China's latest efforts to promote large-scale commercial application of artificial intelligence will bolster industrial upgrades and inject strong momentum into high-quality economic growth, creating immense business opportunities for investors amid external uncertainties, said experts and company executives.
\n
Emphasizing that AI has become an important driving force for a new round of scientific and technological revolution, they said the country's superlarge market, technological prowess and thriving innovation ecosystem underpin its capacity to drive the fast-evolving technologies from research labs into the industrial arena.
\n
Their comments came after a State Council executive meeting on Thursday approved a guideline on implementing the "AI Plus" initiative, calling for vigorously advancing the large-scale commercial application of AI and boosting its accelerated popularization and deep integration across various fields of economic and social development.
\n
Su Jian, a professor of the School of Economics at Peking University, said that as a "disruptive" technology, AI will not only reshape production and people's lifestyles, but also serve as the main battlefield for technological competition among the world's major economies.
\n
"AI will penetrate into a wide range of sectors, such as manufacturing and services, restructure production processes and improve efficiency," Su said, highlighting that China's emphasis on the implementation of the "AI Plus" initiative complies with the trend of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and will help the country gain a competitive edge in strategic emerging industries.
\n
He noted that the core of the "AI Plus" initiative lies in integrating technological innovation with large-scale application, while calling for efforts to step up investment in fundamental research, make breakthroughs in crucial technologies, such as core algorithms and high-end computing power, and have a bigger say in formulating global AI governance rules.
\n
"Deeply implementing the 'AI Plus' initiative and strengthening the extensive and in-depth integration of AI with various fields will facilitate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, help foster strategic emerging industries and future-oriented industries, and enable all humanity to share the dividends of AI development," said Xu Zhaoyuan, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council.
\n
Xu said the guideline has clarified the future development path of the AI industry and accurately responded to market concerns, as the country has recognized AI as essential to fostering new quality productive forces and activating new growth drivers.
\n
The State Council meeting also stressed the need to optimize the innovation ecosystem of AI, strengthen the supply of computing power, algorithms and data, increase policy support, reinforce the construction of talent teams and build an open-source system to provide strong support for the AI industry's development.
\n
China's AI sector will make big strides in the next 10 to 15 years, with its market size reaching 1.73 trillion yuan ($239.9 billion) by 2035, accounting for 30.6 percent of the global total, according to market research company CCID Consulting.
\n
Noting that AI technology is witnessing rapid iteration and explosive growth, Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of New Economy, said it is of vital significance to boost its application in diversified scenarios and fields, and accelerate the integration of AI with the real economy.
\n
Zhu emphasized that China's complete industrial system, vast consumer market and abundant industrial application scenarios present unique advantages for the development of AI, a tech frontier in which all major economies are scrambling to establish a beachhead.
\n
"The adoption of AI can reduce production costs, improve the quality of products and optimize resource allocation, thus bringing about huge economic benefits. For instance, AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment technology can elevate the accuracy of diagnosis," he said.
\n
Zhou Hongyi, founder of Chinese internet enterprise 360 Security Group, said he was very inspired by the guideline on boosting the large-scale commercial application of AI. "The move has demonstrated that the country attaches great importance to AI development, and set a clear direction for the AI industry."
\n
The launch of the guideline will promote the adoption and innovation of AI agent technology across a diverse range of sectors, and provide a strong boost to digital transformation across various industries, Zhou said, expecting that more enterprises will engage in the research and development and use of AI agents.
\n
The application of AI in the high-tech manufacturing sector will bring about greater value than its use in terminal products, as AI will significantly enhance the production efficiency and competitiveness of manufacturing, said Li Dongsheng, founder and chairman of Chinese consumer electronics maker TCL Technology Group Corp.
\n
Zhu Minghao, executive director of the high-end manufacturing research center at Beijing Jiaotong University, said the implementation of the "AI Plus" initiative will bolster the development of large language models, AI agents, intelligent robots and AI chips, propel the high-level application of data and enhance the country's competitiveness in the global AI domain.
\n
fanfeifei@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "\n
China's latest efforts to promote large-scale commercial application of artificial intelligence will bolster industrial upgrades and inject strong momentum into high-quality economic growth, creating immense business opportunities for investors amid external uncertainties, said experts and company executives.
\n
Emphasizing that AI has become an important driving force for a new round of scientific and technological revolution, they said the country's superlarge market, technological prowess and thriving innovation ecosystem underpin its capacity to drive the fast-evolving technologies from research labs into the industrial arena.
\n
Their comments came after a State Council executive meeting on Thursday approved a guideline on implementing the "AI Plus" initiative, calling for vigorously advancing the large-scale commercial application of AI and boosting its accelerated popularization and deep integration across various fields of economic and social development.
\n
Su Jian, a professor of the School of Economics at Peking University, said that as a "disruptive" technology, AI will not only reshape production and people's lifestyles, but also serve as the main battlefield for technological competition among the world's major economies.
\n
"AI will penetrate into a wide range of sectors, such as manufacturing and services, restructure production processes and improve efficiency," Su said, highlighting that China's emphasis on the implementation of the "AI Plus" initiative complies with the trend of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and will help the country gain a competitive edge in strategic emerging industries.
\n
He noted that the core of the "AI Plus" initiative lies in integrating technological innovation with large-scale application, while calling for efforts to step up investment in fundamental research, make breakthroughs in crucial technologies, such as core algorithms and high-end computing power, and have a bigger say in formulating global AI governance rules.
\n
"Deeply implementing the 'AI Plus' initiative and strengthening the extensive and in-depth integration of AI with various fields will facilitate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, help foster strategic emerging industries and future-oriented industries, and enable all humanity to share the dividends of AI development," said Xu Zhaoyuan, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council.
\n
Xu said the guideline has clarified the future development path of the AI industry and accurately responded to market concerns, as the country has recognized AI as essential to fostering new quality productive forces and activating new growth drivers.
\n
The State Council meeting also stressed the need to optimize the innovation ecosystem of AI, strengthen the supply of computing power, algorithms and data, increase policy support, reinforce the construction of talent teams and build an open-source system to provide strong support for the AI industry's development.
\n
China's AI sector will make big strides in the next 10 to 15 years, with its market size reaching 1.73 trillion yuan ($239.9 billion) by 2035, accounting for 30.6 percent of the global total, according to market research company CCID Consulting.
\n
Noting that AI technology is witnessing rapid iteration and explosive growth, Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of New Economy, said it is of vital significance to boost its application in diversified scenarios and fields, and accelerate the integration of AI with the real economy.
\n
Zhu emphasized that China's complete industrial system, vast consumer market and abundant industrial application scenarios present unique advantages for the development of AI, a tech frontier in which all major economies are scrambling to establish a beachhead.
\n
"The adoption of AI can reduce production costs, improve the quality of products and optimize resource allocation, thus bringing about huge economic benefits. For instance, AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment technology can elevate the accuracy of diagnosis," he said.
\n
Zhou Hongyi, founder of Chinese internet enterprise 360 Security Group, said he was very inspired by the guideline on boosting the large-scale commercial application of AI. "The move has demonstrated that the country attaches great importance to AI development, and set a clear direction for the AI industry."
\n
The launch of the guideline will promote the adoption and innovation of AI agent technology across a diverse range of sectors, and provide a strong boost to digital transformation across various industries, Zhou said, expecting that more enterprises will engage in the research and development and use of AI agents.
\n
The application of AI in the high-tech manufacturing sector will bring about greater value than its use in terminal products, as AI will significantly enhance the production efficiency and competitiveness of manufacturing, said Li Dongsheng, founder and chairman of Chinese consumer electronics maker TCL Technology Group Corp.
\n
Zhu Minghao, executive director of the high-end manufacturing research center at Beijing Jiaotong University, said the implementation of the "AI Plus" initiative will bolster the development of large language models, AI agents, intelligent robots and AI chips, propel the high-level application of data and enhance the country's competitiveness in the global AI domain.
China's military industrial sectors have become primary targets of United States intelligence agencies for online attacks and espionage, as disclosed by a Chinese cybersecurity association on Friday, citing specific cases.
\n
In response, the Foreign Ministry highlighted these findings as the latest evidence of the US government's malicious cyberattacks on China, once again showing that the US is the top cyber threat faced by China.
\n
With details of two recent cyberattacks released, the Cyber Security Association of China noted that US intelligence agencies, in recent years, have targeted Chinese high-tech military industrial universities, research institutes and enterprises for cyberattacks and espionage, attempting to steal research data and sensitive information related to military design, development and manufacturing.
\n
One disclosed case, for example, showed how US intelligence agencies exploited a vulnerability in the Microsoft Exchange email system to attack and control the email servers of a major Chinese defense enterprise.
\n
From July 2022 to July 2023, the attackers maintained control over the company's domain controller server, using it as a pivot to commandeer over 50 critical internal devices. They planted data-stealing malware on the enterprise's outward-facing servers, with the aim of securing persistent control. Furthermore, they established multiple covert channels within the enterprise network for data exfiltration.
\n
During the period, the attackers also launched over 40 network assaults against the enterprise by employing IP addresses originating from various countries such as Germany, Finland, South Korea and Singapore. Subsequently, they stole emails that contained sensitive information pertaining to military industrial product design plans and core system parameters from 11 individuals, including senior management members and employees.
\n
Another case occurred from July to November 2024, in which US intelligence agencies conducted cyberattacks on a Chinese military industrial enterprise in the communication and satellite internet sector by exploiting vulnerabilities in its electronic file systems.
\n
In this instance, the attackers utilized IP addresses from countries including Romania and the Netherlands as pivots to obfuscate their attacking identity and true intentions.
\n
"The attackers from the US exhibit a highly targeted approach with more covert methods, posing significant threats to the research, production safety and even national security of China's defense and military industrial sectors," the association said.
\n
It also revealed that in 2024 alone, foreign state-sponsored advanced persistent threat groups launched more than 600 cyberattacks on vital Chinese institutions, with a particular focus on the defense and military industries.
\n
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday that the US used its allies in Europe and in China's neighboring region to launch the cyberattacks, exposing its hypocrisy on the issue of cybersecurity — claiming itself to be the victim while it's the other way around.
\n
"China always believes that cybersecurity is a common challenge faced by all countries and requires a joint response through dialogue and cooperation," he said, adding that China will continue to take necessary measures to safeguard its own cybersecurity.
\n
caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
China's military industrial sectors have become primary targets of United States intelligence agencies for online attacks and espionage, as disclosed by a Chinese cybersecurity association on Friday, citing specific cases.
\n
In response, the Foreign Ministry highlighted these findings as the latest evidence of the US government's malicious cyberattacks on China, once again showing that the US is the top cyber threat faced by China.
\n
With details of two recent cyberattacks released, the Cyber Security Association of China noted that US intelligence agencies, in recent years, have targeted Chinese high-tech military industrial universities, research institutes and enterprises for cyberattacks and espionage, attempting to steal research data and sensitive information related to military design, development and manufacturing.
\n
One disclosed case, for example, showed how US intelligence agencies exploited a vulnerability in the Microsoft Exchange email system to attack and control the email servers of a major Chinese defense enterprise.
\n
From July 2022 to July 2023, the attackers maintained control over the company's domain controller server, using it as a pivot to commandeer over 50 critical internal devices. They planted data-stealing malware on the enterprise's outward-facing servers, with the aim of securing persistent control. Furthermore, they established multiple covert channels within the enterprise network for data exfiltration.
\n
During the period, the attackers also launched over 40 network assaults against the enterprise by employing IP addresses originating from various countries such as Germany, Finland, South Korea and Singapore. Subsequently, they stole emails that contained sensitive information pertaining to military industrial product design plans and core system parameters from 11 individuals, including senior management members and employees.
\n
Another case occurred from July to November 2024, in which US intelligence agencies conducted cyberattacks on a Chinese military industrial enterprise in the communication and satellite internet sector by exploiting vulnerabilities in its electronic file systems.
\n
In this instance, the attackers utilized IP addresses from countries including Romania and the Netherlands as pivots to obfuscate their attacking identity and true intentions.
\n
"The attackers from the US exhibit a highly targeted approach with more covert methods, posing significant threats to the research, production safety and even national security of China's defense and military industrial sectors," the association said.
\n
It also revealed that in 2024 alone, foreign state-sponsored advanced persistent threat groups launched more than 600 cyberattacks on vital Chinese institutions, with a particular focus on the defense and military industries.
\n
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday that the US used its allies in Europe and in China's neighboring region to launch the cyberattacks, exposing its hypocrisy on the issue of cybersecurity — claiming itself to be the victim while it's the other way around.
\n
"China always believes that cybersecurity is a common challenge faced by all countries and requires a joint response through dialogue and cooperation," he said, adding that China will continue to take necessary measures to safeguard its own cybersecurity.
President Xi Jinping and Nepalese President Ram Chandra Poudel exchanged congratulations on Friday on the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, with both leaders pledging to boost the countries' partnership.
