the region.
\n
Xinjiang, which borders Tajikistan, is easily accessible from his home country. Yogibekov said he could reach Tajikistan in just a few hours via the Karasu Port in Kashgar, which makes it more convenient for him to study in the region.
\n
After completing his master's degree, Yogibekov decided to remain in Xinjiang to pursue a doctorate.
\n
"There is no restriction to study, the experiment facilities are well-equipped and the research team is well-organized," he said.
\n
Since 2016, he has witnessed rapid urban growth and technological advances, particularly in the fight against desertification.
\n
"One of the main aspects that surprised me was how fast China is developing and how people are devoting themselves to the popularization of science, technology and the landscaping of desert regions," he said.
\n
He credited these efforts with helping control sandstorms and improve air quality, which in turn has created better living conditions.
\n
Yogibekov noted that international students and teachers are increasingly coming to Xinjiang to share knowledge, further enriching the academic environment.
\n
Outside of research, he took part in tree-planting efforts in Urumqi for three years.
\n
"I was amazed by the way people are afforesting deserts," he said, emphasizing that ecological transformation requires a multidisciplinary approach, including geology.
\n
He pointed to China's "Great Green Wall" — the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program designed to slow the Gobi Desert's expansion — as a model that could benefit other countries, including Tajikistan.
\n
Yogibekov's life in Xinjiang has also been shaped by cultural ties. While Tajikistan's Persian-Tajik language and traditions differ from those of Uygur and Han communities, he has connected closely with Xinjiang's ethnic Tajik population.
\n
"Their languages are identical to those of Tajikistan's Pamir region, and their dress and dance styles are exactly the same," he said.
\n
China is making efforts to preserve the cultures of all its ethnic groups, he added.
\n
Yogibekov said he sees himself as a bridge between China and Tajikistan.
\n
"Student exchanges are key to mutual understanding," he said.
\n
Despite differences among countries and ethnicities," human nature is the same," he said, adding that learning local languages and cultures is vital to reducing misunderstandings.
Fully demonstrating the effectiveness of the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China and the strengths of China's socialist system, people of all ethnic groups in the Xizang autonomous region have benefited more than ever before from development since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012. The new development philosophy that was adopted and has been enriched ever since enabled Xizang, along with the rest of the country, to win the battle to eradicate extreme poverty and realize a moderately prosperous society in all respects in the new era.
\n
This was the culmination of decades of dedicated efforts to promote the autonomous region's development after its establishment in 1965. Between that year and 2024, the central government invested a total of 2.6 trillion yuan ($362.3 billion) in Xizang. A further 64.3 billion yuan was invested in the region since the 1990s through the paired-up assistance system in which 17 provinces and municipalities, central enterprises, and central financial institutions provide targeted support for counties and districts in the autonomous region that they are respectively assigned to assist. This system has also sent over 14,000 selected civil servants, professional and talents to work in Xizang for about three years in 11 batches by now.
\n
Yet the region cannot rest on its development achievements. Promoting the high-quality socioeconomic development of Xizang should always be the focus of local authorities, which should apply to the letter the new development philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green and open development that is for everyone.
\n
To that end, the local authorities must thoroughly carry out anti-secession efforts to ensure the consolidation and security of the border so as to ensure a stable environment for development as was urged by the central authorities at a grand gathering held on Thursday in Lhasa, capital of the autonomous region, to mark the 60th anniversary of its founding.
\n
The local authorities must unswervingly consolidate and develop ethnic unity by strengthening the exchanges and integration among all ethnic groups, and the identification of all ethnic groups with the motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Party, and socialism with Chinese characteristics, so as to ensure they fully identify themselves as members of the great Chinese family.
\n
In the process, local authorities should adhere to a people-centered approach and continuously improve people's well-being and promote common prosperity so as to ensure the fruits of high-quality development benefit all ethnic groups in Xizang, and local people have a greater sense of gain, fulfillment and security. To help the region promote ethnic unity and progress on all fronts, the central authorities have pledged to continue to increase their input and strengthen support for Xizang's development in the future.
\n
The remarkable development of the autonomous region over the past 60 years fully demonstrates that only under the leadership of the CPC, adhering to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, upholding the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and adhering to the Party's guidelines on the governance of Xizang in the new era, can prosperity and progress be achieved in the autonomous region, and the people of all ethnic groups in Xizang live a happy life.
\n
With China at a critical juncture in building itself into a modern socialist country in all respects, Xizang's modernization drive stands at a new historical starting point.
\n
The region should have the confidence that under the leadership of the Party and with the full support of the nation, it will be able to accomplish the four tasks of ensuring stability, facilitating development, protecting the eco-environment, and strengthening the borders.
\n
In doing so, Xizang will open a new and splendid era of long-term peace and stability and high-quality development for itself.
\n",
@@ -3433,28 +3213,6 @@
"hash": "8b9b6a5815b0b009bd1d252a79e85a49",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "008COMMENT - Openness and cooperation key for AI development",
- "description": "
Editor's Note: Artificial intelligence is reshaping human civilization through a chain reaction of "technological breakthroughs-industrial integration-social restructuring". AI has evolved from a single technological tool into a core engine driving economic, social and cultural transformation. Qi Guojun, a distinguished scientist of the Association for Computing Machinery and professor at Westlake University, spoke to Chinanews.com about the changes that AI would bring about in the economy and whether the global dialogue on AI is about competition or coexistence. Below are excerpts from the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
\n
There is not sufficient evidence or scientific consensus to suggest that AI will develop self-awareness. Such ideas remain largely within the realm of science fiction. Nevertheless, development of the technology does present new challenges, although such issues are not unique to AI. The emergence of any new technology, such as the internet, has historically been accompanied by problems such as piracy and spread of harmful content in the case of the internet.
\n
But the overall positive impact of AI on society far outweighs the negative. AI brings significant value by advancing productivity, expanding application scenarios, creating new categories of employment and optimizing industrial structures. Indeed, there are already many cases of the positive impact of AI. For example, AI is widely applied in customer service, which has improved productivity. While this has put pressure on employment, it has also generated new and higher-paying jobs in the data industry. In creative sectors, such as digital humans, animation and art production, AI has replaced more than 90 percent of repetitive work. The advertising industry and data-processing-related sectors have also undergone major changes.
\n
Looking ahead, AI will play a powerful role in improving productivity across all industries. Much like the first stage of internet development, which initially boosted productivity, the next stage may see the rise of new enterprises that are native to the AI ecosystem. Within the next five years, large-scale enterprises borne from AI will emerge, with the potential to exert a profound influence on the global economy for the next 20-30 years.
\n
As for the future dialogue on AI, it will involve both competition and coexistence, but coexistence will outweigh competition. In this context, two dimensions of competition, speed and openness, are particularly critical.
\n
With regard to speed, the AI industry shares similarities with the internet sector. Because technological exchanges are frequent, no one can monopolize technology for long. The true advantage lies in scale, where speed and openness determine success. Whoever moves faster can attract more users, acquire more data and iterate their models more efficiently, creating a positive feedback loop, the so-called flywheel effect. Once the flywheel turns, both scale and influence will continue to expand.
\n
If a model is used on a small scale, it will not be able to attract enough users to form a sustainable commercial cycle. Without growth in data and users, it cannot fully understand user intentions and application scenarios, making it difficult for it to improve performance. This is why AI development must move toward greater openness, encouraging more users to participate in order to generate positive feedback. This is the essence of open competition in AI.
\n
Successful internet and IT enterprises are inevitably global, or at least exert significant cross-border influence. In the process, mutual reinforcement creates a relationship of coexistence. For instance, cooperation can be carried out in areas such as data governance and AI ethical standards. AI's positive spillover effects will extend worldwide, with technology sharing becoming a natural outcome.
\n
Academic exchange also strengthens coexistence. The AI field is highly open, with a large volume of new research shared in academic journals, at conferences and on open platforms. Through these exchanges, knowledge is disseminated, new ideas are shared and technological progress gets accelerated.
\n",
- "content": "
Editor's Note: Artificial intelligence is reshaping human civilization through a chain reaction of "technological breakthroughs-industrial integration-social restructuring". AI has evolved from a single technological tool into a core engine driving economic, social and cultural transformation. Qi Guojun, a distinguished scientist of the Association for Computing Machinery and professor at Westlake University, spoke to Chinanews.com about the changes that AI would bring about in the economy and whether the global dialogue on AI is about competition or coexistence. Below are excerpts from the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
\n
There is not sufficient evidence or scientific consensus to suggest that AI will develop self-awareness. Such ideas remain largely within the realm of science fiction. Nevertheless, development of the technology does present new challenges, although such issues are not unique to AI. The emergence of any new technology, such as the internet, has historically been accompanied by problems such as piracy and spread of harmful content in the case of the internet.
\n
But the overall positive impact of AI on society far outweighs the negative. AI brings significant value by advancing productivity, expanding application scenarios, creating new categories of employment and optimizing industrial structures. Indeed, there are already many cases of the positive impact of AI. For example, AI is widely applied in customer service, which has improved productivity. While this has put pressure on employment, it has also generated new and higher-paying jobs in the data industry. In creative sectors, such as digital humans, animation and art production, AI has replaced more than 90 percent of repetitive work. The advertising industry and data-processing-related sectors have also undergone major changes.
\n
Looking ahead, AI will play a powerful role in improving productivity across all industries. Much like the first stage of internet development, which initially boosted productivity, the next stage may see the rise of new enterprises that are native to the AI ecosystem. Within the next five years, large-scale enterprises borne from AI will emerge, with the potential to exert a profound influence on the global economy for the next 20-30 years.
\n
As for the future dialogue on AI, it will involve both competition and coexistence, but coexistence will outweigh competition. In this context, two dimensions of competition, speed and openness, are particularly critical.
\n
With regard to speed, the AI industry shares similarities with the internet sector. Because technological exchanges are frequent, no one can monopolize technology for long. The true advantage lies in scale, where speed and openness determine success. Whoever moves faster can attract more users, acquire more data and iterate their models more efficiently, creating a positive feedback loop, the so-called flywheel effect. Once the flywheel turns, both scale and influence will continue to expand.
\n
If a model is used on a small scale, it will not be able to attract enough users to form a sustainable commercial cycle. Without growth in data and users, it cannot fully understand user intentions and application scenarios, making it difficult for it to improve performance. This is why AI development must move toward greater openness, encouraging more users to participate in order to generate positive feedback. This is the essence of open competition in AI.
\n
Successful internet and IT enterprises are inevitably global, or at least exert significant cross-border influence. In the process, mutual reinforcement creates a relationship of coexistence. For instance, cooperation can be carried out in areas such as data governance and AI ethical standards. AI's positive spillover effects will extend worldwide, with technology sharing becoming a natural outcome.
\n
Academic exchange also strengthens coexistence. The AI field is highly open, with a large volume of new research shared in academic journals, at conferences and on open platforms. Through these exchanges, knowledge is disseminated, new ideas are shared and technological progress gets accelerated.
China's progress in protecting human rights offers valuable insights for the Global South in developing governance models suited to their own national conditions, scholars from China and Africa say.
\n
They made the remark at a readers' forum on Xi Jinping: On Respecting and Protecting Human Rights — a collection of the Chinese president's statements on the subject — held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday.
\n
Senior officials, diplomats, lawyers and scholars from China and African countries applauded the book and China's unique contributions to global human rights development. The forum was held on the eve of the first China-Africa Human Rights Seminar.
\n
Jiang Jianguo, executive vice-president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said China has achieved historic achievements in human rights since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012.
\n
Published in 2021, Xi Jinping: On Respecting and Protecting Human Rights represents a landmark in China's human rights development. The book has since been translated into 13 foreign languages, attracting readers from the global human rights community as well as political, academic, think tank and media circles, Jiang said.
\n
Quoting Xi, he said, "With different national conditions, countries should and can only explore suitable paths of human rights development in light of national realities and people's needs."
\n
China has advanced its human rights cause based on its national conditions and the people's needs, Jiang said.
\n
"It has eradicated absolute poverty; established the world's largest education, social security and healthcare systems; and continuously developed whole-process people's democracy. Through this book, we can understand why China's path of human rights development works and how this cause continues to progress."
\n
Remarkable journey
\n
Jeddi Mowbray Armah, deputy minister for legal affairs at Liberia's Foreign Ministry, said the book is a record of China's remarkable human rights journey and offers a window into a philosophy rooted in the country's national conditions and historic transformation.
\n
"Human rights are universal in value, yet diversity erupts. As President Xi makes it clear, there is no single template for the realization. Every country must check the path consistent with its history, culture and stage of development, while staying faithful to the aspiration for dignity, justice and equality for all," Armah said. Global South countries should avoid developing human rights models detached from their local realities, he added.
\n
China has taken a people-centered approach to human rights and whole-process democracy to ensure people get tangible benefits, he said, citing China's efforts to lift more than 700 million people out of poverty over recent decades.
\n
"These are human rights in action. They give practical meaning," he said. "This is a concept that integrates democratic participation at every stage in China. It shifts the focus from narrow electoral circles, from promises made to tangible results delivered."
\n
Democracy should be judged not by the form alone, but by whether it serves the people's interests, he added.
\n
Unique aspirations
\n
China's approach to human rights also offers unique aspirations for African countries to confront major challenges, such as poverty, education, health and employment, to make progress in human rights, he said.
\n
"The challenge before the world is not whether we agree with the human rights matter. It is whether we can create the conditions in which it can be realized for every person and every society."
\n
Fredrick Mutesa, secretary-general of the Zambia-China Friendship Association, said China has made important contributions to the global understanding of human rights through proposals such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Security Initiative.
\n
"China has become a trailblazer in fostering cooperation among countries of the Global South through these initiatives, (as well as through) China-Africa cooperation in economic development and modernization," he said.
\n
China is helping unlock Africa's development potential through infrastructure projects, green development, mining and other sectors, creating favorable conditions for the realization of the right to development, he added.
\n
Melha Rout Biel, founder and executive director of the Institute for Strategic and Policy Studies in South Sudan, said the Communist Party of China has been pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and progress for humanity since its founding.
\n
"China's commitment to global human rights extends beyond its borders," he said.
\n
"It advocates for a fair international human rights governance system, international cooperation, and respect for other countries and cultures."
Suspended Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrives at the Constitutional Court in Bangkok on Thursday to attend a hearing over a case seeking her dismissal over alleged ethics violations.
Suspended Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrives at the Constitutional Court in Bangkok on Thursday to attend a hearing over a case seeking her dismissal over alleged ethics violations.
A teacher explains to students about the dengue disease and other diseases caused by mosquito bites, as they sit under a mosquito net as part of an awareness campaign against the diseases on World Mosquito Day on Wednesday in Agartala, India.
",
@@ -3521,28 +3257,6 @@
"hash": "60e72e229d98d400c0e412c374a3f69d",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "012WORLD - US doubles duties on Canadian lumber",
- "description": "
Lumber is cut at a saw mill near Sooke, British Columbia, Canada, on April 11. The US is poised to more than double duties on Canadian softwood lumber, putting more pressure on US' material costs.
\n\n
The United States has more than doubled the countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber to over 35 percent, a move economists say will raise construction costs and further strain housing affordability.
\n
The US Department of Commerce said earlier this month that it will more than double the countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports, raising them to 14.6 percent from 6.7 percent, after determining Canadian producers receive unfair subsidies.
\n
The increase comes on top of a recent rise in antidumping duties to 20.5 percent, bringing the total duty on Canadian softwood to nearly 35.2 percent.
\n
The US move will raise construction costs and add to inflationary pressures, according to Brian Bethune, a professor of economics at Boston College.
\n
He said the higher costs will be "extremely difficult to offset", especially as they come alongside higher prices for steel and aluminum.
\n
"All of these factors will negatively impact affordability," he told China Daily.
\n
Bethune noted that the duties will take time to appear in official inflation data. "The tariffs first have to feed through into housing construction costs, and then into rents and owners' equivalent rent, which drive shelter costs."
\n
"The lag, however, could be up to a year, so we won't see much of an impact until mid-2026," he said.
\n
The National Association of Home Builders, in an Aug 8 statement, said the higher duties would worsen affordability problems.
\n
"For years, NAHB has been leading the fight against lumber tariffs because of their detrimental effect on housing affordability," the group said in a statement. "In effect, the lumber tariffs act as a tax on American builders, home buyers and consumers.
\n
"With housing affordability already near a historic low, NAHB continues to call on the administration to carefully consider how placing additional tariffs on lumber and other building materials will raise housing prices and impact housing supply," the statement said.
\n
"The impact of the duties is being shared by businesses (exporters, importers) and consumers. So far, most of the impact, approximately two-thirds, has been absorbed by US importing businesses with lower profit margins," Bethune said.
\n
"Only 15 percent has been passed on to consumers. However, the pass-through to consumers will likely increase over time," he said.
\n
On the supply side, he said US producers will not be able to fully fill the gap left by Canadian lumber.
\n
"US producers may have some capacity to increase production, but the supply response is limited by the availability of accessible timber resources," Bethune said.
\n
"Beyond the impact on (Canadian) facilities, I would expect a curtailment in production, where higher cost firms may either take temporary downtime or permanently shutter some more mills," said Harry Nelson, an associate professor of forestry at the University of British Columbia.
\n
He said that Canada, and the province of British Columbia in particular, has long been the higher-cost supplier to the US market.
\n
In an Aug 8 statement responding to the US decision, the BC Lumber Trade Council said the move would have negative consequences on both sides of the border.
\n
"It places unnecessary strain on forestry-dependent regions in Canada while driving up construction costs for American builders and families," said Kurt Niquidet, president of the BC Lumber Trade Council.
\n
He added that without a negotiated settlement, the council will continue to work with the Canadian government and industry partners to defend Canadian interests "through all available legal channels, including proceedings under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement".
\n
Nelson said the outlook depends on the broader US economy.
\n
"As the US market is what sets lumber prices overall, the higher the tariffs, the lower Canadian lumber prices will be relative to the US."
\n
For Canadian consumers, Nelson sees both direct and indirect impacts. "First, the duties create a wedge between domestic and export prices," he told China Daily.
\n
"The bigger the tariffs, the more likely the greater that wedge will be."
\n
The indirect effect, he added, comes from the broader economy. "If overall tariffs and economic uncertainty lead to lower economic activity, housing starts generally in both the US and Canada will come down … and lumber prices overall will trend lower."
\n
Looking ahead, Nelson said Canada needs a more deliberate diversification strategy. "We are too reliant on one partner and one product," he said.
\n
" (We need) a well thought-out trade diversification strategy where we invest in building a brand for Canadian wood and wood products around quality and building stable relationships with other trading partners," he said.
\n
gaoyang@chinadailyusa.com
\n",
- "content": "
Lumber is cut at a saw mill near Sooke, British Columbia, Canada, on April 11. The US is poised to more than double duties on Canadian softwood lumber, putting more pressure on US' material costs.
\n\n
The United States has more than doubled the countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber to over 35 percent, a move economists say will raise construction costs and further strain housing affordability.
\n
The US Department of Commerce said earlier this month that it will more than double the countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports, raising them to 14.6 percent from 6.7 percent, after determining Canadian producers receive unfair subsidies.
\n
The increase comes on top of a recent rise in antidumping duties to 20.5 percent, bringing the total duty on Canadian softwood to nearly 35.2 percent.
\n
The US move will raise construction costs and add to inflationary pressures, according to Brian Bethune, a professor of economics at Boston College.
\n
He said the higher costs will be "extremely difficult to offset", especially as they come alongside higher prices for steel and aluminum.
\n
"All of these factors will negatively impact affordability," he told China Daily.
\n
Bethune noted that the duties will take time to appear in official inflation data. "The tariffs first have to feed through into housing construction costs, and then into rents and owners' equivalent rent, which drive shelter costs."
\n
"The lag, however, could be up to a year, so we won't see much of an impact until mid-2026," he said.
\n
The National Association of Home Builders, in an Aug 8 statement, said the higher duties would worsen affordability problems.
\n
"For years, NAHB has been leading the fight against lumber tariffs because of their detrimental effect on housing affordability," the group said in a statement. "In effect, the lumber tariffs act as a tax on American builders, home buyers and consumers.
\n
"With housing affordability already near a historic low, NAHB continues to call on the administration to carefully consider how placing additional tariffs on lumber and other building materials will raise housing prices and impact housing supply," the statement said.
\n
"The impact of the duties is being shared by businesses (exporters, importers) and consumers. So far, most of the impact, approximately two-thirds, has been absorbed by US importing businesses with lower profit margins," Bethune said.
\n
"Only 15 percent has been passed on to consumers. However, the pass-through to consumers will likely increase over time," he said.
\n
On the supply side, he said US producers will not be able to fully fill the gap left by Canadian lumber.
\n
"US producers may have some capacity to increase production, but the supply response is limited by the availability of accessible timber resources," Bethune said.
\n
"Beyond the impact on (Canadian) facilities, I would expect a curtailment in production, where higher cost firms may either take temporary downtime or permanently shutter some more mills," said Harry Nelson, an associate professor of forestry at the University of British Columbia.
\n
He said that Canada, and the province of British Columbia in particular, has long been the higher-cost supplier to the US market.
\n
In an Aug 8 statement responding to the US decision, the BC Lumber Trade Council said the move would have negative consequences on both sides of the border.
\n
"It places unnecessary strain on forestry-dependent regions in Canada while driving up construction costs for American builders and families," said Kurt Niquidet, president of the BC Lumber Trade Council.
\n
He added that without a negotiated settlement, the council will continue to work with the Canadian government and industry partners to defend Canadian interests "through all available legal channels, including proceedings under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement".
\n
Nelson said the outlook depends on the broader US economy.
\n
"As the US market is what sets lumber prices overall, the higher the tariffs, the lower Canadian lumber prices will be relative to the US."
\n
For Canadian consumers, Nelson sees both direct and indirect impacts. "First, the duties create a wedge between domestic and export prices," he told China Daily.
\n
"The bigger the tariffs, the more likely the greater that wedge will be."
\n
The indirect effect, he added, comes from the broader economy. "If overall tariffs and economic uncertainty lead to lower economic activity, housing starts generally in both the US and Canada will come down … and lumber prices overall will trend lower."
\n
Looking ahead, Nelson said Canada needs a more deliberate diversification strategy. "We are too reliant on one partner and one product," he said.
\n
" (We need) a well thought-out trade diversification strategy where we invest in building a brand for Canadian wood and wood products around quality and building stable relationships with other trading partners," he said.
WPP Media China, the marketing and media service provider formerly called GroupM China, has built a reputation for assisting overseas companies in navigating the Chinese market. In recent years, the company has been keen to harness its expertise in helping Chinese companies expand their global operation, offering a clearer road map to success in an increasingly complex international business landscape.
\n
"Ten years ago, we were primarily focused on bringing Western brands into China, working closely with Western headquarters to tailor messaging for Chinese consumers. Now, the reverse is true. We need to leverage our network's expertise to help Chinese businesses understand how to drive relevance and resonate with consumers, taking into account the local nuances and cultural norms, whether in France, Fiji, Greece, or Germany," said Rupert McPetrie, CEO of WPP Media China.
\n
According to McPetrie, Chinese companies have been displaying increased confidence in their global expansion in recent years. There has also been a shift in business emphasis, with price no longer being the sole focus for these companies.
\n
"Chinese companies have transitioned from a value-led proposition to offering richer, deeper and more brand-oriented experiences. This shift has been evident in sectors such as electric vehicles and drones, where China is a global leader," said McPetrie.
\n
In addition to changing emphasis, McPetrie said that the marketing strategies in overseas markets have evolved.
\n
"The whole marketing ecosystem has changed. We're seeing a more integrated approach that encompasses the entire ecosystem — from branding and awareness to the resonance of brands with consumers in different markets — all the way through to conversion and click-to-purchase," said McPetrie.
\n
McPetrie, who has observed the development of the Chinese market for more than 10 years, said Chinese companies' journey of seeking overseas development features both opportunities and challenges. Quickly understanding and evaluating the market situation, as well as conducting effective localization, will become a unique competitive advantage for brands.
\n
"Securing a foothold in international markets depends not only on product and supply chain advantages but also on the effective storytelling of their brands. This brand narrative needs to be culturally relevant and resonate with and build trust among overseas consumers through efficient media touchpoints," said McPetrie.
\n
In recent years, WPP Media China has achieved excellent results in supporting Chinese brands in their global expansion, including the overseas marketing of Black Myth: Wukong and the global media planning and buying for the mobile phone brand Honor.
\n
According to McPetrie, WPP Media China is poised to become a long-term trusted partner for more Chinese brands, with the goal of accelerating client growth wherever they conduct business.
\n
"WPP Media China is an important part of WPP. WPP is present in over 100 countries worldwide and possesses a powerful network, talented teams and cutting-edge solutions tailored to diverse markets. This ensures that brand stories are effectively disseminated within the right media and marketing environments, enhancing the efficiency and impact of brand marketing for global expansion," said McPetrie.
\n
At the end of May, WPP globally announced the rebranding of GroupM to WPP Media, with the aim to further consolidate its development foundation and enhance its offer for the future. The move will enable WPP Media to deliver more integrated solutions to its clients in a more efficient manner.
\n
"We've been on a journey to become much easier to access. We're very lucky at the capabilities that we've been building. But one of the jobs we have is to make sure our clients can get the benefit of those capabilities very easily. We've been simplifying our organization practically and strategically, and the rebranding was just a symbol of that," said McPetrie.
\n
WPP Open, an artificial intelligence-enabled marketing platform empowered by Open Intelligence and developed by WPP Media, is deemed the main engine supporting its transition, according to McPetrie.
The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 97 pips to 7.1287 against the US dollar on Thursday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. The central parity rate of the yuan against the US dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.
\n
Shanxi reports more raw coal production
\n
Coal-rich province of Shanxi reported 756.44 million metric tons of raw coal production in the first seven months, up 7.2 percent year-on-year, according to local authorities. As the country's top coal producer, Shanxi contributed 27.2 percent of China's total output during this period.
\n",
- "content": "
Yuan strengthens to 7.1287 against USD
\n
The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 97 pips to 7.1287 against the US dollar on Thursday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. The central parity rate of the yuan against the US dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.
\n
Shanxi reports more raw coal production
\n
Coal-rich province of Shanxi reported 756.44 million metric tons of raw coal production in the first seven months, up 7.2 percent year-on-year, according to local authorities. As the country's top coal producer, Shanxi contributed 27.2 percent of China's total output during this period.
China's commitment to cultivating new quality productive forces through scientific and technological innovation, as reiterated by President Xi Jinping, will help the country gain a competitive edge in strategic emerging fields and tech frontiers, and contribute to global economic growth, said experts and company executives.
\n
Highlighting that fostering new growth drivers has been high on China's development agenda, they called for accelerated efforts to achieve breakthroughs in crucial technologies by investing more in fundamental research, reinforcing the dominant position of enterprises in boosting technological advancements, and intensifying financial support for innovation-oriented tech companies.
\n
First put forward by Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, during his inspection tour of Heilongjiang province in September 2023, the term "new quality productive forces" has been highlighted at several high-profile meetings.
\n
New quality productive forces are driven by revolutionary technological breakthroughs, the innovative allocation of production factors, and deep industrial transformation and upgrading, Xi said while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in January last year.
\n
He said that sci-tech innovation can generate new industries, new models and new growth drivers, which are the core elements of the development of new quality productive forces.
\n
The tone-setting Central Economic Work Conference held in December called for more efforts to make sci-tech innovation drive the development of new quality productive forces and build a modern industrial system.
\n
Huang Hanquan, head of the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research, said, "Developing new quality productive forces is an intrinsic requirement for promoting China's high-quality development and will inject fresh momentum into global economic growth."
\n
Huang added that China has favorable conditions for fostering new quality productive forces, given its ever-increasing innovation capacities, complete industrial systems, ultra-large domestic market, high-caliber talent pool and massive data resources.
\n
To gain an upper hand in a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, he stressed that more efforts should be made to bolster sci-tech innovation, especially innovation in cutting-edge and disruptive technologies, and to accelerate the industrial application of innovative achievements, further deepen reforms in technology and education mechanisms, and expand high-level opening-up.
\n
A meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on July 30, which was presided over by Xi, called for accelerating the cultivation of emerging pillar industries with global competitiveness and promoting the deep integration and development of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation.
\n
"China has sent a clear signal that it is dedicated to implementing the innovation-driven development strategy and facilitating the in-depth integration of digital technologies with the real economy, in a bid to drive a shift from old growth drivers to new ones," said Luo Zhongwei, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Industrial Economics.
\n
Luo emphasized the need to improve indigenous innovation abilities by stepping up investment in core technologies in key fields to solve bottleneck issues, as well as the need to upgrade traditional industries, while vigorously developing strategic emerging industries and future-oriented industries, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, high-end equipment manufacturing, biomedicine, new energy and new materials.
\n
Pan Helin, a member of the Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy, which is part of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said, "The integrated advancements in sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation are crucial for promoting social and economic development, advancing Chinese modernization and cultivating fresh driving forces."
\n
According to Pan, China's sharpened focus on nurturing new quality productive forces is conducive to speeding up the establishment of a modern industrial system, enhancing the stability and resilience of industrial and supply chains, and boosting the country's core competitiveness on the global stage amid mounting external uncertainties.
\n
Pan said that in fostering new quality productive forces, different regions of the country should focus on comparative advantages and base their efforts on local conditions, avoiding blind investment in specific fields. Moreover, it is important to support the growth of tech startups through financial technology tools, he added.
\n
Li Dongsheng, founder and chairman of Chinese consumer electronics maker TCL Technology Group Corp, said, "The development of new quality productive forces requires further stimulating technological innovation, continuously investing in scientific research and talent development, and supporting the intelligent transformation of industries."
\n
Li underscored the need to give full play to the leading role of enterprises in bolstering sci-tech innovation and motivate their innovation vitality, adding that his company will strengthen its innovative capabilities in original technologies and increase expenditure on AI, augmented reality, virtual reality and next-generation display technologies.
\n
China's spending on research and development maintained rapid growth last year, thanks to efforts to support technological innovation.Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that China's R&D expenditure exceeded 3.6 trillion yuan ($502.3 billion) in 2024, up 8.3 percent year-on-year, ranking second in the world.
\n
In recent years, the country's strength in sci-tech innovation has taken a major leap. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, China has moved up to 11th place in the rankings of the world's most innovative economies and remains the only middle-income economy in the top 30.
\n
The country is home to 26 of the world's top 100 sci-tech innovation clusters, maintaining its position as the global leader for two consecutive years, based on the WIPO's Global Innovation Index 2024.
\n
"China is not only a manufacturing powerhouse, but also a global innovation powerhouse driving trends in digitalization, sustainability and high-tech industries," said Denis Depoux, global managing director of market consultancy Roland Berger.
\n
"China has emerged as a strong player in the global R&D landscape, and has made rapid progress in the development of AI technology, becoming one of the global leaders, and the pace will further accelerate," Depoux said.
\n
The country's emphasis on accelerating the development of new quality productive forces will attract more investment by foreign companies to support Chinese companies' transformation, and to bring more technologies to the world's second-largest economy, he added.
\n
Anu Rathninde, president for Asia-Pacific at Johnson Controls, a United States-based smart building solutions provider, said the rise of new quality productive forces signifies a transformative shift in China's economic model, replacing outdated growth drivers with more dynamic ones and establishing the foundation for more sustained and robust economic development in the future.
\n
He said that China is an important part of the company's global business network, and will continue to be a key contributor to global economic growth. "We are confident in the Chinese market and determined to deepen our footprint here," he said.
\n
Chris Lee, senior vice-president and head of Asia-Pacific at Aveva, a United Kingdom-based industrial software developer, said that China has rapidly emerged as a global frontier for industrial innovation, presenting vast development opportunities fueled by the development of new quality productive forces and the country's vibrant digital economy.
\n
Lee highlighted that China's mature and extensive industrial system and supply chain offer an unparalleled platform for technological innovation, adding that the company will deepen its roots locally and collaborate closely with local partners to empower China's smart manufacturing and industrial digitalization.
\n
fanfeifei@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
China's commitment to cultivating new quality productive forces through scientific and technological innovation, as reiterated by President Xi Jinping, will help the country gain a competitive edge in strategic emerging fields and tech frontiers, and contribute to global economic growth, said experts and company executives.
\n
Highlighting that fostering new growth drivers has been high on China's development agenda, they called for accelerated efforts to achieve breakthroughs in crucial technologies by investing more in fundamental research, reinforcing the dominant position of enterprises in boosting technological advancements, and intensifying financial support for innovation-oriented tech companies.
\n
First put forward by Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, during his inspection tour of Heilongjiang province in September 2023, the term "new quality productive forces" has been highlighted at several high-profile meetings.
\n
New quality productive forces are driven by revolutionary technological breakthroughs, the innovative allocation of production factors, and deep industrial transformation and upgrading, Xi said while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in January last year.
\n
He said that sci-tech innovation can generate new industries, new models and new growth drivers, which are the core elements of the development of new quality productive forces.
\n
The tone-setting Central Economic Work Conference held in December called for more efforts to make sci-tech innovation drive the development of new quality productive forces and build a modern industrial system.
\n
Huang Hanquan, head of the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research, said, "Developing new quality productive forces is an intrinsic requirement for promoting China's high-quality development and will inject fresh momentum into global economic growth."
\n
Huang added that China has favorable conditions for fostering new quality productive forces, given its ever-increasing innovation capacities, complete industrial systems, ultra-large domestic market, high-caliber talent pool and massive data resources.
\n
To gain an upper hand in a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, he stressed that more efforts should be made to bolster sci-tech innovation, especially innovation in cutting-edge and disruptive technologies, and to accelerate the industrial application of innovative achievements, further deepen reforms in technology and education mechanisms, and expand high-level opening-up.
\n
A meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on July 30, which was presided over by Xi, called for accelerating the cultivation of emerging pillar industries with global competitiveness and promoting the deep integration and development of sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation.
\n
"China has sent a clear signal that it is dedicated to implementing the innovation-driven development strategy and facilitating the in-depth integration of digital technologies with the real economy, in a bid to drive a shift from old growth drivers to new ones," said Luo Zhongwei, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Industrial Economics.
\n
Luo emphasized the need to improve indigenous innovation abilities by stepping up investment in core technologies in key fields to solve bottleneck issues, as well as the need to upgrade traditional industries, while vigorously developing strategic emerging industries and future-oriented industries, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, high-end equipment manufacturing, biomedicine, new energy and new materials.
\n
Pan Helin, a member of the Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy, which is part of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said, "The integrated advancements in sci-tech innovation and industrial innovation are crucial for promoting social and economic development, advancing Chinese modernization and cultivating fresh driving forces."
\n
According to Pan, China's sharpened focus on nurturing new quality productive forces is conducive to speeding up the establishment of a modern industrial system, enhancing the stability and resilience of industrial and supply chains, and boosting the country's core competitiveness on the global stage amid mounting external uncertainties.
\n
Pan said that in fostering new quality productive forces, different regions of the country should focus on comparative advantages and base their efforts on local conditions, avoiding blind investment in specific fields. Moreover, it is important to support the growth of tech startups through financial technology tools, he added.
\n
Li Dongsheng, founder and chairman of Chinese consumer electronics maker TCL Technology Group Corp, said, "The development of new quality productive forces requires further stimulating technological innovation, continuously investing in scientific research and talent development, and supporting the intelligent transformation of industries."
\n
Li underscored the need to give full play to the leading role of enterprises in bolstering sci-tech innovation and motivate their innovation vitality, adding that his company will strengthen its innovative capabilities in original technologies and increase expenditure on AI, augmented reality, virtual reality and next-generation display technologies.
\n
China's spending on research and development maintained rapid growth last year, thanks to efforts to support technological innovation.Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that China's R&D expenditure exceeded 3.6 trillion yuan ($502.3 billion) in 2024, up 8.3 percent year-on-year, ranking second in the world.
\n
In recent years, the country's strength in sci-tech innovation has taken a major leap. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, China has moved up to 11th place in the rankings of the world's most innovative economies and remains the only middle-income economy in the top 30.
\n
The country is home to 26 of the world's top 100 sci-tech innovation clusters, maintaining its position as the global leader for two consecutive years, based on the WIPO's Global Innovation Index 2024.
\n
"China is not only a manufacturing powerhouse, but also a global innovation powerhouse driving trends in digitalization, sustainability and high-tech industries," said Denis Depoux, global managing director of market consultancy Roland Berger.
\n
"China has emerged as a strong player in the global R&D landscape, and has made rapid progress in the development of AI technology, becoming one of the global leaders, and the pace will further accelerate," Depoux said.
\n
The country's emphasis on accelerating the development of new quality productive forces will attract more investment by foreign companies to support Chinese companies' transformation, and to bring more technologies to the world's second-largest economy, he added.
\n
Anu Rathninde, president for Asia-Pacific at Johnson Controls, a United States-based smart building solutions provider, said the rise of new quality productive forces signifies a transformative shift in China's economic model, replacing outdated growth drivers with more dynamic ones and establishing the foundation for more sustained and robust economic development in the future.
\n
He said that China is an important part of the company's global business network, and will continue to be a key contributor to global economic growth. "We are confident in the Chinese market and determined to deepen our footprint here," he said.
\n
Chris Lee, senior vice-president and head of Asia-Pacific at Aveva, a United Kingdom-based industrial software developer, said that China has rapidly emerged as a global frontier for industrial innovation, presenting vast development opportunities fueled by the development of new quality productive forces and the country's vibrant digital economy.
\n
Lee highlighted that China's mature and extensive industrial system and supply chain offer an unparalleled platform for technological innovation, adding that the company will deepen its roots locally and collaborate closely with local partners to empower China's smart manufacturing and industrial digitalization.
Local residents dance in front of a massive thangka painting of Buddha unrolled on a hillside platform at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, the Xizang autonomous region, on Saturday, marking the start of the traditional Shoton Festival, or Yogurt Festival. During the festival, participants enjoy yogurt, go on picnics and attend traditional activities such as Tibetan opera and horse racing. This year's festival includes new activities such as cultural tourism promotions, intangible cultural heritage exhibitions and sports games.
\n",
+ "content": "
Local residents dance in front of a massive thangka painting of Buddha unrolled on a hillside platform at the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, the Xizang autonomous region, on Saturday, marking the start of the traditional Shoton Festival, or Yogurt Festival. During the festival, participants enjoy yogurt, go on picnics and attend traditional activities such as Tibetan opera and horse racing. This year's festival includes new activities such as cultural tourism promotions, intangible cultural heritage exhibitions and sports games.
The results of the second round of recall votes targeting lawmakers of the Chinese Kuomintang party in Taiwan show that "Taiwan independence" separatism runs against the will of the people and is bound to fail, a Chinese mainland official said on Sunday.
\n
Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the people of Taiwan "have once again said no" to the Democratic Progressive Party's "malicious political farce" to suppress dissent and divide society.
\n
This clearly demonstrates that any form of "Taiwan independence" separatism and political manipulation is doomed to fail, she added.
\n
The second round of recall votes targeting seven legislators failed on Saturday, with none of the recall proposals being passed, marking another sweeping victory for the KMT. Following the announcement of the results, Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te said the DPP "respects and accepts" the outcome.
\n
After two rounds of voting in vain, the DPP still remains a minority party in Taiwan's legislature, holding 51 seats out of 113. This overwhelming rejection of the recall campaign shows growing public discontent with the DPP's divisive and undemocratic style of governance, experts and officials said.
\n
Wang Shushen, deputy head of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Taiwan Studies, said the successive recall vote failures indicate widespread dissatisfaction among Taiwan people with Lai's arbitrary and undemocratic style of governance.
\n
"Nearly all public opinion polls in Taiwan showed that more than half of the population opposed the large-scale recall campaign," Wang said.
\n
The recall campaign targeting lawmakers was initiated by civil groups backed by the DPP, which did not secure a legislative majority despite winning the election in Taiwan in January 2024. While the DPP holds 51 seats, the KMT holds 52 and the Taiwan People's Party eight.
\n
Political analysts see the recall votes as an attempt to guarantee the DPP's control over the legislature.
\n
However, Saturday's results were a second straight setback for the ruling DPP. All seven opposition lawmakers held onto their seats, as did 24 legislators during the first round of recall votes on July 26.
\n
In June, ahead of the recall campaign, Lai prepared a 10-part series of speeches promoting anti-China sentiments, but managed to deliver only four.
\n
Wang said the speeches failed to win people's hearts, as these were widely perceived as hypocritical. "On the one hand, Lai aimed to unify the island through his speeches, but on the other hand, he used pro-DPP affiliate groups to eliminate the opposition," Wang said.
\n
On Saturday, KMT Chairman Eric Chu Li-luan said: "Lai Ching-te's administration has been mobilizing hatred to consolidate power, sacrificing the trust and harmony of society as a whole. It should halt all political maneuvers that create division."
\n
Wang highlighted that the recall results also underscore Taiwan people's focus on economic and livelihood matters, rather than political rivalries.
\n
lishangyi@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
The results of the second round of recall votes targeting lawmakers of the Chinese Kuomintang party in Taiwan show that "Taiwan independence" separatism runs against the will of the people and is bound to fail, a Chinese mainland official said on Sunday.
\n
Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the people of Taiwan "have once again said no" to the Democratic Progressive Party's "malicious political farce" to suppress dissent and divide society.
\n
This clearly demonstrates that any form of "Taiwan independence" separatism and political manipulation is doomed to fail, she added.
\n
The second round of recall votes targeting seven legislators failed on Saturday, with none of the recall proposals being passed, marking another sweeping victory for the KMT. Following the announcement of the results, Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te said the DPP "respects and accepts" the outcome.
\n
After two rounds of voting in vain, the DPP still remains a minority party in Taiwan's legislature, holding 51 seats out of 113. This overwhelming rejection of the recall campaign shows growing public discontent with the DPP's divisive and undemocratic style of governance, experts and officials said.
\n
Wang Shushen, deputy head of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Taiwan Studies, said the successive recall vote failures indicate widespread dissatisfaction among Taiwan people with Lai's arbitrary and undemocratic style of governance.
\n
"Nearly all public opinion polls in Taiwan showed that more than half of the population opposed the large-scale recall campaign," Wang said.
\n
The recall campaign targeting lawmakers was initiated by civil groups backed by the DPP, which did not secure a legislative majority despite winning the election in Taiwan in January 2024. While the DPP holds 51 seats, the KMT holds 52 and the Taiwan People's Party eight.
\n
Political analysts see the recall votes as an attempt to guarantee the DPP's control over the legislature.
\n
However, Saturday's results were a second straight setback for the ruling DPP. All seven opposition lawmakers held onto their seats, as did 24 legislators during the first round of recall votes on July 26.
\n
In June, ahead of the recall campaign, Lai prepared a 10-part series of speeches promoting anti-China sentiments, but managed to deliver only four.
\n
Wang said the speeches failed to win people's hearts, as these were widely perceived as hypocritical. "On the one hand, Lai aimed to unify the island through his speeches, but on the other hand, he used pro-DPP affiliate groups to eliminate the opposition," Wang said.
\n
On Saturday, KMT Chairman Eric Chu Li-luan said: "Lai Ching-te's administration has been mobilizing hatred to consolidate power, sacrificing the trust and harmony of society as a whole. It should halt all political maneuvers that create division."
\n
Wang highlighted that the recall results also underscore Taiwan people's focus on economic and livelihood matters, rather than political rivalries.
A Palestinian boy extends an empty pot at a charity kitchen to receive food in Gaza City on Saturday.
\n
Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 33 Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday, including people sheltering in tents and searching for food, as the enclave faces the risk of famine 22 months into Israel's offensive.
\n
Analyst warned that Israel's military campaign in Gaza is unlikely to ease anytime soon, as its ultimate objective is to gain full control of the Gaza Strip.
\n
Israel's defense minister has said that Gaza City could be destroyed in a new military operation perhaps just days away.
\n
Aid groups have long warned that the war, which began on Oct 7, 2023, and months of Israeli restrictions on food and medical supplies entering Gaza are causing starvation.
\n
In southern Gaza, Israeli strikes killed at least 17 people, more than half of them women and children, according to morgue records and health officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where officials said the strikes hit tents sheltering displaced people.
\n
Eleven people were killed in attacks elsewhere, according to hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.
\n
Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 62,686 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including missing people now confirmed dead by a special ministry judicial committee. The number of malnutrition-related deaths has exceeded 300, the ministry said.
\n
Chaos was seen on roads leading to aid delivery sites, and there have been almost daily reports of Israeli troops firing in the vicinity of aid-seekers. Israel's military says it fires warning shots if people approach troops or pose a threat.
\n
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a network of United Nations agencies and NGOs, released a famine report on Friday, saying that nearly half a million people — about one-fourth of Gaza's population — face catastrophic hunger.
\n
The pronouncement came after Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza earlier this year, then resumed some access with a focus on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new private aid supplier backed by the United States.
\n
Thousands of people have protested in cities around the world after the UN network officially declared famine in northern Gaza.
\n
In response to global outrage over images of emaciated children, Israel has also allowed airdrops and new deliveries by land, but the UN and others say it is far from enough.
\n
Israel has rejected the famine report, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office calling it "an outright lie", saying that Israel "does not have a policy of starvation" but rather "a policy of preventing starvation".
\n
Ceasefire efforts are on hold as mediators await Israel's next steps.
\n
Many Israelis fear that the assault on Gaza City could doom the 20 hostages who are believed to have survived since 2023. Another 30 hostages are thought to be dead.Hundreds of thousands of Israelis protested a week ago for a deal to end the fighting and bring everyone home.
\n
Ding Long, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, said the ultimate objective for Israel is to gain full control of the Gaza Strip, a goal it links to the elimination or removal of Hamas.
\n
He said that Israel's military campaign in Gaza is unlikely to ease in the short term, with operations expected to continue until its stated objectives are met.Casualties on both sides are expected to rise, and the humanitarian crisis is likely to deepen.
\n
"Prospects for a ceasefire in Gaza remain slim, with the pace of the conflict largely shaped by Israel's domestic politics and regional ambitions," Ding said, adding that he believes that even if Hamas signaled readiness for a truce, Israel would be unlikely to agree.
\n
On Thursday, the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan were among 21 countries that condemned Israel's plan to build a settlement in the occupied West Bank, warning that the move undermines prospects for a two-state solution.
\n
Ding said that an increasing number of Western countries are shifting their stance on the conflict in Gaza, openly criticizing Israel and voicing support for Palestinian statehood.
\n
"Israel, however, with firm backing from the US, has shown little regard for international opinion and continues its campaign to eliminate Hamas and reassert control over Gaza," he said.
\n
"The immediate priority is to de-escalate the conflict and work toward a ceasefire," Ding said, adding that peace talks can help bring the matter back to the path of a two-state solution, he said.
\n
Agencies contributed to this story.
\n
liujianqiao@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
A Palestinian boy extends an empty pot at a charity kitchen to receive food in Gaza City on Saturday.
\n
Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 33 Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday, including people sheltering in tents and searching for food, as the enclave faces the risk of famine 22 months into Israel's offensive.
\n
Analyst warned that Israel's military campaign in Gaza is unlikely to ease anytime soon, as its ultimate objective is to gain full control of the Gaza Strip.
\n
Israel's defense minister has said that Gaza City could be destroyed in a new military operation perhaps just days away.
\n
Aid groups have long warned that the war, which began on Oct 7, 2023, and months of Israeli restrictions on food and medical supplies entering Gaza are causing starvation.
\n
In southern Gaza, Israeli strikes killed at least 17 people, more than half of them women and children, according to morgue records and health officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where officials said the strikes hit tents sheltering displaced people.
\n
Eleven people were killed in attacks elsewhere, according to hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.
\n
Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 62,686 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including missing people now confirmed dead by a special ministry judicial committee. The number of malnutrition-related deaths has exceeded 300, the ministry said.
\n
Chaos was seen on roads leading to aid delivery sites, and there have been almost daily reports of Israeli troops firing in the vicinity of aid-seekers. Israel's military says it fires warning shots if people approach troops or pose a threat.
\n
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a network of United Nations agencies and NGOs, released a famine report on Friday, saying that nearly half a million people — about one-fourth of Gaza's population — face catastrophic hunger.
\n
The pronouncement came after Israel imposed a blockade on Gaza earlier this year, then resumed some access with a focus on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a new private aid supplier backed by the United States.
\n
Thousands of people have protested in cities around the world after the UN network officially declared famine in northern Gaza.
\n
In response to global outrage over images of emaciated children, Israel has also allowed airdrops and new deliveries by land, but the UN and others say it is far from enough.
\n
Israel has rejected the famine report, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office calling it "an outright lie", saying that Israel "does not have a policy of starvation" but rather "a policy of preventing starvation".
\n
Ceasefire efforts are on hold as mediators await Israel's next steps.
\n
Many Israelis fear that the assault on Gaza City could doom the 20 hostages who are believed to have survived since 2023. Another 30 hostages are thought to be dead.Hundreds of thousands of Israelis protested a week ago for a deal to end the fighting and bring everyone home.
\n
Ding Long, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, said the ultimate objective for Israel is to gain full control of the Gaza Strip, a goal it links to the elimination or removal of Hamas.
\n
He said that Israel's military campaign in Gaza is unlikely to ease in the short term, with operations expected to continue until its stated objectives are met.Casualties on both sides are expected to rise, and the humanitarian crisis is likely to deepen.
\n
"Prospects for a ceasefire in Gaza remain slim, with the pace of the conflict largely shaped by Israel's domestic politics and regional ambitions," Ding said, adding that he believes that even if Hamas signaled readiness for a truce, Israel would be unlikely to agree.
\n
On Thursday, the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan were among 21 countries that condemned Israel's plan to build a settlement in the occupied West Bank, warning that the move undermines prospects for a two-state solution.
\n
Ding said that an increasing number of Western countries are shifting their stance on the conflict in Gaza, openly criticizing Israel and voicing support for Palestinian statehood.
\n
"Israel, however, with firm backing from the US, has shown little regard for international opinion and continues its campaign to eliminate Hamas and reassert control over Gaza," he said.
\n
"The immediate priority is to de-escalate the conflict and work toward a ceasefire," Ding said, adding that peace talks can help bring the matter back to the path of a two-state solution, he said.
Visitors take photos of a fireworks show at Shanghai Disneyland on New Year's Eve.
\n
Tourists enjoy a ride at Legoland Shanghai Resort in Shanghai on July 5.
\n
Visitors take photos while enjoying their time at Shanghai Disneyland on Sept 17.
\n
People enjoy their summer time at Playa Maya water park in Wuhan, Hubei province, on June 7.
\n
Thrill-seekers take a roller coaster ride at Legoland Shanghai Resort on July 5.
\n\n
Shanghai is poised to cash in on the "happiness economy "as it undergoes a surge in construction of new theme parks and upgrades existing ones, tourism and industry experts said.
\n
Already the theme park capital of China, Shanghai has seen the opening this summer of the country's first Legoland, to be followed by a slew of other major projects including the world's biggest Peppa Pig theme park, which is slated to launch in 2027.
\n
"Driven by the varied supply and strong consumption, as well as its good business environment, theme parks in Shanghai and China can unlock an enormous theme park economy," said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy.
\n
While it usually costs billions of yuan or more to build a theme park, owners can recoup those costs through annual consumption, with thousands of jobs created and a boost given to the entire supply chain, he said.
\n
"I believe Shanghai is poised to become a new cultural and creative hub, a focal point for theme parks, and a landmark region for cultural and tourism development," Dai said.
\n
Building surge
\n
Legoland Shanghai Resort officially opened on July 5.
\n
Spanning 318,000 square meters, the resort is the world's 11th and largest Legoland at its opening.Designed to cater to children aged 2 to 12 and their families, the Shanghai resort features eight themed areas, offering over 75 interactive rides, shows, and attractions.
\n
On May 19, Shanghai Disney Resort announced the groundbreaking of its ninth themed land, the Spider-Man zone. Located adjacent to Zootopia, the new zone will include the park's first major Marvel-themed attraction — a thrilling Spider-Man roller-coaster ride.
\n
Shanghai Disneyland welcomed more than 14 million visitors in 2023, ranking fifth among theme parks worldwide and securing its position as the most visited and popular theme park in China, according to the 2023 Global Attractions Attendance Report released by the Themed Entertainment Association (Tea) and the consulting firm Aecom.
\n
On Feb 12, Jin Jiang International Holdings Co Ltd announced it had signed a joint venture framework agreement with Warner Bros to open a Harry Potter studio tour. It will be the third such attraction globally, and the first in China.
\n
Officially named Warner Bros Studio Tour Shanghai — The Making of Harry Potter, it will be located in the renovated Shanghai Jinjiang Action Park.
\n
The planned theme park, scheduled to open in 2027, will offer visitors a behind-the-scenes experience on the making of the Harry Potter films and bring iconic scenes to life.
\n
Unlike its counterparts in London and Tokyo, the Shanghai version will incorporate Chinese elements and feature enhanced interactive experiences powered by digital technology, according to a China Times report.
\n
The Peppa Pig outdoor theme park project — spanning about 193,333 sq m on Changxing Island — will include an outdoor theme park, a themed hotel, and a commercial street. The park will also feature five themed zones such as ocean and winter areas, according to the toy and game company Hasbro and Max-Matching Entertainments Co.
\n
Driving forces
\n
Shanghai's large and stable population forms a solid foundation for the sustainable operation of theme parks, experts said. By the end of 2024, Shanghai's permanent population was almost 25 million, with a large urban middle-income group known for its strong spending power and consistent consumption patterns.
\n
"Whether it's families with children, young adults, or Generation Z, Shanghai residents have well-established habits and cultural preference for high-quality leisure experiences," said Lyu Mei, head of strategic consulting with JLL East China.
\n
As the first stop in China for many international travelers, Shanghai welcomes a high volume of tourists annually, said Lyu. Demand from domestic and international visitors significantly enhances the operational efficiency and profit potential of theme parks.
\n
"Shanghai's strong infrastructure and policy support have facilitated the development of theme parks. On the 'hardware front', the city provides top-tier resources in land supply, municipal infrastructure, and environmental capacity. On the 'software side', it boasts a solid foundation in cultural creativity, digital entertainment, and live performance production," Lyu said.
\n
Shanghai's status as a global city keeps attracting world-class theme park brands. For international IPs, establishing a presence in Shanghai enables them to reach wider audiences in eastern China, and access the national market and broader Asia-Pacific region, she added.
\n
Zhu Jianhui, senior director and head of retail research with JLL China, believes Shanghai's appeal to foreign investors is unmatched.
\n
"Shanghai stands as China's leading retail consumption hub and the most developed city for flagship stores and first-launch projects. For foreign investors, choosing Shanghai as their initial entry point into the Chinese mainland market aligns strategically with their business goals," Zhu said.
\n
Theme park development is not an isolated industry, as it drives urbanization and stimulates the growth of surrounding commercial, residential, and supporting sectors, Zhu added.
\n
Alex Chen, regional managing director with CBRE Eastern China, said: "Since the opening of Legoland in Shanghai's Jinshan district, homestay bookings in Jinshan have surged sixfold compared with the same period last year."
\n
Chen is confident the park will bring significant benefits to the area beyond increased hotel reservations.
\n
"The park is expected to serve as a hub, linking together local cultural and tourism assets — such as the Shanghai Fengjing ancient town, the Jinshan City Beach, and the nearby tea gardens and historic temples — helping to create two — to three-day travel itineraries," Chen said.
\n
At a tourism development conference in March, Shanghai rolled out a three-year action plan to build the nation's top inbound travel gateway, a premier urban tourism destination, and a model for cultural-tourism integration. The plan calls for building world-class landmarks and upgrading its cluster of world-class theme parks.
\n
Nationwide trend
\n
Theme parks are not limited to major cities like Shanghai and Beijing, but represent a nationwide economic phenomenon.
\n
Eighty-six major theme parks across the country recorded a total of 130 million visitor trips in 2023, generating about 30.39 billion yuan in revenue, up 97.86 percent year-on-year, the 2024 China Theme Park Competitiveness Evaluation Report, showed. Visitor numbers rose 71.84 percent compared with the previous year.
\n
China's theme park economy has been expanding steadily in recent years, with the market size projected to exceed 110 billion yuan by 2028, reported the 21st Century Business Herald, citing figures from China Insights Consultancy.
\n
Fantawild, a Shenzhen-based entertainment and technology firm, recorded 85.69 million visits in 2023, up 111 percent from 2022, propelling it from fifth to second place in the global rankings, according to a report by Tea and Aecom.
\n
"This achievement, second only to Disney, is credited to Fantawild's long-standing commitment to its mission of bringing more joy to the world and its adamant focus on the broader happiness economy since its inception," said Yun Aihua, vice-president of Fantawild Holdings Inc.
\n
Since opening its first large-scale theme park in 2007 in Anhui province, Fantawild has expanded to operate over 40 theme parks across China, spanning more than 20 cities in over 10 provinces and autonomous regions.
\n
"Theme parks, as man-made attractions and tourism destinations, are products of a certain stage of socioeconomic development.They typically emerge when per capita GDP reaches a certain threshold and urbanization reaches a mature level, reflecting a solid social and economic foundation," Yun said.
\n
The Happy Valley Company operates eight amusement parks and 10 water parks in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and Chengdu, Sichuan province. With a total of 25 themed attractions in 13 cities nationwide, the group welcomes around 40 million visitors annually.
\n
Li Yi, deputy general manager of Happy Valley Cultural Tourism Development Co believes two trends will emerge in the theme park economy.
\n
"First, technology-driven innovation will play a leading role, with advancements such as AI enabling the emergence of virtual theme parks and personalized experiences that transcend physical boundaries. Second, cultural empowerment will deepen as the rise of domestic IPs fosters both cultural confidence and commercial value," Li said.
\n
"Ultimately, content innovation and user-centric design will be essential for the happiness economy to evolve into a sustainable driver of consumer growth," he added.
\n
wang_ying@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "\n
Visitors take photos of a fireworks show at Shanghai Disneyland on New Year's Eve.
\n
Tourists enjoy a ride at Legoland Shanghai Resort in Shanghai on July 5.
\n
Visitors take photos while enjoying their time at Shanghai Disneyland on Sept 17.
\n
People enjoy their summer time at Playa Maya water park in Wuhan, Hubei province, on June 7.
\n
Thrill-seekers take a roller coaster ride at Legoland Shanghai Resort on July 5.
\n\n
Shanghai is poised to cash in on the "happiness economy "as it undergoes a surge in construction of new theme parks and upgrades existing ones, tourism and industry experts said.
\n
Already the theme park capital of China, Shanghai has seen the opening this summer of the country's first Legoland, to be followed by a slew of other major projects including the world's biggest Peppa Pig theme park, which is slated to launch in 2027.
\n
"Driven by the varied supply and strong consumption, as well as its good business environment, theme parks in Shanghai and China can unlock an enormous theme park economy," said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy.
\n
While it usually costs billions of yuan or more to build a theme park, owners can recoup those costs through annual consumption, with thousands of jobs created and a boost given to the entire supply chain, he said.
\n
"I believe Shanghai is poised to become a new cultural and creative hub, a focal point for theme parks, and a landmark region for cultural and tourism development," Dai said.
\n
Building surge
\n
Legoland Shanghai Resort officially opened on July 5.
\n
Spanning 318,000 square meters, the resort is the world's 11th and largest Legoland at its opening.Designed to cater to children aged 2 to 12 and their families, the Shanghai resort features eight themed areas, offering over 75 interactive rides, shows, and attractions.
\n
On May 19, Shanghai Disney Resort announced the groundbreaking of its ninth themed land, the Spider-Man zone. Located adjacent to Zootopia, the new zone will include the park's first major Marvel-themed attraction — a thrilling Spider-Man roller-coaster ride.
\n
Shanghai Disneyland welcomed more than 14 million visitors in 2023, ranking fifth among theme parks worldwide and securing its position as the most visited and popular theme park in China, according to the 2023 Global Attractions Attendance Report released by the Themed Entertainment Association (Tea) and the consulting firm Aecom.
\n
On Feb 12, Jin Jiang International Holdings Co Ltd announced it had signed a joint venture framework agreement with Warner Bros to open a Harry Potter studio tour. It will be the third such attraction globally, and the first in China.
\n
Officially named Warner Bros Studio Tour Shanghai — The Making of Harry Potter, it will be located in the renovated Shanghai Jinjiang Action Park.
\n
The planned theme park, scheduled to open in 2027, will offer visitors a behind-the-scenes experience on the making of the Harry Potter films and bring iconic scenes to life.
\n
Unlike its counterparts in London and Tokyo, the Shanghai version will incorporate Chinese elements and feature enhanced interactive experiences powered by digital technology, according to a China Times report.
\n
The Peppa Pig outdoor theme park project — spanning about 193,333 sq m on Changxing Island — will include an outdoor theme park, a themed hotel, and a commercial street. The park will also feature five themed zones such as ocean and winter areas, according to the toy and game company Hasbro and Max-Matching Entertainments Co.
\n
Driving forces
\n
Shanghai's large and stable population forms a solid foundation for the sustainable operation of theme parks, experts said. By the end of 2024, Shanghai's permanent population was almost 25 million, with a large urban middle-income group known for its strong spending power and consistent consumption patterns.
\n
"Whether it's families with children, young adults, or Generation Z, Shanghai residents have well-established habits and cultural preference for high-quality leisure experiences," said Lyu Mei, head of strategic consulting with JLL East China.
\n
As the first stop in China for many international travelers, Shanghai welcomes a high volume of tourists annually, said Lyu. Demand from domestic and international visitors significantly enhances the operational efficiency and profit potential of theme parks.
\n
"Shanghai's strong infrastructure and policy support have facilitated the development of theme parks. On the 'hardware front', the city provides top-tier resources in land supply, municipal infrastructure, and environmental capacity. On the 'software side', it boasts a solid foundation in cultural creativity, digital entertainment, and live performance production," Lyu said.
\n
Shanghai's status as a global city keeps attracting world-class theme park brands. For international IPs, establishing a presence in Shanghai enables them to reach wider audiences in eastern China, and access the national market and broader Asia-Pacific region, she added.
\n
Zhu Jianhui, senior director and head of retail research with JLL China, believes Shanghai's appeal to foreign investors is unmatched.
\n
"Shanghai stands as China's leading retail consumption hub and the most developed city for flagship stores and first-launch projects. For foreign investors, choosing Shanghai as their initial entry point into the Chinese mainland market aligns strategically with their business goals," Zhu said.
\n
Theme park development is not an isolated industry, as it drives urbanization and stimulates the growth of surrounding commercial, residential, and supporting sectors, Zhu added.
\n
Alex Chen, regional managing director with CBRE Eastern China, said: "Since the opening of Legoland in Shanghai's Jinshan district, homestay bookings in Jinshan have surged sixfold compared with the same period last year."
\n
Chen is confident the park will bring significant benefits to the area beyond increased hotel reservations.
\n
"The park is expected to serve as a hub, linking together local cultural and tourism assets — such as the Shanghai Fengjing ancient town, the Jinshan City Beach, and the nearby tea gardens and historic temples — helping to create two — to three-day travel itineraries," Chen said.
\n
At a tourism development conference in March, Shanghai rolled out a three-year action plan to build the nation's top inbound travel gateway, a premier urban tourism destination, and a model for cultural-tourism integration. The plan calls for building world-class landmarks and upgrading its cluster of world-class theme parks.
\n
Nationwide trend
\n
Theme parks are not limited to major cities like Shanghai and Beijing, but represent a nationwide economic phenomenon.
\n
Eighty-six major theme parks across the country recorded a total of 130 million visitor trips in 2023, generating about 30.39 billion yuan in revenue, up 97.86 percent year-on-year, the 2024 China Theme Park Competitiveness Evaluation Report, showed. Visitor numbers rose 71.84 percent compared with the previous year.
\n
China's theme park economy has been expanding steadily in recent years, with the market size projected to exceed 110 billion yuan by 2028, reported the 21st Century Business Herald, citing figures from China Insights Consultancy.
\n
Fantawild, a Shenzhen-based entertainment and technology firm, recorded 85.69 million visits in 2023, up 111 percent from 2022, propelling it from fifth to second place in the global rankings, according to a report by Tea and Aecom.
\n
"This achievement, second only to Disney, is credited to Fantawild's long-standing commitment to its mission of bringing more joy to the world and its adamant focus on the broader happiness economy since its inception," said Yun Aihua, vice-president of Fantawild Holdings Inc.
\n
Since opening its first large-scale theme park in 2007 in Anhui province, Fantawild has expanded to operate over 40 theme parks across China, spanning more than 20 cities in over 10 provinces and autonomous regions.
\n
"Theme parks, as man-made attractions and tourism destinations, are products of a certain stage of socioeconomic development.They typically emerge when per capita GDP reaches a certain threshold and urbanization reaches a mature level, reflecting a solid social and economic foundation," Yun said.
\n
The Happy Valley Company operates eight amusement parks and 10 water parks in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and Chengdu, Sichuan province. With a total of 25 themed attractions in 13 cities nationwide, the group welcomes around 40 million visitors annually.
\n
Li Yi, deputy general manager of Happy Valley Cultural Tourism Development Co believes two trends will emerge in the theme park economy.
\n
"First, technology-driven innovation will play a leading role, with advancements such as AI enabling the emergence of virtual theme parks and personalized experiences that transcend physical boundaries. Second, cultural empowerment will deepen as the rise of domestic IPs fosters both cultural confidence and commercial value," Li said.
\n
"Ultimately, content innovation and user-centric design will be essential for the happiness economy to evolve into a sustainable driver of consumer growth," he added.
Ethiopian medical professionals attend training at Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co on Thursday, part of a 21-day program in China focused on medical imaging technology.
\n
Online See more by scanning the code.
\n\n
Twenty-four medical professionals from Ethiopia are taking part in a 21-day medical imaging technology training program in China, where they are visiting top-tier and district-level hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai and Jiangsu province and exchanging insights on imaging practices from both developed and developing regions.
\n
The participants — who are among Ethiopia's top hospital leaders, clinical doctors and imaging technicians — said they were impressed by the cutting-edge radiology technologies and the use of artificial intelligence in clinical settings in China.
\n
Some expressed optimism that adopting such technologies in Ethiopia could significantly enhance diagnostic and treatment capabilities, particularly in the acute management of conditions such as stroke.
\n
The program, which began on Aug 15, is hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and organized by the International Health Exchange and Cooperation Center of the National Health Commission. It aims to foster collaboration between hospitals in the two countries.
\n
Chinese clinical experts contributed by presenting the latest advancements in CT, PET-CT, and MRI technologies.
\n
Shi Zhang, a radiologist from Zhongshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University in Shanghai, tailored his lectures to Ethiopia's challenges, where stroke treatment rates remain relatively low. His sessions focused on rapid identification of stroke using imaging modalities to prevent treatment delays.
\n
He also emphasized optimizing existing equipment with AI algorithms to produce high-end diagnostic results with standard machines.
\n
"It's kind of like taking a photo and then enhancing it with editing tools to produce sharper definition and clearer details," Shi said. "I believe such attempts will have practical value for improving medical services in hospitals at the grassroots and in remote regions."
\n
In Shanghai, part of the program was held at Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co, which specializes in medical imaging, radiotherapy equipment and life science instruments.
\n
"In big Chinese cities, AI has already been fully integrated throughout the entire medical imaging process — from patient positioning through diagnosis and follow-up," said Li Chenwei, vice-president of clinical application and clinical marketing for the international business department at Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co.
\n
"While Ethiopia is at the nascent stage of adopting such technologies, the potential benefits, particularly in standardizing diagnostic procedures, were of great interest to the Ethiopian healthcare professionals," Li said. "Given Ethiopia's large population and the lengthy training period for doctors, AI could play a crucial role in helping establish standardized examination processes there."
\n
Training participant Tsion Befekadu Beyecha, a medical radiology technologist at Washington Medical Center in Addis Ababa, said medical modalities in her country have not yet integrated AI.
\n
"The advanced integration of AI in medical imaging here is new to me. Witnessing and experiencing such integration is exciting," she said.
\n
She added that radiologists are in short supply in Ethiopia.
\n
"In case of emergency, for example, a hemorrhagic stroke, the diagnosis for the patient requires a rapid result. I saw here that AI modality can detect any hemorrhage, which definitely adds value to patient care," she said.
\n
Another participant, Yeraeifirae Sileshi, CEO of Waji Healthcare in Holeta, said most participants in the training program were on their first visit to China and were encouraged by the advancements they witnessed.
\n
"The country is actually way more advanced in the healthcare sector than what we had expected," said Sileshi, who is also a general physician. "I look forward to visiting more public hospitals in China during the program to see their workflow and operations. Together with the advanced machines and technologies that function both accurately and swiftly, it makes it possible to manage the large population of local patients well."
\n
As part of the effort to build a China-Africa community of health, the National Health Commission launched the China-Africa Hospital Alliance in Beijing on Aug 15.The event drew healthcare administrators, clinical experts, industry representatives, think tanks, and international organizations from both China and Africa, as well as representatives from African embassies and consulates in China.The Ethiopian medical professionals in the training program also attended the launch.
\n
zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
Ethiopian medical professionals attend training at Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co on Thursday, part of a 21-day program in China focused on medical imaging technology.
\n
Online See more by scanning the code.
\n\n
Twenty-four medical professionals from Ethiopia are taking part in a 21-day medical imaging technology training program in China, where they are visiting top-tier and district-level hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai and Jiangsu province and exchanging insights on imaging practices from both developed and developing regions.
\n
The participants — who are among Ethiopia's top hospital leaders, clinical doctors and imaging technicians — said they were impressed by the cutting-edge radiology technologies and the use of artificial intelligence in clinical settings in China.
\n
Some expressed optimism that adopting such technologies in Ethiopia could significantly enhance diagnostic and treatment capabilities, particularly in the acute management of conditions such as stroke.
\n
The program, which began on Aug 15, is hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and organized by the International Health Exchange and Cooperation Center of the National Health Commission. It aims to foster collaboration between hospitals in the two countries.
\n
Chinese clinical experts contributed by presenting the latest advancements in CT, PET-CT, and MRI technologies.
\n
Shi Zhang, a radiologist from Zhongshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University in Shanghai, tailored his lectures to Ethiopia's challenges, where stroke treatment rates remain relatively low. His sessions focused on rapid identification of stroke using imaging modalities to prevent treatment delays.
\n
He also emphasized optimizing existing equipment with AI algorithms to produce high-end diagnostic results with standard machines.
\n
"It's kind of like taking a photo and then enhancing it with editing tools to produce sharper definition and clearer details," Shi said. "I believe such attempts will have practical value for improving medical services in hospitals at the grassroots and in remote regions."
\n
In Shanghai, part of the program was held at Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co, which specializes in medical imaging, radiotherapy equipment and life science instruments.
\n
"In big Chinese cities, AI has already been fully integrated throughout the entire medical imaging process — from patient positioning through diagnosis and follow-up," said Li Chenwei, vice-president of clinical application and clinical marketing for the international business department at Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co.
\n
"While Ethiopia is at the nascent stage of adopting such technologies, the potential benefits, particularly in standardizing diagnostic procedures, were of great interest to the Ethiopian healthcare professionals," Li said. "Given Ethiopia's large population and the lengthy training period for doctors, AI could play a crucial role in helping establish standardized examination processes there."
\n
Training participant Tsion Befekadu Beyecha, a medical radiology technologist at Washington Medical Center in Addis Ababa, said medical modalities in her country have not yet integrated AI.
\n
"The advanced integration of AI in medical imaging here is new to me. Witnessing and experiencing such integration is exciting," she said.
\n
She added that radiologists are in short supply in Ethiopia.
\n
"In case of emergency, for example, a hemorrhagic stroke, the diagnosis for the patient requires a rapid result. I saw here that AI modality can detect any hemorrhage, which definitely adds value to patient care," she said.
\n
Another participant, Yeraeifirae Sileshi, CEO of Waji Healthcare in Holeta, said most participants in the training program were on their first visit to China and were encouraged by the advancements they witnessed.
\n
"The country is actually way more advanced in the healthcare sector than what we had expected," said Sileshi, who is also a general physician. "I look forward to visiting more public hospitals in China during the program to see their workflow and operations. Together with the advanced machines and technologies that function both accurately and swiftly, it makes it possible to manage the large population of local patients well."
\n
As part of the effort to build a China-Africa community of health, the National Health Commission launched the China-Africa Hospital Alliance in Beijing on Aug 15.The event drew healthcare administrators, clinical experts, industry representatives, think tanks, and international organizations from both China and Africa, as well as representatives from African embassies and consulates in China.The Ethiopian medical professionals in the training program also attended the launch.
Visitors browse books at the opening of the 2025 Tianshan Book Fair, part of the second Xinjiang National Reading Festival, in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Saturday. Over 50 publishers from Xinjiang and six other provincial regions showcased more than 20,000 titles.
Visitors browse books at the opening of the 2025 Tianshan Book Fair, part of the second Xinjiang National Reading Festival, in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Saturday. Over 50 publishers from Xinjiang and six other provincial regions showcased more than 20,000 titles.
Authorities in central China have levied fines totaling nearly 178 million yuan ($25 million) and punished 18 people involved in a major illegal surrogacy case uncovered in Changsha, Hunan province, State broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday.
\n
The penalties followed a multidepartment investigation launched in May after the Changsha county health bureau received a tip about suspected illegal surrogacy activities in a rented residential property.
\n
Health, police, law enforcement and market regulation officials conducted a joint inspection that led to the discovery of two unlicensed surrogacy agencies — one in Changsha's Kaifu district and another in Changsha county. Both operations were shut down.
\n
On Sunday, the Kaifu district government announced that four administrative cases had been filed in connection with the illegal surrogacy network. Five people were penalized, including two organizers who were fined 25.18 million yuan and forced to turn over illicit gains totaling 1.68 million yuan. Related medical equipment and medicines were also seized.
\n
A doctor involved received a warning, had illegal earnings of 117,500 yuan seized, was fined 30,000 yuan and was suspended from medical practice for one year.Authorities also confiscated 60,000 yuan from a nurse and 10,000 yuan from a lab technician.
\n
Earlier, the Changsha county administrative law enforcement bureau had launched nine cases against 13 individuals. Four organizers were fined 132.8 million yuan and had illicit revenue of 8.85 million yuan confiscated. Four unlicensed practitioners were fined a combined 19.79 million yuan, with illegal income of 2.8 million yuan seized. One licensed doctor received a warning, had 157,500 yuan confiscated, was fined 30,000 yuan and was suspended from medical practice for one year. Four support staff members also had illicit earnings totaling 598,200 yuan confiscated.
\n
In May, Elephant News, affiliated with the Henan Broadcasting System, received tips indicating that illegal surrogacy facilities, including surgery and laboratory rooms, were operating in Changsha county and Kaifu district. After several days of investigation, the outlet published an undercover report on May 12 exposing two such organizations.
\n
One facility in a house in Changsha county was equipped with a laboratory, operating room and patient wards. A large number of medical devices and medications related to embryo transfer and egg retrieval were found on site. Reporters also observed unlicensed vehicles transporting more than 10 women into the facility in a single day.
\n
Inside one of the wards, reporters discovered a deaf-mute woman participating in the surrogacy program.Using sign language, she said the agency had offered her 280,000 yuan to undergo embryo transfer surgery.
\n
When Elephant News reporters and law enforcement officers entered another illegal surrogacy site in Kaifu district, they found a woman under anesthesia left alone on the operating table. Several staff members attempted to flee before police arrested them. The woman was taken to a hospital.
\n
By the evening of May 13, authorities said, 18 people connected to the two agencies had been detained.
\n
zoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
Authorities in central China have levied fines totaling nearly 178 million yuan ($25 million) and punished 18 people involved in a major illegal surrogacy case uncovered in Changsha, Hunan province, State broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday.
\n
The penalties followed a multidepartment investigation launched in May after the Changsha county health bureau received a tip about suspected illegal surrogacy activities in a rented residential property.
\n
Health, police, law enforcement and market regulation officials conducted a joint inspection that led to the discovery of two unlicensed surrogacy agencies — one in Changsha's Kaifu district and another in Changsha county. Both operations were shut down.
\n
On Sunday, the Kaifu district government announced that four administrative cases had been filed in connection with the illegal surrogacy network. Five people were penalized, including two organizers who were fined 25.18 million yuan and forced to turn over illicit gains totaling 1.68 million yuan. Related medical equipment and medicines were also seized.
\n
A doctor involved received a warning, had illegal earnings of 117,500 yuan seized, was fined 30,000 yuan and was suspended from medical practice for one year.Authorities also confiscated 60,000 yuan from a nurse and 10,000 yuan from a lab technician.
\n
Earlier, the Changsha county administrative law enforcement bureau had launched nine cases against 13 individuals. Four organizers were fined 132.8 million yuan and had illicit revenue of 8.85 million yuan confiscated. Four unlicensed practitioners were fined a combined 19.79 million yuan, with illegal income of 2.8 million yuan seized. One licensed doctor received a warning, had 157,500 yuan confiscated, was fined 30,000 yuan and was suspended from medical practice for one year. Four support staff members also had illicit earnings totaling 598,200 yuan confiscated.
\n
In May, Elephant News, affiliated with the Henan Broadcasting System, received tips indicating that illegal surrogacy facilities, including surgery and laboratory rooms, were operating in Changsha county and Kaifu district. After several days of investigation, the outlet published an undercover report on May 12 exposing two such organizations.
\n
One facility in a house in Changsha county was equipped with a laboratory, operating room and patient wards. A large number of medical devices and medications related to embryo transfer and egg retrieval were found on site. Reporters also observed unlicensed vehicles transporting more than 10 women into the facility in a single day.
\n
Inside one of the wards, reporters discovered a deaf-mute woman participating in the surrogacy program.Using sign language, she said the agency had offered her 280,000 yuan to undergo embryo transfer surgery.
\n
When Elephant News reporters and law enforcement officers entered another illegal surrogacy site in Kaifu district, they found a woman under anesthesia left alone on the operating table. Several staff members attempted to flee before police arrested them. The woman was taken to a hospital.
\n
By the evening of May 13, authorities said, 18 people connected to the two agencies had been detained.
The media center for the upcoming commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War will open on Wednesday. The media center, based in the Beijing Media Center Hotel, will handle press credentials and coordinate interview opportunities for both Chinese and foreign journalists. The media center's official website (https://www.kzjn80.cn) and its social media accounts on WeChat, Weibo and Toutiao will go live on Monday.
\n
Deep-sea explorer completes mission
\n
China's self-developed Haiqin, a 6,000-meter deep-sea remotely operated vehicle, has successfully completed a deep-sea voyage in the South China Sea. The deep-sea electric ROV vessel named Haiqin, which was designed and built by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, reached a depth of 4,140 meters during the sea trial early on Saturday morning. Equipped with high-definition cameras, robotic arms, sonar systems and sensors, the ROV demonstrated capabilities such as automatic heading control and precise hovering. The 3.6-metric-ton ROV successfully collected deep-sea biological samples and sediments, which were taken to a supporting research vessel named Zhong Shan Da Xue.
\n",
+ "content": "
Media center to open before war anniversary
\n
The media center for the upcoming commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War will open on Wednesday. The media center, based in the Beijing Media Center Hotel, will handle press credentials and coordinate interview opportunities for both Chinese and foreign journalists. The media center's official website (https://www.kzjn80.cn) and its social media accounts on WeChat, Weibo and Toutiao will go live on Monday.