\n
In his congratulatory message to Poudel, Xi noted that China and Nepal are connected by mountains and rivers, with a long history of friendly exchanges.
\n
Over the 70 years, the two countries have always upheld mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation, no matter how the international and regional landscapes evolve, setting an example for friendly coexistence between countries with different social systems and of different sizes, he said.
\n
Xi noted that in recent years, China-Nepal relations have developed healthily and steadily, with their political mutual trust continuously enhanced and cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road and various fields expanding.
\n
Saying that he highly values the development of China-Nepal ties, Xi emphasized that he is willing to work with Poudel to take the 70th anniversary as an opportunity to carry forward the traditional friendship between the two countries and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, in order to promote bilateral ties to better benefit the two peoples and contribute to regional peace and development.
\n
Poudel said that over the past 70 years, Nepal-China friendship has stood the test of time. He described China as a trustworthy neighbor and development partner for Nepal, and expressed his appreciation for China's long-term support for Nepal's development and its respect for Nepal's sovereignty and independence.
\n
Nepal firmly adheres to the one-China principle and looks forward to joining hands with China to further deepen cooperation in various fields and realize the common vision of peace, progress and prosperity, Poudel said.
\n
Also on Friday, Premier Li Qiang exchanged congratulatory messages with Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on the 70th anniversary, with both prime ministers committed to promoting bilateral ties.
People attend an exhibition commemorating British journalist and educator George Hogg in Harpenden, a town in Hertfordshire county of England, on July 22. Hogg dedicated his life to supporting China's war against Japanese aggression 80 years ago.
\n
Editor's note: 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. This series of special reports by China Daily presents how and why China cherishes and keeps revisiting the wartime friendship with its foreign friends.
\n
Eighty years ago, 30-year-old British journalist and educator George Hogg actively engaged in China's fight against Japanese invaders and gave his young life when leading a transfer of Chinese students to a safer place in northwestern China's Gansu province in 1945.
\n
His sacrifice was not long before the surrender of the Japanese army and the end of World War II that year.
\n
In 1938, Hogg arrived in China and first worked as a journalist for media outlets amid the heat of the war.
\n
During President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United Kingdom in 2015, he mentioned the story of Hogg when addressing a grand welcoming banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.
\n
Xi praised Hogg for earnestly devoting himself to the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), noting that Hogg wrote articles unveiling Japanese invaders' atrocities.
\n
As allies in World War II, China and the UK saw their peoples exchanging support and sharing weal and woe, which wrote a wonderful chapter in the history of China-UK friendship, Xi said.
\n
Hogg's book, I See a New China, was well received overseas for featuring what he saw and heard about all walks of life in the nation, many being homeless.
\n
"I See a New China is the story of the Chinese common man, hungry and oppressed … and yet ever patient, hardworking and ingenious," said a book review by Mark Gayn in the New York Times on July 2, 1944.
\n
Hogg's footprints covered many parts of China, including war-torn frontlines and Shaanxi province's Yan'an, which was a revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China.
\n
He joined the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives and later became headmaster of the Bailie School in Shuangshipu in Shaanxi, a school focused on vocational education for young people to help build sectors such as textiles and machinery.
\n
The rising tension of war forced the school to relocate, and Hogg oversaw and escorted the relocation of the students and essential machinery to Shandan in Gansu province in 1944. They trekked on the slopes of the mountainous terrain while enduring snow and storms.
\n
Calling Hogg "an old friend of the Chinese people", Jiang Jiang, vice-president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said, "Hogg's footsteps serve as a vivid testament to the friendship between the Chinese and British people, as well as a profound interpretation of a shared future for humanity."
\n
During a visit to China earlier this year, Mark Aylwin Thomas, a nephew of Hogg and author of the biography Blades of Grass: The Story of George Aylwin Hogg, tried trekking like his uncle did more than 80 years ago.
\n
"We were walking freely, with all of our baggage in the cars accompanying us, but they were hauling wheelbarrows, and helping the little horses and mules pulling these huge carts with 20 tons of essential machinery. They were pushing through very steep slopes. It was a very arduous time," he said.
\n
Contribution honored
\n
An exhibition commemorating Hogg kicked off last week in his hometown of Harpenden, a town in Hertfordshire, an English county neighboring London.
\n
David Richard Kendall, a trustee of the Harpenden & District Local History Society, said the key of such exhibitions is to educate people about what Hogg achieved, as Hogg "is not well-known in England but is very well-known in China".
\n
"We cover what he did as a journalist, in helping establish cooperative factories, and in educating and rescuing Chinese orphans from the Japanese invaders," Kendall said.
\n
Hogg's contribution as a volunteer "is inspirational for younger people, as they can see that you can contribute to the lives of others in such a big way even though you are only in your twenties, which is what George Hogg was," he added.
\n
Speaking about why Hogg's story endures over time, Kendall said, "In very, very hard circumstances, he achieved a great deal. The thing that has moved me is when they interviewed his students — men who are now in their 70s, 80s or 90s — (the students said) how much he contributed to their lives as an educator."
\n
When asked about how to better engage young people to carry forward the friendship, Zoe Reed, former chair of the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding, or SACU, said, "Young people who joined SACU said the China portrayed in Western media is not the China they experienced when they came and lived or studied here for a year."
\n
She noted that engaging the youth is quite complicated and said, "Formal occasions would not particularly attract young students, but showing the fun times people have in Beijing, the good stuff in Shanghai — this will attract and encourage people to want to come."
\n
Reed said, "The world may get more complicated politically, but we can always build bridges of understanding at the people-to-people level."
\n
In a social media post last week, Zheng Zeguang, Chinese ambassador to the UK, wrote, "As the 80th anniversary of WWII approaches, George Hogg's legacy reminds us: true friendship knows no borders — and history still speaks."
\n
Contact the writers at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
People attend an exhibition commemorating British journalist and educator George Hogg in Harpenden, a town in Hertfordshire county of England, on July 22. Hogg dedicated his life to supporting China's war against Japanese aggression 80 years ago.
\n
Editor's note: 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. This series of special reports by China Daily presents how and why China cherishes and keeps revisiting the wartime friendship with its foreign friends.
\n
Eighty years ago, 30-year-old British journalist and educator George Hogg actively engaged in China's fight against Japanese invaders and gave his young life when leading a transfer of Chinese students to a safer place in northwestern China's Gansu province in 1945.
\n
His sacrifice was not long before the surrender of the Japanese army and the end of World War II that year.
\n
In 1938, Hogg arrived in China and first worked as a journalist for media outlets amid the heat of the war.
\n
During President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United Kingdom in 2015, he mentioned the story of Hogg when addressing a grand welcoming banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.
\n
Xi praised Hogg for earnestly devoting himself to the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), noting that Hogg wrote articles unveiling Japanese invaders' atrocities.
\n
As allies in World War II, China and the UK saw their peoples exchanging support and sharing weal and woe, which wrote a wonderful chapter in the history of China-UK friendship, Xi said.
\n
Hogg's book, I See a New China, was well received overseas for featuring what he saw and heard about all walks of life in the nation, many being homeless.
\n
"I See a New China is the story of the Chinese common man, hungry and oppressed … and yet ever patient, hardworking and ingenious," said a book review by Mark Gayn in the New York Times on July 2, 1944.
\n
Hogg's footprints covered many parts of China, including war-torn frontlines and Shaanxi province's Yan'an, which was a revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China.
\n
He joined the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives and later became headmaster of the Bailie School in Shuangshipu in Shaanxi, a school focused on vocational education for young people to help build sectors such as textiles and machinery.
\n
The rising tension of war forced the school to relocate, and Hogg oversaw and escorted the relocation of the students and essential machinery to Shandan in Gansu province in 1944. They trekked on the slopes of the mountainous terrain while enduring snow and storms.
\n
Calling Hogg "an old friend of the Chinese people", Jiang Jiang, vice-president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said, "Hogg's footsteps serve as a vivid testament to the friendship between the Chinese and British people, as well as a profound interpretation of a shared future for humanity."
\n
During a visit to China earlier this year, Mark Aylwin Thomas, a nephew of Hogg and author of the biography Blades of Grass: The Story of George Aylwin Hogg, tried trekking like his uncle did more than 80 years ago.
\n
"We were walking freely, with all of our baggage in the cars accompanying us, but they were hauling wheelbarrows, and helping the little horses and mules pulling these huge carts with 20 tons of essential machinery. They were pushing through very steep slopes. It was a very arduous time," he said.
\n
Contribution honored
\n
An exhibition commemorating Hogg kicked off last week in his hometown of Harpenden, a town in Hertfordshire, an English county neighboring London.
\n
David Richard Kendall, a trustee of the Harpenden & District Local History Society, said the key of such exhibitions is to educate people about what Hogg achieved, as Hogg "is not well-known in England but is very well-known in China".
\n
"We cover what he did as a journalist, in helping establish cooperative factories, and in educating and rescuing Chinese orphans from the Japanese invaders," Kendall said.
\n
Hogg's contribution as a volunteer "is inspirational for younger people, as they can see that you can contribute to the lives of others in such a big way even though you are only in your twenties, which is what George Hogg was," he added.
\n
Speaking about why Hogg's story endures over time, Kendall said, "In very, very hard circumstances, he achieved a great deal. The thing that has moved me is when they interviewed his students — men who are now in their 70s, 80s or 90s — (the students said) how much he contributed to their lives as an educator."
\n
When asked about how to better engage young people to carry forward the friendship, Zoe Reed, former chair of the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding, or SACU, said, "Young people who joined SACU said the China portrayed in Western media is not the China they experienced when they came and lived or studied here for a year."
\n
She noted that engaging the youth is quite complicated and said, "Formal occasions would not particularly attract young students, but showing the fun times people have in Beijing, the good stuff in Shanghai — this will attract and encourage people to want to come."
\n
Reed said, "The world may get more complicated politically, but we can always build bridges of understanding at the people-to-people level."
\n
In a social media post last week, Zheng Zeguang, Chinese ambassador to the UK, wrote, "As the 80th anniversary of WWII approaches, George Hogg's legacy reminds us: true friendship knows no borders — and history still speaks."
\n
Contact the writers at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
Rescuers from the People's Liberation Army help evacuate a wounded local in Xiangshuihu village in Liudaohe town, Hebei province, on Thursday.
\n
A drone is poised to deliver food and medicine to the flood-affected areas in Liudaohe town on Thursday.
\n
Amid ongoing recovery endeavors in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region following extensive flooding, Communist Party of China members have been actively engaged in rescue and relief operations, with some unaccounted for after bravely risking their lives.
\n
In Beijing's Huairou district alone, more than 15,000 members of the Party from over 1,100 grassroots organizations have mobilized for flood response, according to Zhang Qiang, Party secretary of Huairou.
\n
Among the members, Yin Chunyan, the Party secretary of Sunhugou village, and her husband Cai Yongzhang, also a Party member, disappeared while assisting in the evacuation of residents, swept away by floodwaters.
\n
"We are deeply grieved and are continuing full-scale search operations," Zhang said at a press conference on Thursday.
\n
Four of the city's nine missing persons are village-level Party secretaries who were engaged in frontline rescue work, according to Xia Linmao, executive vice-mayor. The city's death toll stood at 44 as of Thursday noon.
\n
In Beijing's hardest-hit northern mountains, critical road repairs concluded on Thursday when the final damaged section of Xihuo Road in Miyun district was restored, reopening a key route for rescue and supply delivery.
\n
The floods had damaged 72 road sections across the districts of Miyun, Huairou, Yanqing and Pinggu, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport.
\n
"This road was one I helped build 10 years ago," said Zheng Mingming, a road engineer with Beijing Construction Engineering Group, choking back emotion.
\n
"The repair machinery didn't stop once it arrived on site, and fuel was continuously transported in," Zheng was quoted as saying by Beijing Daily.
\n
Crews battled landslides and collapsed bridges, even turning riverbeds into temporary roads. Thanks to their efforts, all 29 county-level and higher roads in Beijing are now cleared, and access has been restored to affected communities.
\n
In neighbouring Hebei province, search operations have expanded in Xinglong county, where 18 people remain missing after floods left eight dead in Liudaohe township.
\n
"We've formed a 181-member search-and-rescue team and are conducting systematic downstream searches from the collapsed buildings," said Jiang Feng, deputy commander of the Chengde fire and rescue brigade, in an interview with China Central Television.
\n
Acts of solidarity have also emerged. In Zhujiagou village, homestay owner Xie Changcai sheltered 24 neighbors after their homes were destroyed.
\n
"People were worried about using up my supplies," he said, "But the government has started sending supplies. Let's help each other. Together, we can get through this."
\n
In Tianjin, over 140 Party members from Jizhou branch of the State Grid Tianjin Electric Power were deployed to restore electricity. Working in five teams, they carried out door-to-door safety inspections and replaced damaged infrastructure.
\n
In one of the more challenging missions, Yang Yang, head of the company's operation and maintenance department, led his team through muddy mountain paths in Xiaoping'an village, transporting 200-kilogram generators on foot.
\n
With support from drone inspections and satellite communications, electricity was restored to all affected villages by Wednesday, officials said.
\n
By early Thursday, 23 of the 29 damaged telecommunications facilities in Tianjin had been restored. In Jizhou district, homestays and hotels have begun reopening, and 19 scenic sites including Panshan Mountain, reopened on Friday morning.
\n
The local government said that while some roads remain under repair, the main routes have been temporarily cleared and weather alerts for heavy rain and geological disasters have been lifted.
",
@@ -3471,28 +3977,6 @@
"hash": "d56bd7d89db9567ae344c8aa0b05f249",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "002CHINA - University to reinvestigate sexual harassment case",
- "description": "
Wuhan University announced on Friday it would reinvestigate a punishment it handed out to a male student two years ago over alleged sexual harassment allegations, after a court recently ruled that the allegations were invalid.
\n
The university in Central China's Hubei province said in a statement that it fully respects the court ruling, and has established a working team to conduct the reinvestigation.
\n
In July 2023, a female student surnamed Yang accused a male student surnamed Xiao of sexual harassment after she said the student masturbated in her direction in the school library.
\n
Yang used her phone to film Xiao's acts and asked him to write her an apology letter, which the male student did. She also requested the university to punish the young man.
\n
On Oct 11, 2023, Yang published details of the incident through a WeChat account, which drew widespread public attention.
\n
Two days later, the university issued a statement saying it had given a demerit to the male student, without mentioning the reason for the punishment.
\n
In February 2024, Xiao's mother revealed in a Weibo post that her son suffered from atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition that causes inflammation and itching and was scratching himself at the school library.
\n
The mother also said that Xiao suffered from severe PTSD from the incident and cyberbullying, and even had suicidal thoughts. She denied any sexual allegations against her son and published medical records of seeking treatment at hospitals for his skin condition.
\n
She added that her son wrote the apology letter to avoid a public confrontation and that her parenting had made her son "timid and weak".
\n
In June 2024, Yang filed a civil lawsuit against Xiao, accusing him of masturbating in public and sought a public apology by him for 15 days in a newspaper apart from a compensation of 5,000 yuan ($693).
\n
The People's Court of Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone ruled against Yang recently, and she published screenshots of the verdict on different social media platforms on July 25.
\n
According to the verdict, the court said Xiao's actions could not be determined as masturbating and it was highly likely that he was scratching. The two people had no interaction for two hours in the library, during which they had both left and returned to their seats, the court said.
\n
The videos presented by Yang showed Xiao putting his left hand between his thighs, with a slight and irregular movement. From the videos, it cannot be concluded that the defendant was "masturbating", the court added.
\n
The incident garnered huge public attention in recent days, with some netizens starting to uncover mistakes and malpractices in Yang's graduation thesis.
\n
In Friday's statement, the university also pledged to conduct a full investigation into Yang's graduation thesis, and will handle the case based on facts, school rules and academic code of conduct.
Wuhan University announced on Friday it would reinvestigate a punishment it handed out to a male student two years ago over alleged sexual harassment allegations, after a court recently ruled that the allegations were invalid.
\n
The university in Central China's Hubei province said in a statement that it fully respects the court ruling, and has established a working team to conduct the reinvestigation.
\n
In July 2023, a female student surnamed Yang accused a male student surnamed Xiao of sexual harassment after she said the student masturbated in her direction in the school library.
\n
Yang used her phone to film Xiao's acts and asked him to write her an apology letter, which the male student did. She also requested the university to punish the young man.
\n
On Oct 11, 2023, Yang published details of the incident through a WeChat account, which drew widespread public attention.
\n
Two days later, the university issued a statement saying it had given a demerit to the male student, without mentioning the reason for the punishment.
\n
In February 2024, Xiao's mother revealed in a Weibo post that her son suffered from atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition that causes inflammation and itching and was scratching himself at the school library.
\n
The mother also said that Xiao suffered from severe PTSD from the incident and cyberbullying, and even had suicidal thoughts. She denied any sexual allegations against her son and published medical records of seeking treatment at hospitals for his skin condition.
\n
She added that her son wrote the apology letter to avoid a public confrontation and that her parenting had made her son "timid and weak".
\n
In June 2024, Yang filed a civil lawsuit against Xiao, accusing him of masturbating in public and sought a public apology by him for 15 days in a newspaper apart from a compensation of 5,000 yuan ($693).
\n
The People's Court of Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone ruled against Yang recently, and she published screenshots of the verdict on different social media platforms on July 25.
\n
According to the verdict, the court said Xiao's actions could not be determined as masturbating and it was highly likely that he was scratching. The two people had no interaction for two hours in the library, during which they had both left and returned to their seats, the court said.
\n
The videos presented by Yang showed Xiao putting his left hand between his thighs, with a slight and irregular movement. From the videos, it cannot be concluded that the defendant was "masturbating", the court added.
\n
The incident garnered huge public attention in recent days, with some netizens starting to uncover mistakes and malpractices in Yang's graduation thesis.
\n
In Friday's statement, the university also pledged to conduct a full investigation into Yang's graduation thesis, and will handle the case based on facts, school rules and academic code of conduct.
China will further tighten the working rights protection of people past retirement age who have returned or want to return to the job market, according to a draft regulation.
\n
Five central departments including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Emergency Management jointly released the draft regulation on Thursday.
\n
It is the nation's first document focusing on people past retirement age and their working benefits, as reported by the Xinhua News Agency, and is currently soliciting public opinion till Aug 31.
\n
Under the proposed regulation, employers are encouraged to offer appropriate positions to individuals beyond retirement age, considering their expertise, skills and background. They should establish written agreements outlining job responsibilities, work location, hours, breaks, holidays, compensation, social insurance and workplace protections.
\n
The draft stipulates that older workers in regular jobs need to be paid at least the local minimum wage, while prohibiting employers from assigning these workers roles that harm their physical or mental well-being.
\n
Also, it requires employers to give the workers training and education in occupational safety to reduce or avoid accidents and harm during work, adding that the workers will enjoy job-related injury insurance that will also cover occupational diseases.
\n
Yao Junchang, cofounder of W&H Law Firm in Beijing, praised the draft regulation, saying, "It shows China's stronger intensity in protecting people's working rights."
\n
In his view, the written agreement between employers and post-retirement age workers has nearly the same legal validity as standard labor contracts, meaning these older workers enjoy roughly the same working rights and benefits as regular workers.
\n
In recent years, the population of workers beyond retirement age has been increasing due to the shrinking working-age labor force, enhanced education and health conditions among the elderly, and their eagerness to re-enter the job market, according to Li Chang'an, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics.
\n
He said that as the current labor law is not suitable for workers past retirement age, they may face many challenges in gaining working rights or benefits after rejoining the job market. He added that the draft regulation will fill the gap in the law.
\n
Fan Wei, a professor from the School of Labor Economics at the Capital University of Economics and Business, told Xinhua News Agency that the proposed regulation is a necessary step to positively cope with the nation's aging problem, which will support the elderly willing to work by giving them a chance to fulfill their potential without worries.
\n
From Jan 1, China has started to progressively raise the statutory retirement age of male workers from 60 to 63 and for female workers from 50 or 55 to 55 or 58, depending on their jobs or occupations in the last 15 years. The move aims to better use human resources based on scientific analysis of the aging problem.
\n
chengsi@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
@@ -3515,28 +3999,6 @@
"hash": "bb7bb5dc5130d8559058ba12fd641a5c",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "002CHINA - PLA Navy and Russia to hold joint exercise",
- "description": "
A flotilla sent by the People's Liberation Army Navy for the China-Russia "Joint Sea-2025" naval exercise arrived in Vladivostok on Thursday, according to the PLA Navy.
\n
The Navy said in a news release on Friday that commanders of the Chinese and Russian forces involved in the multiday event, whose names were not disclosed, took part in a welcome ceremony at a naval port in Vladivostok and addressed attendees.
\n
The Russian officer said that there is a deep-seated friendship between the Chinese and Russian peoples. With the continuous deepening and expansion of China-Russia joint exercises and training, the mutual trust between the two sides has been continuously enhanced, and the friendship has been constantly consolidated.
\n
"We will continue to carry out joint operations and friendly visits, and jointly safeguard the tranquility and security of the seas in the Asia-Pacific region," the Russian commander was quoted by the release as saying.
\n
The Chinese commander stated that holding the "Joint Sea" series of exercises is a practical measure to implement the strategic consensus of the two nations' presidents, an important manifestation of deepening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era, and a firm practice of jointly defending international fairness and justice and maintaining regional peace and stability.
\n
According to the PLA Navy, the Chinese flotilla consists of CNS Shaoxing and CNS Urumqi, two Type 052D guided missile destroyers, CNS Qiandao Lake, a Type 903 supply ship, and CNS Xihu, a comprehensive rescue ship. Aircraft sent by China's naval aviation force and troops from the PLA Navy's Marine Corps will also take part in the bilateral exercise.
\n
During the port visit, the Chinese and Russian sides are scheduled to hold seminars, and open house activities, ball games, deck receptions and other exchange activities.
\n
In the naval exercise stage, the two sides will carry out submarine support and rescue, air-defense, and anti-missile and anti-ship combat drills, according to the PLA Navy.
\n
Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense, said the bilateral exercise is part of the annual cooperation plan between the two militaries, and is not directed against any third party.
\n
zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
A flotilla sent by the People's Liberation Army Navy for the China-Russia "Joint Sea-2025" naval exercise arrived in Vladivostok on Thursday, according to the PLA Navy.
\n
The Navy said in a news release on Friday that commanders of the Chinese and Russian forces involved in the multiday event, whose names were not disclosed, took part in a welcome ceremony at a naval port in Vladivostok and addressed attendees.
\n
The Russian officer said that there is a deep-seated friendship between the Chinese and Russian peoples. With the continuous deepening and expansion of China-Russia joint exercises and training, the mutual trust between the two sides has been continuously enhanced, and the friendship has been constantly consolidated.
\n
"We will continue to carry out joint operations and friendly visits, and jointly safeguard the tranquility and security of the seas in the Asia-Pacific region," the Russian commander was quoted by the release as saying.
\n
The Chinese commander stated that holding the "Joint Sea" series of exercises is a practical measure to implement the strategic consensus of the two nations' presidents, an important manifestation of deepening the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era, and a firm practice of jointly defending international fairness and justice and maintaining regional peace and stability.
\n
According to the PLA Navy, the Chinese flotilla consists of CNS Shaoxing and CNS Urumqi, two Type 052D guided missile destroyers, CNS Qiandao Lake, a Type 903 supply ship, and CNS Xihu, a comprehensive rescue ship. Aircraft sent by China's naval aviation force and troops from the PLA Navy's Marine Corps will also take part in the bilateral exercise.
\n
During the port visit, the Chinese and Russian sides are scheduled to hold seminars, and open house activities, ball games, deck receptions and other exchange activities.
\n
In the naval exercise stage, the two sides will carry out submarine support and rescue, air-defense, and anti-missile and anti-ship combat drills, according to the PLA Navy.
\n
Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense, said the bilateral exercise is part of the annual cooperation plan between the two militaries, and is not directed against any third party.
The Hong Kong High Court has frozen a bank account containing $1.8 billion amid a legal battle over the inheritance of the Zong Qinghou, late founder of China's leading beverage giant Hangzhou Wahaha Group.
\n
The defendant in the case is Zong's daughter and current Wahaha CEO Kelly Zong Fuli, who has been sued by Zong's three other children.
\n
The 42-page written judgment, delivered by Deputy High Court Judge Gary Lam Chin-ching on Friday, rules that Kelly Zong is prohibited from "withdrawing or encumbering" any asset from a Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) account owned by Jian Hao Ventures Limited, a company incorporated under British Virgin Islands law, pending the conclusion of a parallel lawsuit in a Hangzhou court or until further court orders.
\n
She is also required to disclose the latest balance of the HSBC account, the movements of assets inside, and a full account of receipts and disbursements of the HSBC account.
\n
The case has drawn significant public attention, with dozens of spectators, including journalists, law students and members of the public gathering outside the courtroom ahead of the scheduled public hearing. However, the proceeding lasted only a few minutes and was not open to the public, with just one party's representatives present to collect the court's decision.
\n
The plaintiffs — Jacky Zong, Jessie Zong Jieli and Jerry Zong Jisheng — allege that Kelly Zong breached a family agreement by failing to establish offshore trusts worth $2.1 billion for them after their father's death in February last year.
\n
They also claimed that at least $6 million for unknown purposes was transferred out of the HSBC account.
\n
Zong Qinghou was the sole director of Jian Hao Ventures Limited during his lifetime, with Kelly Zong succeeding him after his death. As of May 31, 2024, the company's HSBC Hong Kong account held $1.799 billion, consisting primarily of bonds and other fixed-income assets, along with some cash and term deposits.