\n
Deep-sea explorer completes mission
\n
China's self-developed Haiqin, a 6,000-meter deep-sea remotely operated vehicle, has successfully completed a deep-sea voyage in the South China Sea. The deep-sea electric ROV vessel named Haiqin, which was designed and built by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, reached a depth of 4,140 meters during the sea trial early on Saturday morning. Equipped with high-definition cameras, robotic arms, sonar systems and sensors, the ROV demonstrated capabilities such as automatic heading control and precise hovering. The 3.6-metric-ton ROV successfully collected deep-sea biological samples and sediments, which were taken to a supporting research vessel named Zhong Shan Da Xue.
Global experts discussed the historical and legal basis for China's recovery of sovereignty over the South China Sea on Saturday, stressing that it is a key part of the postwar order and must be respected and protected.
\n
Wu Jilu, head of China Institute for Marine Affairs of the Ministry of Natural Resources, noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
\n
Wu said upholding the international order established after World War II is a crucial foundation for lasting peace and stability, with respect for the territorial sovereignty of all nations at its core.
\n
He added that China's recovery of sovereignty over the Xisha and Nansha islands formed an important part of the postwar order in the South China Sea and should be firmly safeguarded.
\n
The remarks were made at an international seminar in Beijing attended by more than 40 experts from countries including China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
\n
Zhang Shi'ao, an assistant research fellow at the Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies at Nanjing University, echoed Wu's view. He said China's recovery of sovereignty over the South China Sea islands was carried out under international legal instruments such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, which required Japan to surrender territory it had seized illegally.
\n
"A significant advancement in civilization after World War II was the recognition that acts of war and the use of force are generally illegal," Zhang said. "Territories, including the South China Sea islands seized by Japan from China through illegal means, cannot confer legitimate titles or rights and should revert to China."
\n
He said China's efforts to reclaim these territories represent "a concrete practice of the postwar international order and rules embodied by the spirit of the UN Charter".
\n
Anna Malindog-Uy, a professor with the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, said the South China Sea is "relatively peaceful, stable and secure, except for the Philippines-China bilateral relations" over the waters.
\n
"It's not necessarily because Filipinos want to quarrel with China," she said. "It's more about the foreign policy that is very much on the side of the United States. And the United States is pushing and pushing, maximizing this kind of foreign policy that is patterned after the United States' foreign policy."
\n
Malindog-Uy said Washington sees China as its main competitor, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, and seeks to weaken China through potential military conflicts over the South China Sea or Taiwan, similar to how it challenges Russia in Europe through Ukraine. Under President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, she said, the Philippines — heavily reliant on the United States — was positioned as a proxy in conflicts with China.
\n
She said that China's claims to sovereignty over the South China Sea are better supported by historical documents and international law, noting that Chinese vessels were navigating the sea 2,000 years ago during precolonial times.
\n
Other claimant states such as the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, however, cite the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. That convention, which China also ratified, gives countries exclusive rights to explore and exploit resources within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from their coastlines.Malindog-Uy noted the convention concerns resource rights, not sovereignty.
\n
"To be frank, the problem in the South China Sea cannot be resolved anytime soon," she said, adding that multilateral efforts are vital for managing disputes and easing tensions.
\n
She emphasized the importance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in advancing a code of conduct that is recognized and observed by all nations.
\n
limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "\n
Global experts discussed the historical and legal basis for China's recovery of sovereignty over the South China Sea on Saturday, stressing that it is a key part of the postwar order and must be respected and protected.
\n
Wu Jilu, head of China Institute for Marine Affairs of the Ministry of Natural Resources, noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
\n
Wu said upholding the international order established after World War II is a crucial foundation for lasting peace and stability, with respect for the territorial sovereignty of all nations at its core.
\n
He added that China's recovery of sovereignty over the Xisha and Nansha islands formed an important part of the postwar order in the South China Sea and should be firmly safeguarded.
\n
The remarks were made at an international seminar in Beijing attended by more than 40 experts from countries including China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
\n
Zhang Shi'ao, an assistant research fellow at the Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies at Nanjing University, echoed Wu's view. He said China's recovery of sovereignty over the South China Sea islands was carried out under international legal instruments such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, which required Japan to surrender territory it had seized illegally.
\n
"A significant advancement in civilization after World War II was the recognition that acts of war and the use of force are generally illegal," Zhang said. "Territories, including the South China Sea islands seized by Japan from China through illegal means, cannot confer legitimate titles or rights and should revert to China."
\n
He said China's efforts to reclaim these territories represent "a concrete practice of the postwar international order and rules embodied by the spirit of the UN Charter".
\n
Anna Malindog-Uy, a professor with the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, said the South China Sea is "relatively peaceful, stable and secure, except for the Philippines-China bilateral relations" over the waters.
\n
"It's not necessarily because Filipinos want to quarrel with China," she said. "It's more about the foreign policy that is very much on the side of the United States. And the United States is pushing and pushing, maximizing this kind of foreign policy that is patterned after the United States' foreign policy."
\n
Malindog-Uy said Washington sees China as its main competitor, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, and seeks to weaken China through potential military conflicts over the South China Sea or Taiwan, similar to how it challenges Russia in Europe through Ukraine. Under President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, she said, the Philippines — heavily reliant on the United States — was positioned as a proxy in conflicts with China.
\n
She said that China's claims to sovereignty over the South China Sea are better supported by historical documents and international law, noting that Chinese vessels were navigating the sea 2,000 years ago during precolonial times.
\n
Other claimant states such as the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, however, cite the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. That convention, which China also ratified, gives countries exclusive rights to explore and exploit resources within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from their coastlines.Malindog-Uy noted the convention concerns resource rights, not sovereignty.
\n
"To be frank, the problem in the South China Sea cannot be resolved anytime soon," she said, adding that multilateral efforts are vital for managing disputes and easing tensions.
\n
She emphasized the importance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in advancing a code of conduct that is recognized and observed by all nations.
A dog faithfully accompanies its owner, paddleboarder Zhang Cong, throughout the entire race at the 2025 Hubei Paddleboard Open, which is held at the Fengqi Lake in Wuhan, Hubei province on Saturday.
\n",
+ "content": "
A dog faithfully accompanies its owner, paddleboarder Zhang Cong, throughout the entire race at the 2025 Hubei Paddleboard Open, which is held at the Fengqi Lake in Wuhan, Hubei province on Saturday.
The upgraded version of the "Xia Yuhe" light installation, featuring an AI voice interaction system and emitting the scent of lotus flowers, captivates tourists on the shore of Daming Lake in Jinan, Shandong province, on Saturday evening. Xia Yuhe is a character from the famous TV drama My Fair Princess created by Chinese romance novelist and screenwriter Qiong Yao.
\n",
+ "content": "
The upgraded version of the "Xia Yuhe" light installation, featuring an AI voice interaction system and emitting the scent of lotus flowers, captivates tourists on the shore of Daming Lake in Jinan, Shandong province, on Saturday evening. Xia Yuhe is a character from the famous TV drama My Fair Princess created by Chinese romance novelist and screenwriter Qiong Yao.
An innovative structure capable of achieving 100 percent green energy consumption was unveiled on Sunday in Qingdao, Shandong province, making it the world's first ultra-zero carbon building, according to State broadcaster China Central Television.
\n
The building goes beyond traditional green energy solutions by incorporating photovoltaic power generation, an energy storage system that uses retired power batteries and a vehicle-to-building power supply.
\n
Standing 117 meters tall with 23 floors of office space, the building serves as the headquarters of Teld New Energy Co — one of China's leading electric vehicle charging operators. The building's east, west and south facades are fitted with integrated photovoltaic glass curtain walls that provide about 25 percent of the building's daily electricity use of roughly 6,000 kilowatt-hours, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 500 metric tons annually.
\n
A specially designed power supply system allows the building to use direct current directly, avoiding losses typically caused by converting DC to alternating current.
\n
At its base, the facility houses 14 retired electric vehicle batteries to address the intermittence of solar power. The storage system holds surplus photovoltaic energy as well as unconsumed clean grid energy during off-peak hours at the cost of 0.22 yuan per kWh for use during peak demand or cloudy days. It is equipped with a safety management system that automatically drops risky batteries into a water pool when a fire hazard is detected.
\n
Zhao Yue, a researcher with the China Center for Information Industry Development, said the energy system establishes a new model for zero-carbon buildings by offering a viable way to recycle power batteries.
\n
The broadcaster also reported that nearly 24,000 micro-sensors, equipped with facial recognition, enhance the building's digital system. The system activates lights and air conditioning when employees arrive and shuts them off when they leave, promoting conservation.
\n
Yu Dexiang, chairman of Teld New Energy Co, said green electricity consumption alone reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 2,500 tons annually, while the digital system further improves energy efficiency and cuts costs by about 30 percent.
\n
The building also features vehicle-to-building power supply technology.Robots automatically align electric vehicles in designated areas for parking and connect them to the power system, allowing them to supply electricity to the building.
\n
Zhao said the smart energy management system can help the grid ease peak consumption and improve reliability.
\n
"It possesses off-grid operational capability, ensuring an uninterrupted power supply for critical loads," he said.
\n
houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
An innovative structure capable of achieving 100 percent green energy consumption was unveiled on Sunday in Qingdao, Shandong province, making it the world's first ultra-zero carbon building, according to State broadcaster China Central Television.
\n
The building goes beyond traditional green energy solutions by incorporating photovoltaic power generation, an energy storage system that uses retired power batteries and a vehicle-to-building power supply.
\n
Standing 117 meters tall with 23 floors of office space, the building serves as the headquarters of Teld New Energy Co — one of China's leading electric vehicle charging operators. The building's east, west and south facades are fitted with integrated photovoltaic glass curtain walls that provide about 25 percent of the building's daily electricity use of roughly 6,000 kilowatt-hours, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 500 metric tons annually.
\n
A specially designed power supply system allows the building to use direct current directly, avoiding losses typically caused by converting DC to alternating current.
\n
At its base, the facility houses 14 retired electric vehicle batteries to address the intermittence of solar power. The storage system holds surplus photovoltaic energy as well as unconsumed clean grid energy during off-peak hours at the cost of 0.22 yuan per kWh for use during peak demand or cloudy days. It is equipped with a safety management system that automatically drops risky batteries into a water pool when a fire hazard is detected.
\n
Zhao Yue, a researcher with the China Center for Information Industry Development, said the energy system establishes a new model for zero-carbon buildings by offering a viable way to recycle power batteries.
\n
The broadcaster also reported that nearly 24,000 micro-sensors, equipped with facial recognition, enhance the building's digital system. The system activates lights and air conditioning when employees arrive and shuts them off when they leave, promoting conservation.
\n
Yu Dexiang, chairman of Teld New Energy Co, said green electricity consumption alone reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 2,500 tons annually, while the digital system further improves energy efficiency and cuts costs by about 30 percent.
\n
The building also features vehicle-to-building power supply technology.Robots automatically align electric vehicles in designated areas for parking and connect them to the power system, allowing them to supply electricity to the building.
\n
Zhao said the smart energy management system can help the grid ease peak consumption and improve reliability.
\n
"It possesses off-grid operational capability, ensuring an uninterrupted power supply for critical loads," he said.
Wei Yingxiang wipes Grigory Arimovich Kurichenko's bronze statue at the Martyr Kurichenko's Cemetery in Chongqing during last year's Tomb Sweeping Day.
\n
In a park located in the heart of Wanzhou district in Chongqing, a quiet cemetery stands as a poignant symbol of the enduring bond between China and the former Soviet Union. There lies Grigory Arimovich Kurichenko (1903-1939), a Soviet air force hero whose bravery and sacrifice during World War II left an indelible mark on the Chinese people — especially on a devoted mother and her son who volunteered in succession to serve as the tomb's caretakers for nearly seven decades.
\n
"This is a responsibility, a gesture of gratitude and a testament to the conscience of the Chinese people," said 71-year-old Wei Yingxiang, the second-generation tomb guardian and guide of the Martyr Kurichenko's Cemetery.
\n
Kurichenko, commander of a Soviet Union air squadron, led a daring mission against the invading Japanese forces on Oct 14, 1939. The skies above China were his battlefield, where he fought valiantly, downing six enemy aircraft.
\n
However, his plane became critically unbalanced, and as he flew over Wanzhou, a crash seemed inevitable. Steering away from populated areas, he chose to land on the Yangtze River, saving his comrades but ultimately losing his own life to the river's unforgiving currents. He was 36 years old.
\n
The soldier's heroism and sacrifice deeply moved the local people.A few days later, they recovered his body and held a grand memorial in his honor. Among those present was Tan Zhonghui, a local woman who felt a profound calling upon seeing the hero laid to rest. She vowed to care for his grave.
\n
In 1958, the local government officially recognized Kurichenko's contribution by establishing a dedicated cemetery. Tan became its first official guardian. Her son, Wei Yingxiang, often accompanied his mother to the cemetery, learned about Kurichenko and grew to understand the deep gratitude his family had for the war hero.
\n
When Tan retired in 1977, Wei took up the mantle. Every morning before heading to work, he tended to the cemetery by cleaning the grounds, maintaining the headstone and planting trees, just as his mother had done before him. When visitors arrive, especially young people, he shares stories of Kurichenko's heroism with them.
\n
Tan's and Wei's dedication did not go unnoticed. Their story was frequently featured in newspapers, on television and online, with people praising both Kurichenko's heroic deeds and the unwavering commitment of the mother and son.
\n
In 2010, through a Chinese TV program, Wei connected with Kurichenko's granddaughter and they talked via a video call during the program, where Wei reaffirmed his commitment to honoring her grandfather's memory. His efforts were also immortalized in the film A Promise to the Kurichenko's.
\n
According to Kurichenko's family, he once expressed that he felt the suffering of the Chinese people as deeply as he felt the suffering of his own countrymen.
\n
In 2009, Kurichenko was posthumously awarded as one of the "100 heroic model figures who made outstanding contributions to the founding of new China" by 11 departments, including the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
\n
Now, as the trees planted by Tan cast their shade over Kurichenko's grave, they stand as living symbols of the legacy she and her son have nurtured.
\n
"He sacrificed his precious life for us. If I had another lifetime, I would continue to stand by him.Even a century would not be too long to be his guardian," Wei said, dedicating himself to guarding the tomb for as long as he lives.
\n
Wei is mentoring a guide to take over his duties in the future, ensuring that the ideals of peace and friendship represented by Kurichenko's sacrifice continue to be carried forward.
\n
Contact the writers at dengrui@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
Wei Yingxiang wipes Grigory Arimovich Kurichenko's bronze statue at the Martyr Kurichenko's Cemetery in Chongqing during last year's Tomb Sweeping Day.
\n
In a park located in the heart of Wanzhou district in Chongqing, a quiet cemetery stands as a poignant symbol of the enduring bond between China and the former Soviet Union. There lies Grigory Arimovich Kurichenko (1903-1939), a Soviet air force hero whose bravery and sacrifice during World War II left an indelible mark on the Chinese people — especially on a devoted mother and her son who volunteered in succession to serve as the tomb's caretakers for nearly seven decades.
\n
"This is a responsibility, a gesture of gratitude and a testament to the conscience of the Chinese people," said 71-year-old Wei Yingxiang, the second-generation tomb guardian and guide of the Martyr Kurichenko's Cemetery.
\n
Kurichenko, commander of a Soviet Union air squadron, led a daring mission against the invading Japanese forces on Oct 14, 1939. The skies above China were his battlefield, where he fought valiantly, downing six enemy aircraft.
\n
However, his plane became critically unbalanced, and as he flew over Wanzhou, a crash seemed inevitable. Steering away from populated areas, he chose to land on the Yangtze River, saving his comrades but ultimately losing his own life to the river's unforgiving currents. He was 36 years old.
\n
The soldier's heroism and sacrifice deeply moved the local people.A few days later, they recovered his body and held a grand memorial in his honor. Among those present was Tan Zhonghui, a local woman who felt a profound calling upon seeing the hero laid to rest. She vowed to care for his grave.
\n
In 1958, the local government officially recognized Kurichenko's contribution by establishing a dedicated cemetery. Tan became its first official guardian. Her son, Wei Yingxiang, often accompanied his mother to the cemetery, learned about Kurichenko and grew to understand the deep gratitude his family had for the war hero.
\n
When Tan retired in 1977, Wei took up the mantle. Every morning before heading to work, he tended to the cemetery by cleaning the grounds, maintaining the headstone and planting trees, just as his mother had done before him. When visitors arrive, especially young people, he shares stories of Kurichenko's heroism with them.
\n
Tan's and Wei's dedication did not go unnoticed. Their story was frequently featured in newspapers, on television and online, with people praising both Kurichenko's heroic deeds and the unwavering commitment of the mother and son.
\n
In 2010, through a Chinese TV program, Wei connected with Kurichenko's granddaughter and they talked via a video call during the program, where Wei reaffirmed his commitment to honoring her grandfather's memory. His efforts were also immortalized in the film A Promise to the Kurichenko's.
\n
According to Kurichenko's family, he once expressed that he felt the suffering of the Chinese people as deeply as he felt the suffering of his own countrymen.
\n
In 2009, Kurichenko was posthumously awarded as one of the "100 heroic model figures who made outstanding contributions to the founding of new China" by 11 departments, including the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
\n
Now, as the trees planted by Tan cast their shade over Kurichenko's grave, they stand as living symbols of the legacy she and her son have nurtured.
\n
"He sacrificed his precious life for us. If I had another lifetime, I would continue to stand by him.Even a century would not be too long to be his guardian," Wei said, dedicating himself to guarding the tomb for as long as he lives.
\n
Wei is mentoring a guide to take over his duties in the future, ensuring that the ideals of peace and friendship represented by Kurichenko's sacrifice continue to be carried forward.
NANCHANG — At halftime of a soccer league match in Jiangxi province, spectator Li Zide unexpectedly learned that his ticket could get him half off the usual price of indoor skiing at a nearby scenic spot.
\n
"I'd always thought winter sports were expensive, but this discount was the perfect chance to give it a try," he said. The next day, Li headed straight to the spot to give skiing a go.
\n
The 2025 Jiangxi City Football Super League kicked off in mid-July, attracting fans from across the country.
\n
"Most spectators are young people and families. They are exactly our target customers," said Liu Xin, a staff member at Jiangxi's Wugong Mountain scenic area.
\n
The site has seen a surge in visitors after offering discounts to holders of soccer match tickets.
\n
"Many come directly after matches to enjoy activities such as barbecues, stream trekking, fruit picking and camping. Our revenues have grown noticeably," Liu revealed.
\n
Today, ticket stubs are far more than just simple mementos, instead serving to fuel the rise of the "ticket-stub economy" — a model in which tickets from transportation services, cultural and tourism activities, and sports events are able to be used to enjoy discounts, redeem points or unlock other benefits in the course of subsequent spending.
\n
"The ticket stub economy links separate tourism, transportation and commercial scenarios — turning one purchase into a chain of spending," said Zhou Yongbo, a professor of tourism management at Soochow University.
\n
Concertgoer Xu Lei experienced this phenomenon firsthand in Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi.
\n
"I was surprised to find I could get discounts at more than 60 restaurants with my concert ticket. These bonus surprises made me want to stay longer," he said.
\n
Jiangxi is not alone. In 2024, Shanghai trialled a ticket-stub program during an exhibition at the Shanghai Museum, giving visitors discounts on shopping and dining experiences. Official data showed that the event generated tens of billions of yuan in spending.
\n
In May this year, Shanghai rolled out an action plan to promote the ticket-stub economy, encouraging malls and scenic spots to offer discounts to holders of exhibition or event tickets.
\n
During this year's Beijing International Film Festival, ticket holders enjoyed discounts at 1,100 businesses in over 30 commercial districts, attracting 76.66 million visits and driving 25.17 billion yuan ($3.51 billion) in spending.
\n
Data from Chinese travel services platform Qunar shows that a single ticket can generate secondary spending worth as much as twice the ticket price, and ticket stubs can help tourists save an average of 15 to 30 percent on related expenses.
\n
As the ticket-stub economy fuels waves of consumption, the industry is also exploring ways to ensure its long-term growth.
\n
According to Zhou Jianjun, a professor at the College of Finance and Statistics at Hunan University, governments can use policy tools such as tax breaks and subsidies to lower the cost of merchant participation, as well as establish cross-industry collaboration platforms to clarify the rules.
\n
Zhou Yongbo also suggested enhancing ticket stub design to make them into collectible souvenirs and adopting anti-counterfeiting technologies such as blockchain to prevent misuse.
\n
"Most importantly, the development of the ticket-stub economy should be rooted in local characteristics, in order to enhance its competitiveness," he added.
NANCHANG — At halftime of a soccer league match in Jiangxi province, spectator Li Zide unexpectedly learned that his ticket could get him half off the usual price of indoor skiing at a nearby scenic spot.
\n
"I'd always thought winter sports were expensive, but this discount was the perfect chance to give it a try," he said. The next day, Li headed straight to the spot to give skiing a go.
\n
The 2025 Jiangxi City Football Super League kicked off in mid-July, attracting fans from across the country.
\n
"Most spectators are young people and families. They are exactly our target customers," said Liu Xin, a staff member at Jiangxi's Wugong Mountain scenic area.
\n
The site has seen a surge in visitors after offering discounts to holders of soccer match tickets.
\n
"Many come directly after matches to enjoy activities such as barbecues, stream trekking, fruit picking and camping. Our revenues have grown noticeably," Liu revealed.
\n
Today, ticket stubs are far more than just simple mementos, instead serving to fuel the rise of the "ticket-stub economy" — a model in which tickets from transportation services, cultural and tourism activities, and sports events are able to be used to enjoy discounts, redeem points or unlock other benefits in the course of subsequent spending.
\n
"The ticket stub economy links separate tourism, transportation and commercial scenarios — turning one purchase into a chain of spending," said Zhou Yongbo, a professor of tourism management at Soochow University.
\n
Concertgoer Xu Lei experienced this phenomenon firsthand in Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi.
\n
"I was surprised to find I could get discounts at more than 60 restaurants with my concert ticket. These bonus surprises made me want to stay longer," he said.
\n
Jiangxi is not alone. In 2024, Shanghai trialled a ticket-stub program during an exhibition at the Shanghai Museum, giving visitors discounts on shopping and dining experiences. Official data showed that the event generated tens of billions of yuan in spending.
\n
In May this year, Shanghai rolled out an action plan to promote the ticket-stub economy, encouraging malls and scenic spots to offer discounts to holders of exhibition or event tickets.
\n
During this year's Beijing International Film Festival, ticket holders enjoyed discounts at 1,100 businesses in over 30 commercial districts, attracting 76.66 million visits and driving 25.17 billion yuan ($3.51 billion) in spending.
\n
Data from Chinese travel services platform Qunar shows that a single ticket can generate secondary spending worth as much as twice the ticket price, and ticket stubs can help tourists save an average of 15 to 30 percent on related expenses.
\n
As the ticket-stub economy fuels waves of consumption, the industry is also exploring ways to ensure its long-term growth.
\n
According to Zhou Jianjun, a professor at the College of Finance and Statistics at Hunan University, governments can use policy tools such as tax breaks and subsidies to lower the cost of merchant participation, as well as establish cross-industry collaboration platforms to clarify the rules.
\n
Zhou Yongbo also suggested enhancing ticket stub design to make them into collectible souvenirs and adopting anti-counterfeiting technologies such as blockchain to prevent misuse.
\n
"Most importantly, the development of the ticket-stub economy should be rooted in local characteristics, in order to enhance its competitiveness," he added.
At the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, a human player imitates a malfunctioned robot that needs to be moved out of the field by referees after being knocked down by a robot during the human vs robot soccer match on Aug 17.
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Two robots compete in a boxing match during the games, on Aug 15.
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An award ceremony is held for robot winners of the 100-meter dash competition during the games, on Aug 17.
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From left: An engineer adjusts a robot on Aug 13, during the games. A human performer (middle) and two robots, dressed as terracotta warriors, wait for their turn to participate in the Soul of Terracotta Warrior performance during the opening ceremony of the games on Aug 14.
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Wan Shanlin, a robot operator from Unitree Robotics, poses with a humanoid robot on Aug 17.
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Two robots compete in the 100-meter dash on Aug 17.
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A model interacts with a humanoid robot during the rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the games on Aug 13.
\n
Online Scan the code to watch the video.
\n
Since the beginning of the year, humanoid robots have undoubtedly taken center stage.
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No longer confined to sci-fi films, they are gradually becoming "new companions" in real life. On the sports stadium, robot athletes are met with wave upon wave of cheers from the audience.
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From sprinting in a 100-meter dash to teamwork on the field, from precise punches in the boxing ring to flawlessly completing tasks in scenario-based competitions, they have demonstrated remarkable potential, marking a significant step toward the integration of humanoid robots into human life and setting a promising vision for the future.
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At the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, when Ruben Michel Beumer and Peter Teurlings from the Netherlands carried a Chinese robot onto the field, holding it overhead like a child, it evoked the image of parents lifting their toddling infants. Generation after generation of researchers has shouldered the weight of their intellectual creations, supporting a future that stretches beyond human footsteps.
\n
As robots demonstrate improved mobility and environmental interaction, our expectations of artificial intelligence are no longer just about efficiency and intelligence — they now carry a sense of warmth and emotional connection.
\n
dongsenhe@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
At the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, a human player imitates a malfunctioned robot that needs to be moved out of the field by referees after being knocked down by a robot during the human vs robot soccer match on Aug 17.
\n
Two robots compete in a boxing match during the games, on Aug 15.
\n
An award ceremony is held for robot winners of the 100-meter dash competition during the games, on Aug 17.
\n
From left: An engineer adjusts a robot on Aug 13, during the games. A human performer (middle) and two robots, dressed as terracotta warriors, wait for their turn to participate in the Soul of Terracotta Warrior performance during the opening ceremony of the games on Aug 14.
\n
Wan Shanlin, a robot operator from Unitree Robotics, poses with a humanoid robot on Aug 17.
\n
Two robots compete in the 100-meter dash on Aug 17.
\n
A model interacts with a humanoid robot during the rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the games on Aug 13.
\n
Online Scan the code to watch the video.
\n
Since the beginning of the year, humanoid robots have undoubtedly taken center stage.
\n
No longer confined to sci-fi films, they are gradually becoming "new companions" in real life. On the sports stadium, robot athletes are met with wave upon wave of cheers from the audience.
\n
From sprinting in a 100-meter dash to teamwork on the field, from precise punches in the boxing ring to flawlessly completing tasks in scenario-based competitions, they have demonstrated remarkable potential, marking a significant step toward the integration of humanoid robots into human life and setting a promising vision for the future.
\n
At the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, when Ruben Michel Beumer and Peter Teurlings from the Netherlands carried a Chinese robot onto the field, holding it overhead like a child, it evoked the image of parents lifting their toddling infants. Generation after generation of researchers has shouldered the weight of their intellectual creations, supporting a future that stretches beyond human footsteps.
\n
As robots demonstrate improved mobility and environmental interaction, our expectations of artificial intelligence are no longer just about efficiency and intelligence — they now carry a sense of warmth and emotional connection.
It comes as no surprise that the second round of a recall vote against seven legislators of the Kuomintang party in Taiwan has once again ended in complete failure on Saturday, bringing an inglorious close to the monthslong campaign that is widely believed to have been orchestrated in a most disgraceful way by Taiwan leader Lai Chingte and the Democratic Progressive Party.
\n
The sweeping victory for the KMT in the vote was an ignominious setback for the DPP's recall campaign. Less than a month ago, the KMT reaped its first success after a recall vote against its 24 legislators failed completely. Saturday's result means after two rounds of voting, the DPP still remains a minority party in the island's legislature, holding 51 seats out of 113.
\n
As Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, rightfully pointed out, Saturday's voting shows after the first round of the recall vote the people on the island continue to say "no" to the disgraceful political farce staged by the DPP and its attempts to suppress political dissent and deepen social division on the island. It fully demonstrated that any separatist moves and political manipulation run against the will of the people in Taiwan and are doomed to fail.
\n
For Lai and the DPP, such a crushing defeat was exactly what they deserve. Since Lai took office, he and the DPP have never gone a day without pushing their separatist agenda, and the mass recall campaign, which was an attempt to overturn the DPP's minority in the island's legislature, was just one instance of their machinations aimed at achieving their ulterior political motives.
\n
It is high time Lai and the DPP listened to the broader public opinion in Taiwan, which indicates through the two rounds of the recall voting nothing but the strong public dissatisfaction with their governance.
\n
Lai and the DPP's insistence on pushing for the second round of mass recall voting after the first round was such an abject failure reveals the hypocrisy of their groundless finger-pointing at the Chinese mainland. Any addressing of the major issues that residents on the island are most concerned about, such as the economy and people's livelihood, has been cast aside to make way for political manipulation.
\n
What worries the people on the Chinese island most at present is the huge impact of the United States' high tariffs and the appreciation of Taiwan's currency on the island's economy. Yet, with their minds totally focused on the mass recall, Lai and the DPP have completely ignored public opinion and devoted all resources to this political gamble. With the public increasingly seeing the true face of the governance of Lai and the DPP, the public discontent with their policies was palpable in the voting results.
\n
The DPP's goal of maintaining its political power through creating division, confrontation, and relying on outside forces, especially the US, is unacceptable to the public, which also means Lai's governance philosophy and ideas continue to lose traction on the island.
\n
Lai should know mainstream sentiment among the Taiwan public is for stability and improving their own well-being, and that they do not support his approach of being a willing lapdog to outside forces and causing division at home. Hence, it is only natural that the popularity of Lai and his party will continue to decline on the island if they persist with their provocative separatist stance.
\n
Not to mention that Lai and the DPP have clearly misread and misinterpreted the current US policy on Taiwan. It is hard to believe that the current US administration, driven by US President Donald Trump's principle of "America First", will do whatever it takes to lend support for Lai's separatist agenda.
\n
Any attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" will only lead to a dead end. If Lai and the DPP continue going on the wrong path, they will inevitably face the consequences of their actions.
\n",
+ "content": "
It comes as no surprise that the second round of a recall vote against seven legislators of the Kuomintang party in Taiwan has once again ended in complete failure on Saturday, bringing an inglorious close to the monthslong campaign that is widely believed to have been orchestrated in a most disgraceful way by Taiwan leader Lai Chingte and the Democratic Progressive Party.
\n
The sweeping victory for the KMT in the vote was an ignominious setback for the DPP's recall campaign. Less than a month ago, the KMT reaped its first success after a recall vote against its 24 legislators failed completely. Saturday's result means after two rounds of voting, the DPP still remains a minority party in the island's legislature, holding 51 seats out of 113.
\n
As Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, rightfully pointed out, Saturday's voting shows after the first round of the recall vote the people on the island continue to say "no" to the disgraceful political farce staged by the DPP and its attempts to suppress political dissent and deepen social division on the island. It fully demonstrated that any separatist moves and political manipulation run against the will of the people in Taiwan and are doomed to fail.
\n
For Lai and the DPP, such a crushing defeat was exactly what they deserve. Since Lai took office, he and the DPP have never gone a day without pushing their separatist agenda, and the mass recall campaign, which was an attempt to overturn the DPP's minority in the island's legislature, was just one instance of their machinations aimed at achieving their ulterior political motives.
\n
It is high time Lai and the DPP listened to the broader public opinion in Taiwan, which indicates through the two rounds of the recall voting nothing but the strong public dissatisfaction with their governance.
\n
Lai and the DPP's insistence on pushing for the second round of mass recall voting after the first round was such an abject failure reveals the hypocrisy of their groundless finger-pointing at the Chinese mainland. Any addressing of the major issues that residents on the island are most concerned about, such as the economy and people's livelihood, has been cast aside to make way for political manipulation.
\n
What worries the people on the Chinese island most at present is the huge impact of the United States' high tariffs and the appreciation of Taiwan's currency on the island's economy. Yet, with their minds totally focused on the mass recall, Lai and the DPP have completely ignored public opinion and devoted all resources to this political gamble. With the public increasingly seeing the true face of the governance of Lai and the DPP, the public discontent with their policies was palpable in the voting results.
\n
The DPP's goal of maintaining its political power through creating division, confrontation, and relying on outside forces, especially the US, is unacceptable to the public, which also means Lai's governance philosophy and ideas continue to lose traction on the island.
\n
Lai should know mainstream sentiment among the Taiwan public is for stability and improving their own well-being, and that they do not support his approach of being a willing lapdog to outside forces and causing division at home. Hence, it is only natural that the popularity of Lai and his party will continue to decline on the island if they persist with their provocative separatist stance.
\n
Not to mention that Lai and the DPP have clearly misread and misinterpreted the current US policy on Taiwan. It is hard to believe that the current US administration, driven by US President Donald Trump's principle of "America First", will do whatever it takes to lend support for Lai's separatist agenda.
\n
Any attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" will only lead to a dead end. If Lai and the DPP continue going on the wrong path, they will inevitably face the consequences of their actions.
China on Friday announced tightened rules over the mining and processing of rare earths, extending enhanced regulations to imported minerals and requiring enterprises to report the flow of the strategic materials monthly.
\n
The rules were released as guidelines on the implementation of the country's rare earth management regulations, which took effect in October.
\n
The rules, effective immediately, stipulate how government agencies should manage quotas for designated companies and make the flow of rare earth products traceable, according to three departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
\n
As the MIIT noted, rare earths are important strategic mineral resources, and changes in the industry mean that earlier rules were no longer suitable for current needs.
\n
Despite that, some still try and misinterpret the move as the latest sign of China's "weaponization" of the strategic items.
\n
An important reason that they claim this every time the country adjusts its rare earth rules is that they have long taken it for granted that China is "obliged" to sell rare earths for peanuts.
\n
That was what China did for decades before the mid-2000s when the country's rare earth elements' export prices were so low — a few or a few dozen dollars per kilogram depending on the element — that the prices didn't even cover the production and environmental costs under higher industry standards and pollution-control requirements.
\n
Rare earth elements, which are called "industrial vitamins", enable huge technological functions, and they are widely applied in the electronics, automotive, energy, defense, aerospace, healthcare and medical tech industries.
\n
That means China has made tremendous contributions to the high-tech industry's rise in the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea and some major European countries, all top rare earth elements importers, since it started becoming a major producer, processor and exporter of rare earth-related items in the early 1980s.
\n
To some extent, it was the large amounts of high-quality rare earth elements China provided at an extremely low price in those years that enabled the fast development of relevant industries that played a pivotal role in these developed countries' fast development since the 1980s.
\n
Even after China started reforming its rare earths industry about 20 years ago achieving remarkable progress in the refining, separation and purification of rare earth elements and magnet manufacturing, the export price of its rare earth-related items remained markedly lower than that of any other exporters.
\n
In the past, extensive and unregulated development led to the undervaluation of resources and ecological damage. This unsustainable model not only threatened to deplete the country's natural resource endowment but also posed risks to the long-term stability of the global industry and supply chains.
\n
Currently, with about 40 percent of the world's known rare earths reserves, China, which holds core know-how on smelting and separating rare earth elements, mines around 70 percent of the materials and processes nearly 90 percent of the world's rare earths.
\n
China's innovations in rare earths processing technology in the early 21st century have contributed to the development of indispensable modern technologies, such as semiconductors, renewable energy and artificial intelligence.
\n
But China's contribution — be it the historical one at considerable environmental cost to itself or the current one that comes along with its tech breakthroughs — has long been ignored by some.
\n
Instead, they try and hijack China's reform of its rare earths industry with their "weaponization" claim as if to ensure the developed economies' access to high-quality, clean and sufficient rare earth elements is an obligation for China. Not to mention some developed countries have implemented discriminatory restrictive export policies in high-tech products and services against China while trying to contain China's high-tech progress by attacking its technology enterprises.
\n
Despite that, being well aware of the important role it plays in the world's rare earths sector, and hence its responsibility to help sustain the global industry and supply chains, China has never "weaponized" its processing or exports of rare earth elements.
\n
The series of actions China has taken in recent years to adjust its rules and policies on rare earth-related items have been driven by the need to keep its rare earths industry sustainable.
\n
The series of breakthroughs China has made in rare earths processing technology since the new century and the improved performances of its rare earths industry, which benefit the world, originate from its continual optimization of the industry.
\n
These moves align with international management standards and underscore China's sense of responsibility as a key global supplier of the critical minerals and its commitment to advancing shared global development.
\n",
+ "content": "
China on Friday announced tightened rules over the mining and processing of rare earths, extending enhanced regulations to imported minerals and requiring enterprises to report the flow of the strategic materials monthly.
\n
The rules were released as guidelines on the implementation of the country's rare earth management regulations, which took effect in October.
\n
The rules, effective immediately, stipulate how government agencies should manage quotas for designated companies and make the flow of rare earth products traceable, according to three departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
\n
As the MIIT noted, rare earths are important strategic mineral resources, and changes in the industry mean that earlier rules were no longer suitable for current needs.
\n
Despite that, some still try and misinterpret the move as the latest sign of China's "weaponization" of the strategic items.
\n
An important reason that they claim this every time the country adjusts its rare earth rules is that they have long taken it for granted that China is "obliged" to sell rare earths for peanuts.
\n
That was what China did for decades before the mid-2000s when the country's rare earth elements' export prices were so low — a few or a few dozen dollars per kilogram depending on the element — that the prices didn't even cover the production and environmental costs under higher industry standards and pollution-control requirements.
\n
Rare earth elements, which are called "industrial vitamins", enable huge technological functions, and they are widely applied in the electronics, automotive, energy, defense, aerospace, healthcare and medical tech industries.
\n
That means China has made tremendous contributions to the high-tech industry's rise in the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea and some major European countries, all top rare earth elements importers, since it started becoming a major producer, processor and exporter of rare earth-related items in the early 1980s.
\n
To some extent, it was the large amounts of high-quality rare earth elements China provided at an extremely low price in those years that enabled the fast development of relevant industries that played a pivotal role in these developed countries' fast development since the 1980s.
\n
Even after China started reforming its rare earths industry about 20 years ago achieving remarkable progress in the refining, separation and purification of rare earth elements and magnet manufacturing, the export price of its rare earth-related items remained markedly lower than that of any other exporters.
\n
In the past, extensive and unregulated development led to the undervaluation of resources and ecological damage. This unsustainable model not only threatened to deplete the country's natural resource endowment but also posed risks to the long-term stability of the global industry and supply chains.
\n
Currently, with about 40 percent of the world's known rare earths reserves, China, which holds core know-how on smelting and separating rare earth elements, mines around 70 percent of the materials and processes nearly 90 percent of the world's rare earths.
\n
China's innovations in rare earths processing technology in the early 21st century have contributed to the development of indispensable modern technologies, such as semiconductors, renewable energy and artificial intelligence.
\n
But China's contribution — be it the historical one at considerable environmental cost to itself or the current one that comes along with its tech breakthroughs — has long been ignored by some.
\n
Instead, they try and hijack China's reform of its rare earths industry with their "weaponization" claim as if to ensure the developed economies' access to high-quality, clean and sufficient rare earth elements is an obligation for China. Not to mention some developed countries have implemented discriminatory restrictive export policies in high-tech products and services against China while trying to contain China's high-tech progress by attacking its technology enterprises.
\n
Despite that, being well aware of the important role it plays in the world's rare earths sector, and hence its responsibility to help sustain the global industry and supply chains, China has never "weaponized" its processing or exports of rare earth elements.
\n
The series of actions China has taken in recent years to adjust its rules and policies on rare earth-related items have been driven by the need to keep its rare earths industry sustainable.
\n
The series of breakthroughs China has made in rare earths processing technology since the new century and the improved performances of its rare earths industry, which benefit the world, originate from its continual optimization of the industry.
\n
These moves align with international management standards and underscore China's sense of responsibility as a key global supplier of the critical minerals and its commitment to advancing shared global development.
A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not being planned, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the media on Friday, stating the "agenda is not ready at all". His comments came a week after US President Donald Trump met with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, for talks aimed at ending the three-year conflict in Ukraine. The US president also met with Zelensky and European leaders on Monday last week.
\n
Despite the desire for peace shared by all parties, the US-led peace process, which once looked workable after the multilateral meetings at the White House, has come to a halt again.
\n
So far the only major outcomes of the process are to the benefit of the United States — the signing of a favorable mineral resource deal with Ukraine and getting the agreement of most members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to increase their defense spending to 5 percent of their GDP, with most of it earmarked for weapons purchases from the US. The US administration has not managed to prompt any major substantial breakthrough on the core issues concerning a negotiated end to the Ukraine crisis.
\n
That Moscow and Kyiv have not narrowed the gap between them on the territorial issue or how to realize a security guarantee for Ukraine means there is still much work to be done to get the two sides to soften their positions to get peace talks started.
\n
Commenting on a potential meeting between Putin and Zelensky, Trump told reporters on Friday: "We're going to see if Putin and Zelensky will be working together. You know, that's like oil and vinegar a little bit. They don't get along too well... but we'll see, and then we'll see whether or not I would have to be there. I'd rather not. I'd rather have them have a meeting and see how they can do."
\n
Although Trump still didn't rule out his possible participation in a meeting in the statement, it shows a delicate change of attitude compared with the more positive remarks he made after the meetings at the White House when one of the focuses was on whether there should be a four-party meeting involving major European countries after the US-Russia-Ukraine trilateral meeting, as the French president urged.
\n
The US-brokered peace process seems to have come right back to where it was after the Trump-Putin meeting on Aug 15.
\n
No wonder Zelensky, who dares not criticize either the US or European countries, tried to point a finger of blame at Russia indicating Moscow is "doing everything" to prevent his meeting with Putin from taking place.
\n
"The meeting is one of the components of how to end the war. And since they don't want to end it, they will look for space to (avoid it)," the Ukrainian president claimed.
\n
But he should be reminded that before Moscow and Kyiv can reach any agreement on the core issues, no meeting between him and Putin is likely to produce any desirable result.
\n
Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified attacks on each other's energy infrastructure over the past week.
\n
Notably, Ukraine launched an attack on the Unecha pumping station in Russia's Bryansk region, which is a crucial part of the Druzhba oil pipeline that supplies oil to Hungary and Slovakia, two members of the European Union, making the situation even more complicated.
\n
While ruling out a suggestion put forward by Lavrov that permanent United Nations Security Council members could underpin a security guarantee for Ukraine under a settlement that ends the Ukraine crisis, Zelensky even blamed China for not helping to stop Russia's "special military operation" in 2022, and made groundless accusations that China had "aided" Moscow. This view bears no resemblance to the reality. China has always acted in an open, fair and objective manner on the Ukraine crisis, and its constructive role is widely recognized by the international community.
\n
As Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in response to a question on Zelensky's blaming of China on Friday, China is willing to play a constructive role in the peace process.
\n
All sides should uphold a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, and work to promote a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis.
\n",
+ "content": "
A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not being planned, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the media on Friday, stating the "agenda is not ready at all". His comments came a week after US President Donald Trump met with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, for talks aimed at ending the three-year conflict in Ukraine. The US president also met with Zelensky and European leaders on Monday last week.
\n
Despite the desire for peace shared by all parties, the US-led peace process, which once looked workable after the multilateral meetings at the White House, has come to a halt again.
\n
So far the only major outcomes of the process are to the benefit of the United States — the signing of a favorable mineral resource deal with Ukraine and getting the agreement of most members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to increase their defense spending to 5 percent of their GDP, with most of it earmarked for weapons purchases from the US. The US administration has not managed to prompt any major substantial breakthrough on the core issues concerning a negotiated end to the Ukraine crisis.
\n
That Moscow and Kyiv have not narrowed the gap between them on the territorial issue or how to realize a security guarantee for Ukraine means there is still much work to be done to get the two sides to soften their positions to get peace talks started.
\n
Commenting on a potential meeting between Putin and Zelensky, Trump told reporters on Friday: "We're going to see if Putin and Zelensky will be working together. You know, that's like oil and vinegar a little bit. They don't get along too well... but we'll see, and then we'll see whether or not I would have to be there. I'd rather not. I'd rather have them have a meeting and see how they can do."
\n
Although Trump still didn't rule out his possible participation in a meeting in the statement, it shows a delicate change of attitude compared with the more positive remarks he made after the meetings at the White House when one of the focuses was on whether there should be a four-party meeting involving major European countries after the US-Russia-Ukraine trilateral meeting, as the French president urged.
\n
The US-brokered peace process seems to have come right back to where it was after the Trump-Putin meeting on Aug 15.
\n
No wonder Zelensky, who dares not criticize either the US or European countries, tried to point a finger of blame at Russia indicating Moscow is "doing everything" to prevent his meeting with Putin from taking place.
\n
"The meeting is one of the components of how to end the war. And since they don't want to end it, they will look for space to (avoid it)," the Ukrainian president claimed.
\n
But he should be reminded that before Moscow and Kyiv can reach any agreement on the core issues, no meeting between him and Putin is likely to produce any desirable result.
\n
Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified attacks on each other's energy infrastructure over the past week.
\n
Notably, Ukraine launched an attack on the Unecha pumping station in Russia's Bryansk region, which is a crucial part of the Druzhba oil pipeline that supplies oil to Hungary and Slovakia, two members of the European Union, making the situation even more complicated.
\n
While ruling out a suggestion put forward by Lavrov that permanent United Nations Security Council members could underpin a security guarantee for Ukraine under a settlement that ends the Ukraine crisis, Zelensky even blamed China for not helping to stop Russia's "special military operation" in 2022, and made groundless accusations that China had "aided" Moscow. This view bears no resemblance to the reality. China has always acted in an open, fair and objective manner on the Ukraine crisis, and its constructive role is widely recognized by the international community.
\n
As Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in response to a question on Zelensky's blaming of China on Friday, China is willing to play a constructive role in the peace process.
\n
All sides should uphold a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, and work to promote a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis.
Editor's Note: Since 2025, "anti-involution" has become a focus of China's economic policies. Comprehensive measures to address "involution-style" competition may become a priority in economic and social development in the second half of the year. In his interview with Guangzhou Daily, Huang Qunhui, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a researcher at the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, explained how to address the challenge. Below are excerpts from the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
\n
Involution is a process of diminishing returns to scale that contributes little to development. "Involution-style" competition can refer to corporate decision-making behavior in a scenario where "supply-side expansion continues while demand-side response lags". Such behavior stems from irrational competition intensifying under the pressure of the stock market.
\n
Maintaining industry competition, on the other hand, requires a fair competitive environment, curbs on unfair competition and the prevention of monopolistic practices. "Anti-involution" does not restrict market competition, it opposes irrational competition, unfair competition and monopolistic behavior. "Anti-involution" is an important initiative to create a fair competitive environment.
\n
When faced with an uncertain market environment and increasingly tight resource allocation, companies tend to try and seize market share by cutting costs, thereby creating involution in the market. This not only hinders the optimal allocation of resources but also suppresses technological progress and organizational efficiency, preventing companies or industries from achieving qualitative breakthroughs and ultimately trapping them in a dilemma of "more investment for no results" and employees in "more work for less pay".
\n
Involution manifests in vicious price wars, exclusionary agreements, abuse of market dominance and false advertising. These practices undermine normal market order and resource allocation efficiency.
\n
Hence the government must introduce more policies to help enterprises and industries address the challenges of involution.
\n
First, it is essential to stimulate innovation and the upgrading of manufacturing by improving the technological innovation mechanism, which is the core path to achieving high-quality development in the manufacturing sector. At the policy level, it is recommended to strengthen the technological innovation orientation of industrial subsidies, restrict subsidies aimed at capacity expansion and incentivize enterprises to actively engage in standard-setting, technological originality and brand development.
\n
Second, efforts should be made to optimize the innovation synergy of industry chains so as to build a mutually beneficial ecosystem. Introducing and refining industry chain innovation policies to guide companies toward technological innovation and product upgrading will further curb involution in supply chains.
\n
Large State-owned enterprises and research institutions should promote the open sharing of scientific research achievements, and enhance the technical support and collaboration mechanisms. This will help upstream and downstream enterprises form a synergistic innovation ecosystem, boosting the international competitiveness of industry chains and enhancing self-reliance in core technologies.
\n
Third, the government should optimize the structure of domestic demand and unleash consumption potential, which is one of the fundamental ways to alleviate involution. Efforts should be made to advance reforms in the income distribution system, optimize the income distribution structure and enhance residents' actual consumption capacity, providing more stable and high-quality market demand for manufacturing.
\n
The integrated development of manufacturing and services is also essential to cultivate new consumption scenarios and demand growth points. This will inject sustained momentum into the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing.
\n
A market free from involution is one with a well-developed self-regulatory mechanism, and one where the practices of unfair competition are incorporated into corporate credit records and linked to government procurement and financing support.
\n
A long-term governance framework should steer enterprises toward standardized and sustainable development.
\n",
+ "content": "
Editor's Note: Since 2025, "anti-involution" has become a focus of China's economic policies. Comprehensive measures to address "involution-style" competition may become a priority in economic and social development in the second half of the year. In his interview with Guangzhou Daily, Huang Qunhui, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a researcher at the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, explained how to address the challenge. Below are excerpts from the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
\n
Involution is a process of diminishing returns to scale that contributes little to development. "Involution-style" competition can refer to corporate decision-making behavior in a scenario where "supply-side expansion continues while demand-side response lags". Such behavior stems from irrational competition intensifying under the pressure of the stock market.
\n
Maintaining industry competition, on the other hand, requires a fair competitive environment, curbs on unfair competition and the prevention of monopolistic practices. "Anti-involution" does not restrict market competition, it opposes irrational competition, unfair competition and monopolistic behavior. "Anti-involution" is an important initiative to create a fair competitive environment.
\n
When faced with an uncertain market environment and increasingly tight resource allocation, companies tend to try and seize market share by cutting costs, thereby creating involution in the market. This not only hinders the optimal allocation of resources but also suppresses technological progress and organizational efficiency, preventing companies or industries from achieving qualitative breakthroughs and ultimately trapping them in a dilemma of "more investment for no results" and employees in "more work for less pay".
\n
Involution manifests in vicious price wars, exclusionary agreements, abuse of market dominance and false advertising. These practices undermine normal market order and resource allocation efficiency.
\n
Hence the government must introduce more policies to help enterprises and industries address the challenges of involution.
\n
First, it is essential to stimulate innovation and the upgrading of manufacturing by improving the technological innovation mechanism, which is the core path to achieving high-quality development in the manufacturing sector. At the policy level, it is recommended to strengthen the technological innovation orientation of industrial subsidies, restrict subsidies aimed at capacity expansion and incentivize enterprises to actively engage in standard-setting, technological originality and brand development.
\n
Second, efforts should be made to optimize the innovation synergy of industry chains so as to build a mutually beneficial ecosystem. Introducing and refining industry chain innovation policies to guide companies toward technological innovation and product upgrading will further curb involution in supply chains.
\n
Large State-owned enterprises and research institutions should promote the open sharing of scientific research achievements, and enhance the technical support and collaboration mechanisms. This will help upstream and downstream enterprises form a synergistic innovation ecosystem, boosting the international competitiveness of industry chains and enhancing self-reliance in core technologies.
\n
Third, the government should optimize the structure of domestic demand and unleash consumption potential, which is one of the fundamental ways to alleviate involution. Efforts should be made to advance reforms in the income distribution system, optimize the income distribution structure and enhance residents' actual consumption capacity, providing more stable and high-quality market demand for manufacturing.
\n
The integrated development of manufacturing and services is also essential to cultivate new consumption scenarios and demand growth points. This will inject sustained momentum into the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing.
\n
A market free from involution is one with a well-developed self-regulatory mechanism, and one where the practices of unfair competition are incorporated into corporate credit records and linked to government procurement and financing support.
\n
A long-term governance framework should steer enterprises toward standardized and sustainable development.
\n",
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+ "pubDate": "Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:21:05 +0000",
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+ "hash": "28332f60767e6c89d77974fb2d00dec7",
+ "highlights": []
+ },
+ {
+ "title": "009VIEWS - Restoring truth is the least we can do to serve history",
+ "description": "\n\n
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War. In the World Anti-Fascist War, the Asian theater made perhaps the greatest contribution to the Allied victory, as it began much earlier and lasted longer than the Western theater.
\n
Following Japan's acceptance of the 1945 Potsdam Declaration and unconditional surrender to the Allied forces on Aug 15, 1945, Japanese representatives signed the instrument of surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept 2, 1945. In China, the surrender signing ceremony was held in Nanjing on Sept 9, 1945, ending the 14-year-long Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
\n
However, Japan's attitude toward its history of aggression raises a major question, for which the regression of Japanese governments' position is to blame. Japan issued three "statements". The first was the 1982 statement by then chief secretary of the Japanese cabinet Kiichi Miyazawa which included the "close-neighbors clause" of "not provoking neighboring countries" by including controversial issues in history textbooks, and promised that "the Japanese government will correct contents recorded in textbooks in a responsible manner".
\n
The second was the 1993 statement by then chief secretary of the Japanese cabinet Yohei Kono who acknowledged that the Japanese military established and managed "comfort stations", and "recruited" and retained "comfort women".
\n
And the third was the 1995 statement by then prime minister Tomiichi Murayama on the 50th anniversary of Japan's surrender. Murayama expressed "deep reflection" on Japan's past colonial rule and aggression, emphasizing the need to learn lessons from history. He said that "our task is to convey to younger generations the horrors of war, so that we never repeat the errors in our history". These three statements were seen as reflecting Japan's official position on its history of aggression.
\n
But Japan's "1955 system" collapsed and Japanese society became "generally conservative" in the following years, allowing erroneous historical views to be spread. Right-wing conservative forces denied, and even glorified, the country's history of aggression in a bid to get rid of the so-called postwar system.
\n
In 2015, then Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe issued a statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, deliberately avoiding the historical facts of militarist Japan and colonial rule in Asian countries, saying "we must not let our children, grandchildren and even further generations to come, who have nothing to do with that war, be predestined to apologize".
\n
Abe also floated the theory that "the definition of aggression is undefined". While then mayor of Osaka Toru Hashimoto said that the "recruitment" and retention of "comfort women" were "necessary" for Japanese soldiers in order to "maintain discipline", then deputy prime minister Taro Aso suggested Japan secretly revise its Constitution by emulating the practices of Nazi Germany before World War II.
\n
Needless to say, those Japanese leaders, by trying to distort history, violated international law.
\n
Contrary to Abe's claim, the international community reached a consensus on what constitutes "aggression" almost a century ago, corroborated by the 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact, the 1946 United Nations General Assembly resolutions, the 1948 verdict of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, and the 1974 UN resolutions.
\n
Besides, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, established in January 1946, highlighted the fact that the Japanese army massacred more than 200,000 civilians and prisoners of war in and around Nanjing. And the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal, established in February 1946, ruled the Japanese army killed no fewer than 340,000 people in Nanjing. Both said the acts of the Japanese army were "aggressions" and examples of barbarity.
\n
Unlike post-war Germany, Japanese society did not cut ties with its prewar history. This explains why the conservative governments led by the Liberal Democratic Party have consistently been evasive about the country's history of aggression.
\n
On Aug 15, 2022, the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, a museum in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, for the first time made public the complete list of names and personal information of all the 414 members of the Japanese army's Kwantung Army Chemical Department who were responsible for conducting chemical and biological tests on Chinese people. It is an important historical document. In 2017, it was transferred to the National Archives of Japan's Digital Archive.
\n
In April this year, Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Taku Yamazoe publicly revealed an internal document of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense, which was formulated in 1983 by the National Institute for Defense Studies under Japan's Ministry of Defense. The document, concealed all along, says that "personnel records of Unit 731 should receive special treatment", meaning they should not be made public.
\n
Japan's egregious conduct cannot be divorced from the United States' complicity. The US' pragmatism is manifested in its attitude toward Japan. The Cold War prompted the US to rapidly change its Japan policy to counter the Soviet Union. That encouraged Japan to gradually deviate from its pacifist position, which is enshrined in the country's Constitution.
\n
In 1946, under US pressure, Japan promulgated its pacifist Constitution, but just seven years later, the Constitution was called by then US vice-president Richard Nixon "a well-intentioned mistake". In March this year, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, while attending a memorial service in Iwo Jima to honor those who died in a battle during World War II, declared that "the bravery of those who fought on Iwo Jima — American and Japanese alike — endures in history, in sacred ground and the bonds between our nations. Their valor will never fade". Hegseth may not be unfamiliar with history, but realpolitik prompted him to distort it.
\n
History must not be forgotten, and justice must be upheld. Fortunately, as the dust of time is cleared, more and more truths will come to light. Revealing, restoring and defending the truth are the best ways to serve history. And the Japanese conservative forces have no choice but to face up to history and correct their course.
\n
The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
\n",
+ "content": "\n\n
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War. In the World Anti-Fascist War, the Asian theater made perhaps the greatest contribution to the Allied victory, as it began much earlier and lasted longer than the Western theater.
\n
Following Japan's acceptance of the 1945 Potsdam Declaration and unconditional surrender to the Allied forces on Aug 15, 1945, Japanese representatives signed the instrument of surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept 2, 1945. In China, the surrender signing ceremony was held in Nanjing on Sept 9, 1945, ending the 14-year-long Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
\n
However, Japan's attitude toward its history of aggression raises a major question, for which the regression of Japanese governments' position is to blame. Japan issued three "statements". The first was the 1982 statement by then chief secretary of the Japanese cabinet Kiichi Miyazawa which included the "close-neighbors clause" of "not provoking neighboring countries" by including controversial issues in history textbooks, and promised that "the Japanese government will correct contents recorded in textbooks in a responsible manner".
\n
The second was the 1993 statement by then chief secretary of the Japanese cabinet Yohei Kono who acknowledged that the Japanese military established and managed "comfort stations", and "recruited" and retained "comfort women".
\n
And the third was the 1995 statement by then prime minister Tomiichi Murayama on the 50th anniversary of Japan's surrender. Murayama expressed "deep reflection" on Japan's past colonial rule and aggression, emphasizing the need to learn lessons from history. He said that "our task is to convey to younger generations the horrors of war, so that we never repeat the errors in our history". These three statements were seen as reflecting Japan's official position on its history of aggression.
\n
But Japan's "1955 system" collapsed and Japanese society became "generally conservative" in the following years, allowing erroneous historical views to be spread. Right-wing conservative forces denied, and even glorified, the country's history of aggression in a bid to get rid of the so-called postwar system.
\n
In 2015, then Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe issued a statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, deliberately avoiding the historical facts of militarist Japan and colonial rule in Asian countries, saying "we must not let our children, grandchildren and even further generations to come, who have nothing to do with that war, be predestined to apologize".
\n
Abe also floated the theory that "the definition of aggression is undefined". While then mayor of Osaka Toru Hashimoto said that the "recruitment" and retention of "comfort women" were "necessary" for Japanese soldiers in order to "maintain discipline", then deputy prime minister Taro Aso suggested Japan secretly revise its Constitution by emulating the practices of Nazi Germany before World War II.
\n
Needless to say, those Japanese leaders, by trying to distort history, violated international law.
\n
Contrary to Abe's claim, the international community reached a consensus on what constitutes "aggression" almost a century ago, corroborated by the 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact, the 1946 United Nations General Assembly resolutions, the 1948 verdict of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, and the 1974 UN resolutions.
\n
Besides, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, established in January 1946, highlighted the fact that the Japanese army massacred more than 200,000 civilians and prisoners of war in and around Nanjing. And the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal, established in February 1946, ruled the Japanese army killed no fewer than 340,000 people in Nanjing. Both said the acts of the Japanese army were "aggressions" and examples of barbarity.
\n
Unlike post-war Germany, Japanese society did not cut ties with its prewar history. This explains why the conservative governments led by the Liberal Democratic Party have consistently been evasive about the country's history of aggression.
\n
On Aug 15, 2022, the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, a museum in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, for the first time made public the complete list of names and personal information of all the 414 members of the Japanese army's Kwantung Army Chemical Department who were responsible for conducting chemical and biological tests on Chinese people. It is an important historical document. In 2017, it was transferred to the National Archives of Japan's Digital Archive.
\n
In April this year, Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Taku Yamazoe publicly revealed an internal document of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense, which was formulated in 1983 by the National Institute for Defense Studies under Japan's Ministry of Defense. The document, concealed all along, says that "personnel records of Unit 731 should receive special treatment", meaning they should not be made public.
\n
Japan's egregious conduct cannot be divorced from the United States' complicity. The US' pragmatism is manifested in its attitude toward Japan. The Cold War prompted the US to rapidly change its Japan policy to counter the Soviet Union. That encouraged Japan to gradually deviate from its pacifist position, which is enshrined in the country's Constitution.
\n
In 1946, under US pressure, Japan promulgated its pacifist Constitution, but just seven years later, the Constitution was called by then US vice-president Richard Nixon "a well-intentioned mistake". In March this year, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, while attending a memorial service in Iwo Jima to honor those who died in a battle during World War II, declared that "the bravery of those who fought on Iwo Jima — American and Japanese alike — endures in history, in sacred ground and the bonds between our nations. Their valor will never fade". Hegseth may not be unfamiliar with history, but realpolitik prompted him to distort it.
\n
History must not be forgotten, and justice must be upheld. Fortunately, as the dust of time is cleared, more and more truths will come to light. Revealing, restoring and defending the truth are the best ways to serve history. And the Japanese conservative forces have no choice but to face up to history and correct their course.
\n
The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
The Belt and Road Initiative has experienced a transformative journey in its almost 12 years of existence, becoming one of the world's most influential projects since the establishment of the Bretton Woods system, which gave birth to the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other organizations.
\n
After initially turning many heads, touching many nerves, and challenging hegemony, the initiative today is acknowledged for its foresight and success. While the internal apprehension has turned into confidence, the external resistance has changed from passive to active.
\n
Some observers expressed caution regarding the initiative. Concerns centered on the financial commitments involved in supporting developing countries and the complexities of engaging with diverse cultural and economic contexts. For some, the idea of providing resources without immediately visible returns raised questions about the initiative's long-term impact and sustainability.
\n
The general apprehension rested on the narrative that it would be a burden rather than a boon for China. Some of this internal apprehension diffused externally in the media. A recent research study, "A Decade of Evolving Sentiment on the Belt and Road Initiative in Elite Magazines", captures its essence — where, when, how and why the Western narrative resists the BRI both explicitly and implicitly.
\n
The comprehension of the initiative moved in a positive direction internally and on a more critical course externally. Western governments, media, and influential academic groups painted the initiative in a dismal light while glorifying the Bretton Woods system the Western powers established.
\n
Many scholars and think tanks in the West claimed the BRI is an ambitious yet potentially "harmful" venture which would create more risks than rewards, both for China and its global partners, and the Bretton Woods system alone could address all the global economic woes.
\n
The internal apprehension over the initiative's foresight in the beginning changed to comprehension of its farsightedness with its success. The belief in the initiative has consolidated further because it is the only equalizing and stabilizing factor amid the global turmoil and the gradual demise of the Bretton Woods system. Western observers are realizing the importance of the vision, commitment and determination of Chinese leaders as China continues to progress despite the obstacles created by Western countries and emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
\n
Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China has been sharing its expertise in infrastructure and industrial technologies with other developing countries, thus helping them improve their critical infrastructure and boost their economic development. Such exchanges have also opened up new markets for Chinese companies, fostering the growth of Chinese industries and better aligning supply and demand. The initiative has enabled China and its partner countries to enhance their industrial capabilities, creating long-term value and fostering shared growth.
\n
Besides, the BRI has proven invaluable — as a stabilizer of the global economy — amid escalating trade and technology wars. By diversifying global trade routes and fostering closer ties with countries across Asia, Africa and Europe, the initiative has helped China mitigate the risks posed by disruptions to global free trade and addressed looming natural and man-made crises. In fact, it has created a resilient global network that operates free of the frictions of the Bretton Woods system.
\n
While initially criticized for focusing on smaller and developing countries, the BRI has built a robust social capital of partners that previously, in many cases, were overlooked by the Bretton Woods organizations and thus were excluded from key global development projects.
\n
By investing in infrastructure and providing essential financial support for these countries, the initiative has forged long-term partnerships, which have become valuable diplomatic assets for China and helped spread its influence across the world, while creating opportunities for shared growth.
\n
The success of the BRI has resulted in emancipation from the Bretton Woods system and capitalization of the coordination mechanisms for inclusive and effective development, creating favorable conditions for the growth of infrastructure, technology and industrial sectors.
\n
China's vision of global connectivity and inclusivity also aligns with the needs and visions of its partner countries. This "lock-in effect" has influenced global development in a way that benefits both China and its trade partners, creating a mutually reinforcing cycle of innovation and growth.
\n
The apprehension that once dominated public discourse in the West has, in many parts of that region, changed into acknowledgment of the BRI's pivotal role in shaping the future of the global economy. Many, initially doubtful of the initiative's success, see the wisdom in China's long-term vision now that the trade war has laid bare the US' real intentions.
\n
At the core, some resistance has intensified because the BRI has achieved tremendous success. But most of the world has realized the value and benefits of the initiative.
\n
The lens we should use to evaluate the Belt and Road Initiative is not immediate cost-benefit analysis, but rather the cost had the initiative not been there.
\n
What would have been the impacts of the US trade war, and restrictions on the exports of goods and technologies on China in the absence of the Belt and Road Initiative? It is time for the remaining skeptics to shed their bias and acknowledge that the initiative is now a cornerstone of global development.
\n
The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
The Belt and Road Initiative has experienced a transformative journey in its almost 12 years of existence, becoming one of the world's most influential projects since the establishment of the Bretton Woods system, which gave birth to the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other organizations.
\n
After initially turning many heads, touching many nerves, and challenging hegemony, the initiative today is acknowledged for its foresight and success. While the internal apprehension has turned into confidence, the external resistance has changed from passive to active.
\n
Some observers expressed caution regarding the initiative. Concerns centered on the financial commitments involved in supporting developing countries and the complexities of engaging with diverse cultural and economic contexts. For some, the idea of providing resources without immediately visible returns raised questions about the initiative's long-term impact and sustainability.
\n
The general apprehension rested on the narrative that it would be a burden rather than a boon for China. Some of this internal apprehension diffused externally in the media. A recent research study, "A Decade of Evolving Sentiment on the Belt and Road Initiative in Elite Magazines", captures its essence — where, when, how and why the Western narrative resists the BRI both explicitly and implicitly.
\n
The comprehension of the initiative moved in a positive direction internally and on a more critical course externally. Western governments, media, and influential academic groups painted the initiative in a dismal light while glorifying the Bretton Woods system the Western powers established.
\n
Many scholars and think tanks in the West claimed the BRI is an ambitious yet potentially "harmful" venture which would create more risks than rewards, both for China and its global partners, and the Bretton Woods system alone could address all the global economic woes.
\n
The internal apprehension over the initiative's foresight in the beginning changed to comprehension of its farsightedness with its success. The belief in the initiative has consolidated further because it is the only equalizing and stabilizing factor amid the global turmoil and the gradual demise of the Bretton Woods system. Western observers are realizing the importance of the vision, commitment and determination of Chinese leaders as China continues to progress despite the obstacles created by Western countries and emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
\n
Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China has been sharing its expertise in infrastructure and industrial technologies with other developing countries, thus helping them improve their critical infrastructure and boost their economic development. Such exchanges have also opened up new markets for Chinese companies, fostering the growth of Chinese industries and better aligning supply and demand. The initiative has enabled China and its partner countries to enhance their industrial capabilities, creating long-term value and fostering shared growth.
\n
Besides, the BRI has proven invaluable — as a stabilizer of the global economy — amid escalating trade and technology wars. By diversifying global trade routes and fostering closer ties with countries across Asia, Africa and Europe, the initiative has helped China mitigate the risks posed by disruptions to global free trade and addressed looming natural and man-made crises. In fact, it has created a resilient global network that operates free of the frictions of the Bretton Woods system.
\n
While initially criticized for focusing on smaller and developing countries, the BRI has built a robust social capital of partners that previously, in many cases, were overlooked by the Bretton Woods organizations and thus were excluded from key global development projects.
\n
By investing in infrastructure and providing essential financial support for these countries, the initiative has forged long-term partnerships, which have become valuable diplomatic assets for China and helped spread its influence across the world, while creating opportunities for shared growth.
\n
The success of the BRI has resulted in emancipation from the Bretton Woods system and capitalization of the coordination mechanisms for inclusive and effective development, creating favorable conditions for the growth of infrastructure, technology and industrial sectors.
\n
China's vision of global connectivity and inclusivity also aligns with the needs and visions of its partner countries. This "lock-in effect" has influenced global development in a way that benefits both China and its trade partners, creating a mutually reinforcing cycle of innovation and growth.
\n
The apprehension that once dominated public discourse in the West has, in many parts of that region, changed into acknowledgment of the BRI's pivotal role in shaping the future of the global economy. Many, initially doubtful of the initiative's success, see the wisdom in China's long-term vision now that the trade war has laid bare the US' real intentions.
\n
At the core, some resistance has intensified because the BRI has achieved tremendous success. But most of the world has realized the value and benefits of the initiative.
\n
The lens we should use to evaluate the Belt and Road Initiative is not immediate cost-benefit analysis, but rather the cost had the initiative not been there.
\n
What would have been the impacts of the US trade war, and restrictions on the exports of goods and technologies on China in the absence of the Belt and Road Initiative? It is time for the remaining skeptics to shed their bias and acknowledge that the initiative is now a cornerstone of global development.
\n
The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations should shelve differences while seeking common ground amid the current geo-economic and geopolitical risks and reinforce the region's influence via cooperation on emerging industries, said experts.
\n
Geo-economics is increasingly influencing ASEAN's regional trajectory. As global power dynamics evolve, protectionism rises and supply chains diversify, ASEAN must navigate a complex landscape of opportunity and risk, said Piti Srisangnam, executive director of ASEAN Foundation.
\n
Despite its big market and important geographic location, ASEAN is now facing challenges in the rivalry between the main powers that are testing the region's economic resilience, he said.
\n
The United States has put into effect announced tariffs on the exports from Southeast Asian countries that were far lower than threatened levels but still much higher than tariff rates before, and were criticized as against widely-recognized trade practices embodied by rules of the World Trade Organization, among others.
\n
Amitav Acharya, a professor of international relations at the School of International Service at American University, said the current US domestic and foreign policy, highlighting internal divisions and undermining international norms, posed challenges to its partnerships with some ASEAN members.
\n
He suggested that ASEAN address the impact of its internal conflicts within its members via a non-force approach.
\n
Jayant Menon, former lead economist at the Asian Development Bank, said the US tariff policy is a reminder to the ASEAN communities that the trade troubles are not limited to between the US and China.
\n
"Although there is a wide discussion on the trade war and its impact on ASEAN economies recently, the region should seek solutions from within while rethinking about its future strategy of how to upgrade its competitiveness and create a better connectivity in the face of rising protectionism," he said.
\n
According to Piti, ASEAN is now overdependent on limited markets for exports and imports. It also needs support in several sectors, such as semiconductors, energy and digital infrastructure, which are vulnerable to external risks.The region also suffers from fragmented supply chains as well as slow progress in meeting the goals of climate change and green finance, he said.
\n
Looking forward, he said the region must maintain open and progressive relations with all major powers, while reducing overdependence on any single economy.
\n
Moreover, Piti said ASEAN should build economic resilience for real sectors, strengthening regional supply chains, especially in critical industries such as semiconductor, electric vehicle, renewable energy and food security.
\n
Payment connectivity
\n
For the financial sector, he suggested that ASEAN countries need to develop regional payment connectivity and local currency settlements to reduce exposure to external shocks.
\n
"Another strategy is about flexible multilateralism. ASEAN can pioneer minilateralism that allows smaller flexible groups to solve issues," Piti said, citing an example of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement among ASEAN Plus members.
\n
"Such a mechanism should be open to all and even those newcomers, to make sure that no one is left behind," he noted. "All those efforts would reinforce ASEAN's centrality, ensuring that external partners engage with us through the ASEAN framework rather than bypassing us."
\n
To promote resilience and inclusive growth in the region, ASEAN should accelerate regional integration to diversify risks and also strengthen the regional economy, said Sineenat Sermcheep, director of the ASEAN Studies Center, Faculty of Economics of Chulalongkorn University.
\n
She said the region's e-commerce sector is expanding at a rapid pace, which might become a new booster to economic growth and require harmonized data governance for seamless digital trade.
\n
According to a recent report jointly released by Singapore's banking group DBS and market data and insights firm Cube, e-commerce sales in Southeast Asia will more than double from $184 billion last year to $410 billion by 2030.
\n
"To facilitate digital trade, we should encourage secure and interoperable data exchanges. By reducing legal fragmentation, we can simplify cross-border operations, and encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in digital trade while boosting innovation and investment. This will help to drive digital trade and enhance the region's competitiveness," she said.
\n
yangwanli@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations should shelve differences while seeking common ground amid the current geo-economic and geopolitical risks and reinforce the region's influence via cooperation on emerging industries, said experts.
\n
Geo-economics is increasingly influencing ASEAN's regional trajectory. As global power dynamics evolve, protectionism rises and supply chains diversify, ASEAN must navigate a complex landscape of opportunity and risk, said Piti Srisangnam, executive director of ASEAN Foundation.
\n
Despite its big market and important geographic location, ASEAN is now facing challenges in the rivalry between the main powers that are testing the region's economic resilience, he said.
\n
The United States has put into effect announced tariffs on the exports from Southeast Asian countries that were far lower than threatened levels but still much higher than tariff rates before, and were criticized as against widely-recognized trade practices embodied by rules of the World Trade Organization, among others.
\n
Amitav Acharya, a professor of international relations at the School of International Service at American University, said the current US domestic and foreign policy, highlighting internal divisions and undermining international norms, posed challenges to its partnerships with some ASEAN members.
\n
He suggested that ASEAN address the impact of its internal conflicts within its members via a non-force approach.
\n
Jayant Menon, former lead economist at the Asian Development Bank, said the US tariff policy is a reminder to the ASEAN communities that the trade troubles are not limited to between the US and China.
\n
"Although there is a wide discussion on the trade war and its impact on ASEAN economies recently, the region should seek solutions from within while rethinking about its future strategy of how to upgrade its competitiveness and create a better connectivity in the face of rising protectionism," he said.
\n
According to Piti, ASEAN is now overdependent on limited markets for exports and imports. It also needs support in several sectors, such as semiconductors, energy and digital infrastructure, which are vulnerable to external risks.The region also suffers from fragmented supply chains as well as slow progress in meeting the goals of climate change and green finance, he said.
\n
Looking forward, he said the region must maintain open and progressive relations with all major powers, while reducing overdependence on any single economy.
\n
Moreover, Piti said ASEAN should build economic resilience for real sectors, strengthening regional supply chains, especially in critical industries such as semiconductor, electric vehicle, renewable energy and food security.
\n
Payment connectivity
\n
For the financial sector, he suggested that ASEAN countries need to develop regional payment connectivity and local currency settlements to reduce exposure to external shocks.
\n
"Another strategy is about flexible multilateralism. ASEAN can pioneer minilateralism that allows smaller flexible groups to solve issues," Piti said, citing an example of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement among ASEAN Plus members.
\n
"Such a mechanism should be open to all and even those newcomers, to make sure that no one is left behind," he noted. "All those efforts would reinforce ASEAN's centrality, ensuring that external partners engage with us through the ASEAN framework rather than bypassing us."
\n
To promote resilience and inclusive growth in the region, ASEAN should accelerate regional integration to diversify risks and also strengthen the regional economy, said Sineenat Sermcheep, director of the ASEAN Studies Center, Faculty of Economics of Chulalongkorn University.
\n
She said the region's e-commerce sector is expanding at a rapid pace, which might become a new booster to economic growth and require harmonized data governance for seamless digital trade.
\n
According to a recent report jointly released by Singapore's banking group DBS and market data and insights firm Cube, e-commerce sales in Southeast Asia will more than double from $184 billion last year to $410 billion by 2030.
\n
"To facilitate digital trade, we should encourage secure and interoperable data exchanges. By reducing legal fragmentation, we can simplify cross-border operations, and encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in digital trade while boosting innovation and investment. This will help to drive digital trade and enhance the region's competitiveness," she said.
Runners chased by bulls during the seventh running of the bulls in the village of Falces, northern Spain, on Saturday.Eight runners were injured.The traditional running of the bulls is held at Pilon de Falces, an 800-meter downhill mountain trail with a rock wall on one side of the path and a cliff on the other.
Runners chased by bulls during the seventh running of the bulls in the village of Falces, northern Spain, on Saturday.Eight runners were injured.The traditional running of the bulls is held at Pilon de Falces, an 800-meter downhill mountain trail with a rock wall on one side of the path and a cliff on the other.
Ding Kan (left), head of the project management team of the China-aided new Gwadar International Airport, talks with airport manager Khalid Kakar at the airport in Gwadar, Pakistan, on Sept 13, 2024.
\n
China and Pakistan should take their all-weather strategic partnership into a new stage, with fresh momentum in modernization, regional connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor enters its next phase, experts said.
\n
At the sixth China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue on Thursday, the two sides pledged to upgrade the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor into a "growth, livelihood, green and open corridor", with a focus on industrial cooperation, agriculture, mining, connectivity through Gwadar Port, and infrastructure projects such as the realignment of the Karakoram Highway.
\n
In recent years, China and Pakistan have been dedicated to building CPEC 2.0. Several memorandums of agreement were signed to expand bilateral cooperation in various aspects, and the two nations agreed to launch the second phase of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement.
\n
According to data from the General Administration of Customs of China, the total bilateral trade in goods between China and Pakistan reached $23.1 billion in 2024, an increase of 11.1 percent from the previous year.
\n
Apart from collaborations in traditional areas, both countries have been working together to strengthen regional security coordination, emphasizing strategic trust, counterterrorism, security dialogue mechanisms and connectivity initiatives.
\n
Wang Zhimin, a researcher at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies under the University of International Business and Economics, said that economic cooperation between China and Pakistan has delivered tangible benefits to the Pakistani people and injected sustained momentum into the country's long-term development.
\n
"Pakistan was the first country to forge an all-weather strategic partnership with China, and it remains committed to building an even closer community with a shared future in the new era. The high level of trust and cooperation between the two sides has laid a solid foundation for advancing collaboration under the CPEC," he said.
\n
Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, CEO of the Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development in Pakistan, said that the defining feature of China-Pakistan ties is that the relationship is "dynamic" rather than "static".
\n
Both countries have continued to adapt their ties to new realities based on brotherhood and win-win cooperation. Built on mutual trust, respect and support for each other's core interests, the partnership has become unique in the world, he said.
\n
He said the CPEC created 236,000 direct jobs over the past decade, with many more generated indirectly as more than 100 small and medium-sized enterprises benefited in its first phase.
\n
"These achievements highlight the vast potential for deeper cooperation in the new era, with both sides encouraged to invest in developing a skilled workforce and expanding STEM education to meet future demands," Ramay said.
\n
STEM education is a teaching approach that combines science, technology, engineering and math.
\n
Zamir Ahmed Awan, founding chair of Global Silk Route Research Alliance and a nonresident fellow at the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization, said the friendship between China and Pakistan is characterized as "higher than mountains, deeper than oceans, and sweeter than honey".
\n
"The China-Pakistan partnership has become a stabilizing force amid growing global polarization and security uncertainties. Built on mutual trust and equality, the relationship is reinforced by frequent high-level exchanges that reaffirm strategic commitment and inject new momentum into practical collaborations," he said.
\n
Addressing challenges
\n
Awan further elaborated that such engagements enable the two sides to align their visions, address common challenges and push forward new initiatives in areas ranging from economic development and regional security to cultural exchanges.
\n
As the world is facing mounting challenges from frequent regional confrontations and rising unilateralism, experts said China and Pakistan should step up cooperation under the framework of multilateralism, amplify the voice of the Global South, and work together to tackle common challenges while safeguarding fairness and justice.
\n
Despite global uncertainties, China-Pakistan economic cooperation continues to present major opportunities. The CPEC has the potential to serve as a growth corridor for South and Central Asia by linking markets and unlocking trade, Awan said.