\n
The trio therefore filed a lawsuit in the Hong Kong High Court last year seeking a court order banning Kelly Zong from disposing of or transferring assets held in the account.
\n
Wahaha stated on July 14 that the lawsuits do not affect its operations. The company reported a 40 percent surge in revenue last year under Kelly Zong's leadership, reaching 70 billion yuan ($9.7 billion).
\n
Born in 1945, Zong Qinghou founded Wahaha in 1987, a Hangzhou-based beverage company later grown into a commercial empire.
\n
Once the wealthiest individual on the Chinese mainland, Zong was long seen as a symbol of traditional family values. Kelly Zong, previously believed to be his only child, took over Wahaha after his death but briefly resigned five months later due to disagreements with shareholders. She later resumed her role as CEO following negotiations.
Workers rescue a Chinese white dolphin that had strayed into the city stretch of the Pearl River in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Thursday. The dolphin had been trapped in the stretch for seven days.
\n",
- "content": "
Workers rescue a Chinese white dolphin that had strayed into the city stretch of the Pearl River in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Thursday. The dolphin had been trapped in the stretch for seven days.
US President Donald Trump announced the conclusion of a trade agreement between the United States and Japan on July 22, which signaled a temporary easing of trade frictions between the two sides. Under the deal, the additional 25 percent tariff imposed on Japan's core products — automobiles and auto parts — since April will be halved, reducing the total tariff to 15 percent.
\n
Japan is one of the major economies with a trade surplus with the US to be subjected to 15 percent tariffs, which appears to be a concession from Washington. But the fact is, Japan "exchanged" $550 billion worth of investment, market access and profit transfer to get the tariffs reduced from 25 percent to 15 percent, a cost far greater than the apparent benefit. Strategically speaking, Japan's economy is set to feel the long-term impact of the US shock.
\n
However, the $550 billion investment, market access and profit transfer in exchange for the 15 percent tariff agreement is not the end of the US administration's "transactional diplomacy".
\n
The trade deal may increase the structural asymmetry in the US-Japan alliance. In international relations, the term "alliance" is often associated with shared security, aligned values and strategic coordination. But amid escalating global trade tensions and conflicting national interests, even the supposedly "unbreakable" US-Japan alliance is struggling to maintain economic harmony.
\n
The US leader began his second term by imposing a series of "reciprocal tariffs" on imports from the US' major trading partners, underscoring a critical reality: even allies can't escape the US' interest-driven geopolitical competition and the "America first" strategy.
\n
For the US administration, "America first" is not just a political slogan but a substantive foreign economic strategy. Its core objective is to rewrite global trade rules through bilateral negotiations that prioritize industrial security, boost exports and reduce trade deficits of the US.
\n
Despite their strong and stable military alliance, economic relations between the US and Japan are marked by inequality and intense competition. Washington has long been wary of Tokyo's trade surplus, while the latter, heavily dependent on the US market, continuously tries to strike a "strategic passive balance" between its interests and US demands.
\n
According to the July 22 trade deal, Japan will invest $550 billion in the US, with the US pocketing 90 percent of the profits the investment generates, and further open up its market to American automobiles, trucks, rice and other products. In return, Washington will impose 15 percent tariffs on Japanese imports — an additional 12.5 percent tariffs on Japanese cars, down from 25 percent — on top of the existing 2.5 percent base rate. This is a major concession by Japan, not the other way around, in order to protect its auto industry.
\n
The auto sector is a key area of US-Japan competition. Washington has long criticized Tokyo for maintaining market barriers against American vehicles. Although Japan denies building any overt tariff barriers, the US claims there exist "technical trade barriers", including emission standards, driving habits, and a closed sales network, all of which "hinder the US' full access" to the Japanese market. What appears to be a technical issue is, in fact, a reflection of the US' structural anxiety over its weakening industrial competitiveness.
\n
The US' weakening competitiveness is especially reflected in the US administration's decision to impose tariffs on Japanese steel and aluminum. Like the European Union and the Republic of Korea, Japan is also a long-standing US ally. Yet on the pretext of safeguarding "national security", the US has been pressuring Japan to agree to its unfair trade terms. This shows the US' growing tendency to label economic issues as security concerns, and suggests there is no institutional exemption even for US allies when it comes to tariffs.
\n
The US-Japan tariff dispute may appear to be about sectoral or product-specific disagreements, but below the surface, it's about a broader structural recalibration of the alliance. Washington has been undermining the traditional "security for market access" norm to safeguard its narrow interests, in the case of not only Japan but also its other allies — the EU, the ROK and Canada.
\n
The tariff friction between the US and Japan is more than a trade dispute, for it symbolizes a change in the global power structure and the nature of alliances. As economic nationalism, strategic competition, and prioritization of national interests dominate foreign policy, even long-standing alliances are prone to breaking up due to unbalanced benefit-sharing.
\n
Japan's restrained and conciliatory response has helped it to mitigate short-term risks, but it has also exposed its vulnerability in the ongoing reconfiguration of global trade rules. For US-Japan relations, the core challenge is not only the wrangling over tariffs. It is also the redefining of the meaning of "alliance", and the search for a new equilibrium between strategic security and economic cooperation. This is a challenge for not only Japan but also for all US allies navigating the realities of a new geopolitical order.
\n
<span class="epaper-status">The author is deputy director of the Institute of American and European Studies at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.</span>
\n
The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
",
@@ -3603,28 +4043,6 @@
"hash": "8eed865420e5a89f78d69958a560aa87",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "004COMMENT - Industrial prowess of China a subject of serious study",
- "description": "
China now accounts for some 30 percent of global manufacturing output, almost equal to the entire G7 member states' combined share. And its share is still growing.
\n
To truly understand this shift, though, we have to leave behind old stereotypes. The image of China as merely the "world's factory" churning out inexpensive toys and knockoff electronics is outdated. Today's China has an industrial system that is expansive, deep and remarkably adaptive.
\n
China has an advantage in not just one thing. It enjoys advantages in raw materials, advanced manufacturing, scale, speed and integration — and its manufacturing prowess rests on a foundation that is both broad and deep.
\n
From steel, cement and aluminum to rare earth elements, China enjoys unmatched scale and cost efficiency, ensuring stable supplies that underpin industrial security. In sectors such as solar photovoltaic panels, lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicles (EVs) and consumer electronics, China has advanced beyond mere participation in to shaping global supply chains and export markets. Even in traditional, labor-intensive industries — clothing, toys, home appliances, furniture — it has managed to keep its production costs competitive because of its expanding automation and production capacities.
\n
More important, China is rapidly moving up the value chain in equipment manufacturing, from high-speed railways and EVs to industrial robots and advanced machinery, transforming itself from a mid-tier manufacturing powerhouse to a serious player in high-end equipment.
\n
Sure, there are still areas such as advanced chips, aircraft engines and high-end medical devices in which the United States continues to enjoy an edge. But China is closing the gap thanks to its increased investment in R&D and intensive high-tech development. This isn't about confrontation or replacement, but about resilience and standing on one's own feet.
\n
China's journey has been far from easy. Decades ago, its steel production targets were met with skepticism. Yet today, China produces more than 1 billion tons of steel a year, with Hebei province alone producing more steel than many countries due to the country's steely resolve.
\n
China's industrial strength is not only about numbers. It's about security and stability too. In this information age, manufacturing remains a major source of national power, with recent conflicts underscoring the fact that whether a country produces jet fighters, artillery shells or drones, industrial capacity matters.
\n
China's industrial base supports its defense capabilities, with new-generation products like the J-20 fighter jet demonstrating how its homegrown technology has advanced to boost its ability to safeguard national security.
\n
China leads by a wide margin in terms of production of civilian drones, with Guangdong province alone producing about 7 million such drones in 2024.
\n
Even among observers with reservations about China, there's growing recognition that there are development lessons to be learned from China.
\n
In a recent article in The New York Times, Jacob Dreyer, a US writer who's spent nearly two decades in Shanghai, praises China's "far-sighted industrial policy", noting how AI isn't just strengthening the country's defense or high-tech sector, but also improving its education and healthcare systems. Dreyer has also highlighted China's massive investments in clean energy and the fact that its carbon emissions may be peaking.
\n
Dreyer has described Chinese cities as clean, safe and well-connected, with gleaming highways and high-speed railways. His message is clear: don't dismiss China; instead, study it, and learn from its commitment to improve its infrastructure, education, and other systems.
\n
Besides, an article in Foreign Affairs magazine recently said that if the US wants to achieve similar results, it needs to devise a clear-cut industrial strategy. The article cited how Hefei, Anhui province, once underdeveloped, has now become an EV production hub — and even called it "the Detroit of the 21st century".
\n
These aren't small shifts in tone. For years, many in the West viewed China's development model with skepticism, or dismissed it outright by calling it "authoritarian" or "unsustainable". The West's broader narrative often frames things as an ideological rivalry between "democracy" and "authoritarianism", which is incorrect and reflects the West's shortsightedness.
\n
Political systems may differ and their values may be different, but the results are hard to ignore. Whether in EVs, batteries, solar power or shipbuilding, China isn't merely catching up; it's leading.
\n
This shift in perception echoes history. In the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), China underestimated the power of foreign technology and paid a steep price for it. Reformers then argued that "Western learning is necessary for practical use".
\n
Today, the same humility to learn from others is emerging globally. Some Americans suggest combining "American essence and Chinese learning" to derive more mutual benefit, instead of ignoring each other and not capitalizing on the two economies' complementarity.
\n
Of course, China has its own challenges. Issues such as uneven regional development and social pressures aren't going away. But these aren't signs of stagnation. Instead, these are development opportunities.
\n
China's industrial rise is not just China's story. It's a global story that demands global reflection. In a world of shared challenges, openness to learning from one another may be the most important lesson of all.
\n
<span class="epaper-status">The author is an independent content creator who operates the account "Ming Shu Za Tan" across multiple social media platforms.</span>
\n
The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
\n",
- "content": "
China now accounts for some 30 percent of global manufacturing output, almost equal to the entire G7 member states' combined share. And its share is still growing.
\n
To truly understand this shift, though, we have to leave behind old stereotypes. The image of China as merely the "world's factory" churning out inexpensive toys and knockoff electronics is outdated. Today's China has an industrial system that is expansive, deep and remarkably adaptive.
\n
China has an advantage in not just one thing. It enjoys advantages in raw materials, advanced manufacturing, scale, speed and integration — and its manufacturing prowess rests on a foundation that is both broad and deep.
\n
From steel, cement and aluminum to rare earth elements, China enjoys unmatched scale and cost efficiency, ensuring stable supplies that underpin industrial security. In sectors such as solar photovoltaic panels, lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicles (EVs) and consumer electronics, China has advanced beyond mere participation in to shaping global supply chains and export markets. Even in traditional, labor-intensive industries — clothing, toys, home appliances, furniture — it has managed to keep its production costs competitive because of its expanding automation and production capacities.
\n
More important, China is rapidly moving up the value chain in equipment manufacturing, from high-speed railways and EVs to industrial robots and advanced machinery, transforming itself from a mid-tier manufacturing powerhouse to a serious player in high-end equipment.
\n
Sure, there are still areas such as advanced chips, aircraft engines and high-end medical devices in which the United States continues to enjoy an edge. But China is closing the gap thanks to its increased investment in R&D and intensive high-tech development. This isn't about confrontation or replacement, but about resilience and standing on one's own feet.
\n
China's journey has been far from easy. Decades ago, its steel production targets were met with skepticism. Yet today, China produces more than 1 billion tons of steel a year, with Hebei province alone producing more steel than many countries due to the country's steely resolve.
\n
China's industrial strength is not only about numbers. It's about security and stability too. In this information age, manufacturing remains a major source of national power, with recent conflicts underscoring the fact that whether a country produces jet fighters, artillery shells or drones, industrial capacity matters.
\n
China's industrial base supports its defense capabilities, with new-generation products like the J-20 fighter jet demonstrating how its homegrown technology has advanced to boost its ability to safeguard national security.
\n
China leads by a wide margin in terms of production of civilian drones, with Guangdong province alone producing about 7 million such drones in 2024.
\n
Even among observers with reservations about China, there's growing recognition that there are development lessons to be learned from China.
\n
In a recent article in The New York Times, Jacob Dreyer, a US writer who's spent nearly two decades in Shanghai, praises China's "far-sighted industrial policy", noting how AI isn't just strengthening the country's defense or high-tech sector, but also improving its education and healthcare systems. Dreyer has also highlighted China's massive investments in clean energy and the fact that its carbon emissions may be peaking.
\n
Dreyer has described Chinese cities as clean, safe and well-connected, with gleaming highways and high-speed railways. His message is clear: don't dismiss China; instead, study it, and learn from its commitment to improve its infrastructure, education, and other systems.
\n
Besides, an article in Foreign Affairs magazine recently said that if the US wants to achieve similar results, it needs to devise a clear-cut industrial strategy. The article cited how Hefei, Anhui province, once underdeveloped, has now become an EV production hub — and even called it "the Detroit of the 21st century".
\n
These aren't small shifts in tone. For years, many in the West viewed China's development model with skepticism, or dismissed it outright by calling it "authoritarian" or "unsustainable". The West's broader narrative often frames things as an ideological rivalry between "democracy" and "authoritarianism", which is incorrect and reflects the West's shortsightedness.
\n
Political systems may differ and their values may be different, but the results are hard to ignore. Whether in EVs, batteries, solar power or shipbuilding, China isn't merely catching up; it's leading.
\n
This shift in perception echoes history. In the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), China underestimated the power of foreign technology and paid a steep price for it. Reformers then argued that "Western learning is necessary for practical use".
\n
Today, the same humility to learn from others is emerging globally. Some Americans suggest combining "American essence and Chinese learning" to derive more mutual benefit, instead of ignoring each other and not capitalizing on the two economies' complementarity.
\n
Of course, China has its own challenges. Issues such as uneven regional development and social pressures aren't going away. But these aren't signs of stagnation. Instead, these are development opportunities.
\n
China's industrial rise is not just China's story. It's a global story that demands global reflection. In a world of shared challenges, openness to learning from one another may be the most important lesson of all.
\n
<span class="epaper-status">The author is an independent content creator who operates the account "Ming Shu Za Tan" across multiple social media platforms.</span>
\n
The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
What defines the world's largest economies is the integration of different systems and sectors. Accordingly, China has been taking measures to create an integrated national market to ensure companies and consumers feel as if provincial borders don't exist. The move is not only to align policies but also to fuel new growth points at home and beyond.
\n
Imagine a small manufacturer in Xiamen, Fujian province, selling its products in Beijing without having to negotiate local rules or other barriers. That is what a unified system with common standards, streamlined approvals and a single nationwide regulatory rulebook is going to do. It will also lower costs, boost competition and promote innovation.
\n
A key goal of the move is to ensure fair, high-quality competition by reducing barriers for non-local enterprises. In the past, the preference for local businesses could, at times, limit broader participation. Today, cities like Guangzhou, Guangdong province, are setting a new tone. A company based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, recently won a 3-million-yuan ($417,020) bid for the city's promotional film through an open, competitive process, thanks to a level playing field. This shift toward greater institutional fairness will positively impact the economy.
\n
Another goal of the move is to reduce red tape. Earlier, establishing a company used to take several weeks in some cities. But because of reforms like the July 2024 "efficient one-stop business process", businesses in Guangzhou can now complete the entire process in a single day. While Guangzhou's Haizhu district has merged multiple approval requirements into a single form, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, has simplified the registration and capital requirements. In fact, most new registrations can now be completed online, as the focus is on making government services more efficient, transparent and conducive to businesses' growth.
\n
But China isn't stopping at registration reforms. It is advancing "Internet-Plus government services", rolling out cross-provincial licensing, and standardizing the company migration procedure. Pilot projects in 10 provinces and municipalities show what a truly nationwide market would look like: companies shifting operations or opening branches without encountering local red tape. Even branches can now share the parent company's license, which would relieve them of unnecessary paperwork.
\n
A unified national market doesn't mean isolating the Chinese market; instead, it means aligning domestic and international standards and rules. For example, the central authorities have reduced the foreign investment "negative list" from 31 to 29 items and fully opened up the manufacturing sector. Also, the government is further opening up the telecom, internet, healthcare, educational, cultural and some other sectors, signaling that foreign investors are welcome to invest in China as long as they meet the unified standards. China is also inviting international certification bodies to make compliance easier for foreign players.
\n
This is not only about saying "we're open" but also about making sure companies around the world can operate in the Chinese market without having to navigate a regulatory labyrinth.
\n
The Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs' meeting in July emphasized the importance of "five unifications and one opening-up" for promoting high-level and effective opening-up. The first priority of the exercise is to harmonize fundamental market institutions so that rules are consistent nationwide, and the second is to standardize government practices to promote fair competition and create a level playing field.
\n
This approach suggests China recognizes that its greatest economic assets are scale and its ability to act at scale. With more than 100 million market entities and the world's most comprehensive industrial system, China can marshal resources like any other large, efficient economy. As always, ensuring consistent national standards and reducing local variations are key to realizing success.
\n
A unified market does not only help domestic companies; it also promotes healthy competition, better resource allocation and industrial upgrading. By guiding capital and talents toward globally competitive industries, China is trying to build a more resilient and innovation-oriented economy, and making sure Chinese companies become prominent global players by adapting to changes and improving their performance.
\n
Digital platforms are also breaking down geographical barriers, which previously hampered the flow of goods, services and information, and facilitating real-time data sharing by taking advantage of cross-border e-commerce and supply chains to meet consumers' demand in real-time with uniformly priced goods.
\n
China's endeavor to build a unified national market is a strategic initiative to boost high-level opening-up. For domestic entrepreneurs, it means fewer barriers and more opportunities, and for global investors, it promises clearer rules and easier entry into the Chinese market.
\n
In short, China is building a level playing field for both domestic and foreign business, which in turn will facilitate the development of a unified national market, because it is the best way to strengthen the domestic economy.
\n
<span class="epaper-status">The author is a research fellow at the National Academy of Economic Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.</span>
\n
The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
",
@@ -3647,28 +4065,6 @@
"hash": "5247527ad1a18e0232e6b60420594154",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "005BUSINESS - Zero tolerance for chips with security risks",
- "description": "
China-made chips on display during an expo in Shanghai.
\n
China's summons to Nvidia over the alleged cybersecurity threat posed by the US company's H20 artificial intelligence chips sold to the country showcases Beijing's zero tolerance toward chips with "backdoor" security risks, experts said on Friday.
\n
Such risks, if validated, will also deal a huge blow to the AI chipmaker's global business, they added.
\n
Their comments came after the Cyberspace Administration of China summoned the company on Thursday over the issue.
\n
Pan Helin, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy, said China's decision to summon any company over security concerns is in line with international practices.
\n
"If Nvidia's chips really have backdoor risks, that will become its 'self-dug grave'. Users, not only companies in China, but also clients across the world, may abandon its chips over fears of remote shutdowns or data theft," Pan said.
\n
According to him, Nvidia's dominance in the global AI chip market relies not only on chip performance, but also on its entrenched CUDA ecosystem — a 20-year-old framework for GPU compatibility. While Chinese chips such as Huawei's Ascend series may rival H20 technically, they lack CUDA's universal adaptability for AI models.
\n
"However, if security concerns drive global users toward Chinese chips, developers could shift focus to compatibility layers for domestic alternatives, eroding Nvidia's ecosystem advantage," Pan said.
\n
"Such concerns will accelerate the adoption of Chinese chips. Though ecosystem shifts take time, this could ultimately dismantle Nvidia's business," said Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Zhongguancun Modern Information Consumer Application Industry Technology Alliance, a telecom industry association.
\n
Nvidia's AI chips have recently faced allegations about serious security risks. Some US lawmakers have also called for advanced chips exported abroad to be equipped with "tracking and positioning" functions.
\n
According to Xiang, it is technically possible for companies to have "tracking and positioning" functions on chips. But if Nvidia has really done so, its business will be dismantled, he said.
\n
Nvidia said in a statement to China Daily on Friday that cybersecurity is critically important to it and that the company does not have "backdoors" in its chips that would give anyone a way to remotely access or control them.
\n
Last year, the Cyber Security Association of China urged a comprehensive review of products from US tech company Intel, citing recurring cybersecurity vulnerabilities and high failure rates, in order to safeguard the country's national security and protect the rights of Chinese consumers.
\n
On July 26, 2023, Wuhan's municipal emergency management bureau published a statement that Qihoo 360 detected a cyberattack from an overseas organization on its earthquake monitoring center. Some front-end station collection points of earthquake reporting data had been implanted with backdoor programs, the statement said.
\n
masi@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
China-made chips on display during an expo in Shanghai.
\n
China's summons to Nvidia over the alleged cybersecurity threat posed by the US company's H20 artificial intelligence chips sold to the country showcases Beijing's zero tolerance toward chips with "backdoor" security risks, experts said on Friday.
\n
Such risks, if validated, will also deal a huge blow to the AI chipmaker's global business, they added.
\n
Their comments came after the Cyberspace Administration of China summoned the company on Thursday over the issue.
\n
Pan Helin, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy, said China's decision to summon any company over security concerns is in line with international practices.
\n
"If Nvidia's chips really have backdoor risks, that will become its 'self-dug grave'. Users, not only companies in China, but also clients across the world, may abandon its chips over fears of remote shutdowns or data theft," Pan said.
\n
According to him, Nvidia's dominance in the global AI chip market relies not only on chip performance, but also on its entrenched CUDA ecosystem — a 20-year-old framework for GPU compatibility. While Chinese chips such as Huawei's Ascend series may rival H20 technically, they lack CUDA's universal adaptability for AI models.
\n
"However, if security concerns drive global users toward Chinese chips, developers could shift focus to compatibility layers for domestic alternatives, eroding Nvidia's ecosystem advantage," Pan said.
\n
"Such concerns will accelerate the adoption of Chinese chips. Though ecosystem shifts take time, this could ultimately dismantle Nvidia's business," said Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Zhongguancun Modern Information Consumer Application Industry Technology Alliance, a telecom industry association.
\n
Nvidia's AI chips have recently faced allegations about serious security risks. Some US lawmakers have also called for advanced chips exported abroad to be equipped with "tracking and positioning" functions.
\n
According to Xiang, it is technically possible for companies to have "tracking and positioning" functions on chips. But if Nvidia has really done so, its business will be dismantled, he said.
\n
Nvidia said in a statement to China Daily on Friday that cybersecurity is critically important to it and that the company does not have "backdoors" in its chips that would give anyone a way to remotely access or control them.
\n
Last year, the Cyber Security Association of China urged a comprehensive review of products from US tech company Intel, citing recurring cybersecurity vulnerabilities and high failure rates, in order to safeguard the country's national security and protect the rights of Chinese consumers.
\n
On July 26, 2023, Wuhan's municipal emergency management bureau published a statement that Qihoo 360 detected a cyberattack from an overseas organization on its earthquake monitoring center. Some front-end station collection points of earthquake reporting data had been implanted with backdoor programs, the statement said.
China's leading e-commerce and food delivery platforms including Meituan, Taobao, Ele.me and JD have pledged to rein in aggressive discounting practices, in a coordinated response to foster fairer competition and a more sustainable digital economy.
\n
The four firms released statements on Friday outlining a range of commitments, including better planning of subsidies, refraining from irrational promotional campaigns, and avoiding selling goods and services significantly below cost.
\n
The moves come just weeks after China's top market regulator summoned major platforms over concerns about cutthroat competition in the sector.
\n
Meituan published an open letter titled Prospering the Industry Ecosystem, Resisting Disorderly Competition via its official WeChat account, saying it would "firmly regulate promotional activities and eliminate unfair competition."
\n
The company emphasized that all subsidies must comply with antitrust laws and must not involve pricing far below cost. It also committed to transparent disclosure of subsidy amounts, avoiding exaggerated marketing, and ensuring that merchants retain the right to set prices independently.
\n
Meituan said it would protect the interests of small and medium-sized businesses, apply subsidies without discrimination, and aim to build a multi-stakeholder ecosystem that benefits consumers, vendors, delivery workers and the platform alike.
\n
JD made similar pledges via its internal bulletin, stating that it would "resist vicious competition" and focus instead on differentiated offerings and quality service. The company said it would rely on technological innovation and supply chain upgrades to build long-term competitiveness and consumer trust.
\n
"Subsidies should not be a race to the bottom. We believe in winning users through quality, price and service — not by burning cash," the company said.
\n
Taobao's flash sales subsidiary and Ele.me issued a joint statement, pledging to "resolutely oppose malicious competition and jointly foster a win-win ecosystem."
\n
The two Alibaba-owned platforms said they would better tailor subsidies to the needs of both consumers and merchants, avoid irrational large-scale giveaways such as "0-yuan purchases", and uphold merchants' rights to be informed, to choose and to set prices.
\n
The flurry of statements followed a July 18 announcement from the State Administration for Market Regulation, which said it had summoned several platforms and ordered them to curb improper promotional conduct and to participate in competition rationally.
\n
The regulator urged platforms to take primary responsibility for industry standards and "correct irregular promotional activities" to support the healthy development of the catering and delivery sectors.
\n
The move also aligns with broader policy goals set during the Central Economic Work Conference in December, which called for greater oversight of monopolistic behavior and disorderly competition in the digital economy.
\n
Those priorities were further reinforced in the 2025 Government Work Report, which advocated eliminating market entry and exit barriers and creating a unified national market.
\n
Li Mingtao, chief e-commerce analyst at the China International Electronic Commerce Center, said the coordinated pledges marked a "proactive" shift by platforms to address early signs of violations and unfair competition in the food delivery sector.