\n
"China and Pakistan also share a strong interest in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and the wider region. Closer strategic communication through joint mechanisms and regular consultations enables the two sides to coordinate on counterterrorism, border security and economic reconstruction."
\n
Wang said that both countries have immense potential for cooperation on multilateral platforms.Within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the two nations advocate for regional stability, counterterrorism and economic connectivity. Pakistan's role as a bridge between South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East enhances SCO's inclusivity and effectiveness.
\n
"Their cooperation reflects a shared vision of building a more inclusive global order that prioritizes dialogue over confrontation and development over division," he said.
\n
Ramay emphasized the importance of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries in building a community with a shared future.
\n
"In the new era of cooperation, China and Pakistan are placing greater emphasis on cultural exchanges and youth engagement. For many young Pakistanis, China is seen as a land of opportunity, offering access to development and innovation," he said.
\n
"Youth exchanges will not only help them pursue their aspirations but also cultivate future leaders who can carry the partnership forward.Such investment in youth is especially vital amid shifting global dynamics and the spread of misinformation."
\n
liujianqiao@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
Ding Kan (left), head of the project management team of the China-aided new Gwadar International Airport, talks with airport manager Khalid Kakar at the airport in Gwadar, Pakistan, on Sept 13, 2024.
\n
China and Pakistan should take their all-weather strategic partnership into a new stage, with fresh momentum in modernization, regional connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor enters its next phase, experts said.
\n
At the sixth China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue on Thursday, the two sides pledged to upgrade the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor into a "growth, livelihood, green and open corridor", with a focus on industrial cooperation, agriculture, mining, connectivity through Gwadar Port, and infrastructure projects such as the realignment of the Karakoram Highway.
\n
In recent years, China and Pakistan have been dedicated to building CPEC 2.0. Several memorandums of agreement were signed to expand bilateral cooperation in various aspects, and the two nations agreed to launch the second phase of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement.
\n
According to data from the General Administration of Customs of China, the total bilateral trade in goods between China and Pakistan reached $23.1 billion in 2024, an increase of 11.1 percent from the previous year.
\n
Apart from collaborations in traditional areas, both countries have been working together to strengthen regional security coordination, emphasizing strategic trust, counterterrorism, security dialogue mechanisms and connectivity initiatives.
\n
Wang Zhimin, a researcher at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies under the University of International Business and Economics, said that economic cooperation between China and Pakistan has delivered tangible benefits to the Pakistani people and injected sustained momentum into the country's long-term development.
\n
"Pakistan was the first country to forge an all-weather strategic partnership with China, and it remains committed to building an even closer community with a shared future in the new era. The high level of trust and cooperation between the two sides has laid a solid foundation for advancing collaboration under the CPEC," he said.
\n
Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, CEO of the Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development in Pakistan, said that the defining feature of China-Pakistan ties is that the relationship is "dynamic" rather than "static".
\n
Both countries have continued to adapt their ties to new realities based on brotherhood and win-win cooperation. Built on mutual trust, respect and support for each other's core interests, the partnership has become unique in the world, he said.
\n
He said the CPEC created 236,000 direct jobs over the past decade, with many more generated indirectly as more than 100 small and medium-sized enterprises benefited in its first phase.
\n
"These achievements highlight the vast potential for deeper cooperation in the new era, with both sides encouraged to invest in developing a skilled workforce and expanding STEM education to meet future demands," Ramay said.
\n
STEM education is a teaching approach that combines science, technology, engineering and math.
\n
Zamir Ahmed Awan, founding chair of Global Silk Route Research Alliance and a nonresident fellow at the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization, said the friendship between China and Pakistan is characterized as "higher than mountains, deeper than oceans, and sweeter than honey".
\n
"The China-Pakistan partnership has become a stabilizing force amid growing global polarization and security uncertainties. Built on mutual trust and equality, the relationship is reinforced by frequent high-level exchanges that reaffirm strategic commitment and inject new momentum into practical collaborations," he said.
\n
Addressing challenges
\n
Awan further elaborated that such engagements enable the two sides to align their visions, address common challenges and push forward new initiatives in areas ranging from economic development and regional security to cultural exchanges.
\n
As the world is facing mounting challenges from frequent regional confrontations and rising unilateralism, experts said China and Pakistan should step up cooperation under the framework of multilateralism, amplify the voice of the Global South, and work together to tackle common challenges while safeguarding fairness and justice.
\n
Despite global uncertainties, China-Pakistan economic cooperation continues to present major opportunities. The CPEC has the potential to serve as a growth corridor for South and Central Asia by linking markets and unlocking trade, Awan said.
\n
"China and Pakistan also share a strong interest in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and the wider region. Closer strategic communication through joint mechanisms and regular consultations enables the two sides to coordinate on counterterrorism, border security and economic reconstruction."
\n
Wang said that both countries have immense potential for cooperation on multilateral platforms.Within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the two nations advocate for regional stability, counterterrorism and economic connectivity. Pakistan's role as a bridge between South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East enhances SCO's inclusivity and effectiveness.
\n
"Their cooperation reflects a shared vision of building a more inclusive global order that prioritizes dialogue over confrontation and development over division," he said.
\n
Ramay emphasized the importance of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries in building a community with a shared future.
\n
"In the new era of cooperation, China and Pakistan are placing greater emphasis on cultural exchanges and youth engagement. For many young Pakistanis, China is seen as a land of opportunity, offering access to development and innovation," he said.
\n
"Youth exchanges will not only help them pursue their aspirations but also cultivate future leaders who can carry the partnership forward.Such investment in youth is especially vital amid shifting global dynamics and the spread of misinformation."
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Saturday test-fired two improved types of new air defense missiles in a bid to examine their combat capabilities, with Kim Jongun, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, overseeing the event, the Korean Central News Agency reported on Sunday. The new air defense missile weapon systems demonstrated superior combat capabilities of fast response to various aerial targets, such as attack drones and cruise missiles, KCNA reported.
\n
UNITED STATES
\n
Pentagon eyes military deployment in Chicago
\n
The Pentagon is working on plans to deploy the US military to Chicago as President Donald Trump says he is cracking down on crime, homelessness and undocumented immigration, the Washington Post reported on Saturday. The Defense Department's planning, in the works for weeks, involves several options, including mobilizing at least a few thousand members of the National Guard as soon as September, the Post reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.
\n
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
\n
Prosecutors seek arrest of ex-PM Han
\n
The Republic of Korea's prosecutors on Sunday filed an arrest warrant for former prime minister Han Duck-soo, accusing him of aiding former president Yoon Suk-yeol in declaring martial law in December and later lying in court. A court is set to review the validity of the warrant to detain the 76-year-old career bureaucrat in the coming days. If approved, it would be the first time in the country's history that both a former president and a prime minister are imprisoned.
\n",
+ "content": "
DPRK
\n
Kim oversees testing of defense missiles
\n
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Saturday test-fired two improved types of new air defense missiles in a bid to examine their combat capabilities, with Kim Jongun, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, overseeing the event, the Korean Central News Agency reported on Sunday. The new air defense missile weapon systems demonstrated superior combat capabilities of fast response to various aerial targets, such as attack drones and cruise missiles, KCNA reported.
\n
UNITED STATES
\n
Pentagon eyes military deployment in Chicago
\n
The Pentagon is working on plans to deploy the US military to Chicago as President Donald Trump says he is cracking down on crime, homelessness and undocumented immigration, the Washington Post reported on Saturday. The Defense Department's planning, in the works for weeks, involves several options, including mobilizing at least a few thousand members of the National Guard as soon as September, the Post reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.
\n
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
\n
Prosecutors seek arrest of ex-PM Han
\n
The Republic of Korea's prosecutors on Sunday filed an arrest warrant for former prime minister Han Duck-soo, accusing him of aiding former president Yoon Suk-yeol in declaring martial law in December and later lying in court. A court is set to review the validity of the warrant to detain the 76-year-old career bureaucrat in the coming days. If approved, it would be the first time in the country's history that both a former president and a prime minister are imprisoned.
A visitor views a photo exhibit of the Nanyang Volunteers at Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics Memorial Park in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Aug 14.
\n
KUALA LUMPUR — A memorial park commemorating the Nanyang Volunteers — overseas Chinese drivers and mechanics who returned from Southeast Asia during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression — officially opened to the public in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
\n
The park, named the Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics Memorial Park, features an earthen ring wall engraved with the names of over 3,000 members. Its tiered pathways and winding design were inspired by the "24-Zig" section of the Burma Road, symbolizing the courage and resilience of those who once traversed it.
\n
The park, initiated and built by the Association of Kwong Tong Cemetery Management Kuala Lumpur, also features a memorial hall which houses historical artifacts, photographs and personal letters that vividly recount the volunteers' dedication and sacrifice.
\n
"History must not be forgotten, and the truth should be remembered," said Yong Pock Yau, chairman of the Association of Kwong Tong Cemetery Management Kuala Lumpur. "We hope the park and the hall will inspire the youth to learn about this history and uphold the values of peace and justice."
\n
Inside the memorial hall, faded photographs and newspaper clippings tell the stories of the Nanyang Volunteers, enduring treacherous mountain roads, enemy air raids and diseases. More than 1,000 lost their lives.
\n
Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing said in his remarks that the Nanyang Volunteers braved life and death, making an indelible contribution to the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
\n
"We shall forever remember their heroic deeds in our hearts and inscribe them in the annals of humanity's just cause," he said.
\n
For descendants of the volunteers, the event was deeply personal. How Hwee Bee, granddaughter of patriot Hau Say-huan (Hou Xifan) — who helped organize the volunteers and perished in 1944 while en route to a school opening in Kunming — said she was moved to see the memorial completed.
\n
"I believe it was this profound love that made my grandfather resolutely return to China and devote everything to the cause," How said. "The more we live in times of peace, the more we must cherish this history and the patriotism behind it."
\n",
+ "content": "
A visitor views a photo exhibit of the Nanyang Volunteers at Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics Memorial Park in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Aug 14.
\n
KUALA LUMPUR — A memorial park commemorating the Nanyang Volunteers — overseas Chinese drivers and mechanics who returned from Southeast Asia during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression — officially opened to the public in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
\n
The park, named the Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics Memorial Park, features an earthen ring wall engraved with the names of over 3,000 members. Its tiered pathways and winding design were inspired by the "24-Zig" section of the Burma Road, symbolizing the courage and resilience of those who once traversed it.
\n
The park, initiated and built by the Association of Kwong Tong Cemetery Management Kuala Lumpur, also features a memorial hall which houses historical artifacts, photographs and personal letters that vividly recount the volunteers' dedication and sacrifice.
\n
"History must not be forgotten, and the truth should be remembered," said Yong Pock Yau, chairman of the Association of Kwong Tong Cemetery Management Kuala Lumpur. "We hope the park and the hall will inspire the youth to learn about this history and uphold the values of peace and justice."
\n
Inside the memorial hall, faded photographs and newspaper clippings tell the stories of the Nanyang Volunteers, enduring treacherous mountain roads, enemy air raids and diseases. More than 1,000 lost their lives.
\n
Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing said in his remarks that the Nanyang Volunteers braved life and death, making an indelible contribution to the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
\n
"We shall forever remember their heroic deeds in our hearts and inscribe them in the annals of humanity's just cause," he said.
\n
For descendants of the volunteers, the event was deeply personal. How Hwee Bee, granddaughter of patriot Hau Say-huan (Hou Xifan) — who helped organize the volunteers and perished in 1944 while en route to a school opening in Kunming — said she was moved to see the memorial completed.
\n
"I believe it was this profound love that made my grandfather resolutely return to China and devote everything to the cause," How said. "The more we live in times of peace, the more we must cherish this history and the patriotism behind it."
China-Africa cooperation is an effective pathway for both sides to realize the right to development, a fundamental human right, according to a consensus reached between representatives from China and more than 40 African countries at the first China-Africa Human Rights Seminar.
\n
More than 200 officials, diplomats, scholars and business representatives from China and Africa also agreed that the right to development is an inalienable human right, and serves as a prerequisite to realize other human rights, at the seminar, held in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Friday. They called for respecting the diversity of human rights, and opposing the politicization of the issue.
\n
"Both China and African countries have the right to choose their own paths of human rights development based on their actual national conditions and historical-cultural traditions. We respect the diversity of human rights civilizations, oppose the politicization and instrumentalization of human rights issues, as well as the use of human rights as a pretext to interfere in other countries' internal affairs or deprive their peoples of the right to development," they said.
\n
Applauding the fruitful result of China-Africa cooperation under various platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the representatives called for further bilateral cooperation to benefit human rights on both sides.
\n
"Through mutual learning and exchange, we will consolidate the foundation of the China-Africa community with a shared future and comprehensively promote the progress and development of human rights endeavors in both China and Africa," they said.
\n
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, Jiang Jianguo, executive vice-president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said China has been regarding the right to survival and development as a fundamental human right, and China's historic achievement in human rights development has provided the pathway to promote and protect human rights through development.
\n
"Poverty is the biggest obstacle to realizing human rights, and development is the key to improving human rights protection," he said.
\n
Chen Hai, Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia, said human rights development cannot be detached from a country's reality and the fundamental interests of its people, and it must suit a country's national conditions and aim to ensure a happy and dignified life for the people.
\n
Intensifying cooperation
\n
"Both China and Africa are at a crucial stage to promote modernization," he said. "We should make use of various platforms, such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, to intensify cooperation in areas such as infrastructure development, agriculture, healthcare, education and employment, so tangible results of development will improve the survival and development rights of Chinese and African people," he said.
\n
Fekadu Tsega, director general of the Policy Studies Institute, Ethiopia, said the right to development is the common pursuit of the Global South, and international cooperation, dialogue and mutual respect are necessary for countries to confront common challenges facing peace, development and human rights protection.
\n
"The principle of a shared future emphasizes equality, sovereignty and dignity for all nations," he said. "In the context of China-Africa relations, this vision translates into concrete cooperation, infrastructure, education, technology and growth. The partnership not only has advanced economic development and social progress, but also improved human dignity, equality and justice.
\n
"By working in partnership, we anticipate a world where prosperity, peace and human rights are shared by all," he said.
\n
Mohamed Osman Omar, state minister of family and human rights development, Somalia, said China's achievements in human rights, including lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over the past decades, can serve as valuable lessons for many African countries.
\n
The decades-long cooperation between China and Somalia has not only greatly promoted the reconstruction and development of Somalia, but has also improved human rights in the country, he said.
\n
"By supporting Somalia in key infrastructure development, providing humanitarian assistance, and investing in human capital and strengthening its governance capacity in particular, China is improving Somalia's capacity to reduce poverty and protect human rights for its people," he said.
\n
wangxiaodong@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
China-Africa cooperation is an effective pathway for both sides to realize the right to development, a fundamental human right, according to a consensus reached between representatives from China and more than 40 African countries at the first China-Africa Human Rights Seminar.
\n
More than 200 officials, diplomats, scholars and business representatives from China and Africa also agreed that the right to development is an inalienable human right, and serves as a prerequisite to realize other human rights, at the seminar, held in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Friday. They called for respecting the diversity of human rights, and opposing the politicization of the issue.
\n
"Both China and African countries have the right to choose their own paths of human rights development based on their actual national conditions and historical-cultural traditions. We respect the diversity of human rights civilizations, oppose the politicization and instrumentalization of human rights issues, as well as the use of human rights as a pretext to interfere in other countries' internal affairs or deprive their peoples of the right to development," they said.
\n
Applauding the fruitful result of China-Africa cooperation under various platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the representatives called for further bilateral cooperation to benefit human rights on both sides.
\n
"Through mutual learning and exchange, we will consolidate the foundation of the China-Africa community with a shared future and comprehensively promote the progress and development of human rights endeavors in both China and Africa," they said.
\n
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, Jiang Jianguo, executive vice-president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said China has been regarding the right to survival and development as a fundamental human right, and China's historic achievement in human rights development has provided the pathway to promote and protect human rights through development.
\n
"Poverty is the biggest obstacle to realizing human rights, and development is the key to improving human rights protection," he said.
\n
Chen Hai, Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia, said human rights development cannot be detached from a country's reality and the fundamental interests of its people, and it must suit a country's national conditions and aim to ensure a happy and dignified life for the people.
\n
Intensifying cooperation
\n
"Both China and Africa are at a crucial stage to promote modernization," he said. "We should make use of various platforms, such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, to intensify cooperation in areas such as infrastructure development, agriculture, healthcare, education and employment, so tangible results of development will improve the survival and development rights of Chinese and African people," he said.
\n
Fekadu Tsega, director general of the Policy Studies Institute, Ethiopia, said the right to development is the common pursuit of the Global South, and international cooperation, dialogue and mutual respect are necessary for countries to confront common challenges facing peace, development and human rights protection.
\n
"The principle of a shared future emphasizes equality, sovereignty and dignity for all nations," he said. "In the context of China-Africa relations, this vision translates into concrete cooperation, infrastructure, education, technology and growth. The partnership not only has advanced economic development and social progress, but also improved human dignity, equality and justice.
\n
"By working in partnership, we anticipate a world where prosperity, peace and human rights are shared by all," he said.
\n
Mohamed Osman Omar, state minister of family and human rights development, Somalia, said China's achievements in human rights, including lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over the past decades, can serve as valuable lessons for many African countries.
\n
The decades-long cooperation between China and Somalia has not only greatly promoted the reconstruction and development of Somalia, but has also improved human rights in the country, he said.
\n
"By supporting Somalia in key infrastructure development, providing humanitarian assistance, and investing in human capital and strengthening its governance capacity in particular, China is improving Somalia's capacity to reduce poverty and protect human rights for its people," he said.
Visitors inspect electric cars of Chinese brand GAC at the Big Motor Sale 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday. The event is one of Thailand's international motor shows showcasing a variety of models ranging from small and economic electric cars to luxury vehicles.
Visitors inspect electric cars of Chinese brand GAC at the Big Motor Sale 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday. The event is one of Thailand's international motor shows showcasing a variety of models ranging from small and economic electric cars to luxury vehicles.
The US administration has listed a new type of penalty on so-called "transshipments", which it describes as imports into the United States that have passed through different countries and been deliberately sent from somewhere with a low tariff rate rather than one with a higher tariff rate in order to avoid paying a higher levy on the goods.
\n
The penalty for these kinds of imports is an extra 40 percent if a country is found by Customs and Border Protection to be dodging paying a higher rate.
\n
The US Department of Justice is reportedly creating a fraud office just to deal with tariff evasion and intends to use criminal penalties against rule-breakers.
\n
Under the law, it is already illegal to not directly state where the place of origin of foreign goods is. For this reason, the new rule on transshipments is complicated and needs to be explained more, warns the American Apparel & Footwear Association, or AAFA, whose members import goods from all over the world into the US each year.
\n
"Importers are scratching their heads at the (Donald) Trump Administration's new 40 percent tariff rates, which appear to legalize, but heavily tax, currently prohibited transshipment activities," AAFA President and CEO, Steve Lamar, told China Daily.
\n
In trade, transshipments are not a new concept as it had meant that goods and materials were moved between vehicles such as airplanes, trains and lorries. But now, any exporter seen by the Trump administration as trying to evade tariffs by doing this could face problems.
\n
"The administration has zero tolerance for transshipment and other methods of undermining our tariffs, and we are working closely with our trading partners to proactively address these concerns," Kush Desai, a spokesman for the White House, told The New York Times.
\n
However, the rules, effective from Aug 7, will prove tough for clothes importers, for example, as most garments are made in multiple places.
\n
Several clothing brands, such as Lululemon Athletica, Nike and Uniqlo, make clothes in Asian countries. But if a manufacturer adds a zip, button and dyes from another country, it will be less easy to determine a product's true origin.
\n
New fees planned
\n
The White House added that along with its latest policy on so-called transshipped goods, it is also researching whether it could apply new fees on any component that comes from one country and is put into another product made in a separate country before being shipped to the US.
\n
Some US importers may not know where every single component or raw material that is used in a product was manufactured, say critics.
\n
"These new rules fly in the face of commonsense enforcement and undermine the considerable investments our members make to ensure full compliance with customs rules," Lamar said.
\n
Since August, international countries face tariff rates ranging from 10 to 50 percent.
\n
Beforehand, trade agreements detailed clearly the rules of origin.Under the terms of the US-Mexico-Canada agreement, for example, there were details on how much of a product should come from North America to cross the border without being charged a tariff.
\n
The so-called rules of origin on goods have supported bilateral and regional free trade agreements for years. It relied on the "last substantial transformation", or wherever the character of the product was last changed, to determine how the goods should be charged.
\n
In May, the Trump administration announced the end of the de minimis exemption for China. The rule, a tax-free scheme, had allowed low-cost parcels under $800 to enter the US duty-free. The rule will end for all other countries on Aug 29.
\n
In fiscal year 2024, at least 1.36 billion shipments utilized de minimis, an increase of 637 million in 2020, according to US Customs and Border Protection. A large chunk came from fast fashion brands Shein and Temu.
\n
Z. John Zhang, a professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, previously believed that one of the best ways that Shein and Temu could retain US customers after the end of the exemption would be to change their business model and manufacture in markets outside of China such as Vietnam. But now, this could break transshipment rules.
\n
Zhang told China Daily: "Things are more complex because of the tariffs. It doesn't look to me like the old business model can still work in this kind of environment."
\n
belindarobinson@chinadailyusa.com
\n",
+ "content": "
The US administration has listed a new type of penalty on so-called "transshipments", which it describes as imports into the United States that have passed through different countries and been deliberately sent from somewhere with a low tariff rate rather than one with a higher tariff rate in order to avoid paying a higher levy on the goods.
\n
The penalty for these kinds of imports is an extra 40 percent if a country is found by Customs and Border Protection to be dodging paying a higher rate.
\n
The US Department of Justice is reportedly creating a fraud office just to deal with tariff evasion and intends to use criminal penalties against rule-breakers.
\n
Under the law, it is already illegal to not directly state where the place of origin of foreign goods is. For this reason, the new rule on transshipments is complicated and needs to be explained more, warns the American Apparel & Footwear Association, or AAFA, whose members import goods from all over the world into the US each year.
\n
"Importers are scratching their heads at the (Donald) Trump Administration's new 40 percent tariff rates, which appear to legalize, but heavily tax, currently prohibited transshipment activities," AAFA President and CEO, Steve Lamar, told China Daily.
\n
In trade, transshipments are not a new concept as it had meant that goods and materials were moved between vehicles such as airplanes, trains and lorries. But now, any exporter seen by the Trump administration as trying to evade tariffs by doing this could face problems.
\n
"The administration has zero tolerance for transshipment and other methods of undermining our tariffs, and we are working closely with our trading partners to proactively address these concerns," Kush Desai, a spokesman for the White House, told The New York Times.
\n
However, the rules, effective from Aug 7, will prove tough for clothes importers, for example, as most garments are made in multiple places.
\n
Several clothing brands, such as Lululemon Athletica, Nike and Uniqlo, make clothes in Asian countries. But if a manufacturer adds a zip, button and dyes from another country, it will be less easy to determine a product's true origin.
\n
New fees planned
\n
The White House added that along with its latest policy on so-called transshipped goods, it is also researching whether it could apply new fees on any component that comes from one country and is put into another product made in a separate country before being shipped to the US.
\n
Some US importers may not know where every single component or raw material that is used in a product was manufactured, say critics.
\n
"These new rules fly in the face of commonsense enforcement and undermine the considerable investments our members make to ensure full compliance with customs rules," Lamar said.
\n
Since August, international countries face tariff rates ranging from 10 to 50 percent.
\n
Beforehand, trade agreements detailed clearly the rules of origin.Under the terms of the US-Mexico-Canada agreement, for example, there were details on how much of a product should come from North America to cross the border without being charged a tariff.
\n
The so-called rules of origin on goods have supported bilateral and regional free trade agreements for years. It relied on the "last substantial transformation", or wherever the character of the product was last changed, to determine how the goods should be charged.
\n
In May, the Trump administration announced the end of the de minimis exemption for China. The rule, a tax-free scheme, had allowed low-cost parcels under $800 to enter the US duty-free. The rule will end for all other countries on Aug 29.
\n
In fiscal year 2024, at least 1.36 billion shipments utilized de minimis, an increase of 637 million in 2020, according to US Customs and Border Protection. A large chunk came from fast fashion brands Shein and Temu.
\n
Z. John Zhang, a professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, previously believed that one of the best ways that Shein and Temu could retain US customers after the end of the exemption would be to change their business model and manufacture in markets outside of China such as Vietnam. But now, this could break transshipment rules.
\n
Zhang told China Daily: "Things are more complex because of the tariffs. It doesn't look to me like the old business model can still work in this kind of environment."
Police officers and volunteers evacuate residents from the front line near Dobropillia in Donetsk on Friday.
\n
MOSCOW/KYIV — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday that Western countries were trying to "block" peace negotiations to end the Ukraine conflict, after a flurry of diplomatic activity appeared to stall.
\n
US President Donald Trump has been championing a bilateral meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents — but both sides have blamed each other for not wanting the talks to come through, Agence France-Presse reported.
\n
"They're just looking for a pretext to block negotiations," Lavrov said in an interview with state TV station Rossiya aired on Sunday on Telegram.
\n
He slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for "obstinately insisting, setting conditions, demanding an immediate meeting at all costs" with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
\n
On Friday, Lavrov said "no meeting "between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin was planned.
\n
Earlier last week, Zelensky, for his part, said Russia was "trying to wriggle out of holding a meeting".
\n
"I've reaffirmed my readiness for any format of meeting with the head of Russia," Zelensky wrote on X after speaking with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday.
\n
"President Ramaphosa stressed the urgency of holding bilateral and trilateral meetings between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine and the United States as key to signal a firm commitment to ending the war," said a statement from his office.
\n
Ramaphosa, who currently chairs the G20, spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, the statement added.
\n
Having spoken with Putin recently, Ramaphosa will also be speaking with other European leaders in the coming weeks.
\n
Meanwhile, US special envoy Keith Kellogg attended Ukraine's independence celebrations on Sunday in Kyiv. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Ukraine's capital on Sunday morning for meetings with Zelensky.
\n
Despite diplomatic efforts, fighting showed no signs of abating over the weekend.
\n
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 95 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight into Sunday.
\n
Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 72 drones and decoys, along with a cruise missile, into Ukraine overnight into Sunday. Of these, 48 drones were shot down or jammed.
\n
Russia has requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, following the arrest of a Ukrainian suspect in Italy, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's first deputy permanent representative to the UN, said on Friday on social media.
\n
Polyanskiy said the meeting will take place on Tuesday under the presidency of Panama.
\n",
+ "content": "
Police officers and volunteers evacuate residents from the front line near Dobropillia in Donetsk on Friday.
\n
MOSCOW/KYIV — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday that Western countries were trying to "block" peace negotiations to end the Ukraine conflict, after a flurry of diplomatic activity appeared to stall.
\n
US President Donald Trump has been championing a bilateral meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents — but both sides have blamed each other for not wanting the talks to come through, Agence France-Presse reported.
\n
"They're just looking for a pretext to block negotiations," Lavrov said in an interview with state TV station Rossiya aired on Sunday on Telegram.
\n
He slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for "obstinately insisting, setting conditions, demanding an immediate meeting at all costs" with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
\n
On Friday, Lavrov said "no meeting "between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin was planned.
\n
Earlier last week, Zelensky, for his part, said Russia was "trying to wriggle out of holding a meeting".
\n
"I've reaffirmed my readiness for any format of meeting with the head of Russia," Zelensky wrote on X after speaking with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday.
\n
"President Ramaphosa stressed the urgency of holding bilateral and trilateral meetings between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine and the United States as key to signal a firm commitment to ending the war," said a statement from his office.
\n
Ramaphosa, who currently chairs the G20, spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, the statement added.
\n
Having spoken with Putin recently, Ramaphosa will also be speaking with other European leaders in the coming weeks.
\n
Meanwhile, US special envoy Keith Kellogg attended Ukraine's independence celebrations on Sunday in Kyiv. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Ukraine's capital on Sunday morning for meetings with Zelensky.
\n
Despite diplomatic efforts, fighting showed no signs of abating over the weekend.
\n
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 95 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight into Sunday.
\n
Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 72 drones and decoys, along with a cruise missile, into Ukraine overnight into Sunday. Of these, 48 drones were shot down or jammed.
\n
Russia has requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, following the arrest of a Ukrainian suspect in Italy, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's first deputy permanent representative to the UN, said on Friday on social media.
\n
Polyanskiy said the meeting will take place on Tuesday under the presidency of Panama.
People watch and take pictures of a nine-meter-high and 16-meter-long mechanical elephant during the 23rd Harbin International Beer Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Aug 9.
\n
Tourists watch a man cooking local specialties at a night market in Dunhuang, Gansu province, on Aug 16.
\n
A lion dancer (right) interacts with tourists at a scenic spot in Luoyang, Henan province, on July 30.
\n
Nighttime dining, shopping and travel are thriving across China this summer, injecting fresh momentum to economic growth at a time when the country has prioritized consumption as its top priority this year.
\n
The market size of China's nighttime economy has so far surpassed 50 trillion yuan ($7 trillion), said marketing consultancy Zhiyanzhan.
\n
More restaurants have extended business hours and launched delivery services to attract late-night diners and increase revenue.
\n
Huda Restaurant, a popular crayfish eatery in Beijing's bustling Guijie Street, is operating four outlets in the same area, cumulatively serving more than 6,500 customers daily on average. During peak hours on some nights, customers sometimes have to wait in line for three hours, according to the restaurant.
\n
"Tourists are often unable to wait that long to dine in. Some choose the takeaway option, or order deliveries to their hotels. Some 70 percent of our takeout orders come from nearby hotels, as many tourists tend to order deliveries at night after their daytime sightseeing in the city," said Zhang Shengtao, deputy general manager of Huda.
\n
"We take food delivery platforms as an important supplement to our operations, as the platforms allow customers to search for our restaurant from different channels. With no increase in the number of staff members and no change in restaurant areas, delivery services can help raise order volumes and lead to profit growth," Zhang said.
\n
The restaurant chain said diners aged between 25 and 39 account for a large share of its total customers, while consumers opting for deliveries are mainly aged between 18 and 35.
\n
Hong Yong, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the availability of nighttime dining meets the demand for late night snacking among urban white-collar employees and many young consumers, especially as more people stay up late, work overtime, or venture out for social entertainment, and late night dining gradually becomes a part of their daily routine.
\n
"Nighttime economic activities such as dining, night tours and shopping provide richer consumption scenarios, and meet consumers' demand for leisure and entertainment, social interaction and emotional release," Hong said.
\n
"The expansion of nighttime consumption scenarios will help promote the diversification of consumption formats, encourage higher frequencies of spending, effectively stimulate domestic demand and promote sustained economic growth momentum," he added.
\n
According to a report released by the Ministry of Commerce, 60 percent of China's urban consumption takes place after dusk. At large-scale malls, sales between 6 pm and 10 pm usually account for over half of the whole day's revenue.
\n
A-Shui Tea Shop, a tea drink brand based in Jinan, Shandong province, now operates some 1,400 stores nationwide, which are mainly located in Shandong, Jiangsu and Hebei provinces, as well as Tianjin and Beijing.
\n
Since June, some of its stores began to extend their business hours. Now, over 300 stores operate until 11 pm, more than 100 stores operate until midnight, and a further 100 outlets are open beyond midnight. The extension of business hours will last until the end of September, the company said.
\n
"After extending the business hours, there has been a clear trend of growth in store revenue, and some stores have experienced sales growth of over 100 percent compared with the period before the extension," said Wei Qun, director of delivery services at A-Shui Tea Shop.
\n
"Nighttime sales have been especially high in Jinan and Qingdao of Shandong, as well as Tianjin. Stores with higher revenues are mainly located in core business circles, and nighttime sales mainly come from orders for deliveries," Wei said.
\n
He added that in summer, many consumers are interested in having barbecues and crayfish at night, and restaurants providing such meals located in core business districts have largely extended their operating hours. Their popularity has also driven the sales growth of beverages, as certain drinks pair nicely with these kinds of food.
\n
In addition to the catering sector, many sightseeing spots have extended their opening hours this summer, and upgraded night tourism products to meet the diverse demand of travelers. Besides driving an increase in ticket revenue for scenic spots, it has promoted the growth of related businesses such as catering, accommodation and shopping in surrounding areas.
\n
The government has encouraged more industry players to actively develop the night tourism economy.
\n
According to a guideline issued earlier this year by the State Council, China's Cabinet, the holding of more nighttime activities such as folk performances, lantern fairs, temple fairs, and light and shadow shows has been encouraged, and different regions could develop water night tours based on local conditions.
\n
In addition, the government will support the upgrading and renovation of lighting services at night in commercial areas, and the optimization of support facilities such as parking lots and public transportation, according to the document.
\n
In Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province, a three-day international kite festival that included nighttime events attracted more than 163,000 tourists in July, netting tourism revenue of over 60 million yuan, according to the local government.
\n
Night markets, roadside concerts in parks, trunk markets and other nighttime consumption scenes were attractive to tourists.
\n
"This type of nighttime cultural tourism model, with feature activities as its core, gathers popularity and forms a consumption loop, and has become an effective way to boost the nighttime economy," said Mu Qianyi, an analyst of LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider based in Shanghai.
\n
Mu added that new technologies and scenarios such as drone light shows at night will help enrich the experiences of tourists. The improvement in the quality of scenes naturally enhances the attractiveness and vitality of nighttime cultural tourism, and could help inject new impetus into economic growth.
\n
Particularly, Shanghai has been developing a booming nighttime economy, and the city's after-dark economy index has maintained the top position in the country for five consecutive years. This year, it has been followed by Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Chengdu, Sichuan province, said Rising Lab, a city-oriented big data platform of Yicai Media Group.
\n
In Shanghai, nighttime lighting covered 75 percent of the city's area last year, and nighttime public transportation covered 1,975 square kilometers, which significantly helped to improve the local nighttime consumption environment, the platform found.
\n
zhuwenqian@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
People watch and take pictures of a nine-meter-high and 16-meter-long mechanical elephant during the 23rd Harbin International Beer Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Aug 9.
\n
Tourists watch a man cooking local specialties at a night market in Dunhuang, Gansu province, on Aug 16.
\n
A lion dancer (right) interacts with tourists at a scenic spot in Luoyang, Henan province, on July 30.
\n
Nighttime dining, shopping and travel are thriving across China this summer, injecting fresh momentum to economic growth at a time when the country has prioritized consumption as its top priority this year.
\n
The market size of China's nighttime economy has so far surpassed 50 trillion yuan ($7 trillion), said marketing consultancy Zhiyanzhan.
\n
More restaurants have extended business hours and launched delivery services to attract late-night diners and increase revenue.
\n
Huda Restaurant, a popular crayfish eatery in Beijing's bustling Guijie Street, is operating four outlets in the same area, cumulatively serving more than 6,500 customers daily on average. During peak hours on some nights, customers sometimes have to wait in line for three hours, according to the restaurant.
\n
"Tourists are often unable to wait that long to dine in. Some choose the takeaway option, or order deliveries to their hotels. Some 70 percent of our takeout orders come from nearby hotels, as many tourists tend to order deliveries at night after their daytime sightseeing in the city," said Zhang Shengtao, deputy general manager of Huda.
\n
"We take food delivery platforms as an important supplement to our operations, as the platforms allow customers to search for our restaurant from different channels. With no increase in the number of staff members and no change in restaurant areas, delivery services can help raise order volumes and lead to profit growth," Zhang said.
\n
The restaurant chain said diners aged between 25 and 39 account for a large share of its total customers, while consumers opting for deliveries are mainly aged between 18 and 35.
\n
Hong Yong, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the availability of nighttime dining meets the demand for late night snacking among urban white-collar employees and many young consumers, especially as more people stay up late, work overtime, or venture out for social entertainment, and late night dining gradually becomes a part of their daily routine.
\n
"Nighttime economic activities such as dining, night tours and shopping provide richer consumption scenarios, and meet consumers' demand for leisure and entertainment, social interaction and emotional release," Hong said.
\n
"The expansion of nighttime consumption scenarios will help promote the diversification of consumption formats, encourage higher frequencies of spending, effectively stimulate domestic demand and promote sustained economic growth momentum," he added.
\n
According to a report released by the Ministry of Commerce, 60 percent of China's urban consumption takes place after dusk. At large-scale malls, sales between 6 pm and 10 pm usually account for over half of the whole day's revenue.
\n
A-Shui Tea Shop, a tea drink brand based in Jinan, Shandong province, now operates some 1,400 stores nationwide, which are mainly located in Shandong, Jiangsu and Hebei provinces, as well as Tianjin and Beijing.
\n
Since June, some of its stores began to extend their business hours. Now, over 300 stores operate until 11 pm, more than 100 stores operate until midnight, and a further 100 outlets are open beyond midnight. The extension of business hours will last until the end of September, the company said.
\n
"After extending the business hours, there has been a clear trend of growth in store revenue, and some stores have experienced sales growth of over 100 percent compared with the period before the extension," said Wei Qun, director of delivery services at A-Shui Tea Shop.
\n
"Nighttime sales have been especially high in Jinan and Qingdao of Shandong, as well as Tianjin. Stores with higher revenues are mainly located in core business circles, and nighttime sales mainly come from orders for deliveries," Wei said.
\n
He added that in summer, many consumers are interested in having barbecues and crayfish at night, and restaurants providing such meals located in core business districts have largely extended their operating hours. Their popularity has also driven the sales growth of beverages, as certain drinks pair nicely with these kinds of food.
\n
In addition to the catering sector, many sightseeing spots have extended their opening hours this summer, and upgraded night tourism products to meet the diverse demand of travelers. Besides driving an increase in ticket revenue for scenic spots, it has promoted the growth of related businesses such as catering, accommodation and shopping in surrounding areas.
\n
The government has encouraged more industry players to actively develop the night tourism economy.
\n
According to a guideline issued earlier this year by the State Council, China's Cabinet, the holding of more nighttime activities such as folk performances, lantern fairs, temple fairs, and light and shadow shows has been encouraged, and different regions could develop water night tours based on local conditions.
\n
In addition, the government will support the upgrading and renovation of lighting services at night in commercial areas, and the optimization of support facilities such as parking lots and public transportation, according to the document.
\n
In Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou province, a three-day international kite festival that included nighttime events attracted more than 163,000 tourists in July, netting tourism revenue of over 60 million yuan, according to the local government.
\n
Night markets, roadside concerts in parks, trunk markets and other nighttime consumption scenes were attractive to tourists.
\n
"This type of nighttime cultural tourism model, with feature activities as its core, gathers popularity and forms a consumption loop, and has become an effective way to boost the nighttime economy," said Mu Qianyi, an analyst of LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider based in Shanghai.
\n
Mu added that new technologies and scenarios such as drone light shows at night will help enrich the experiences of tourists. The improvement in the quality of scenes naturally enhances the attractiveness and vitality of nighttime cultural tourism, and could help inject new impetus into economic growth.
\n
Particularly, Shanghai has been developing a booming nighttime economy, and the city's after-dark economy index has maintained the top position in the country for five consecutive years. This year, it has been followed by Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Chengdu, Sichuan province, said Rising Lab, a city-oriented big data platform of Yicai Media Group.
\n
In Shanghai, nighttime lighting covered 75 percent of the city's area last year, and nighttime public transportation covered 1,975 square kilometers, which significantly helped to improve the local nighttime consumption environment, the platform found.
Over the past few weeks, I have watched a pop concert, a talk show, a stage play and several films after dusk, as a large number of performances are readily available in the capital city in the evenings.
\n
I have had a higher willingness to head outdoors to relax and for entertainment this summer. I'm not alone.
\n
Industry experts have observed that summer is the most active season for nighttime consumption, as the daylight extends and the weather becomes more suitable in the evenings, encouraging more people to step out for fun activities.