\n
"All these efforts sent a clear signal on regulating market behavior and set an example for fostering a healthier, more orderly platform economy," Li said.
The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, weakened 2 pips to 7.1496 against the US dollar on Friday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day. 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
Shipping route boosts China-Peru trade
\n
In the first half of 2025, cargo volume on the Chancay-Shanghai shipping route reached 78,000 metric tons, worth 1.72 billion yuan ($240.76 million), according to Shanghai Customs. After this route was set up, the total value of imports and exports between Shanghai and Peru increased by 34.9 percent compared with the same period last year. Since the launch of the Chancay-Shanghai shipping route in December 2024, the shipping time between Peru and China has been reduced to around 23 days, significantly cutting logistics costs by over 20 percent. As a result, more and more fresh fruits such as avocados, mangoes, and blueberries are being directly transported from Peru to China via this route.
\n
Chinese mainland shares close lower
\n
Chinese mainland stocks closed lower on Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.37 percent to 3559.95 points. The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.17 percent lower at 10991.32 points.
\n",
- "content": "
Yuan weakens against greenback
\n
The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, weakened 2 pips to 7.1496 against the US dollar on Friday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day. 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
Shipping route boosts China-Peru trade
\n
In the first half of 2025, cargo volume on the Chancay-Shanghai shipping route reached 78,000 metric tons, worth 1.72 billion yuan ($240.76 million), according to Shanghai Customs. After this route was set up, the total value of imports and exports between Shanghai and Peru increased by 34.9 percent compared with the same period last year. Since the launch of the Chancay-Shanghai shipping route in December 2024, the shipping time between Peru and China has been reduced to around 23 days, significantly cutting logistics costs by over 20 percent. As a result, more and more fresh fruits such as avocados, mangoes, and blueberries are being directly transported from Peru to China via this route.
\n
Chinese mainland shares close lower
\n
Chinese mainland stocks closed lower on Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.37 percent to 3559.95 points. The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.17 percent lower at 10991.32 points.
Volunteers from Taiyuan North Railway Station in Shanxi province conduct a free medical checkup for local people who live close to the railway line. The effort is part of a campaign by the railway authorities to promote awareness of rail safety among residents.
China is poised to introduce additional macroeconomic policies as necessary to further stabilize employment and boost domestic demand, while stepping up reforms to build a unified national market, the country's top economic regulator said on Friday.
\n
Experts said the move underscores a continued policy commitment on both the macro and structural fronts, aimed at sustaining domestic demand and laying a solid foundation for steady economic growth in the second half of the year.
\n
Zhou Chen, head of the department of national economy at the National Development and Reform Commission, said the country will conduct policy research and strengthen reserves of potential measures on a regular basis, continuing to refine the policy toolkit aimed at stabilizing employment and expanding domestic demand.
\n
"In response to changes in the external environment, we will introduce policy measures in a timely manner and coordinate this year's and next year's policy and work priorities, focusing on stabilizing jobs, businesses, markets and expectations," Zhou said at a news conference on Friday.
\n
Speaking at the conference, Wang Renfei, head of the department of comprehensive system reform at the NDRC, said the country will also deepen reforms with a focus on expanding domestic demand and stabilizing the economy.
\n
Drawing on experience gained from introducing private capital into the nuclear power sector, Wang said the commission will step up efforts to promote private investment in areas such as transportation, energy and water conservancy, in a bid to support the growth of the private economy.
\n
According to Wang, the commission will define clearer boundaries for the conduct of government bodies by formulating a list of practices to be prevented that may hinder a unified national market and fair competition.
\n
Efforts will also be made to improve market access in emerging sectors as a set of special measures aimed at easing market entry will be introduced at a faster pace, Wang said.
\n
Zhang Ning, senior China economist at UBS Investment Bank, said future policy stimulus may be data dependent, while the timing of new fiscal support may be around the end of the third quarter or the fourth quarter, if growth momentum slows notably.
\n
Zhang added that he expects the government to roll out a toplevel guideline in the next two to three quarters to navigate the initiative to curb involution-style competition.
\n
Xiong Yi, Deutsche Bank's chief economist for China, said he anticipates that the Chinese economy will grow 4.8 percent this year, with services consumption expected to become a new driver of economic growth and employment in the second half.
\n
Zhou, the NDRC official, said that efforts will be made to boost services consumption — in areas such as culture, tourism, sports events, elderly care, healthcare and child care — and encourage local authorities to reduce consumption restrictions.
\n
According to the commission, the third tranche of the ultra-long-term special treasury bonds designated to support trade-in program for consumer goods — worth 69 billion yuan ($9.6 billion) — has been fully allocated.
\n
The fourth tranche, also worth 69 billion yuan, is scheduled for disbursement in October, which will complete the planned allocation of 300 billion yuan for the year.
\n
This year's project list for major national strategies and security capacity building in key areas, totaling 800 billion yuan, has been fully issued, while 735 billion yuan in central budgetary investment has been largely disbursed, the commission added.
\n
zhoulanxv@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
China is poised to introduce additional macroeconomic policies as necessary to further stabilize employment and boost domestic demand, while stepping up reforms to build a unified national market, the country's top economic regulator said on Friday.
\n
Experts said the move underscores a continued policy commitment on both the macro and structural fronts, aimed at sustaining domestic demand and laying a solid foundation for steady economic growth in the second half of the year.
\n
Zhou Chen, head of the department of national economy at the National Development and Reform Commission, said the country will conduct policy research and strengthen reserves of potential measures on a regular basis, continuing to refine the policy toolkit aimed at stabilizing employment and expanding domestic demand.
\n
"In response to changes in the external environment, we will introduce policy measures in a timely manner and coordinate this year's and next year's policy and work priorities, focusing on stabilizing jobs, businesses, markets and expectations," Zhou said at a news conference on Friday.
\n
Speaking at the conference, Wang Renfei, head of the department of comprehensive system reform at the NDRC, said the country will also deepen reforms with a focus on expanding domestic demand and stabilizing the economy.
\n
Drawing on experience gained from introducing private capital into the nuclear power sector, Wang said the commission will step up efforts to promote private investment in areas such as transportation, energy and water conservancy, in a bid to support the growth of the private economy.
\n
According to Wang, the commission will define clearer boundaries for the conduct of government bodies by formulating a list of practices to be prevented that may hinder a unified national market and fair competition.
\n
Efforts will also be made to improve market access in emerging sectors as a set of special measures aimed at easing market entry will be introduced at a faster pace, Wang said.
\n
Zhang Ning, senior China economist at UBS Investment Bank, said future policy stimulus may be data dependent, while the timing of new fiscal support may be around the end of the third quarter or the fourth quarter, if growth momentum slows notably.
\n
Zhang added that he expects the government to roll out a toplevel guideline in the next two to three quarters to navigate the initiative to curb involution-style competition.
\n
Xiong Yi, Deutsche Bank's chief economist for China, said he anticipates that the Chinese economy will grow 4.8 percent this year, with services consumption expected to become a new driver of economic growth and employment in the second half.
\n
Zhou, the NDRC official, said that efforts will be made to boost services consumption — in areas such as culture, tourism, sports events, elderly care, healthcare and child care — and encourage local authorities to reduce consumption restrictions.
\n
According to the commission, the third tranche of the ultra-long-term special treasury bonds designated to support trade-in program for consumer goods — worth 69 billion yuan ($9.6 billion) — has been fully allocated.
\n
The fourth tranche, also worth 69 billion yuan, is scheduled for disbursement in October, which will complete the planned allocation of 300 billion yuan for the year.
\n
This year's project list for major national strategies and security capacity building in key areas, totaling 800 billion yuan, has been fully issued, while 735 billion yuan in central budgetary investment has been largely disbursed, the commission added.
The total number of foreign-funded business entities in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, officially surpassed 10,000 on Thursday, making it the first county-level city in China to achieve this feat.
\n
Pakistani entrepreneur Ali Kamran received the business license for his new company in Yiwu, marking a major milestone.
\n
Since the establishment of its first foreign-funded enterprise in 1989, Yiwu has remained committed to reform-driven development and service-oriented governance.
\n
China's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001 further accelerated Yiwu's economic opening. "In 2005, the city's foreign trade volume exceeded its domestic trade for the first time, signaling a rapid growth phase for foreign-funded businesses," said Lou Xiaodong, director of the Yiwu Market Supervision Administration.
\n
According to Lou, representative offices, foreign-invested partnerships, and foreign-invested enterprises are the three main types of foreign business entities, each contributing to Yiwu's robust foreign trade at various stages.
\n
Today, investors from 165 countries and regions across six continents have established businesses in Yiwu. Among these, 133 are from countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, accounting for 81 percent of the total.
\n
In May 2024, Yiwu launched "YiJing", the province's first online service platform for foreign residents. The app offers integrated support covering daily life, business activities, and government services. It enables online consultation and processing for over 120 administrative items across more than 10 departments, including accommodation registration, visa applications, and work permits. Seventeen of these services can be booked and completed entirely online.
\n
"We've pioneered a series of forward-looking and replicable reforms in foreign business registration," Lou said. "Yiwu is now authorized to register all types of foreign-funded business entities. Since 2019, the registration process for all entities has been shortened from the legal maximum of 15 days to just one."
\n
Yiwu has also led the nation in piloting a commitment-based registration system for foreign businesses. In March this year, Yiwu issued Zhejiang's first business licenses processed entirely with foreign passports, enabling expatriates to complete company registration fully online.
\n
According to Chen Jianwei, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, Yiwu's dynamic business environment and vibrant market demonstrate that "investing in China is investing in the future." He noted that China is not only an ideal destination for global business, but also an increasingly attractive place to live and work, underscoring the country's firm commitment and tangible progress in advancing high-level opening-up.
MOSCOW/KYIV — Russia said it had captured a strategic town in the Donetsk region after nearly 16 months of fighting, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the claim as "disinformation".
\n
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its forces took full control of the strategically important city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region.
\n
However, Victor Tregubov, a Ukrainian military spokesman, told The Associated Press that Russia's claim was untrue. "Just a fabrication, there wasn't even a change in the situation," he said.
\n
A report on Thursday from Ukraine's Army General Staff said there were seven clashes in Chasiv Yar in the past 24 hours. An attached map showed most of the town as being under Russian control.
\n
"Ukrainian units are holding our positions," Zelensky said in his daily video address on Thursday evening. "It is not easy, but it is the defense of Ukrainians' very right to life."
\n
Russian and Ukrainian troops have battled for control of Chasiv Yar for nearly 18 months. It includes a hilltop from which troops can attack other key points in the region that form the backbone of Ukraine's eastern defenses.
\n
Meanwhile, in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital city observed a day of mourning after the deadliest attack in the city this year ripped open a nine-story residential building, wounding 159 people and killing 31 people in all.
\n
The latest developments on the battlefield come as a top Ukrainian official said that Kyiv's partners had "confirmed positive signals" about imminent White House pressure on Moscow.
\n
"Our partners confirmed positive signals from the White House regarding firm actions against the Russian Federation — particularly on sanctions targeting Russian oil and secondary tariffs following the end of the 10-day deadline set by President Donald Trump," Andriy Yermak wrote on X.
\n
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump made clear that he wants a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine by Aug 8, the United States told the United Nations Security Council.
\n
"Both Russia and Ukraine must negotiate a ceasefire and a durable peace. It is time to make a deal. President Trump has made clear that this must be done by Aug 8. The United States is prepared to implement additional measures to secure peace," senior US diplomat John Kelley told the 15-member council.
\n
Trump said on Tuesday that the United States would start imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia"10 days from today" if Moscow showed no progress.
\n
US special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Russia after his current trip to Israel, Trump said on Thursday.
\n
Talking about prospects of negotiations with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he hoped peace talks between Russia and Ukraine would continue and that working groups could discuss potential compromises, but said Moscow's goals remained unchanged.
\n
Putin, who was talking alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, said talks should be conducted "without cameras and in a calm atmosphere".
\n
"As for any disappointments on the part of anyone, all disappointments arise from inflated expectations," he said.
\n
Kyiv and Moscow have held three rounds of talks in Istanbul this year that yielded exchanges of prisoners and bodies, but no breakthrough to defuse the more than three-year conflict.
\n
In Europe, Germany said on Friday that it will deliver two Patriot systems to Ukraine after reaching an agreement with the US that Berlin will be first in line to receive the latest systems in return.
\n
The Bundeswehr army will initially deliver additional Patriot launchers to Ukraine in the coming days, followed by additional system components to be handed over in two or three months.
\n",
- "content": "
MOSCOW/KYIV — Russia said it had captured a strategic town in the Donetsk region after nearly 16 months of fighting, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the claim as "disinformation".
\n
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its forces took full control of the strategically important city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region.
\n
However, Victor Tregubov, a Ukrainian military spokesman, told The Associated Press that Russia's claim was untrue. "Just a fabrication, there wasn't even a change in the situation," he said.
\n
A report on Thursday from Ukraine's Army General Staff said there were seven clashes in Chasiv Yar in the past 24 hours. An attached map showed most of the town as being under Russian control.
\n
"Ukrainian units are holding our positions," Zelensky said in his daily video address on Thursday evening. "It is not easy, but it is the defense of Ukrainians' very right to life."
\n
Russian and Ukrainian troops have battled for control of Chasiv Yar for nearly 18 months. It includes a hilltop from which troops can attack other key points in the region that form the backbone of Ukraine's eastern defenses.
\n
Meanwhile, in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital city observed a day of mourning after the deadliest attack in the city this year ripped open a nine-story residential building, wounding 159 people and killing 31 people in all.
\n
The latest developments on the battlefield come as a top Ukrainian official said that Kyiv's partners had "confirmed positive signals" about imminent White House pressure on Moscow.
\n
"Our partners confirmed positive signals from the White House regarding firm actions against the Russian Federation — particularly on sanctions targeting Russian oil and secondary tariffs following the end of the 10-day deadline set by President Donald Trump," Andriy Yermak wrote on X.
\n
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump made clear that he wants a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine by Aug 8, the United States told the United Nations Security Council.
\n
"Both Russia and Ukraine must negotiate a ceasefire and a durable peace. It is time to make a deal. President Trump has made clear that this must be done by Aug 8. The United States is prepared to implement additional measures to secure peace," senior US diplomat John Kelley told the 15-member council.
\n
Trump said on Tuesday that the United States would start imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia"10 days from today" if Moscow showed no progress.
\n
US special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Russia after his current trip to Israel, Trump said on Thursday.
\n
Talking about prospects of negotiations with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he hoped peace talks between Russia and Ukraine would continue and that working groups could discuss potential compromises, but said Moscow's goals remained unchanged.
\n
Putin, who was talking alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, said talks should be conducted "without cameras and in a calm atmosphere".
\n
"As for any disappointments on the part of anyone, all disappointments arise from inflated expectations," he said.
\n
Kyiv and Moscow have held three rounds of talks in Istanbul this year that yielded exchanges of prisoners and bodies, but no breakthrough to defuse the more than three-year conflict.
\n
In Europe, Germany said on Friday that it will deliver two Patriot systems to Ukraine after reaching an agreement with the US that Berlin will be first in line to receive the latest systems in return.
\n
The Bundeswehr army will initially deliver additional Patriot launchers to Ukraine in the coming days, followed by additional system components to be handed over in two or three months.
Palestinians collect aid parcels amid a hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.
\n
China expressed strong opposition on Friday to the United States' decision to impose sanctions on officials from the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, calling the move "shocking" and counterproductive to international peace efforts.
\n
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a regular news briefing in Beijing, responding to the US State Department's announcement on Thursday that it would impose visa bans on certain Palestinian officials.
\n
"It is in our national security interests to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace," the US announcement read.
\n
"China is shocked by the US sanctions against officials of the PA and the PLO, and is deeply disappointed and puzzled by the US' disregard for international efforts to promote peace," Guo said.
\n
He stressed that the Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East issue and is a matter of international fairness and justice.
\n
"At a time when the Palestinian question stands at a critical historical juncture, the international community, especially the US, should adopt a fair, just and responsible attitude," Guo said.
\n
The spokesman urged Washington to earnestly implement relevant United Nations resolutions and to work actively in facilitating a proper resolution of the Palestinian question, rather than doing the opposite.
\n
"China firmly supports the Palestinian people's just cause of restoring their legitimate national rights and supports the PA's effective jurisdiction over all of Palestine's territory, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank," Guo said.
\n
He also reiterated Beijing's support for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question based on the two-state solution as well as its willingness to work with the international community to make relentless efforts to this end.
\n
Washington's sanctions came as many of the US allies have vowed to recognize Palestinian statehood ahead of September's UN General Assembly meeting in New York.
\n
Following France and the United Kingdom, Canada announced on Wednesday that it plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September, in a move to preserve hopes for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the two-state solution.
",
@@ -3823,28 +4153,6 @@
"hash": "b9c86c539f27e8a5dd4b8a5e043bfef6",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "006WORLD - US students gain insight on China trip",
- "description": "
During a one-week trip to China in June, a group of about 20 college students from 15 universities in 15 states opened their eyes to a different culture and China's advanced AI technology. They were also surprised to find how similar Chinese people are to US people.
\n
The trip was organized by the US Heartland China Association with support from the US Soybean Export Council. Students visited Beijing and China's breadbasket, Henan province.
\n
Sharing their experiences at an online meeting on Tuesday night, Imani Murphy, a graduate student of animal science at Tuskegee University, said the biggest shock of the trip for her was how Chinese culture and rural communities seem so similar to the rural South.
\n
"That was shocking to me because I thought it would be completely different, but human beings are human beings. So, we all will have the same sort of characteristics, if that makes sense."
\n
Murphy said there are a lot more similarities than differences between people of the two countries.
\n
"I think we should really hone in on both of our similarities and differences and how we can come together and communicate well to become better (agriculture) leaders in China and in the United States," she said. "We're two of the, probably, top producers in our respective fields, and why not work together."
\n
Samuel Martin from Iowa State University was struck by how agriculture was handled differently in some ways, and how Chinese cuisine uses different parts of animals and cooks them differently.
\n
He courageously tried fish bladder and was surprised to see Palmer amaranth on the menu at one banquet. "We didn't even know you can eat it. We just wanted to kill it in the fields. That was kind of a neat thing to see."
\n
Martin said the trip led him to realize there is a desire in China for quality US food products.
\n
Largest trading partners
\n
"It's nice to hear from one of our largest trading partners that they do desire our products. We want to trade with them. They want to trade with us. If we can make sure that we keep those goals, I think we'll see a lot of success in the next 20, 25 years," Martin said. "I look forward to hopefully being a part of that going forward."
\n
Morgan Barba from Kansas University was impressed by China's vertical integration. "The vertical integration that we saw within all the cities that we visited was just so impressive," Barba said.
\n
Barba was also quite impressed by the integration of AI in China's meat production system.
\n
"They are using AI to improve processing cleanliness, reduce bacterial exposure, and enhance meat quality, specifically when it comes to grading carcasses. I'm going to be really curious when we'll have that integration here in the United States," said Barba.
\n
Lauren Thornhill from Ohio State University was impressed by how China controlled the smell from the poultry and meat facilities. "We walked right up to those barns in some places in China and had no idea it was a pig or poultry operation."
\n
She said this trip shifted her perspective on relations between China and the US: "By yourself, you can do a lot, but with other people, you can do a lot more."
\n
Parker Havard from Michigan State University was struck by the massiveness of Chinese infrastructure. "It was just insane to see all of that infrastructure. It was absolutely wild. But when we went even into the mountains, it was just completely open," Havard said.
\n
Seeing things with his own eyes, he gained a better understanding of China's infrastructure and technology, which "really helped to gain a big insight into how we could foster a better relationship between the two and learn from each other", Havard said.
\n
mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com
\n",
- "content": "
During a one-week trip to China in June, a group of about 20 college students from 15 universities in 15 states opened their eyes to a different culture and China's advanced AI technology. They were also surprised to find how similar Chinese people are to US people.
\n
The trip was organized by the US Heartland China Association with support from the US Soybean Export Council. Students visited Beijing and China's breadbasket, Henan province.
\n
Sharing their experiences at an online meeting on Tuesday night, Imani Murphy, a graduate student of animal science at Tuskegee University, said the biggest shock of the trip for her was how Chinese culture and rural communities seem so similar to the rural South.
\n
"That was shocking to me because I thought it would be completely different, but human beings are human beings. So, we all will have the same sort of characteristics, if that makes sense."
\n
Murphy said there are a lot more similarities than differences between people of the two countries.
\n
"I think we should really hone in on both of our similarities and differences and how we can come together and communicate well to become better (agriculture) leaders in China and in the United States," she said. "We're two of the, probably, top producers in our respective fields, and why not work together."
\n
Samuel Martin from Iowa State University was struck by how agriculture was handled differently in some ways, and how Chinese cuisine uses different parts of animals and cooks them differently.
\n
He courageously tried fish bladder and was surprised to see Palmer amaranth on the menu at one banquet. "We didn't even know you can eat it. We just wanted to kill it in the fields. That was kind of a neat thing to see."
\n
Martin said the trip led him to realize there is a desire in China for quality US food products.
\n
Largest trading partners
\n
"It's nice to hear from one of our largest trading partners that they do desire our products. We want to trade with them. They want to trade with us. If we can make sure that we keep those goals, I think we'll see a lot of success in the next 20, 25 years," Martin said. "I look forward to hopefully being a part of that going forward."
\n
Morgan Barba from Kansas University was impressed by China's vertical integration. "The vertical integration that we saw within all the cities that we visited was just so impressive," Barba said.
\n
Barba was also quite impressed by the integration of AI in China's meat production system.
\n
"They are using AI to improve processing cleanliness, reduce bacterial exposure, and enhance meat quality, specifically when it comes to grading carcasses. I'm going to be really curious when we'll have that integration here in the United States," said Barba.
\n
Lauren Thornhill from Ohio State University was impressed by how China controlled the smell from the poultry and meat facilities. "We walked right up to those barns in some places in China and had no idea it was a pig or poultry operation."
\n
She said this trip shifted her perspective on relations between China and the US: "By yourself, you can do a lot, but with other people, you can do a lot more."
\n
Parker Havard from Michigan State University was struck by the massiveness of Chinese infrastructure. "It was just insane to see all of that infrastructure. It was absolutely wild. But when we went even into the mountains, it was just completely open," Havard said.
\n
Seeing things with his own eyes, he gained a better understanding of China's infrastructure and technology, which "really helped to gain a big insight into how we could foster a better relationship between the two and learn from each other", Havard said.
NASA's new temporary administrator on Thursday held a rare face-to-face meeting in Florida with Russia's space agency chief, where they discussed cooperation on the moon and maintaining the space powers' long-standing relationship on the International Space Station, Roscosmos said. The talks between Sean Duffy and Dmitry Bakanov at the US space agency's Kennedy Space Center represented the first in-person meeting between the heads of NASA and Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, since 2018.
\n
SOUTH KOREA
\n
Jailed ex-leader Yoon resists questioning
\n
South Korea's impeached former president Yoon Suk-yeol lay on his prison cell floor in his underwear to resist attempts to interrogate him, prosecutors said on Friday. Prosecutors obtained a fresh arrest warrant on Thursday to forcibly bring the former leader in for questioning over allegations of election tampering. However, they were "unable to do so due to his strong refusal", prosecutor Oh Jeong-hee told reporters. Yoon was wearing "a sleeveless top and prison-issued briefs," prosecutors said.
\n",
@@ -3867,28 +4175,6 @@
"hash": "afc9cb66b19cacaeb246ea531cae149e",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "006WORLD - Hong Kong Ballet to debut The Butterfly Lovers in NYC",
- "description": "
Hong Kong Ballet dancers perform during The Butterfly Lovers, one of China's four great folktales and is often referred to as the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet.
\n
This August, experience a breathtaking fusion of East and West as the Hong Kong Ballet premieres its award-winning The Butterfly Lovers in New York. This ballet redefines classical storytelling with innovative choreography, all brought to life by the live accompaniment of the New York City Ballet Orchestra.
\n
Originating from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), The Butterfly Lovers has been around for over 1,700 years. It is recognized as one of China's four great folktales and is often referred to as the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet.
\n
Zhu Yingtai, a young woman from a wealthy family, disguises herself as a man so she can attend school, where she meets Liang Shanbo, a fellow student from a humble background. Zhu falls in love with Liang over time. During a visit, Liang discovers Zhu's true identity. He hopes to propose to her, but her parents have already arranged for her to marry a wealthy man.
\n
Liang eventually dies from grief. On Zhu's wedding day, her bridal procession passes Liang's grave, and a storm stops them from passing. Zhu runs to the grave, and it miraculously opens. She jumps in, and moments later, two butterflies rise from the grave together, representing a symbol of their eternal love.
\n
The ballet show made its debut in Hong Kong on Oct 18, 2024, and received several major awards at the 26th Hong Kong Dance Awards 2025, including Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer (Xuan Cheng as Zhu Yingtai), Outstanding Music Composition, and Outstanding Ensemble Performance.
\n
The performance was envisioned by Hong Kong Ballet artistic director Septime Webre, a Cuban-American who previously worked with The Washington Ballet.
\n
Webre said he wanted to serve the audience with tailored content that reflects the ballet company's roots.
\n
Webre said that The Butterfly Lovers sparked his interest as it explores a remarkably progressive theme — a woman seeking education in a time when it was forbidden for females. Webre described it as "a compelling contemporary theme in many parts of the world", which deeply resonated with him. He stated that the elements of modernity and themes of gender and class are still important today.