\n
In comparison, nighttime consumption in spring and autumn is relatively stable, and consumers mainly flock to dining and entertainment venues.
\n
"Outdoor consumption usually declines in winter due to cold weather, and the flow of people tends to concentrate at indoor venues such as restaurants, cinemas and shopping malls. Still, the overall scale of nighttime indoor consumption is smaller than that in summer," said Hong Yong, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
\n
Besides the launch of more nighttime performances, major scenic spots, amusement parks, museums and zoos have extended their opening hours or introduced special night tours such as light shows, night performances and night markets.
\n
Night tours have been highly favored by tourists.
\n
This summer, the overall booking volume for nighttime travel products has increased by 20 percent year-on-year, according to Qunar, a Beijing-based online travel agency.
\n
In particular, the Yellow Crane Tower, a landmark in Wuhan, Hubei province, presents an immersive light show at night, and the booking volume of admission tickets for the show has doubled over last year. Other night tours in Xi'an, Shaanxi province; Wuzhen, Zhejiang province; and Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guizhou province, have been quite well-received among travelers.
\n
Meanwhile, with the opening of night sessions at multiple theme parks nationwide, the booking volumes of their nighttime admission tickets have significantly increased.For instance, the search volume for night tours at Happy Valley in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, this summer has surged nine-fold year-on-year, Qunar found.
\n
Despite the high popularity of the night tourism economy in the country, there are still some challenges and room for improvement.
\n
For instance, inadequate urban support facilities, early termination of nighttime public transportation, insufficient supply of public services such as lighting and garbage disposal, have affected consumers' willingness to travel at night, according to LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider based in Shanghai.
\n
The sustainable development of nighttime consumption can't be achieved without the support of public services such as transportation, safety, lighting and sanitation, the consultancy said.
\n
"Different cities should rely on local cultural IP to create differentiated and innovated nighttime consumption scenes. And local governments should lower operational barriers in terms of taxation and venues, and introduce more high-quality businesses to help promote consumption upgrade," said Wang Yijia, an analyst at LeadLeo.
\n",
+ "content": "
Over the past few weeks, I have watched a pop concert, a talk show, a stage play and several films after dusk, as a large number of performances are readily available in the capital city in the evenings.
\n
I have had a higher willingness to head outdoors to relax and for entertainment this summer. I'm not alone.
\n
Industry experts have observed that summer is the most active season for nighttime consumption, as the daylight extends and the weather becomes more suitable in the evenings, encouraging more people to step out for fun activities.
\n
In comparison, nighttime consumption in spring and autumn is relatively stable, and consumers mainly flock to dining and entertainment venues.
\n
"Outdoor consumption usually declines in winter due to cold weather, and the flow of people tends to concentrate at indoor venues such as restaurants, cinemas and shopping malls. Still, the overall scale of nighttime indoor consumption is smaller than that in summer," said Hong Yong, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
\n
Besides the launch of more nighttime performances, major scenic spots, amusement parks, museums and zoos have extended their opening hours or introduced special night tours such as light shows, night performances and night markets.
\n
Night tours have been highly favored by tourists.
\n
This summer, the overall booking volume for nighttime travel products has increased by 20 percent year-on-year, according to Qunar, a Beijing-based online travel agency.
\n
In particular, the Yellow Crane Tower, a landmark in Wuhan, Hubei province, presents an immersive light show at night, and the booking volume of admission tickets for the show has doubled over last year. Other night tours in Xi'an, Shaanxi province; Wuzhen, Zhejiang province; and Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guizhou province, have been quite well-received among travelers.
\n
Meanwhile, with the opening of night sessions at multiple theme parks nationwide, the booking volumes of their nighttime admission tickets have significantly increased.For instance, the search volume for night tours at Happy Valley in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, this summer has surged nine-fold year-on-year, Qunar found.
\n
Despite the high popularity of the night tourism economy in the country, there are still some challenges and room for improvement.
\n
For instance, inadequate urban support facilities, early termination of nighttime public transportation, insufficient supply of public services such as lighting and garbage disposal, have affected consumers' willingness to travel at night, according to LeadLeo Research Institute, a market research provider based in Shanghai.
\n
The sustainable development of nighttime consumption can't be achieved without the support of public services such as transportation, safety, lighting and sanitation, the consultancy said.
\n
"Different cities should rely on local cultural IP to create differentiated and innovated nighttime consumption scenes. And local governments should lower operational barriers in terms of taxation and venues, and introduce more high-quality businesses to help promote consumption upgrade," said Wang Yijia, an analyst at LeadLeo.
A view of the Metropolo Jinjiang Hotel in Luang Prabang, Laos.
\n
Representatives from Jin Jiang Hotels China Region and Riyaz Group agree to form a strategic partnership for Southeast Asia expansion in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Dec 12, 2024.
\n
Riding the wave of travel to and within Southeast Asia, Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels Co Ltd is extending its footprint around the world.
\n
Currently, the scale of Jin Jiang's hotel portfolio tops Asia and ranks second in the world. By the end of 2024, Jin Jiang had invested in and was operating over 14,120 hotels, covering more than 100 countries.
\n
In the overseas market, Jin Jiang owns over 3,400 hotels, ranking first, second and third in terms of scale in India, Europe and Africa, respectively.
\n
Taking its sub-brand Radisson as an example. Radisson owns 1,526 hotels in more than 95 countries.Specifically, newly opened hotels are favored by overseas consumers.
\n
Starting from 2024, Jin Jiang has been ramping up efforts in the Southeast Asian markets. In December, Jin Jiang Hotels China Region inked a deal with Riyaz International Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian hospitality and lifestyle group, to promote the commercialization of five hotel brands in Southeast Asia. The hotels would be developed, constructed and operated in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines.
\n
In April, as the first project under the overseas strategy of Jin Jiang Hotels China Region, the Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels' first property in Laos, was officially signed in Luang Prabang. On June 27, another brand of Jin Jiang — the Lavande Hotel's first property in Malaysia — was established in Victoria Street in Penang.
\n
According to Zhang Zhonghao, senior vice-president of Jin Jiang Hotels China Region, during the process of going global, Jin Jiang has adjusted its measures to local conditions, by deeply learning about local culture, customer needs and the market environment, to make targeted adjustments to achieve the integration and balance of brand standards and local culture.
\n
Take Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels' property in Laos as an example. The dominant color scheme adopts the brown tones commonly seen in Southeast Asian wood veneers, stone materials and wall coverings.Meanwhile, it continues to use blue and gold colors, which are part of Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels' standard color scheme, proportionally on walls, furniture and artwork.
\n
"The color combination cleverly balances Southeast Asian regional characteristics with Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels' brand identity — the brown color scheme lays the foundation for the overall atmosphere, while the brand's blue/gold serves as a visual focal point, enhancing brand recognition," Zhang said.
\n
Furthermore, as Laos advocates handicrafts, Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels' property in Luang Prabang has incorporated handmade wall coverings in some of its designs, and extracted elephant group patterns from local culture, reinterpreting them with abstract lines, and integrating them into a spatial design, reflecting both local cultural characteristics and modern design sense.
\n
Speaking of why Jin Jiang has accelerated its going global pace in the Southeast Asian market, Zhang said: "With the gradual implementation of a series of visa free agreements and other entry and exit policies, China has entered the 'visa free era' with Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand."
\n
As a global tourist destination, Southeast Asia holds an important position in China's outbound tourism market. Take Malaysia as an example, official data show that in 2024, Malaysia received a total of 37.96 million international tourists, with an increase of 24 percent in overnight visitors compared to 2023.
\n
"At the same time, the hotel industry in Southeast Asia generally exhibits a low rate of chain operation, coupled with factors such as a high proportion of Chinese, making it a strategic market with enormous development potential for the domestic hotel industry," Zhang said.
\n
Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said: "Southeast Asia, as an emerging hot spot in the global tourism landscape, has attracted a large number of international tourists with its unique natural landscapes and cultural diversity. In recent years, global tourism consumption has shown a trend of 'experience oriented' and 'cultural depth tourism', and Southeast Asia happens to meet this demand. Chinese hotels going global to Southeast Asia can seize the opportunity of the shift of global tourism focus to emerging markets and strategically plan for high growth potential areas in advance."
\n
"Southeast Asia is a key node of China's Belt and Road Initiative. The process of regional economic integration has accelerated, providing Chinese enterprises with the convenience of policy coordination and market interconnection. As an important component of the service industry, the hotel industry can participate in regional industrial chain integration by going global, while leveraging the geographical proximity between Southeast Asia and China to reduce logistics and operational costs," he said.
\n
According to Zhang, during the process of going global, it has run into some challenges. Take the Southeast Asian markets as an example, there are cultural and legal differences. The work style of employees in Southeast Asia is different from that in China, and management strategies may need to be adjusted. In addition, hotels need to make localized adjustments in service etiquette, catering content and other aspects to meet the needs of local consumers.
\n
Furthermore, there are significant differences in the laws and regulations of different countries and regions regarding hotel operations, labor employment, environmental protection, and other aspects, Zhang said.
\n
zhengyiran@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
A view of the Metropolo Jinjiang Hotel in Luang Prabang, Laos.
\n
Representatives from Jin Jiang Hotels China Region and Riyaz Group agree to form a strategic partnership for Southeast Asia expansion in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Dec 12, 2024.
\n
Riding the wave of travel to and within Southeast Asia, Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels Co Ltd is extending its footprint around the world.
\n
Currently, the scale of Jin Jiang's hotel portfolio tops Asia and ranks second in the world. By the end of 2024, Jin Jiang had invested in and was operating over 14,120 hotels, covering more than 100 countries.
\n
In the overseas market, Jin Jiang owns over 3,400 hotels, ranking first, second and third in terms of scale in India, Europe and Africa, respectively.
\n
Taking its sub-brand Radisson as an example. Radisson owns 1,526 hotels in more than 95 countries.Specifically, newly opened hotels are favored by overseas consumers.
\n
Starting from 2024, Jin Jiang has been ramping up efforts in the Southeast Asian markets. In December, Jin Jiang Hotels China Region inked a deal with Riyaz International Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian hospitality and lifestyle group, to promote the commercialization of five hotel brands in Southeast Asia. The hotels would be developed, constructed and operated in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines.
\n
In April, as the first project under the overseas strategy of Jin Jiang Hotels China Region, the Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels' first property in Laos, was officially signed in Luang Prabang. On June 27, another brand of Jin Jiang — the Lavande Hotel's first property in Malaysia — was established in Victoria Street in Penang.
\n
According to Zhang Zhonghao, senior vice-president of Jin Jiang Hotels China Region, during the process of going global, Jin Jiang has adjusted its measures to local conditions, by deeply learning about local culture, customer needs and the market environment, to make targeted adjustments to achieve the integration and balance of brand standards and local culture.
\n
Take Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels' property in Laos as an example. The dominant color scheme adopts the brown tones commonly seen in Southeast Asian wood veneers, stone materials and wall coverings.Meanwhile, it continues to use blue and gold colors, which are part of Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels' standard color scheme, proportionally on walls, furniture and artwork.
\n
"The color combination cleverly balances Southeast Asian regional characteristics with Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels' brand identity — the brown color scheme lays the foundation for the overall atmosphere, while the brand's blue/gold serves as a visual focal point, enhancing brand recognition," Zhang said.
\n
Furthermore, as Laos advocates handicrafts, Metropolo Jinjiang Hotels' property in Luang Prabang has incorporated handmade wall coverings in some of its designs, and extracted elephant group patterns from local culture, reinterpreting them with abstract lines, and integrating them into a spatial design, reflecting both local cultural characteristics and modern design sense.
\n
Speaking of why Jin Jiang has accelerated its going global pace in the Southeast Asian market, Zhang said: "With the gradual implementation of a series of visa free agreements and other entry and exit policies, China has entered the 'visa free era' with Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand."
\n
As a global tourist destination, Southeast Asia holds an important position in China's outbound tourism market. Take Malaysia as an example, official data show that in 2024, Malaysia received a total of 37.96 million international tourists, with an increase of 24 percent in overnight visitors compared to 2023.
\n
"At the same time, the hotel industry in Southeast Asia generally exhibits a low rate of chain operation, coupled with factors such as a high proportion of Chinese, making it a strategic market with enormous development potential for the domestic hotel industry," Zhang said.
\n
Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said: "Southeast Asia, as an emerging hot spot in the global tourism landscape, has attracted a large number of international tourists with its unique natural landscapes and cultural diversity. In recent years, global tourism consumption has shown a trend of 'experience oriented' and 'cultural depth tourism', and Southeast Asia happens to meet this demand. Chinese hotels going global to Southeast Asia can seize the opportunity of the shift of global tourism focus to emerging markets and strategically plan for high growth potential areas in advance."
\n
"Southeast Asia is a key node of China's Belt and Road Initiative. The process of regional economic integration has accelerated, providing Chinese enterprises with the convenience of policy coordination and market interconnection. As an important component of the service industry, the hotel industry can participate in regional industrial chain integration by going global, while leveraging the geographical proximity between Southeast Asia and China to reduce logistics and operational costs," he said.
\n
According to Zhang, during the process of going global, it has run into some challenges. Take the Southeast Asian markets as an example, there are cultural and legal differences. The work style of employees in Southeast Asia is different from that in China, and management strategies may need to be adjusted. In addition, hotels need to make localized adjustments in service etiquette, catering content and other aspects to meet the needs of local consumers.
\n
Furthermore, there are significant differences in the laws and regulations of different countries and regions regarding hotel operations, labor employment, environmental protection, and other aspects, Zhang said.
As Xizang autonomous region is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its establishment as an autonomous region in Southwest China, Palden Tsering in Lhokha is eager to learn more as a Tibetan power worker.
\n
As a newcomer to State Grid Lhokha, he knows all too well that to help accelerate the progress of Lhokha — which administers one district, one county-level city, and 10 counties — he needs to sharpen his caliber.
\n
With its regional GDP reaching 30.442 billion yuan ($4.24 billion) last year, an annual rise of 5.8 percent, the prefecture-level city has at least 37 types of proven mineral deposits and more than 100 mining sites, in addition to rich forestry and plant resources.
\n
"Sufficient power supply is crucial to the economic lifeline of Lhokha, which has some 354,030 permanent residents living in 118,810-odd households," he said.
\n
He was told that as a granary and power hub of Xizang, Lhokha has unique regional features as well as technical challenges in power grid development.
\n
For many years, the State Grid Corp of China has always regarded serving Xizang's high-quality development as a major task, asking its employees in the autonomous region to work arduously, driving remarkable achievements in the local power sector.
\n
Besides sending technical staff for assistance, the State Grid has also put cultivating more high-quality local professionals as a top priority to help bolster Xizang's economic and social progress.
\n
As this year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xizang autonomous region, two subsidiaries of the State Grid — State Grid Lhokha and State Grid Suqian Power Supply Co in Jiangsu province — have launched a joint-study program to accelerate the cultivation of more young professionals.
\n
On Aug 11, the Youth Home facility of State Grid Suqian was buzzing with activity. Staff members of State Grid Lhokha, which is over 3,000 kilometers away from Suqian, were linked via video conference with their peers in the prefecture-level city of Suqian.
\n
Trying to deepen their knowledge on power-grid development in their respective regions, the attendees understand that supporting the local socioeconomic development and letting their service take deep roots in the public are their paramount tasks.
\n
They discussed the technical difficulties facing them, their innovative experiences, and management models, sharing ways to enhance their work.
\n
"Young professionals are the bedrock of our corporate development," said Ji Junfeng, Party secretary of State Grid Suqian, noting that: "We would like to share the good experiences we have gained with our peer company, so that we can learn from each other and advance together."
\n
Suqian, located in northern Jiangsu, has witnessed its grid construction advance rapidly in recent years and its transmission system continuously improve.
\n
Palden Tsering raised a question: "When replacing imported dispatch-automation systems with home-developed ones, what technical problems did you meet and how did you solve them?"
\n
Zhao Yu, deputy director of the dispatch and control center in State Grid Suqian, picked up the microphone and gave him an answer immediately.
\n
Migmar Tsering, Party secretary of State Grid Lhokha Power Supply Co, noted that the cross-regional joint learning program is an important measure to strengthen Lhokha's talent cultivation.
\n
"This event is not only a sharing of knowledge, but also an integration and innovation between the sister units of the State Grid," he said.
\n
On the basis of joint study, both sides can continue to share innovative achievements and establish a regular exchange mechanism in a bid to lay a solid foundation for deeper cooperation in the future, he said.
\n
hanjingyan@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "\n
As Xizang autonomous region is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its establishment as an autonomous region in Southwest China, Palden Tsering in Lhokha is eager to learn more as a Tibetan power worker.
\n
As a newcomer to State Grid Lhokha, he knows all too well that to help accelerate the progress of Lhokha — which administers one district, one county-level city, and 10 counties — he needs to sharpen his caliber.
\n
With its regional GDP reaching 30.442 billion yuan ($4.24 billion) last year, an annual rise of 5.8 percent, the prefecture-level city has at least 37 types of proven mineral deposits and more than 100 mining sites, in addition to rich forestry and plant resources.
\n
"Sufficient power supply is crucial to the economic lifeline of Lhokha, which has some 354,030 permanent residents living in 118,810-odd households," he said.
\n
He was told that as a granary and power hub of Xizang, Lhokha has unique regional features as well as technical challenges in power grid development.
\n
For many years, the State Grid Corp of China has always regarded serving Xizang's high-quality development as a major task, asking its employees in the autonomous region to work arduously, driving remarkable achievements in the local power sector.
\n
Besides sending technical staff for assistance, the State Grid has also put cultivating more high-quality local professionals as a top priority to help bolster Xizang's economic and social progress.
\n
As this year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xizang autonomous region, two subsidiaries of the State Grid — State Grid Lhokha and State Grid Suqian Power Supply Co in Jiangsu province — have launched a joint-study program to accelerate the cultivation of more young professionals.
\n
On Aug 11, the Youth Home facility of State Grid Suqian was buzzing with activity. Staff members of State Grid Lhokha, which is over 3,000 kilometers away from Suqian, were linked via video conference with their peers in the prefecture-level city of Suqian.
\n
Trying to deepen their knowledge on power-grid development in their respective regions, the attendees understand that supporting the local socioeconomic development and letting their service take deep roots in the public are their paramount tasks.
\n
They discussed the technical difficulties facing them, their innovative experiences, and management models, sharing ways to enhance their work.
\n
"Young professionals are the bedrock of our corporate development," said Ji Junfeng, Party secretary of State Grid Suqian, noting that: "We would like to share the good experiences we have gained with our peer company, so that we can learn from each other and advance together."
\n
Suqian, located in northern Jiangsu, has witnessed its grid construction advance rapidly in recent years and its transmission system continuously improve.
\n
Palden Tsering raised a question: "When replacing imported dispatch-automation systems with home-developed ones, what technical problems did you meet and how did you solve them?"
\n
Zhao Yu, deputy director of the dispatch and control center in State Grid Suqian, picked up the microphone and gave him an answer immediately.
\n
Migmar Tsering, Party secretary of State Grid Lhokha Power Supply Co, noted that the cross-regional joint learning program is an important measure to strengthen Lhokha's talent cultivation.
\n
"This event is not only a sharing of knowledge, but also an integration and innovation between the sister units of the State Grid," he said.
\n
On the basis of joint study, both sides can continue to share innovative achievements and establish a regular exchange mechanism in a bid to lay a solid foundation for deeper cooperation in the future, he said.
Chinese NEV startup Leapmotor displays a C01 sedan at the 2025 Shanghai auto show in April.
\n
Chinese new energy vehicle startups posted a record-breaking performance in the first half of this year, demonstrating their growing momentum in both domestic and overseas markets.
\n
Leapmotor has turned a profit for the first time in a half year, joining Li Auto as the only Chinese NEV startups to achieve that milestone.
\n
In the first six months of 2025, Leapmotor's deliveries surged 155.7 percent from a year earlier to 221,664 vehicles, the highest among Chinese NEV startups.Meanwhile, its revenue surged 174 percent to 24.25 billion yuan ($3.37 billion).
\n
Its gross margin rose to 14.1 percent, up 13 percentage points compared with the first half of 2024, the best in Leapmotor's history.This is attributed to economies of scale from increased sales, which led to reduced unit costs.
\n
In July, its sales exceeded 50,000 units for the first time, maintaining its position as the top-selling NEV startup for five consecutive months.
\n
Also that month, Leapmotor made its debut on the Fortune China 500 list, the only entrant among NEV startups.
\n
The automaker has increased this year's sales target to 580,000-650,000 vehicles and aims for 1 million next year.
\n
Thanks to its partnership with European auto group Stellantis, Leapmotor reported strong overseas sales too. From January to July, the automaker exported 24,980 NEVs, the highest among NEV startups.
\n
Its performance in Europe has been particularly impressive, with over 4,000 orders in July, setting a record. The first batch of B10 SUVs was shipped to Europe in July and is set to launch at the IAA Mobility in Munich, Germany, in September.
\n
The company plans to establish a production base in Europe by the end of 2026.
\n
XPeng also delivered standout results, with key metrics such as deliveries, revenue, and gross margin hitting new highs for the second quarter.
\n
It delivered 103,181 units from April to June, up 241.6 percent year-over-year, setting a single-quarter record.
\n
Its revenue reached 18.27 billion yuan in Q2, marking a year-over-year growth of 125.3 percent and a record quarter-over-quarter growth of 15.6 percent.
\n
The closely watched vehicle gross margin stood at 14.3 percent, up 7.9 percentage points from the same period of 2024, achieving continuous improvement for eight consecutive quarters.
\n
The figure demonstrates the company's balance and optimization of its product pricing strategy and cost control amid intense market competition.
\n
XPeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng said that the company has upgraded its new-generation technology platform in 2025, creating a technological advantage over its competitors. This is expected to inject momentum into future products.
\n
The automaker will launch the new P7 this week. It is expected to rank among the top three electric sedans priced under 300,000 yuan and achieve monthly deliveries of more than 40,000 from September, according to He.
\n
XPeng also plans to launch a range-extended version of the X9 MPV in the fourth quarter this year, marking its entry into the competitive but fast-growing range-extended electric vehicle market.
\n
The automaker expects third-quarter deliveries of 113,000 to 118,000 vehicles, up 143-154 percent year-over-year, with revenue projected at 19.6-21 billion yuan, representing 94-108 percent growth.
\n
Internationally, XPeng has entered 46 markets, including the United Kingdom, Italy, and Ireland. These countries accepted deliveries of over 18,000 vehicles in the first half, a 200 percent increase year-over-year. Production has also begun in Indonesia.
\n
Joining the momentum, Xiaomi's EV business also reached new milestones in Q2 with its revenue at 20.6 billion yuan and the delivery of 81,302 cars, setting a record.
\n
The average selling price rose by 10.9 percent to 253,662 yuan in the second quarter, mainly due to increased deliveries of the higher-priced Xiaomi SU7 Ultra sedan.
\n
In July, Xiaomi's monthly deliveries surpassed 30,000 units for the first time. Xiaomi President Lu Weibing said that the company will not engage in price wars. The current priority is to quickly deliver orders.
\n
According to Lu, Xiaomi is confident in achieving its delivery target of 350,000 vehicles this year and its auto business is expected to achieve quarterly profitability in the second half of the year.
\n
Xiaomi's EV business also plans to enter the European market in 2027, marking the first step of its global expansion.
\n
Established automakers also showed a strong performance. Geely's revenue reached 150.29 billion yuan in the first half of 2025, marking a 27 percent increase year-on-year and setting a record for the company.
\n
The revenue growth is primarily attributed to a sharp increase in Geely's sales volume, which reached 1.41 million units, up 47 percent year-on-year, which set another record for the company.
\n
Among these, NEV sales reached 725,200 units, marking a year-on-year increase of 126 percent. NEVs accounted for 51.5 percent of Geely's total sales, highlighting the company's focus in that sector.
\n
caoyingying@Chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
Chinese NEV startup Leapmotor displays a C01 sedan at the 2025 Shanghai auto show in April.
\n
Chinese new energy vehicle startups posted a record-breaking performance in the first half of this year, demonstrating their growing momentum in both domestic and overseas markets.
\n
Leapmotor has turned a profit for the first time in a half year, joining Li Auto as the only Chinese NEV startups to achieve that milestone.
\n
In the first six months of 2025, Leapmotor's deliveries surged 155.7 percent from a year earlier to 221,664 vehicles, the highest among Chinese NEV startups.Meanwhile, its revenue surged 174 percent to 24.25 billion yuan ($3.37 billion).
\n
Its gross margin rose to 14.1 percent, up 13 percentage points compared with the first half of 2024, the best in Leapmotor's history.This is attributed to economies of scale from increased sales, which led to reduced unit costs.
\n
In July, its sales exceeded 50,000 units for the first time, maintaining its position as the top-selling NEV startup for five consecutive months.
\n
Also that month, Leapmotor made its debut on the Fortune China 500 list, the only entrant among NEV startups.
\n
The automaker has increased this year's sales target to 580,000-650,000 vehicles and aims for 1 million next year.
\n
Thanks to its partnership with European auto group Stellantis, Leapmotor reported strong overseas sales too. From January to July, the automaker exported 24,980 NEVs, the highest among NEV startups.
\n
Its performance in Europe has been particularly impressive, with over 4,000 orders in July, setting a record. The first batch of B10 SUVs was shipped to Europe in July and is set to launch at the IAA Mobility in Munich, Germany, in September.
\n
The company plans to establish a production base in Europe by the end of 2026.
\n
XPeng also delivered standout results, with key metrics such as deliveries, revenue, and gross margin hitting new highs for the second quarter.
\n
It delivered 103,181 units from April to June, up 241.6 percent year-over-year, setting a single-quarter record.
\n
Its revenue reached 18.27 billion yuan in Q2, marking a year-over-year growth of 125.3 percent and a record quarter-over-quarter growth of 15.6 percent.
\n
The closely watched vehicle gross margin stood at 14.3 percent, up 7.9 percentage points from the same period of 2024, achieving continuous improvement for eight consecutive quarters.
\n
The figure demonstrates the company's balance and optimization of its product pricing strategy and cost control amid intense market competition.
\n
XPeng Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng said that the company has upgraded its new-generation technology platform in 2025, creating a technological advantage over its competitors. This is expected to inject momentum into future products.
\n
The automaker will launch the new P7 this week. It is expected to rank among the top three electric sedans priced under 300,000 yuan and achieve monthly deliveries of more than 40,000 from September, according to He.
\n
XPeng also plans to launch a range-extended version of the X9 MPV in the fourth quarter this year, marking its entry into the competitive but fast-growing range-extended electric vehicle market.
\n
The automaker expects third-quarter deliveries of 113,000 to 118,000 vehicles, up 143-154 percent year-over-year, with revenue projected at 19.6-21 billion yuan, representing 94-108 percent growth.
\n
Internationally, XPeng has entered 46 markets, including the United Kingdom, Italy, and Ireland. These countries accepted deliveries of over 18,000 vehicles in the first half, a 200 percent increase year-over-year. Production has also begun in Indonesia.
\n
Joining the momentum, Xiaomi's EV business also reached new milestones in Q2 with its revenue at 20.6 billion yuan and the delivery of 81,302 cars, setting a record.
\n
The average selling price rose by 10.9 percent to 253,662 yuan in the second quarter, mainly due to increased deliveries of the higher-priced Xiaomi SU7 Ultra sedan.
\n
In July, Xiaomi's monthly deliveries surpassed 30,000 units for the first time. Xiaomi President Lu Weibing said that the company will not engage in price wars. The current priority is to quickly deliver orders.
\n
According to Lu, Xiaomi is confident in achieving its delivery target of 350,000 vehicles this year and its auto business is expected to achieve quarterly profitability in the second half of the year.
\n
Xiaomi's EV business also plans to enter the European market in 2027, marking the first step of its global expansion.
\n
Established automakers also showed a strong performance. Geely's revenue reached 150.29 billion yuan in the first half of 2025, marking a 27 percent increase year-on-year and setting a record for the company.
\n
The revenue growth is primarily attributed to a sharp increase in Geely's sales volume, which reached 1.41 million units, up 47 percent year-on-year, which set another record for the company.
\n
Among these, NEV sales reached 725,200 units, marking a year-on-year increase of 126 percent. NEVs accounted for 51.5 percent of Geely's total sales, highlighting the company's focus in that sector.
The AUDI E5 Sportback on display at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in June.
\n
Audi AG's new China-only sub-brand, which drops its famous four rings in favor of a "lettermark" badge, is drawing both praise and skepticism after opening pre-sales of its first model last week.
\n
The starting price of 235,900 yuan ($33,026) positions the electric crossover E5 Sportback directly against models from Chinese carmakers such as Nio and Geely-backed Zeekr, as well as Tesla.
\n
Analysts say the German carmaker is making a deliberate play for volume in a segment dominated by China's EV startups.
\n
The lettermark brand — simply called AUDI — is the company's latest attempt to regain ground in a market where its sales have slowed and local competitors are setting the pace in smart EV technology.
\n
The rollout has been rapid: the marque was unveiled with SAIC in November 2024, and the E5 Sportback was shown to the public in April this year.
\n
The urgency is understandable.Audi's sales in China — its most important market — have been falling. Deliveries last year totaled 649,400 vehicles, an 11 percent year-on-year decline, with FAW-Audi accounting for 611,088 units and SAIC Audi contributing 43,220 units.
\n
The slowdown in China dragged down Audi's global revenue to 64.5 billion euros ($70.3 billion) in 2024, from 69.9 billion euros in 2023, while operating margins shrank from 9 percent to 6 percent. In the first half of 2025, margins slipped further to 3.3 percent as tariffs, restructuring costs, and weak European demand weighed on results.
\n
Some observers view the E5's launch as part of a broader transformation by global luxury brands in China — what local analysts call a "bottom-up reconstruction". By leveraging local platforms and adjusting pricing strategies, Audi is positioning itself closer to consumer expectations in the world's most competitive EV market.
\n
But the strategy has also caused confusion. Because the E5 does not carry the four-ring badge, some consumers have questioned whether it "still counts as an Audi".Reviews in Chinese media noted that its design language — inside and out — departs significantly from traditional Audi cues. Critics argue the model lacks the "Audi feel", producing a sense of estrangement among long-time customers.
\n
"The four rings are Audi's strongest asset in China, as in other parts of the world, and withholding them creates confusion," said a Shanghai-based auto analyst. "There's a risk of alienating loyal buyers while failing to convince younger ones that this is truly premium."
\n
Others warn of brand dilution and point to Audi's reliance on a partner whose own premium EV brand, IM Motors, has struggled.SAIC is now pinning its hopes on a new venture with Huawei, though its former chairman described the move as "soul-selling".
\n
Still, Audi has little choice but to experiment. Parent company Volkswagen AG has been overtaken by BYD as China's top-selling carmaker, and Germany's premium trio are all under pressure from faster-moving local rivals.
\n
By creating a new brand identity and lowering entry prices, Audi is signaling that it is willing to move faster, even at the risk of diluting tradition.
\n
For now, the lettermark strategy gives Audi breathing room. The E5 Sportback will test whether the combination of a premium nameplate, local technology, and aggressive pricing can cut through a market saturated with options.
\n
If it works, Audi could reposition itself as the most adaptive of Germany's luxury carmakers. If not, it risks reinforcing perceptions of decline — while fueling debate over what still counts as an Audi in China.
\n
lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
The AUDI E5 Sportback on display at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in June.
\n
Audi AG's new China-only sub-brand, which drops its famous four rings in favor of a "lettermark" badge, is drawing both praise and skepticism after opening pre-sales of its first model last week.
\n
The starting price of 235,900 yuan ($33,026) positions the electric crossover E5 Sportback directly against models from Chinese carmakers such as Nio and Geely-backed Zeekr, as well as Tesla.
\n
Analysts say the German carmaker is making a deliberate play for volume in a segment dominated by China's EV startups.
\n
The lettermark brand — simply called AUDI — is the company's latest attempt to regain ground in a market where its sales have slowed and local competitors are setting the pace in smart EV technology.
\n
The rollout has been rapid: the marque was unveiled with SAIC in November 2024, and the E5 Sportback was shown to the public in April this year.
\n
The urgency is understandable.Audi's sales in China — its most important market — have been falling. Deliveries last year totaled 649,400 vehicles, an 11 percent year-on-year decline, with FAW-Audi accounting for 611,088 units and SAIC Audi contributing 43,220 units.
\n
The slowdown in China dragged down Audi's global revenue to 64.5 billion euros ($70.3 billion) in 2024, from 69.9 billion euros in 2023, while operating margins shrank from 9 percent to 6 percent. In the first half of 2025, margins slipped further to 3.3 percent as tariffs, restructuring costs, and weak European demand weighed on results.
\n
Some observers view the E5's launch as part of a broader transformation by global luxury brands in China — what local analysts call a "bottom-up reconstruction". By leveraging local platforms and adjusting pricing strategies, Audi is positioning itself closer to consumer expectations in the world's most competitive EV market.
\n
But the strategy has also caused confusion. Because the E5 does not carry the four-ring badge, some consumers have questioned whether it "still counts as an Audi".Reviews in Chinese media noted that its design language — inside and out — departs significantly from traditional Audi cues. Critics argue the model lacks the "Audi feel", producing a sense of estrangement among long-time customers.
\n
"The four rings are Audi's strongest asset in China, as in other parts of the world, and withholding them creates confusion," said a Shanghai-based auto analyst. "There's a risk of alienating loyal buyers while failing to convince younger ones that this is truly premium."
\n
Others warn of brand dilution and point to Audi's reliance on a partner whose own premium EV brand, IM Motors, has struggled.SAIC is now pinning its hopes on a new venture with Huawei, though its former chairman described the move as "soul-selling".
\n
Still, Audi has little choice but to experiment. Parent company Volkswagen AG has been overtaken by BYD as China's top-selling carmaker, and Germany's premium trio are all under pressure from faster-moving local rivals.
\n
By creating a new brand identity and lowering entry prices, Audi is signaling that it is willing to move faster, even at the risk of diluting tradition.
\n
For now, the lettermark strategy gives Audi breathing room. The E5 Sportback will test whether the combination of a premium nameplate, local technology, and aggressive pricing can cut through a market saturated with options.
\n
If it works, Audi could reposition itself as the most adaptive of Germany's luxury carmakers. If not, it risks reinforcing perceptions of decline — while fueling debate over what still counts as an Audi in China.
British compute platform company Arm is positioning its new Zena CSS as a flexible computing foundation for the next generation of AI-powered vehicles, providing automakers and chipmakers a way to accelerate development while maintaining flexibility for differentiation.
\n
The platform, which it claims can enable automakers to launch new vehicle models at least one year faster, comes at a time when the car industry is accelerating its evolution from mechanical products to AI-driven ones.
\n
Suraj Gajendra, vice-president for Product and Solutions, Automotive Line of Business at Arm, said the platform has attracted more than 10 global partners, including automakers and chip designers.
\n
"Some of them have licensed the technology, while others are in advanced stages of engagement," said Gajendra in an interview on Tuesday without disclosing their names.
\n
Gajendra said the new Zena CSS delivers high-performance computing capacity to support applications ranging from in-car AI assistants to advanced driver-assistance systems and vehicle control applications, which are must-haves for new vehicles these days, especially in China.
\n
Long before the launch of the new platform, Arm had been providing solutions for the auto industry. Most big names in the sector are its customers, including BMW, Toyota, Geely and Nio.
\n
In the last five years, Arm-based chip shipments to the automotive market have tripled, statistics from the company showed.
\n
Besides raw performance, the Zena platform allows partners to optimize designs according to their own needs, unlike traditional chip designs that lock customers into specific layouts or manufacturing processes.
\n
"They can customize features, integrate with other components, or target different markets without being constrained by rigid specifications," said Gajendra.
\n
The platform also anticipates the growing trend of modular chip designs, giving partners the ability to combine or adapt Zena CSS units according to their product strategies.
\n
This approach allows manufacturers to scale computing power as AI demands increase, while still retaining flexibility to innovate in areas such as AI accelerators, Input-Output interfaces, or other features.
\n
"Our core goal is to standardize a small but critical set of components — the CPU cores — while leaving the rest of the design to partners for differentiation," said Gajendra.
\n
"Whether it's a carmaker developing its own chips or a traditional chip partner building a SoC (system on chip), they can innovate in accelerators, custom logic, or overall system architecture. This approach helps reduce development complexity while enabling creativity and flexibility," he added.
\n
With vehicles expected to host more advanced AI workloads, from predictive maintenance and driver monitoring to adaptive infotainment systems, the demand for integrated, high-performance platforms is rapidly growing.
\n
"The transition to software-defined vehicles demands a shift in how we approach compute architectures," said Magnus Ostberg, chief software officer at Mercedes-Benz.
\n
He said standardized, pre-verified compute subsystems like Arm Zena CSS can significantly accelerate development timelines and reduce complexity across the industry.
\n
"At Mercedes-Benz, we recognize the value of collaborative platforms that drive the entire ecosystem forward," said Ostberg.
\n",
+ "content": "
British compute platform company Arm is positioning its new Zena CSS as a flexible computing foundation for the next generation of AI-powered vehicles, providing automakers and chipmakers a way to accelerate development while maintaining flexibility for differentiation.
\n
The platform, which it claims can enable automakers to launch new vehicle models at least one year faster, comes at a time when the car industry is accelerating its evolution from mechanical products to AI-driven ones.
\n
Suraj Gajendra, vice-president for Product and Solutions, Automotive Line of Business at Arm, said the platform has attracted more than 10 global partners, including automakers and chip designers.
\n
"Some of them have licensed the technology, while others are in advanced stages of engagement," said Gajendra in an interview on Tuesday without disclosing their names.
\n
Gajendra said the new Zena CSS delivers high-performance computing capacity to support applications ranging from in-car AI assistants to advanced driver-assistance systems and vehicle control applications, which are must-haves for new vehicles these days, especially in China.
\n
Long before the launch of the new platform, Arm had been providing solutions for the auto industry. Most big names in the sector are its customers, including BMW, Toyota, Geely and Nio.
\n
In the last five years, Arm-based chip shipments to the automotive market have tripled, statistics from the company showed.
\n
Besides raw performance, the Zena platform allows partners to optimize designs according to their own needs, unlike traditional chip designs that lock customers into specific layouts or manufacturing processes.
\n
"They can customize features, integrate with other components, or target different markets without being constrained by rigid specifications," said Gajendra.
\n
The platform also anticipates the growing trend of modular chip designs, giving partners the ability to combine or adapt Zena CSS units according to their product strategies.
\n
This approach allows manufacturers to scale computing power as AI demands increase, while still retaining flexibility to innovate in areas such as AI accelerators, Input-Output interfaces, or other features.
\n
"Our core goal is to standardize a small but critical set of components — the CPU cores — while leaving the rest of the design to partners for differentiation," said Gajendra.
\n
"Whether it's a carmaker developing its own chips or a traditional chip partner building a SoC (system on chip), they can innovate in accelerators, custom logic, or overall system architecture. This approach helps reduce development complexity while enabling creativity and flexibility," he added.
\n
With vehicles expected to host more advanced AI workloads, from predictive maintenance and driver monitoring to adaptive infotainment systems, the demand for integrated, high-performance platforms is rapidly growing.
\n
"The transition to software-defined vehicles demands a shift in how we approach compute architectures," said Magnus Ostberg, chief software officer at Mercedes-Benz.
\n
He said standardized, pre-verified compute subsystems like Arm Zena CSS can significantly accelerate development timelines and reduce complexity across the industry.
\n
"At Mercedes-Benz, we recognize the value of collaborative platforms that drive the entire ecosystem forward," said Ostberg.
IM Motors launched a Level-4 Robotaxi route connecting the Shanghai Disney Resort and Pudong International Airport, in partnership with SAIC Mobility and SAIC AI LAB, on Wednesday.Bookings can be made in the Robotaxi section of the SAIC Mobility app, with pick-ups at key locations such as the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel. It is the first major rollout since IM Motors received permits to demonstrate its intelligent connected vehicles on high-speed routes in the city.According to the company, IM Motors' Robotaxi fleet has handled more than 300,000 ride orders, covering more than 7 million kilometers. The service supports a range of scenarios, from daily commutes and metro transfers to leisure and entertainment travel.
\n
Tata returns to S. Africa with budget products
\n
India's Tata Motors returned to South Africa's passenger vehicle market after a six-year absence, launching three SUVs and an entry-level compact hatchback to take on Chinese competitors.Growing demand for budget-friendly cars is luring global automakers to offer consumers options, in a shift that spotlights reliance on low-cost imports from India and China and questions future domestic production. "Our aspiration, as part of our midterm plan, is to be one of the top five passenger vehicles in South Africa, with a 6-8 percent market share," said Thato Magasa, the new national chief for Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles.Tata unveiled the Punch compact SUV, the Curvv coupe-styled SUV, the Tiago compact hatchback, and Harrier premium SUV: all combustion engine cars that go on sale from September.
\n
Joint venture stake with Honda for sale
\n
Dongfeng Motor is selling its joint venture stake with Honda, in a reflection of China's rapid shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles. Guangzhou-based Dongfeng Honda Engine, founded in 1998, produces engines for Honda vehicles in China. Dongfeng listed its 50 percent stake for sale on the Guangdong United Assets and Equity Exchange on Aug 18, according to the exchange website. A reserve price has yet to be set and the listing deadline is Sept 12. The company's assets were valued at 5.4 billion yuan ($752 million) in 2024, when it recorded a loss of 227.8 million yuan, and it has debts of 3.3 billion yuan, according to audited results included in the listing document.Honda slashed production capacity at the Guangzhou engine plant by half earlier in 2025, according to Japanese media reports. It set up an electric vehicle production line in the same city with another Chinese automaker partner, which started operations in late 2024.
\n
Musk doubts if six-seater will be built in the US
\n
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company's new six-seated Model Y L, launched in China last week, might never enter production in the United States, citing the rise of self-driving vehicles. "This variant of the Model Y doesn't start production in the US until the end of next year," Musk said in a response to a post from an X user. "Might not ever, given the advent of self-driving in America." He did not elaborate on how the rise of autonomous driving would negate the need for a six-seater vehicle. The Model Y L, built at Tesla's Shanghai factory, features a longer wheelbase and three rows of seats, and is priced at around $47,200. It went on sale on Tuesday in China with deliveries anticipated as early as September.Tesla has been losing ground to domestic automakers, with shipments from its Shanghai factory slipping back into decline in July and local deliveries plummeting 12 percent from the same period of 2024.
\n
Global battery supply outstrips demand
\n
As demand for electric vehicles cools, the global supply of EV batteries is on track to be more than triple demand, creating headwinds for efforts by countries such as Japan and the US to establish domestic production, Nikkei reported. Based on data from S&P Global Mobility, the total annual capacity at EV production facilities is set to reach 3,930 gigawatt-hours, while demand is expected to come to 1,161 GWh. Supply is expected to remain at least triple the level of demand until 2026, and more than double in 2030. Capacity for some production facilities in the works in China has not been disclosed, meaning that the gap could grow, the Japanese media group reported. China produces roughly 70 percent of the world's EV batteries.CATL led the market in the first half of 2025, followed by BYD, according to South Korea's SNE Research.While South Korea and Japan once controlled the bulk of the market, LG Energy and Panasonic ranked third and sixth, respectively, with their shares continuing to dwindle.
\n",
+ "content": "
Shanghai robotaxi shows off IM Motors' technology
\n
IM Motors launched a Level-4 Robotaxi route connecting the Shanghai Disney Resort and Pudong International Airport, in partnership with SAIC Mobility and SAIC AI LAB, on Wednesday.Bookings can be made in the Robotaxi section of the SAIC Mobility app, with pick-ups at key locations such as the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel. It is the first major rollout since IM Motors received permits to demonstrate its intelligent connected vehicles on high-speed routes in the city.According to the company, IM Motors' Robotaxi fleet has handled more than 300,000 ride orders, covering more than 7 million kilometers. The service supports a range of scenarios, from daily commutes and metro transfers to leisure and entertainment travel.
\n
Tata returns to S. Africa with budget products
\n
India's Tata Motors returned to South Africa's passenger vehicle market after a six-year absence, launching three SUVs and an entry-level compact hatchback to take on Chinese competitors.Growing demand for budget-friendly cars is luring global automakers to offer consumers options, in a shift that spotlights reliance on low-cost imports from India and China and questions future domestic production. "Our aspiration, as part of our midterm plan, is to be one of the top five passenger vehicles in South Africa, with a 6-8 percent market share," said Thato Magasa, the new national chief for Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles.Tata unveiled the Punch compact SUV, the Curvv coupe-styled SUV, the Tiago compact hatchback, and Harrier premium SUV: all combustion engine cars that go on sale from September.
\n
Joint venture stake with Honda for sale
\n
Dongfeng Motor is selling its joint venture stake with Honda, in a reflection of China's rapid shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles. Guangzhou-based Dongfeng Honda Engine, founded in 1998, produces engines for Honda vehicles in China. Dongfeng listed its 50 percent stake for sale on the Guangdong United Assets and Equity Exchange on Aug 18, according to the exchange website. A reserve price has yet to be set and the listing deadline is Sept 12. The company's assets were valued at 5.4 billion yuan ($752 million) in 2024, when it recorded a loss of 227.8 million yuan, and it has debts of 3.3 billion yuan, according to audited results included in the listing document.Honda slashed production capacity at the Guangzhou engine plant by half earlier in 2025, according to Japanese media reports. It set up an electric vehicle production line in the same city with another Chinese automaker partner, which started operations in late 2024.
\n
Musk doubts if six-seater will be built in the US
\n
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company's new six-seated Model Y L, launched in China last week, might never enter production in the United States, citing the rise of self-driving vehicles. "This variant of the Model Y doesn't start production in the US until the end of next year," Musk said in a response to a post from an X user. "Might not ever, given the advent of self-driving in America." He did not elaborate on how the rise of autonomous driving would negate the need for a six-seater vehicle. The Model Y L, built at Tesla's Shanghai factory, features a longer wheelbase and three rows of seats, and is priced at around $47,200. It went on sale on Tuesday in China with deliveries anticipated as early as September.Tesla has been losing ground to domestic automakers, with shipments from its Shanghai factory slipping back into decline in July and local deliveries plummeting 12 percent from the same period of 2024.
\n
Global battery supply outstrips demand
\n
As demand for electric vehicles cools, the global supply of EV batteries is on track to be more than triple demand, creating headwinds for efforts by countries such as Japan and the US to establish domestic production, Nikkei reported. Based on data from S&P Global Mobility, the total annual capacity at EV production facilities is set to reach 3,930 gigawatt-hours, while demand is expected to come to 1,161 GWh. Supply is expected to remain at least triple the level of demand until 2026, and more than double in 2030. Capacity for some production facilities in the works in China has not been disclosed, meaning that the gap could grow, the Japanese media group reported. China produces roughly 70 percent of the world's EV batteries.CATL led the market in the first half of 2025, followed by BYD, according to South Korea's SNE Research.While South Korea and Japan once controlled the bulk of the market, LG Energy and Panasonic ranked third and sixth, respectively, with their shares continuing to dwindle.
A jade cong tube (in multiple angles) from Qijia culture with a gilt bronze inner container and cover added during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711-99).The resulting ware was probably used as a censer.
\n
A jade cong tube (in multiple angles) from Qijia culture with a gilt bronze inner container and cover added during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711-99).The resulting ware was probably used as a censer.
\n
A tall jade cong used as a holder for incense tools.
\n
A cong-shaped porcelain flower vase from the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
\n
One Chinese emperor loved jade so deeply that he commissioned countless objets d'art from the finest craftsmen, composed poems about both ancient and contemporary pieces, studied its history, and even named 14 of his 17 sons with characters evoking ritual jade or its luminosity (the remaining three died young and were never named).
\n
This emperor was Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), China's last imperial dynasty, who lived from 1711 to 1799.
\n
A striking example of his passion is his reinterpretation of the cong, a type of ancient ritual jade featuring a cylindrical tube encased in a square prism. Believed to reflect Chinese ancestors' cosmology, the cong served as a cultural emblem and a symbol of power and belief, especially during the later stage of the Liangzhu culture (3300-2300 BC) in the Yangtze River basin.
\n
By all evidence, Qianlong did not fully grasp the significance of the Liangzhu cong. He was unaware that these were early examples of the cong — one of six ritual jade archetypes cataloged in the 3rd-century BC text The Rites of Zhou (Zhou referring to the dynasty that ruled 11th-3rd century BC). Instead, he saw them as gangtou, a term for a carriage part connected to the axle, and had this inscription added to some pieces, confident in his own judgment.
\n
Yet, this misinterpretation did not diminish his admiration. Qianlong treasured his cong — some from Liangzhu, others from Qijia culture (2300-1500 BC) in the upper Yellow River region — and creatively repurposed them, adding metal liners and holed covers to transform them into brush holders or incense burners.
\n
Today, while some pieces remain in Beijing's Forbidden City — where Qianlong spent almost his entire life — others are preserved in museums outside of Beijing, including Taipei's Palace Museum. (The Forbidden City, imperial palace since 1420, became a museum in 1925.)
\n
In his 2009 book on Qianlong, Mark Elliott, Harvard professor of Chinese and Asian history, described him as a "son of heaven, man of the world". Qianlong, the second longest-reigning Chinese emperor, abdicated in 1796 after 60 years on the throne, partly to honor his revered grandfather, Emperor Kangxi, who ruled for 61 years.
\n
Dual symbolism
\n
Like many Chinese, Qianlong was captivated by the soft sheen and melodious tinkling of jade. A finely carved piece — a gossamer-thin jade bowl, for instance — brought him joy to behold and hold. At the same time, conscious of his Manchu heritage and the need to legitimize his reign, he recognized jade's cultural and political symbolism.
\n
As crown prince, Qianlong wrote of jade's noble qualities, its gentle, understated luminance serving as a metaphor for a benevolent man. As emperor, he ensured a steady supply of raw jade for artisans both inside and beyond his court, sourcing it from Hotan (Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region).
\n
Hotan jade first came to the attention of a Chinese emperor through Zhang Qian, the 2nd-century emissary whose westward journeys laid the foundations of the Ancient Silk Road. Reporting to Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), Zhang described a distant region where exquisite jade could be found along rivers or deep in the mountains.
\n
From then on, Hotan jade traveled the Silk Road to imperial capitals. The enormous material and human cost of long-distance trade meant only the most precious commodities could justify the journey. It eventually found a patron in Song Dynasty (960-1279) Emperor Zhao Ji, whose bronze wares, depicted in the Xuanhe Bogu Tu (An Inventory of Antiques From the Xuanhe Era), became templates for jade artisans.One bronze wine vessel, in particular, may have inspired a Song Dynasty jade furnace now in Beijing's Palace Museum, its wooden cover and jade top likely added during the Qing Dynasty by an emperor.
\n
That man was likely to be Qianlong. Separated from Zhao by six and a half centuries, Qianlong harbored mixed feelings toward the Song ruler, whose mismanagement had plunged Northern Song into chaos. In 1127, with Zhao already captive to northern Jurchen forces, the weakened Song court moved south of the Yangtze, marking the start of the Southern Song Dynasty, which endured 241 years before falling to the Mongols of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
\n
Though Qianlong dismissed Zhao as unfit for the throne, he could not conceal his admiration for Zhao's artistic achievements, particularly his painting and calligraphy. Yet, the emperor he truly sought to emulate was Zhao, the great art patron. As historian Zuo Jun, also an expert of ancient Chinese jade from the Nanjing Museum, notes: "Given that Qianlong's ancestors were the Jurchen people — known as Manchus in the 17th century — his endeavors were calculated, tied to the projection of a political image."
\n
Of the more than 40,000 poems he composed in his long life, roughly 850 were dedicated to jade, including 280 on antique pieces he had personally handled and admired.
\n
"Qianlong's professed love of antique jades belied a sense of entitlement to China's cultural history, instilled by his literati upbringing," notes Zuo.
\n
Knowledge of heritage
\n
Not unlike the Song emperor Zhao, Qianlong sought to expand knowledge of this cultural heritage through his own research, with mixed results.
\n
"He was right perhaps half the time," says Teng Shu-ping, a leading jade expert from Taiwan. In her pioneering 2019 book, The Wisdom and Ignorance of Emperor Qianlong: Perceptions on Ancient Jade as Viewed from His Poems, Teng offers rare insights into the mind of a man who tried his best to make sense of what he could.
\n
One notable misjudgment involved the jade cong from the prehistoric Liangzhu and Qijia cultures. Though he understood that cong was an important ritual jade, he recognized only its later forms, which bore little resemblance to the originals from 3300-1500 BC. Interestingly, he named his seventh and most beloved son Yongcong — "eternal cong" — and was heartbroken when the boy died at the age of 2.
\n
On another occasion, the emperor mistook the protruding inner rim of a ritual jade disc for a teacup holder and had matching cups made to accompany it.
\n
Occasional misjudgment aside, Qianlong had extended his passion to the study of foreign jade wares. In an article he wrote in 1768, the emperor examined the term "Hindustan", rightly identifying it with northern India. It mattered because "Hindustan jade" was how the emperor called the Islamic-style jade wares that had started to arrive at his court in mid-18th century, pieces that are today attributed largely to the Mughal Empire and Ottoman Empire.
\n
Among these pieces was a jade bowl, "as thin as paper", and this was described as "simply beyond the skills of our craftsmen" to quote Qianlong. Here, he was making a clear distinction between works of great delicacy and ones that were "market-pandering and distastefully elaborate", which was how the emperor saw some of the jade wares being made in contemporary workshops in Suzhou, eastern China's Jiangsu province. And he proposed the making of antique-style pieces as a way to counter the trend, and to prevent it from causing "a disastrous waste of the precious Hotan jade" to use his words.
\n
Reflecting on Qianlong's imaginative repurposing of antique jades — using cong as censers, for example — the curator notes that he was far from the first to innovate in this way.
\n
"In the later stage of the Liangzhu culture, artisans began making cong taller and taller. These multi-segmented forms, reaching nearly 50 centimeters, embodied the Liangzhu people's renewed attempt to communicate with the heavens above," says Zuo.
\n
"The same design resurfaced during the Song Dynasty in the 12th century, translated into porcelain flower vases. The earliest records we have, from 16th-century Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) writings, unsurprisingly call them 'cong-style vases'."
\n
"China never forgets," he concludes.
\n
Contact the writer at zhaoxu@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
A jade cong tube (in multiple angles) from Qijia culture with a gilt bronze inner container and cover added during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711-99).The resulting ware was probably used as a censer.
\n
A jade cong tube (in multiple angles) from Qijia culture with a gilt bronze inner container and cover added during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711-99).The resulting ware was probably used as a censer.
\n
A tall jade cong used as a holder for incense tools.
\n
A cong-shaped porcelain flower vase from the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
\n
One Chinese emperor loved jade so deeply that he commissioned countless objets d'art from the finest craftsmen, composed poems about both ancient and contemporary pieces, studied its history, and even named 14 of his 17 sons with characters evoking ritual jade or its luminosity (the remaining three died young and were never named).
\n
This emperor was Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), China's last imperial dynasty, who lived from 1711 to 1799.
\n
A striking example of his passion is his reinterpretation of the cong, a type of ancient ritual jade featuring a cylindrical tube encased in a square prism. Believed to reflect Chinese ancestors' cosmology, the cong served as a cultural emblem and a symbol of power and belief, especially during the later stage of the Liangzhu culture (3300-2300 BC) in the Yangtze River basin.
\n
By all evidence, Qianlong did not fully grasp the significance of the Liangzhu cong. He was unaware that these were early examples of the cong — one of six ritual jade archetypes cataloged in the 3rd-century BC text The Rites of Zhou (Zhou referring to the dynasty that ruled 11th-3rd century BC). Instead, he saw them as gangtou, a term for a carriage part connected to the axle, and had this inscription added to some pieces, confident in his own judgment.
\n
Yet, this misinterpretation did not diminish his admiration. Qianlong treasured his cong — some from Liangzhu, others from Qijia culture (2300-1500 BC) in the upper Yellow River region — and creatively repurposed them, adding metal liners and holed covers to transform them into brush holders or incense burners.
\n
Today, while some pieces remain in Beijing's Forbidden City — where Qianlong spent almost his entire life — others are preserved in museums outside of Beijing, including Taipei's Palace Museum. (The Forbidden City, imperial palace since 1420, became a museum in 1925.)
\n
In his 2009 book on Qianlong, Mark Elliott, Harvard professor of Chinese and Asian history, described him as a "son of heaven, man of the world". Qianlong, the second longest-reigning Chinese emperor, abdicated in 1796 after 60 years on the throne, partly to honor his revered grandfather, Emperor Kangxi, who ruled for 61 years.
\n
Dual symbolism
\n
Like many Chinese, Qianlong was captivated by the soft sheen and melodious tinkling of jade. A finely carved piece — a gossamer-thin jade bowl, for instance — brought him joy to behold and hold. At the same time, conscious of his Manchu heritage and the need to legitimize his reign, he recognized jade's cultural and political symbolism.
\n
As crown prince, Qianlong wrote of jade's noble qualities, its gentle, understated luminance serving as a metaphor for a benevolent man. As emperor, he ensured a steady supply of raw jade for artisans both inside and beyond his court, sourcing it from Hotan (Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region).
\n
Hotan jade first came to the attention of a Chinese emperor through Zhang Qian, the 2nd-century emissary whose westward journeys laid the foundations of the Ancient Silk Road. Reporting to Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), Zhang described a distant region where exquisite jade could be found along rivers or deep in the mountains.
\n
From then on, Hotan jade traveled the Silk Road to imperial capitals. The enormous material and human cost of long-distance trade meant only the most precious commodities could justify the journey. It eventually found a patron in Song Dynasty (960-1279) Emperor Zhao Ji, whose bronze wares, depicted in the Xuanhe Bogu Tu (An Inventory of Antiques From the Xuanhe Era), became templates for jade artisans.One bronze wine vessel, in particular, may have inspired a Song Dynasty jade furnace now in Beijing's Palace Museum, its wooden cover and jade top likely added during the Qing Dynasty by an emperor.
\n
That man was likely to be Qianlong. Separated from Zhao by six and a half centuries, Qianlong harbored mixed feelings toward the Song ruler, whose mismanagement had plunged Northern Song into chaos. In 1127, with Zhao already captive to northern Jurchen forces, the weakened Song court moved south of the Yangtze, marking the start of the Southern Song Dynasty, which endured 241 years before falling to the Mongols of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
\n
Though Qianlong dismissed Zhao as unfit for the throne, he could not conceal his admiration for Zhao's artistic achievements, particularly his painting and calligraphy. Yet, the emperor he truly sought to emulate was Zhao, the great art patron. As historian Zuo Jun, also an expert of ancient Chinese jade from the Nanjing Museum, notes: "Given that Qianlong's ancestors were the Jurchen people — known as Manchus in the 17th century — his endeavors were calculated, tied to the projection of a political image."
\n
Of the more than 40,000 poems he composed in his long life, roughly 850 were dedicated to jade, including 280 on antique pieces he had personally handled and admired.
\n
"Qianlong's professed love of antique jades belied a sense of entitlement to China's cultural history, instilled by his literati upbringing," notes Zuo.
\n
Knowledge of heritage
\n
Not unlike the Song emperor Zhao, Qianlong sought to expand knowledge of this cultural heritage through his own research, with mixed results.
\n
"He was right perhaps half the time," says Teng Shu-ping, a leading jade expert from Taiwan. In her pioneering 2019 book, The Wisdom and Ignorance of Emperor Qianlong: Perceptions on Ancient Jade as Viewed from His Poems, Teng offers rare insights into the mind of a man who tried his best to make sense of what he could.
\n
One notable misjudgment involved the jade cong from the prehistoric Liangzhu and Qijia cultures. Though he understood that cong was an important ritual jade, he recognized only its later forms, which bore little resemblance to the originals from 3300-1500 BC. Interestingly, he named his seventh and most beloved son Yongcong — "eternal cong" — and was heartbroken when the boy died at the age of 2.
\n
On another occasion, the emperor mistook the protruding inner rim of a ritual jade disc for a teacup holder and had matching cups made to accompany it.
\n
Occasional misjudgment aside, Qianlong had extended his passion to the study of foreign jade wares. In an article he wrote in 1768, the emperor examined the term "Hindustan", rightly identifying it with northern India. It mattered because "Hindustan jade" was how the emperor called the Islamic-style jade wares that had started to arrive at his court in mid-18th century, pieces that are today attributed largely to the Mughal Empire and Ottoman Empire.
\n
Among these pieces was a jade bowl, "as thin as paper", and this was described as "simply beyond the skills of our craftsmen" to quote Qianlong. Here, he was making a clear distinction between works of great delicacy and ones that were "market-pandering and distastefully elaborate", which was how the emperor saw some of the jade wares being made in contemporary workshops in Suzhou, eastern China's Jiangsu province. And he proposed the making of antique-style pieces as a way to counter the trend, and to prevent it from causing "a disastrous waste of the precious Hotan jade" to use his words.
\n
Reflecting on Qianlong's imaginative repurposing of antique jades — using cong as censers, for example — the curator notes that he was far from the first to innovate in this way.
\n
"In the later stage of the Liangzhu culture, artisans began making cong taller and taller. These multi-segmented forms, reaching nearly 50 centimeters, embodied the Liangzhu people's renewed attempt to communicate with the heavens above," says Zuo.
\n
"The same design resurfaced during the Song Dynasty in the 12th century, translated into porcelain flower vases. The earliest records we have, from 16th-century Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) writings, unsurprisingly call them 'cong-style vases'."
This Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) hanging scroll by Wang Shiyi captures the busy morning traffic at the Changmen Gate of Suzhou (Jiangsu province) during the 17th century.
\n
For over 5,000 years, China has anchored its existence in a profound and enduring cultural foundation — an intricate tapestry woven from the threads of ancient wisdom, philosophical insight and historical continuity.
\n
This cultural bedrock has not merely preserved the nation through dynastic rises and falls; it has actively shaped its identity, its governance and its resilience. From the timeless teachings of Confucius and Laozi to the strategic brilliance of Sun Tzu and the bureaucratic models of imperial administration, China's civilization has drawn strength from a legacy where culture and statecraft are inseparable.
\n
It is this deep-rooted fusion of intellectual heritage and political order that has enabled China not only to endure, but to flourish across millennia — adapting through time while remaining steadfast to the guiding principles of its civilization, chief among them, harmony and unity.
\n
Today, as China takes a more active role on the global stage — participating in international politics, cultural exchange and collaborative efforts to address pressing challenges like climate change and regional instability — it becomes increasingly important to bridge the cultural divide that can fuel misunderstanding and doubt.For China's contributions to be fully recognized and respected, the international community must not only acknowledge its rising influence but also develop a deeper understanding of the cultural values and historical wisdom that shape its global outlook.
\n
This prompts a central question: How do we foster mutual understanding and trust in the face of lingering skepticism? One key path lies in uncovering the rich historical traces of mutual learning that have long existed between civilizations, and in establishing meaningful comparative dimensions that reveal striking parallels in values, governance and philosophical thought.
\n
Consider the transmission of imagery from the Shijing (Book of Songs), the most revered Confucian classic and a foundational anthology of 305 poems dating from the 11th to 6th centuries BC. Among them, the long poem July — also known as The Life of Peasants — rose to prominence through successive imperial pictorial interpretations, beginning in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In a society where peasants made up the vast majority and agriculture underpinned the state, appreciation for the poem became more than literary: It evolved into a subtle political statement, a reflection of leadership grounded in attentiveness to the lives of the people.
\n
This same imagery, once a cultural and political emblem within imperial China, eventually crossed continents.Visual interpretations of the cyclical rhythms of tilling and weaving made their way to France where they sparked lively debate at the court of Louis XIV over whether agriculture should serve as the foundation of the nation.
\n
According to Clarissa von Spee, curator at the Cleveland Museum of Art, it was essential for European rulers to know that these images originated from China — not from artistic fancy — as this authenticity gave their discussions real weight. Von Spee curated the 2023 exhibition China's Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi (Yangtze) Delta, which examined the historical foundations of southern China's economic and cultural ascendancy. The episode stands as a striking example of cross-cultural learning, done consciously in history.
\n
When it comes to building comparative frameworks and using analogies to bridge gaps in cross-cultural communication, one can look to the narratives crafted by Western museums hosting exhibitions on Chinese culture and history — narratives carefully shaped to help their audiences understand a worldview that may at first seem distant.
\n
In 2021, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York drew from its own Chinese art collection to present the exhibition Companions in Solitude: Reclusion and Communion in Chinese Art. Inspired by curator Joseph Scheier-Dolberg's experience of working from home during the pandemic — a period of limited social interaction but renewed connections with old friends — the exhibition explored the theme of reclusion in Chinese literati painting. It examined how scholars and hermits pursued spiritual cultivation through solitude while still valuing bonds shared with kindred spirits.
\n
Maxwell Hearn, head of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art Department, once drew a compelling comparison between Chinese cursive script and Jackson Pollock's action painting, highlighting the expressive, almost spiritual kinship between the two. He likened the fluidity of brushwork to a tennis player's muscle memory — an instinctive, embodied rhythm. As a left-hander, Hearn discovered a personal resonance with Chinese art.
\n
"Ancient Chinese painting celebrated the concept of zhuo — studied clumsiness — as a beguiling form of sophistication. I'm naturally zhuo since I'm left-handed," he says.
\n
It is precisely these kinds of personal insights that make cultural communication resonate, by providing a humanizing lens through which distant or unfamiliar traditions become both relatable and meaningful. For those tasked with conveying China's cultural image internationally, there's a page to borrow here.
\n
Hearn also identified two defining features of Chinese literati painting. First, political elites often cultivated the image of a refined scholar rather than a triumphant ruler, which explains the notable absence of military glorification in traditional Chinese ink painting.Second, while many Western artists historically served kings and popes as commissioned hands, Chinese literati painters were themselves cultural and intellectual leaders, often directly engaged in governance.Consequently, their works reflect more personal spirit than patronage. These comparisons offer a nuanced, global perspective on the peacefulness and continuity central to Chinese civilization.
\n
At last November's World Conference of Classics in Beijing, Yale University professor Mary Evelyn Tucker emphasized the central role of the Socratic method — learning through dialectical questioning — in Western education, contrasting it with the Confucian tradition of metaphorical teaching. She cited Mencius' parable of the "Ox Mountain Trees" to illustrate the Confucian belief in the innate potential for human goodness.Tucker observed that Confucianism offers a different pedagogical approach — not debate, but metaphor — which is rooted in the agrarian tradition of learning from nature.
\n
With that being said, it's worth noting that the "Golden Mean" concept in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics parallels the Confucian notion of zhongyong, as both emphasize the pursuit of balance and moderation as essential virtues in the cultivation of moral character and the attainment of a harmonious life.
\n
For China to contribute to global governance solutions, its cultural and philosophical ideas must be examined and presented to the world through a truly global lens — one that integrates insights from both Chinese and Western scholars. Such an approach enables a deeper appreciation of the uniqueness of Chinese wisdom, highlights its compatibility with Western intellectual traditions, and underscores its potential for broad, cross-cultural applicability in addressing shared global challenges.
\n
Meaningful cultural exchange is not a modern invention, but a longstanding tradition. When such parallels are brought to the fore, the case for mutual learning no longer needs to be argued. It becomes clear, compelling, and self-evident. In embracing these shared legacies, the global community can move forward not with division or distrust, but with respect, reciprocity and a renewed dedication to collaborative progress.
\n",
+ "content": "
This Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) hanging scroll by Wang Shiyi captures the busy morning traffic at the Changmen Gate of Suzhou (Jiangsu province) during the 17th century.
\n
For over 5,000 years, China has anchored its existence in a profound and enduring cultural foundation — an intricate tapestry woven from the threads of ancient wisdom, philosophical insight and historical continuity.
\n
This cultural bedrock has not merely preserved the nation through dynastic rises and falls; it has actively shaped its identity, its governance and its resilience. From the timeless teachings of Confucius and Laozi to the strategic brilliance of Sun Tzu and the bureaucratic models of imperial administration, China's civilization has drawn strength from a legacy where culture and statecraft are inseparable.
\n
It is this deep-rooted fusion of intellectual heritage and political order that has enabled China not only to endure, but to flourish across millennia — adapting through time while remaining steadfast to the guiding principles of its civilization, chief among them, harmony and unity.
\n
Today, as China takes a more active role on the global stage — participating in international politics, cultural exchange and collaborative efforts to address pressing challenges like climate change and regional instability — it becomes increasingly important to bridge the cultural divide that can fuel misunderstanding and doubt.For China's contributions to be fully recognized and respected, the international community must not only acknowledge its rising influence but also develop a deeper understanding of the cultural values and historical wisdom that shape its global outlook.
\n
This prompts a central question: How do we foster mutual understanding and trust in the face of lingering skepticism? One key path lies in uncovering the rich historical traces of mutual learning that have long existed between civilizations, and in establishing meaningful comparative dimensions that reveal striking parallels in values, governance and philosophical thought.
\n
Consider the transmission of imagery from the Shijing (Book of Songs), the most revered Confucian classic and a foundational anthology of 305 poems dating from the 11th to 6th centuries BC. Among them, the long poem July — also known as The Life of Peasants — rose to prominence through successive imperial pictorial interpretations, beginning in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In a society where peasants made up the vast majority and agriculture underpinned the state, appreciation for the poem became more than literary: It evolved into a subtle political statement, a reflection of leadership grounded in attentiveness to the lives of the people.
\n
This same imagery, once a cultural and political emblem within imperial China, eventually crossed continents.Visual interpretations of the cyclical rhythms of tilling and weaving made their way to France where they sparked lively debate at the court of Louis XIV over whether agriculture should serve as the foundation of the nation.
\n
According to Clarissa von Spee, curator at the Cleveland Museum of Art, it was essential for European rulers to know that these images originated from China — not from artistic fancy — as this authenticity gave their discussions real weight. Von Spee curated the 2023 exhibition China's Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi (Yangtze) Delta, which examined the historical foundations of southern China's economic and cultural ascendancy. The episode stands as a striking example of cross-cultural learning, done consciously in history.
\n
When it comes to building comparative frameworks and using analogies to bridge gaps in cross-cultural communication, one can look to the narratives crafted by Western museums hosting exhibitions on Chinese culture and history — narratives carefully shaped to help their audiences understand a worldview that may at first seem distant.
\n
In 2021, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York drew from its own Chinese art collection to present the exhibition Companions in Solitude: Reclusion and Communion in Chinese Art. Inspired by curator Joseph Scheier-Dolberg's experience of working from home during the pandemic — a period of limited social interaction but renewed connections with old friends — the exhibition explored the theme of reclusion in Chinese literati painting. It examined how scholars and hermits pursued spiritual cultivation through solitude while still valuing bonds shared with kindred spirits.
\n
Maxwell Hearn, head of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art Department, once drew a compelling comparison between Chinese cursive script and Jackson Pollock's action painting, highlighting the expressive, almost spiritual kinship between the two. He likened the fluidity of brushwork to a tennis player's muscle memory — an instinctive, embodied rhythm. As a left-hander, Hearn discovered a personal resonance with Chinese art.
\n
"Ancient Chinese painting celebrated the concept of zhuo — studied clumsiness — as a beguiling form of sophistication. I'm naturally zhuo since I'm left-handed," he says.
\n
It is precisely these kinds of personal insights that make cultural communication resonate, by providing a humanizing lens through which distant or unfamiliar traditions become both relatable and meaningful. For those tasked with conveying China's cultural image internationally, there's a page to borrow here.
\n
Hearn also identified two defining features of Chinese literati painting. First, political elites often cultivated the image of a refined scholar rather than a triumphant ruler, which explains the notable absence of military glorification in traditional Chinese ink painting.Second, while many Western artists historically served kings and popes as commissioned hands, Chinese literati painters were themselves cultural and intellectual leaders, often directly engaged in governance.Consequently, their works reflect more personal spirit than patronage. These comparisons offer a nuanced, global perspective on the peacefulness and continuity central to Chinese civilization.
\n
At last November's World Conference of Classics in Beijing, Yale University professor Mary Evelyn Tucker emphasized the central role of the Socratic method — learning through dialectical questioning — in Western education, contrasting it with the Confucian tradition of metaphorical teaching. She cited Mencius' parable of the "Ox Mountain Trees" to illustrate the Confucian belief in the innate potential for human goodness.Tucker observed that Confucianism offers a different pedagogical approach — not debate, but metaphor — which is rooted in the agrarian tradition of learning from nature.
\n
With that being said, it's worth noting that the "Golden Mean" concept in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics parallels the Confucian notion of zhongyong, as both emphasize the pursuit of balance and moderation as essential virtues in the cultivation of moral character and the attainment of a harmonious life.
\n
For China to contribute to global governance solutions, its cultural and philosophical ideas must be examined and presented to the world through a truly global lens — one that integrates insights from both Chinese and Western scholars. Such an approach enables a deeper appreciation of the uniqueness of Chinese wisdom, highlights its compatibility with Western intellectual traditions, and underscores its potential for broad, cross-cultural applicability in addressing shared global challenges.
\n
Meaningful cultural exchange is not a modern invention, but a longstanding tradition. When such parallels are brought to the fore, the case for mutual learning no longer needs to be argued. It becomes clear, compelling, and self-evident. In embracing these shared legacies, the global community can move forward not with division or distrust, but with respect, reciprocity and a renewed dedication to collaborative progress.
Chinese band Haya performs in Beijing last year, as part of its 2024 nationwide tour, which inspired members to write new songs and launch a tour from August to September.
\n
Haya poses with the audience after their show in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, last year.
\n
Daiqingtana (center) performs with other members of Haya at the show in Hohhot.
\n
Online Scan the code to watch the video.
\n
Chinese band Haya had a hectic schedule in 2024. They toured 18 Chinese cities, exhausting yet exhilarating, and it provided a powerful source of inspiration for their new music.
\n
The long hours on the road, and the intimate connection with their audience gave the band a fresh perspective on life, love and the human experience.
\n
Despite the physical toll of touring, the journey sparked a deep well of creativity, ultimately leading to the creation of new songs under the title of an EP (extended play), named The Returning Wind. In support of their new songs, the band launched a nationwide tour last Saturday visiting cities, including Beijing, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Shanghai. The tour will go on until Sept 27.
\n
"Our previous theme was migration, going to new destinations. Haya, in a way, mirrors that too," says Daiqingtana, the lead singer and songwriter of the band, who was born in Delingha, Qinghai province, and studied vocal performance at Minzu University of China. "Inside, I also have this feeling of migration. I hadn't written for a long time, and everything became repetitive. But when I started writing lyrics again, when we began rehearsing, that feeling of inner vitality returned.
\n
"It felt like when I had just graduated from college — it was such a wonderful feeling," she says.
\n
"It's not like before; with age, the feeling has become richer, more grounded. For me, it feels like a return to a vibrant, fresh starting point. My sensitivity to everything around me has become sharper, more emotional. It feels like a gust of wind has blown me back," says Daiqingtana. "My yearning for the beauty of music is like a seed carried by the wind, returning. Music, like the wind, is invisible, yet it can be felt."
\n
One of the new songs that she wrote is titled Touching You, a song born from a deeply emotional and personal place.Daiqingtana shares that the song's creation was influenced by a moment of isolation during the last tour, when she found herself sitting alone in her room, lit only by a candle's flame.
\n
"That night, I felt this overwhelming sadness, a sense of being lost," she says. "But in the stillness of the candlelight, I began to realize how disconnected we are from truly seeing and loving one another. And that's when I started writing this song."
\n
Daiqingtana sees the song as an exploration of the need for true intimacy and connection — touching not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally.
\n
"The act of touching, of truly seeing someone for who they are, is love in its purest form. That's the power of touch — the recognition of one another's soul," she adds.
\n
Her husband, Quan Sheng, who plays the morin khuur or horsehead fiddle, a traditional Mongolian ethnic musical instrument, adds that "touching" in the song also refers to the connection with nature. When they performed outdoors on the grassland of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, where the band came from, their faces were touched by the wind and the sun.
\n
Waiting, another new song, was born during their rehearsal sessions and brings a fresh sound to their evolving music style.This song, sung in Mongolian, departs from their usual musical direction, leaning more toward a pop vibe, yet still carries the emotional depth and soul of their traditional roots.
\n
"Waiting is a tribute to the ethnic Mongolian music of our childhood — specifically the songs they grew up listening to," says Mural Bimurat, who, born in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, plays dombra in the band. Though it incorporates elements of their familiar folk sounds, the song introduces a more contemporary feel, blending post-rock influences with a fresh, emotional tone.The song takes on a new life when performed live, where its full emotional impact is felt by the audience.
\n
"When people listen to music, they either feel something deeply or don't connect with it at all. It all depends on their own understanding of life," Quan Sheng adds. "For us, the goal is always to create music that feels right — something that resonates personally. The melody, the lyrics, and the vocals are all equally important. And when the guitar and morin khuur come together in the solo part of the song, it's like the soul of the music comes alive."
\n
In Mongolian language, haya means "the edge". It is a metaphor for the nomadic lifestyle that has become so edgy today.Founded in 2006, the band has been devoted to making world music based on Mongolian traditions. The current members of the band also include guitarist Xibo, bassist Liu Tianlei and percussionist Zhang Chao.
\n
Quan Sheng grew up with his grandparents on the grassland and moved to Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, with his parents at age 8, when he started to learn the violin and morin khuur. The versatile singer-songwriter graduated from the music department of Minzu University of China in Beijing in 1991, where he met his wife.
\n
Quan Sheng has long been a trailblazer in blending traditional Chinese and ethnic Mongolian music with modern influences.In the 1980s, he cofounded one of the first pop-rock bands in Inner Mongolia. His groundbreaking work combined the unique sound of the morin khuur with the energy of modern rock music, forging a new path in the world of ethnic and popular music.
\n
As a professor and researcher of ethnic musical instruments at the Minzu University of China, Quan Sheng has continually pondered the future of Chinese traditional music. His experiences collaborating with world music ensembles featuring musicians from Europe, Germany, India and the Netherlands deeply inspired him. These collaborations reinforced his belief that Chinese traditional music should transcend regional and ethnic boundaries. He envisions a world where diverse musical traditions can maintain their unique identities while uniting to reveal the universal qualities of human music.
\n
The band has released award-winning albums, including their first album, Wolf Totem, in 2007, and Silent Sky in 2010. In 2020, it appeared at the popular Chinese reality show, The Big Band, allowing their music to be enjoyed by a wider audience.
\n
"With Haya, we always envision the fusion of global influences with China's rich cultural heritage, aiming to create music that celebrates both individuality and the commonality of human experience," he says. "Over the years, we toured worldwide, and no matter where we go, we always go back to our roots."
\n
Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
Chinese band Haya performs in Beijing last year, as part of its 2024 nationwide tour, which inspired members to write new songs and launch a tour from August to September.
\n
Haya poses with the audience after their show in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, last year.
\n
Daiqingtana (center) performs with other members of Haya at the show in Hohhot.
\n
Online Scan the code to watch the video.
\n
Chinese band Haya had a hectic schedule in 2024. They toured 18 Chinese cities, exhausting yet exhilarating, and it provided a powerful source of inspiration for their new music.
\n
The long hours on the road, and the intimate connection with their audience gave the band a fresh perspective on life, love and the human experience.
\n
Despite the physical toll of touring, the journey sparked a deep well of creativity, ultimately leading to the creation of new songs under the title of an EP (extended play), named The Returning Wind. In support of their new songs, the band launched a nationwide tour last Saturday visiting cities, including Beijing, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and Shanghai. The tour will go on until Sept 27.
\n
"Our previous theme was migration, going to new destinations. Haya, in a way, mirrors that too," says Daiqingtana, the lead singer and songwriter of the band, who was born in Delingha, Qinghai province, and studied vocal performance at Minzu University of China. "Inside, I also have this feeling of migration. I hadn't written for a long time, and everything became repetitive. But when I started writing lyrics again, when we began rehearsing, that feeling of inner vitality returned.
\n
"It felt like when I had just graduated from college — it was such a wonderful feeling," she says.
\n
"It's not like before; with age, the feeling has become richer, more grounded. For me, it feels like a return to a vibrant, fresh starting point. My sensitivity to everything around me has become sharper, more emotional. It feels like a gust of wind has blown me back," says Daiqingtana. "My yearning for the beauty of music is like a seed carried by the wind, returning. Music, like the wind, is invisible, yet it can be felt."
\n
One of the new songs that she wrote is titled Touching You, a song born from a deeply emotional and personal place.Daiqingtana shares that the song's creation was influenced by a moment of isolation during the last tour, when she found herself sitting alone in her room, lit only by a candle's flame.
\n
"That night, I felt this overwhelming sadness, a sense of being lost," she says. "But in the stillness of the candlelight, I began to realize how disconnected we are from truly seeing and loving one another. And that's when I started writing this song."
\n
Daiqingtana sees the song as an exploration of the need for true intimacy and connection — touching not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally.
\n
"The act of touching, of truly seeing someone for who they are, is love in its purest form. That's the power of touch — the recognition of one another's soul," she adds.
\n
Her husband, Quan Sheng, who plays the morin khuur or horsehead fiddle, a traditional Mongolian ethnic musical instrument, adds that "touching" in the song also refers to the connection with nature. When they performed outdoors on the grassland of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, where the band came from, their faces were touched by the wind and the sun.
\n
Waiting, another new song, was born during their rehearsal sessions and brings a fresh sound to their evolving music style.This song, sung in Mongolian, departs from their usual musical direction, leaning more toward a pop vibe, yet still carries the emotional depth and soul of their traditional roots.
\n
"Waiting is a tribute to the ethnic Mongolian music of our childhood — specifically the songs they grew up listening to," says Mural Bimurat, who, born in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, plays dombra in the band. Though it incorporates elements of their familiar folk sounds, the song introduces a more contemporary feel, blending post-rock influences with a fresh, emotional tone.The song takes on a new life when performed live, where its full emotional impact is felt by the audience.
\n
"When people listen to music, they either feel something deeply or don't connect with it at all. It all depends on their own understanding of life," Quan Sheng adds. "For us, the goal is always to create music that feels right — something that resonates personally. The melody, the lyrics, and the vocals are all equally important. And when the guitar and morin khuur come together in the solo part of the song, it's like the soul of the music comes alive."
\n
In Mongolian language, haya means "the edge". It is a metaphor for the nomadic lifestyle that has become so edgy today.Founded in 2006, the band has been devoted to making world music based on Mongolian traditions. The current members of the band also include guitarist Xibo, bassist Liu Tianlei and percussionist Zhang Chao.
\n
Quan Sheng grew up with his grandparents on the grassland and moved to Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, with his parents at age 8, when he started to learn the violin and morin khuur. The versatile singer-songwriter graduated from the music department of Minzu University of China in Beijing in 1991, where he met his wife.
\n
Quan Sheng has long been a trailblazer in blending traditional Chinese and ethnic Mongolian music with modern influences.In the 1980s, he cofounded one of the first pop-rock bands in Inner Mongolia. His groundbreaking work combined the unique sound of the morin khuur with the energy of modern rock music, forging a new path in the world of ethnic and popular music.
\n
As a professor and researcher of ethnic musical instruments at the Minzu University of China, Quan Sheng has continually pondered the future of Chinese traditional music. His experiences collaborating with world music ensembles featuring musicians from Europe, Germany, India and the Netherlands deeply inspired him. These collaborations reinforced his belief that Chinese traditional music should transcend regional and ethnic boundaries. He envisions a world where diverse musical traditions can maintain their unique identities while uniting to reveal the universal qualities of human music.
\n
The band has released award-winning albums, including their first album, Wolf Totem, in 2007, and Silent Sky in 2010. In 2020, it appeared at the popular Chinese reality show, The Big Band, allowing their music to be enjoyed by a wider audience.
\n
"With Haya, we always envision the fusion of global influences with China's rich cultural heritage, aiming to create music that celebrates both individuality and the commonality of human experience," he says. "Over the years, we toured worldwide, and no matter where we go, we always go back to our roots."
The colorful houses in the Bo-Kaap area, Cape Town, South Africa, are a big draw for tourists.
\n
Imagine tracking lions and leopards from an open safari vehicle, witnessing whales breach in the ocean, and watching adorable penguins waddle along the beach.
\n
More Chinese tourists are opting for these unforgettable experiences in South Africa.
\n
"It's thrilling to see these wild animals. I temporarily escaped the city's hustle and bustle, rediscovering reverence for life's raw power," says Wu Qian, an office worker from Beijing, who recently visited South Africa.
\n
According to South African Tourism, the number of Chinese visitors to South Africa in 2024 reached 41,651, reflecting an 11.4 percent year-on-year growth.From January to May this year, 17,431 Chinese tourists arrived in South Africa, with a 1.1 percent year-on-year growth.
\n
In February, the country launched the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme to simplify visa procedures and shortened visa approval times for tourists from China and India, with its second phase having been recently rolled out.
\n
A total of 47 vetted and approved Chinese tour operators joined the scheme. They submit visa applications online and receive digital decisions within an average of 24 hours.
\n
It's part of the South Africa's ambitious move to attract more Chinese tourists, alongside plans to increase flight frequencies.
\n
"China is an important and the fastest-growing tourist source market for South Africa," says Patricia de Lille, South Africa's minister of tourism, who visited Beijing recently. She believes that the growth of Chinese tourists will help the South African tourism industry recover.
\n
According to her, tailored services are available for high-end tourists, family travelers, and study tour groups. Beyond iconic attractions like wildlife reserves and Table Mountain, South Africa also abounds in rich culinary delights and cultural heritage.
\n
South Africa's nine provinces boast unique tourism resources, spanning diverse settings — from bustling cities and charming towns to serene rural landscapes, alongside world-class surfing, and sun-drenched beaches.
\n
South African Tourism is conducting promotional campaigns through Chinese social media platforms, inviting Chinese celebrities, influencers and South Africans living in China to create content, to promote South Africa as a destination.
\n
The bureau recently released short videos online about actor Lei Jiayin's travel experience in South Africa, announcing that he is the ambassador for the country's tourism.
\n
According to Fang Zeqian, an industry analyst with Trip.com Group, China's largest online travel agency, among the platform's South Africa tourism products, 59 percent of users choose the dedicated 9 to 11 day South Africa in-depth tours, while 24 percent opt for the 12 to 13 day trips spanning South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
\n
She notes that clients booking customized travel to South Africa prioritize several key factors: securing high-end hotel bookings, meeting their luxury safari expectations, ensuring good value for money, and the travel agency's capability in handling on-trip emergencies.
\n
"Beyond traditional wildlife safaris and nature-focused sightseeing, Chinese travelers to South Africa are now exploring historical routes — like a tour following in the footsteps of late former president Nelson Mandela — and cultural village visits," she says.
\n
She adds that the country is also a prime destination for outdoor adventures, offering colorful activities such as luxury glamping, hot-air ballooning, and bungee jumping.
\n
xulin@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
+ "content": "
The colorful houses in the Bo-Kaap area, Cape Town, South Africa, are a big draw for tourists.
\n
Imagine tracking lions and leopards from an open safari vehicle, witnessing whales breach in the ocean, and watching adorable penguins waddle along the beach.
\n
More Chinese tourists are opting for these unforgettable experiences in South Africa.
\n
"It's thrilling to see these wild animals. I temporarily escaped the city's hustle and bustle, rediscovering reverence for life's raw power," says Wu Qian, an office worker from Beijing, who recently visited South Africa.
\n
According to South African Tourism, the number of Chinese visitors to South Africa in 2024 reached 41,651, reflecting an 11.4 percent year-on-year growth.From January to May this year, 17,431 Chinese tourists arrived in South Africa, with a 1.1 percent year-on-year growth.
\n
In February, the country launched the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme to simplify visa procedures and shortened visa approval times for tourists from China and India, with its second phase having been recently rolled out.
\n
A total of 47 vetted and approved Chinese tour operators joined the scheme. They submit visa applications online and receive digital decisions within an average of 24 hours.
\n
It's part of the South Africa's ambitious move to attract more Chinese tourists, alongside plans to increase flight frequencies.
\n
"China is an important and the fastest-growing tourist source market for South Africa," says Patricia de Lille, South Africa's minister of tourism, who visited Beijing recently. She believes that the growth of Chinese tourists will help the South African tourism industry recover.
\n
According to her, tailored services are available for high-end tourists, family travelers, and study tour groups. Beyond iconic attractions like wildlife reserves and Table Mountain, South Africa also abounds in rich culinary delights and cultural heritage.
\n
South Africa's nine provinces boast unique tourism resources, spanning diverse settings — from bustling cities and charming towns to serene rural landscapes, alongside world-class surfing, and sun-drenched beaches.
\n
South African Tourism is conducting promotional campaigns through Chinese social media platforms, inviting Chinese celebrities, influencers and South Africans living in China to create content, to promote South Africa as a destination.
\n
The bureau recently released short videos online about actor Lei Jiayin's travel experience in South Africa, announcing that he is the ambassador for the country's tourism.
\n
According to Fang Zeqian, an industry analyst with Trip.com Group, China's largest online travel agency, among the platform's South Africa tourism products, 59 percent of users choose the dedicated 9 to 11 day South Africa in-depth tours, while 24 percent opt for the 12 to 13 day trips spanning South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
\n
She notes that clients booking customized travel to South Africa prioritize several key factors: securing high-end hotel bookings, meeting their luxury safari expectations, ensuring good value for money, and the travel agency's capability in handling on-trip emergencies.
\n
"Beyond traditional wildlife safaris and nature-focused sightseeing, Chinese travelers to South Africa are now exploring historical routes — like a tour following in the footsteps of late former president Nelson Mandela — and cultural village visits," she says.
\n
She adds that the country is also a prime destination for outdoor adventures, offering colorful activities such as luxury glamping, hot-air ballooning, and bungee jumping.
Iconic rapper Snoop Dogg was recently unveiled as Swansea City's latest sugar daddy, while NFL legend Tom Brady (inset) is starring in a new Amazon Prime series documenting his investment into Birmingham City.
\n
Wrexham's Ollie Palmer has been an instrumental part of the Welsh club's unprecedented rise up the divisions.
\n
With the likes of $20.3 million signing Jay Stansfield (left), NFL star Tom Brady and financier Tom Wagner are hoping to elevate the fortunes of Birmingham City.
\n
Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds (right) and Rob McElhenney have presided over a period of incredible success at the newly promoted Championship club.
\n
When Snoop Dogg sang the praises of Swansea City, it signaled the unlikely arrival of the latest celebrity owner in the once unfashionable Championship, English soccer's second tier.
\n
The American rapper has joined the Welsh club's ownership structure, investing an undisclosed sum to rub shoulders with former Real Madrid stalwart and World Cup finalist Luka Modric, who has also bought a stake in Swansea.
\n
"The story of the club and the area really struck a chord with me. This is a proud, working-class city and club.An underdog that bites back, just like me," Snoop said in an introductory video.
\n
In the north of Wales, Wrexham is dreaming of an extraordinary promotion to the Premier League this season on the back of the enthusiastic and lucrative support of Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney.
\n
Meanwhile, former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady has a minority stake in Birmingham City, very much the second club in England's second city after Premier League outfit Aston Villa.
\n
His arrival in 2023 was not met with universal approval, with one fan asking in the Amazon Prime docuseries Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues: "Tom Brady, who's he?"
\n
The series follows his early, whirlwind involvement in the club, which includes the sacking of manager Wayne Rooney.
\n
Brady says his is a "visionary "role, and he tries — not always successfully — to pass on his experience of winning seven Super Bowls to the Birmingham players and their young manager, Chris Davies.
\n
But why do so many celebrities want to invest a slice of their fortunes into the Championship?
\n
Christopher Winn, course leader at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB), told reporters that the principal reason is because they see it as an attractive investment — with the carrot of the Premier League's riches if the team can gain promotion proving irresistible.
\n
"There is the notion of long-term returns, in other words buying low (in a lower league) and selling high," Winn explained.
\n
"While on-field success and subsequent off-field returns are no guarantee, should the promised land of the Premier League be reached, a significant profit would likely be generated on any future sale of the club, in other words generating returns for investors well beyond their initial investment and operational outlay.
\n
"Granted, that does not mean the investors are all out to make a return — football can often be a game of utility maximization after all, and for some, a personally funded passion project."
\n
'We could make money'
\n
Brady's friend and co-owner at Birmingham, the New York-based investor Tom Wagner, reveals in the documentary they originally tried to buy a Premier League team, but the deal fell through.
\n
Then the chance to snap up Birmingham presented itself.
\n
"We thought we could make some money, have a good return, which is our ultimate objective, so we just couldn't pass it up," Wagner says.
\n
Birmingham manager Davies has quickly felt the effect of having a sporting icon breathing down his neck — he good-naturedly recounted to The Times that his attempts to relax on a family holiday in the Maldives were disrupted by Brady insisting on scheduling daily conference calls at the children's dinner time.
\n
In Wagner and Brady's first season, Birmingham crashed down into League One, or England's third division, but with Davies in charge it emphatically secured promotion to the Championship this year, romping away with the League One title with a record points total.
\n
That was largely due to the Americans' injection of funds for new players, such as forward Jay Stansfield, acquired from Premier League club Fulham for 15 million pounds ($20.3 million), a huge fee for a club in the lowly third tier.
\n
Celebrities are active behind the scenes at other Championship clubs.
\n
Birmingham kicked off the season three weeks ago with a 1-1 home draw against Ipswich Town, which counts multimillion-selling music star Ed Sheeran among its financial backers.
\n
Ipswich confirmed last year that Sheeran had bought a 1.4 percent stake in his local club, and he has been the shirt sponsor for the last four years — although in a cautionary tale for other star owners, his involvement did not stop Ipswich being relegated from the Premier League last season.
\n",
+ "content": "
Iconic rapper Snoop Dogg was recently unveiled as Swansea City's latest sugar daddy, while NFL legend Tom Brady (inset) is starring in a new Amazon Prime series documenting his investment into Birmingham City.
\n
Wrexham's Ollie Palmer has been an instrumental part of the Welsh club's unprecedented rise up the divisions.
\n
With the likes of $20.3 million signing Jay Stansfield (left), NFL star Tom Brady and financier Tom Wagner are hoping to elevate the fortunes of Birmingham City.
\n
Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds (right) and Rob McElhenney have presided over a period of incredible success at the newly promoted Championship club.
\n
When Snoop Dogg sang the praises of Swansea City, it signaled the unlikely arrival of the latest celebrity owner in the once unfashionable Championship, English soccer's second tier.
\n
The American rapper has joined the Welsh club's ownership structure, investing an undisclosed sum to rub shoulders with former Real Madrid stalwart and World Cup finalist Luka Modric, who has also bought a stake in Swansea.
\n
"The story of the club and the area really struck a chord with me. This is a proud, working-class city and club.An underdog that bites back, just like me," Snoop said in an introductory video.
\n
In the north of Wales, Wrexham is dreaming of an extraordinary promotion to the Premier League this season on the back of the enthusiastic and lucrative support of Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney.
\n
Meanwhile, former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady has a minority stake in Birmingham City, very much the second club in England's second city after Premier League outfit Aston Villa.
\n
His arrival in 2023 was not met with universal approval, with one fan asking in the Amazon Prime docuseries Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues: "Tom Brady, who's he?"
\n
The series follows his early, whirlwind involvement in the club, which includes the sacking of manager Wayne Rooney.
\n
Brady says his is a "visionary "role, and he tries — not always successfully — to pass on his experience of winning seven Super Bowls to the Birmingham players and their young manager, Chris Davies.
\n
But why do so many celebrities want to invest a slice of their fortunes into the Championship?
\n
Christopher Winn, course leader at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB), told reporters that the principal reason is because they see it as an attractive investment — with the carrot of the Premier League's riches if the team can gain promotion proving irresistible.
\n
"There is the notion of long-term returns, in other words buying low (in a lower league) and selling high," Winn explained.
\n
"While on-field success and subsequent off-field returns are no guarantee, should the promised land of the Premier League be reached, a significant profit would likely be generated on any future sale of the club, in other words generating returns for investors well beyond their initial investment and operational outlay.
\n
"Granted, that does not mean the investors are all out to make a return — football can often be a game of utility maximization after all, and for some, a personally funded passion project."
\n
'We could make money'
\n
Brady's friend and co-owner at Birmingham, the New York-based investor Tom Wagner, reveals in the documentary they originally tried to buy a Premier League team, but the deal fell through.
\n
Then the chance to snap up Birmingham presented itself.
\n
"We thought we could make some money, have a good return, which is our ultimate objective, so we just couldn't pass it up," Wagner says.
\n
Birmingham manager Davies has quickly felt the effect of having a sporting icon breathing down his neck — he good-naturedly recounted to The Times that his attempts to relax on a family holiday in the Maldives were disrupted by Brady insisting on scheduling daily conference calls at the children's dinner time.
\n
In Wagner and Brady's first season, Birmingham crashed down into League One, or England's third division, but with Davies in charge it emphatically secured promotion to the Championship this year, romping away with the League One title with a record points total.
\n
That was largely due to the Americans' injection of funds for new players, such as forward Jay Stansfield, acquired from Premier League club Fulham for 15 million pounds ($20.3 million), a huge fee for a club in the lowly third tier.
\n
Celebrities are active behind the scenes at other Championship clubs.
\n
Birmingham kicked off the season three weeks ago with a 1-1 home draw against Ipswich Town, which counts multimillion-selling music star Ed Sheeran among its financial backers.
\n
Ipswich confirmed last year that Sheeran had bought a 1.4 percent stake in his local club, and he has been the shirt sponsor for the last four years — although in a cautionary tale for other star owners, his involvement did not stop Ipswich being relegated from the Premier League last season.
From left: China's Sumudaerji (right) strikes at Peruvian Kevin Borjas in their flyweight bout during Saturday's UFC Fight Night in Shanghai; Fans fill the Shanghai Indoor Stadium for Saturday's MMA extravaganza; Chinese welterweight fighter Taiyilake Nueraji flies the flag after beating Ireland's Kiefer Crosbie.
\n
Westin Wilson of the United States (right) feels the full force of China's Yizha in their featherweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Shanghai Indoor Stadium on Saturday. Yizha took the win with a first-round knockout.
\n\n\n
Online Scan the code to watch the video.
\n
Sold-out arena, fanatic fan following and a growing roster of local talent, the Ultimate Fighting Championship's return to Shanghai has cemented mixed martial arts' sooner-than-expected arrival into China's sports mainstream.
\n
Even with the promotion's only Chinese world champion Zhang Weili watching on the sidelines, the UFC's Shanghai Fight Night, a 12-bout showpiece featuring a record seven Chinese fighters, arrived to thrilling fanfare in the East China metropolis on Saturday night, delivering some brutal knockouts and ferocious takedowns that sent the packed Shanghai Indoor Stadium into frenzy.
\n
Despite the schedule overlapping with a live concert taking place at the stadium next door, the Shanghai Fight Night sold out within a minute when tickets went on sale on July 10, according to Dana White, founder and CEO of the Las Vegas-based MMA organization.
\n
The ticket sales revenue marked the highest single-day record of any live arena event across the country over the past five years, according to the event's co-organizer Orange Lion Sports, an Alibaba subsidiary.
\n
Even Friday's pre-event showcase — the Road to UFC Season 4 semifinals — played to a full house at the same arena, proving MMA's fast-growing public profile in a country, where, 10 years ago, the three-letter acronym would have drawn quizzical looks.
\n
"I am not surprised. What it says is I should do the fight at a bigger arena in China," White said of the impressive turnout during an exclusive interview with China Daily at the UFC's Shanghai Performance Institute.
\n
"We made a major investment here in China. We've been doing what we do in cultivating talent. It's only going to get bigger in the next five years," White explained.
\n
"Every time we go to a market and we put on a live event, it grows our sport."
\n
As part of the buildup to the Fight Night, Orange Lion Sports has worked with UFC, the local district government and Shanghai's sports bureau to organize over 200 fan-engagement events, cultural experience activities and tourism promotions over the past three weeks, stimulating consumption in relevant businesses.
\n
"We took advantage of the UFC's strong appeal to the growing fan base, multiplying its impact by offering more exciting events in the buildup to help grow the overall sports, culture and tourism industry as a whole," said Mu Yang, chairman and CEO of Orange Lion Sports.
\n
The Fight Night on Saturday was the first such show held by UFC on the Chinese mainland since its event in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in 2019, and the eighth overall on Chinese soil, including four events staged in the Macao Special Administrative Region from 2012-24.
\n
Shanghai hosted the promotion's mainland debut in 2017 and now accommodates the UFC's Asia-Pacific headquarters and its largest PI, a comprehensive multi-discipline training center which opened in June 2019, just two months before Zhang wrested the strawweight world title from Brazil's Jessica Andrade in Shenzhen.
\n
Even with Zhang rising to instant stardom by becoming the first Chinese world champion under UFC, much of the crowd at the Shenzhen event back in 2019 seemed unfamiliar with the rules of how the bouts in the Octagon were judged.
\n
Six years later, the majority of the 12,000 spectators on Saturday appeared sophisticated enough to enjoy and applaud, not just for each clean punch, but also chokes, sprawls, roundhouse kicks, ground-and-pounds, and all the other essential techniques of the mixed-discipline combat sport.
\n
"What we've done in China in a short amount of time, we've been very successful. We are going to continue to grind it out here and do what are doing," said White.
\n
"Bigger arenas, more stars, more world champions — that's what we do."
\n
Sure, the boss of the MMA juggernaut has every reason to expect a greater success, now that it has signed 17 Chinese athletes to multi-fight contracts, built a productive talent pipeline with local clubs and regional promotions, and amassed over 16 million followers across major social media platforms.
\n
It just needs another superstar, hopefully from the men's side, to build on the momentum, yet those hopes took a hit on Saturday night with Zhang Mingyang, China's rising light heavyweight contender, suffering an expected TKO defeat to Brazil's Johnny Walker in the main event.
\n
After opening the bout by keeping Walker at bay with his trademark heavy shots, Zhang, who goes by Octagon moniker "Mountain Tiger", took two vicious kicks to the calf of his left leg early in the second round, collapsed right away into a ruthless ground-and-pound finish by Walker and wrapped up his homecoming party in sorrow.
\n
Ranked 14th at light heavyweight before the bout, Zhang, who entered Saturday's fight with 12 straight wins, including nine first-round TKOs in a row, had to come to terms with the challenging nature of the sport at the highest level.
\n
"This is something I signed up for after picking this sport as my career.I will come back for sure," said the 27-year-old alumni of the Road to UFC talent development program.
\n
The RTU talent selection program was launched in 2022 specifically for the Asia-Pacific region, and annually awards winners of four divisions — flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight — lucrative multi-fight contracts.
\n
Since the first edition, seven Chinese athletes have earned pro contracts with UFC by punching their way along that pathway.
\n
"The RTU is an extremely important pathway for Asian athletes to get that opportunity (to join the UFC)," said Kevin Chang, UFC senior vice-president and head of Asia.
\n
"For us, it also expands the level of talent in the region."
\n
The consistent efforts by the UFC and local MMA clubs are paying dividends in terms of talent depth, with four of seven Chinese fighters on the Saturday card coming out on top in their respective bouts.
\n
Featherweight prospect Yizha delivered the opening win with a first-round KO of Westin Wilson of the United States in the third bout on the afternoon's preliminary card, followed by lightweight veteran Rongzhu's three-round unanimous decision over American Austin Hubbard in another prelims bout.
\n
China's welterweight prodigy Taiyilake Nueraji got the main card off to a rousing start by beating Irishman Kiefer Crosbie via a first-round TKO, before flyweight contender Sumudaerji out-struck Peruvian Kevin Borjas via a convincing unanimous decision.
\n
All four Chinese winners hail from minority groups, with Taiyilake from the Uygur ethnic group and the other three from the Tibetan ethnic group.
From left: China's Sumudaerji (right) strikes at Peruvian Kevin Borjas in their flyweight bout during Saturday's UFC Fight Night in Shanghai; Fans fill the Shanghai Indoor Stadium for Saturday's MMA extravaganza; Chinese welterweight fighter Taiyilake Nueraji flies the flag after beating Ireland's Kiefer Crosbie.
\n
Westin Wilson of the United States (right) feels the full force of China's Yizha in their featherweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Shanghai Indoor Stadium on Saturday. Yizha took the win with a first-round knockout.
\n\n\n
Online Scan the code to watch the video.
\n
Sold-out arena, fanatic fan following and a growing roster of local talent, the Ultimate Fighting Championship's return to Shanghai has cemented mixed martial arts' sooner-than-expected arrival into China's sports mainstream.
\n
Even with the promotion's only Chinese world champion Zhang Weili watching on the sidelines, the UFC's Shanghai Fight Night, a 12-bout showpiece featuring a record seven Chinese fighters, arrived to thrilling fanfare in the East China metropolis on Saturday night, delivering some brutal knockouts and ferocious takedowns that sent the packed Shanghai Indoor Stadium into frenzy.
\n
Despite the schedule overlapping with a live concert taking place at the stadium next door, the Shanghai Fight Night sold out within a minute when tickets went on sale on July 10, according to Dana White, founder and CEO of the Las Vegas-based MMA organization.
\n
The ticket sales revenue marked the highest single-day record of any live arena event across the country over the past five years, according to the event's co-organizer Orange Lion Sports, an Alibaba subsidiary.
\n
Even Friday's pre-event showcase — the Road to UFC Season 4 semifinals — played to a full house at the same arena, proving MMA's fast-growing public profile in a country, where, 10 years ago, the three-letter acronym would have drawn quizzical looks.
\n
"I am not surprised. What it says is I should do the fight at a bigger arena in China," White said of the impressive turnout during an exclusive interview with China Daily at the UFC's Shanghai Performance Institute.
\n
"We made a major investment here in China. We've been doing what we do in cultivating talent. It's only going to get bigger in the next five years," White explained.
\n
"Every time we go to a market and we put on a live event, it grows our sport."
\n
As part of the buildup to the Fight Night, Orange Lion Sports has worked with UFC, the local district government and Shanghai's sports bureau to organize over 200 fan-engagement events, cultural experience activities and tourism promotions over the past three weeks, stimulating consumption in relevant businesses.
\n
"We took advantage of the UFC's strong appeal to the growing fan base, multiplying its impact by offering more exciting events in the buildup to help grow the overall sports, culture and tourism industry as a whole," said Mu Yang, chairman and CEO of Orange Lion Sports.
\n
The Fight Night on Saturday was the first such show held by UFC on the Chinese mainland since its event in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in 2019, and the eighth overall on Chinese soil, including four events staged in the Macao Special Administrative Region from 2012-24.
\n
Shanghai hosted the promotion's mainland debut in 2017 and now accommodates the UFC's Asia-Pacific headquarters and its largest PI, a comprehensive multi-discipline training center which opened in June 2019, just two months before Zhang wrested the strawweight world title from Brazil's Jessica Andrade in Shenzhen.
\n
Even with Zhang rising to instant stardom by becoming the first Chinese world champion under UFC, much of the crowd at the Shenzhen event back in 2019 seemed unfamiliar with the rules of how the bouts in the Octagon were judged.
\n
Six years later, the majority of the 12,000 spectators on Saturday appeared sophisticated enough to enjoy and applaud, not just for each clean punch, but also chokes, sprawls, roundhouse kicks, ground-and-pounds, and all the other essential techniques of the mixed-discipline combat sport.
\n
"What we've done in China in a short amount of time, we've been very successful. We are going to continue to grind it out here and do what are doing," said White.
\n
"Bigger arenas, more stars, more world champions — that's what we do."
\n
Sure, the boss of the MMA juggernaut has every reason to expect a greater success, now that it has signed 17 Chinese athletes to multi-fight contracts, built a productive talent pipeline with local clubs and regional promotions, and amassed over 16 million followers across major social media platforms.
\n
It just needs another superstar, hopefully from the men's side, to build on the momentum, yet those hopes took a hit on Saturday night with Zhang Mingyang, China's rising light heavyweight contender, suffering an expected TKO defeat to Brazil's Johnny Walker in the main event.
\n
After opening the bout by keeping Walker at bay with his trademark heavy shots, Zhang, who goes by Octagon moniker "Mountain Tiger", took two vicious kicks to the calf of his left leg early in the second round, collapsed right away into a ruthless ground-and-pound finish by Walker and wrapped up his homecoming party in sorrow.
\n
Ranked 14th at light heavyweight before the bout, Zhang, who entered Saturday's fight with 12 straight wins, including nine first-round TKOs in a row, had to come to terms with the challenging nature of the sport at the highest level.
\n
"This is something I signed up for after picking this sport as my career.I will come back for sure," said the 27-year-old alumni of the Road to UFC talent development program.
\n
The RTU talent selection program was launched in 2022 specifically for the Asia-Pacific region, and annually awards winners of four divisions — flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight — lucrative multi-fight contracts.
\n
Since the first edition, seven Chinese athletes have earned pro contracts with UFC by punching their way along that pathway.
\n
"The RTU is an extremely important pathway for Asian athletes to get that opportunity (to join the UFC)," said Kevin Chang, UFC senior vice-president and head of Asia.
\n
"For us, it also expands the level of talent in the region."
\n
The consistent efforts by the UFC and local MMA clubs are paying dividends in terms of talent depth, with four of seven Chinese fighters on the Saturday card coming out on top in their respective bouts.
\n
Featherweight prospect Yizha delivered the opening win with a first-round KO of Westin Wilson of the United States in the third bout on the afternoon's preliminary card, followed by lightweight veteran Rongzhu's three-round unanimous decision over American Austin Hubbard in another prelims bout.
\n
China's welterweight prodigy Taiyilake Nueraji got the main card off to a rousing start by beating Irishman Kiefer Crosbie via a first-round TKO, before flyweight contender Sumudaerji out-struck Peruvian Kevin Borjas via a convincing unanimous decision.
\n
All four Chinese winners hail from minority groups, with Taiyilake from the Uygur ethnic group and the other three from the Tibetan ethnic group.
Five-time singles major champion Maria Sharapova poses with US doubles specialists, twins Bob and Mike Bryan, after being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday.
\n
NEWPORT, Rhode Island — Serena Williams made a surprise — and early — appearance at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, emerging from behind the stage to introduce "former rival, former fan and forever friend" Maria Sharapova for her induction on Saturday night.
\n
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion who will be eligible for her own enshrinement in 2027, drew gasps and shrieks from the crowd at the Newport shrine.
\n
"There are only a few players in my career who challenged me to be the very best, every single time we stepped out on the court," Williams said. "Maria Sharapova was one of them. Whenever I saw her name next to mine in the draw, I made sure I practiced harder."
\n
And the feeling was mutual.
\n
"It's a gift to have someone who motivates you to reach those heights.And I'll forever be grateful for bringing out the best in me," Sharapova said in her acceptance speech. "We both knew no other way than to fight our hearts out. We both hated to lose more than anything on this earth, and we both knew that the other was the biggest obstacle between ourselves and the trophy."
\n
The first Russian woman ever to reach No 1 in the rankings and one of 10 women to complete the career Grand Slam, Sharapova was joined in the Class of 2025 by dominating doubles team Mike and Bob Bryan.The twin brothers finished their speech with one of their trademark chest bumps.
\n
Hall of Famers Martina Navratilova, Jim Courier, Stan Smith and Andy Roddick were among those in the crowd, wearing their blue Hall of Fame blazers. Sharapova and the Bryan brothers also received a cast tennis racket that is the hall's newest offering to inductees.
\n
Sharapova was described in her introductory video as someone who "combined grit with glamor", and some of the stylish outfits she competed in are already displayed in the hall — including a tuxedo-inspired dress she wore when she won Wimbledon in 2008.
\n
Williams noted that her rival was the highest-paid female athlete in the world for 11 straight years — bolstered by endorsement income that surpassed her on-court winnings.
\n
"She showed us all how to take excellence on the court and turn it into excellence in business, and fashion, branding and everything that she touched," Williams said. "She changed how women not only approached tennis, but sports and opportunity. She showed us that you can be fierce on the court and strategic off the court, and unapologetically herself the entire time."
\n
Sharapova said her induction gave her a chance to look back — something she tried not to do when she was playing. And she credited her success to "embracing the struggles and leaning into the hard stuff".
\n
"When voices inevitably tell you to ease up, to round your edges, dull your ambition, I hope you can find a way to ignore them," she said. "Compete fiercely. Raise your standard.Set goals that intimidate you. And don't forget to celebrate your victories, no matter how small.
\n
"In giving my life to tennis, tennis gave me a life," she said. "And what a remarkable, remarkable life. And I'm so deeply grateful for it."
\n
The Bryans shared a speech as if they were taking turns hitting on a court, alternating at the microphone as they thanked coaches, friends and Davis Cup teammates from a career in which they won 119 ATP titles, including 16 Grand Slams, and an Olympic gold medal.They spent a record 438 weeks atop the world rankings.
\n
Navratilova, who won the 2006 US Open mixed doubles title with Bob Bryan, credited the brothers for keeping the doubles discipline from being forgotten.
\n
"Not too many athletes transcend their sport," she said. "For twins to do it is amazing."
\n
Bob Bryan said he was fortunate because "for most of my career, I had the No 1 player in the world across the hall".
\n",
+ "content": "
Five-time singles major champion Maria Sharapova poses with US doubles specialists, twins Bob and Mike Bryan, after being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday.
\n
NEWPORT, Rhode Island — Serena Williams made a surprise — and early — appearance at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, emerging from behind the stage to introduce "former rival, former fan and forever friend" Maria Sharapova for her induction on Saturday night.
\n
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion who will be eligible for her own enshrinement in 2027, drew gasps and shrieks from the crowd at the Newport shrine.
\n
"There are only a few players in my career who challenged me to be the very best, every single time we stepped out on the court," Williams said. "Maria Sharapova was one of them. Whenever I saw her name next to mine in the draw, I made sure I practiced harder."
\n
And the feeling was mutual.
\n
"It's a gift to have someone who motivates you to reach those heights.And I'll forever be grateful for bringing out the best in me," Sharapova said in her acceptance speech. "We both knew no other way than to fight our hearts out. We both hated to lose more than anything on this earth, and we both knew that the other was the biggest obstacle between ourselves and the trophy."
\n
The first Russian woman ever to reach No 1 in the rankings and one of 10 women to complete the career Grand Slam, Sharapova was joined in the Class of 2025 by dominating doubles team Mike and Bob Bryan.The twin brothers finished their speech with one of their trademark chest bumps.
\n
Hall of Famers Martina Navratilova, Jim Courier, Stan Smith and Andy Roddick were among those in the crowd, wearing their blue Hall of Fame blazers. Sharapova and the Bryan brothers also received a cast tennis racket that is the hall's newest offering to inductees.
\n
Sharapova was described in her introductory video as someone who "combined grit with glamor", and some of the stylish outfits she competed in are already displayed in the hall — including a tuxedo-inspired dress she wore when she won Wimbledon in 2008.
\n
Williams noted that her rival was the highest-paid female athlete in the world for 11 straight years — bolstered by endorsement income that surpassed her on-court winnings.
\n
"She showed us all how to take excellence on the court and turn it into excellence in business, and fashion, branding and everything that she touched," Williams said. "She changed how women not only approached tennis, but sports and opportunity. She showed us that you can be fierce on the court and strategic off the court, and unapologetically herself the entire time."
\n
Sharapova said her induction gave her a chance to look back — something she tried not to do when she was playing. And she credited her success to "embracing the struggles and leaning into the hard stuff".
\n
"When voices inevitably tell you to ease up, to round your edges, dull your ambition, I hope you can find a way to ignore them," she said. "Compete fiercely. Raise your standard.Set goals that intimidate you. And don't forget to celebrate your victories, no matter how small.
\n
"In giving my life to tennis, tennis gave me a life," she said. "And what a remarkable, remarkable life. And I'm so deeply grateful for it."
\n
The Bryans shared a speech as if they were taking turns hitting on a court, alternating at the microphone as they thanked coaches, friends and Davis Cup teammates from a career in which they won 119 ATP titles, including 16 Grand Slams, and an Olympic gold medal.They spent a record 438 weeks atop the world rankings.
\n
Navratilova, who won the 2006 US Open mixed doubles title with Bob Bryan, credited the brothers for keeping the doubles discipline from being forgotten.
\n
"Not too many athletes transcend their sport," she said. "For twins to do it is amazing."
\n
Bob Bryan said he was fortunate because "for most of my career, I had the No 1 player in the world across the hall".
President Xi Jinping will get together with leaders of more than 20 countries and 10 international organizations at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit to work out a development blueprint for the international organization, consolidate consensus on cooperation and promote a much closer SCO community with a shared future, a senior diplomat said.
\n
Speaking at a news briefing in Beijing on Friday, Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin said the summit, which will take place in Tianjin from Aug 31 to Sept 1, will be the largest-ever gathering since the organization was founded 24 years ago.
\n
Xi will chair the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO and the "SCO Plus" Meeting and deliver keynote speeches, he said, adding that Xi will also host a welcome banquet and bilateral events for participating leaders.
\n
The diplomat said that during the summit, Xi will outline China's new thoughts and proposals on how the regional organization continues to promote the Shanghai Spirit, featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development, to respond to the call of the times.
\n
Xi will announce new measures and actions to support the high-quality development and all-around cooperation of the SCO, and propose new approaches and pathways for building the organization, maintaining the post-World War II international order and improving the global governance system, Liu said.
\n
Xi, along with other leaders of SCO member states, will jointly sign and issue the Tianjin Declaration, approve the SCO's development strategy for the next decade and issue a statement on the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, Liu said.
\n
They will also adopt a series of outcome documents on strengthening security, economic and cultural cooperation, charting the course for the future development of the SCO, he added.
\n
The SCO Tianjin Summit comes against the backdrop of a complex and volatile international landscape with regional conflicts intensifying, economic uncertainties growing and livelihood issues in some countries becoming more pronounced.
\n
Liu said the more complex and turbulent the international situation becomes, the more important it becomes for countries to strengthen unity and cooperation to promote common development.
\n
China hopes to take the SCO Tianjin Summit as an opportunity to work with other SCO member states to build up political consensus, boost the momentum for cooperation, send out united voices and take joint actions, in order to leverage the stability and resilience of the SCO to address the uncertainties of the international environment, Liu said.
\n
Since its founding in 2001, the SCO has been steadily improving its cooperation mechanisms and expanding its global reach. The number of SCO member states has grown from the original six to 10, now representing nearly half of the global population and about a quarter of the world's GDP. Additionally, the SCO has two observer states and 14 dialogue partners.
\n
Chen Yu, deputy director of the Institute of Eurasian Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the SCO Tianjin Summit could have more positive bearings on the international situation, helping to promote the development of a multipolar world and enhance the influence of developing countries.
\n
The Shanghai Spirit, transcending the Cold War mentality, can help address deficits in global governance, Chen said.
\n
Xue Tianhang, an associate researcher at Zhejiang University's Institute for National Strategy and Regional Development, said that facing the complex and volatile international landscape, the SCO should maintain strategic clarity, strengthen confidence, act decisively and deliver greater results.
\n
SCO member states should join hands to overcome difficulties together, injecting more stability and positive dynamism into the world, Xue said.
![](\"http://img2.jintiankansha.me/get?src=http://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz_gif/laADTC8BCK6M7Nv6wvsPyLPCsN7uraAJxdXiby5XB2BE6S0ulr9Fs213uZ85nlxAalcgRcLFiaSVdOVlrtCZRibIw/640?wx_fmt=gif\")
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