\n
Written by the lead choreographers, the couple duo Songwei Hu and Jingwen Mai, they said the piece not only highlights the great love story at its core, but also weaves in themes such as the oppression of the old feudal system and patriarchal society.
\n
This ballet blends contemporary and traditional styles in a unique and expressive way. Drawing from their deep experience in Chinese classical dance, choreographers Hu and Mai said they brought in traditional movement elements to challenge and contrast with the upright, structured posture of ballet.
\n
"We incorporated more Chinese dance into the upper body," Mai explained.
\n
The dance and story were backed by Academy Award winner Tim Yip, who designed both the costumes and the stage. He is known for his art directing work on Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon.
\n
For this performance, Yip designed 12 moving screen panels. He said those 12 screens help to slow down certain elements of ballet, pushing them into a more ethereal, virtual state.
\n
Idea of fluidity
\n
Yip said he wanted to emphasize the idea of "fluidity". He said that, unlike Western art, Chinese art emphasizes atmosphere and poetic resonance. Instead of laying everything out, it sets a mood that pulls the audience into the feel and flow of the Chinese aesthetic and way of thinking," Yi said.
\n
In partnership with China Arts and Entertainment Group and the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in New York, the Hong Kong Ballet will present The Butterfly Lovers for the first time from Aug 22 to 24 at Lincoln Center in New York.
\n
"As a Chinese myself, it brings me great joy to share our unique perspective on love. I hope audiences in New York can see that China, too, has its own version of Romeo and Juliet, and feel how Zhu Yingtai, even in that era, was willing to defy her family and fight for love and freedom," Hu said.
\n
For his next "ambitious" project, Webre said he has spent years researching and making. It will be a ballet based on the life of Hong Kong's legendary martial artist Bruce Lee. Mixing kung fu and ballet, Webre hopes the performance will premiere in 2027.
\n
bilinlin@chinadailyusa.com
\n",
- "content": "
Hong Kong Ballet dancers perform during The Butterfly Lovers, one of China's four great folktales and is often referred to as the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet.
\n
This August, experience a breathtaking fusion of East and West as the Hong Kong Ballet premieres its award-winning The Butterfly Lovers in New York. This ballet redefines classical storytelling with innovative choreography, all brought to life by the live accompaniment of the New York City Ballet Orchestra.
\n
Originating from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), The Butterfly Lovers has been around for over 1,700 years. It is recognized as one of China's four great folktales and is often referred to as the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet.
\n
Zhu Yingtai, a young woman from a wealthy family, disguises herself as a man so she can attend school, where she meets Liang Shanbo, a fellow student from a humble background. Zhu falls in love with Liang over time. During a visit, Liang discovers Zhu's true identity. He hopes to propose to her, but her parents have already arranged for her to marry a wealthy man.
\n
Liang eventually dies from grief. On Zhu's wedding day, her bridal procession passes Liang's grave, and a storm stops them from passing. Zhu runs to the grave, and it miraculously opens. She jumps in, and moments later, two butterflies rise from the grave together, representing a symbol of their eternal love.
\n
The ballet show made its debut in Hong Kong on Oct 18, 2024, and received several major awards at the 26th Hong Kong Dance Awards 2025, including Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer (Xuan Cheng as Zhu Yingtai), Outstanding Music Composition, and Outstanding Ensemble Performance.
\n
The performance was envisioned by Hong Kong Ballet artistic director Septime Webre, a Cuban-American who previously worked with The Washington Ballet.
\n
Webre said he wanted to serve the audience with tailored content that reflects the ballet company's roots.
\n
Webre said that The Butterfly Lovers sparked his interest as it explores a remarkably progressive theme — a woman seeking education in a time when it was forbidden for females. Webre described it as "a compelling contemporary theme in many parts of the world", which deeply resonated with him. He stated that the elements of modernity and themes of gender and class are still important today.
\n
Written by the lead choreographers, the couple duo Songwei Hu and Jingwen Mai, they said the piece not only highlights the great love story at its core, but also weaves in themes such as the oppression of the old feudal system and patriarchal society.
\n
This ballet blends contemporary and traditional styles in a unique and expressive way. Drawing from their deep experience in Chinese classical dance, choreographers Hu and Mai said they brought in traditional movement elements to challenge and contrast with the upright, structured posture of ballet.
\n
"We incorporated more Chinese dance into the upper body," Mai explained.
\n
The dance and story were backed by Academy Award winner Tim Yip, who designed both the costumes and the stage. He is known for his art directing work on Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon.
\n
For this performance, Yip designed 12 moving screen panels. He said those 12 screens help to slow down certain elements of ballet, pushing them into a more ethereal, virtual state.
\n
Idea of fluidity
\n
Yip said he wanted to emphasize the idea of "fluidity". He said that, unlike Western art, Chinese art emphasizes atmosphere and poetic resonance. Instead of laying everything out, it sets a mood that pulls the audience into the feel and flow of the Chinese aesthetic and way of thinking," Yi said.
\n
In partnership with China Arts and Entertainment Group and the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in New York, the Hong Kong Ballet will present The Butterfly Lovers for the first time from Aug 22 to 24 at Lincoln Center in New York.
\n
"As a Chinese myself, it brings me great joy to share our unique perspective on love. I hope audiences in New York can see that China, too, has its own version of Romeo and Juliet, and feel how Zhu Yingtai, even in that era, was willing to defy her family and fight for love and freedom," Hu said.
\n
For his next "ambitious" project, Webre said he has spent years researching and making. It will be a ballet based on the life of Hong Kong's legendary martial artist Bruce Lee. Mixing kung fu and ballet, Webre hopes the performance will premiere in 2027.
Torrential rain causes flooding in several New York City subway stations, particularly affecting parts of the 6 line in New York City, United States, on Thursday.
A worker waits for customers at Roopam Sarees, which sells clothing imported from India, in Berkeley, California, on Thursday.
\n
US President Donald Trump's latest tariffs announcement has sent shockwaves across the Asian region, with the imposition of 10 to 41 percent "reciprocal tariffs" against nearly 70 trading partners signaling a fresh tide of protectionism that will hurt developing economies around the world, analysts said.
\n
Noting the "very high tariffs" unveiled by Washington on Asian exporters, observers said the levies are unfair as several trading partners in the region had offered many concessions — including duty-free access to their domestic markets, and agreeing to purchase US energy and aircraft — in the hope of getting more favorable treatment.
\n
Trump issued an executive order on Thursday imposing "additional ad valorem duties on goods of certain trading partners". The new duties will take effect from Aug 7.
\n
Japan and South Korea were slapped with 15 percent tariffs. India is facing a 25 percent duty, while Syria was hit with the highest rate of 41 percent. Laos and Myanmar are slapped with 40 percent levies. Bangladesh and Vietnam face 20 percent duties, while Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Pakistan face 19 percent duties.
\n
"Because the tariff rates are unilateral and arbitrarily linked to Washington's definition of US national security, the rates can hardly be described as fair," Elina Noor, a senior fellow in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said.
\n
Elina said the different unilateral rates have accelerated competition among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as each country seeks a bilateral deal with the US.
\n
"This pits ASEAN countries against each other in a way that's reminiscent of colonial divide and rule, and detracts from any effort by ASEAN member-states to coordinate positions with each other," she said.
\n
Elina said there is "a lot of uncertainty" as to whether the latest announcement leaves much scope for further negotiations.
\n
How transshipment will be determined, for example, and whether or not countries in the Southeast Asian region will be subjected to the higher 40 percent rate for it, "will remain a complicated issue since global supply chains can be extensively and intricately networked", she said.
\n
The US tariffs announcement is "very bad news generally for Asia", said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for Asia-Pacific at Natixis.
\n
Garcia-Herrero cited the "very high tariffs" that Trump imposed on Asia and how this will hurt the export-dependent region.
\n
Prasad Wijesuriya, general secretary of the Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association, noted that the 20 percent tariff on imports from Sri Lanka is lower than the initial 40 percent that Trump announced in April. But it still represents "a dramatic increase" from the Most Favored Nation rate of around 2 percent that prevailed before, he said.
\n
"This sharp escalation in tariffs is likely to trigger significant economic challenges for Sri Lanka," Wijesuriya said.
\n
But it is not just Asia that will be penalized by tariffs. As Garcia-Herrero of Natixis noted, "If everybody has tariffs, there's no escape." She noted that inflation in the US will increase due to higher prices of imported goods.
\n
Tahir Farooq, editor-in-chief at Daily Ittehad Media Group and Pakistan Economic Net, said the global economy is "now even more interconnected", and nations that "weaponize tariffs to pressure others ultimately hurt their own industries, damage their reputations, and estrange themselves from global economic cooperation".
\n
Some Asian ministers welcomed Trump's announcement, noting that the tariffs are lower than what Trump had earlier announced in April and July.
\n
Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Malaysia's minister of investment, trade and industry, said that the US has agreed to reduce the tariffs on Malaysian exports from 25 percent to 19 percent.
\n
Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh's National Security Advisor and lead negotiator, told the local media that the South Asian nation has "successfully avoided a potential 35 percent reciprocal tariff".
\n
Contact the writers at prime@chinadailyapac.com.
\n",
- "content": "\n
A worker waits for customers at Roopam Sarees, which sells clothing imported from India, in Berkeley, California, on Thursday.
\n
US President Donald Trump's latest tariffs announcement has sent shockwaves across the Asian region, with the imposition of 10 to 41 percent "reciprocal tariffs" against nearly 70 trading partners signaling a fresh tide of protectionism that will hurt developing economies around the world, analysts said.
\n
Noting the "very high tariffs" unveiled by Washington on Asian exporters, observers said the levies are unfair as several trading partners in the region had offered many concessions — including duty-free access to their domestic markets, and agreeing to purchase US energy and aircraft — in the hope of getting more favorable treatment.
\n
Trump issued an executive order on Thursday imposing "additional ad valorem duties on goods of certain trading partners". The new duties will take effect from Aug 7.
\n
Japan and South Korea were slapped with 15 percent tariffs. India is facing a 25 percent duty, while Syria was hit with the highest rate of 41 percent. Laos and Myanmar are slapped with 40 percent levies. Bangladesh and Vietnam face 20 percent duties, while Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Pakistan face 19 percent duties.
\n
"Because the tariff rates are unilateral and arbitrarily linked to Washington's definition of US national security, the rates can hardly be described as fair," Elina Noor, a senior fellow in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said.
\n
Elina said the different unilateral rates have accelerated competition among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as each country seeks a bilateral deal with the US.
\n
"This pits ASEAN countries against each other in a way that's reminiscent of colonial divide and rule, and detracts from any effort by ASEAN member-states to coordinate positions with each other," she said.
\n
Elina said there is "a lot of uncertainty" as to whether the latest announcement leaves much scope for further negotiations.
\n
How transshipment will be determined, for example, and whether or not countries in the Southeast Asian region will be subjected to the higher 40 percent rate for it, "will remain a complicated issue since global supply chains can be extensively and intricately networked", she said.
\n
The US tariffs announcement is "very bad news generally for Asia", said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for Asia-Pacific at Natixis.
\n
Garcia-Herrero cited the "very high tariffs" that Trump imposed on Asia and how this will hurt the export-dependent region.
\n
Prasad Wijesuriya, general secretary of the Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association, noted that the 20 percent tariff on imports from Sri Lanka is lower than the initial 40 percent that Trump announced in April. But it still represents "a dramatic increase" from the Most Favored Nation rate of around 2 percent that prevailed before, he said.
\n
"This sharp escalation in tariffs is likely to trigger significant economic challenges for Sri Lanka," Wijesuriya said.
\n
But it is not just Asia that will be penalized by tariffs. As Garcia-Herrero of Natixis noted, "If everybody has tariffs, there's no escape." She noted that inflation in the US will increase due to higher prices of imported goods.
\n
Tahir Farooq, editor-in-chief at Daily Ittehad Media Group and Pakistan Economic Net, said the global economy is "now even more interconnected", and nations that "weaponize tariffs to pressure others ultimately hurt their own industries, damage their reputations, and estrange themselves from global economic cooperation".
\n
Some Asian ministers welcomed Trump's announcement, noting that the tariffs are lower than what Trump had earlier announced in April and July.
\n
Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Malaysia's minister of investment, trade and industry, said that the US has agreed to reduce the tariffs on Malaysian exports from 25 percent to 19 percent.
\n
Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh's National Security Advisor and lead negotiator, told the local media that the South Asian nation has "successfully avoided a potential 35 percent reciprocal tariff".
US shoppers who buy low-cost items from overseas will face higher fees from the end of August after President Donald Trump announced the end of a practice that had allowed goods under $800 to bypass US duties.
\n
The change to the "de minimis" exemption was first implemented on goods from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong in May, as China is the largest source of these shipments.
\n
Low-cost online stores like Shein and Temu, both extremely popular with shoppers in the US and worldwide, were among those that would likely be directly affected, warned Z. John Zhang, a professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
\n
But Zhang told China Daily that the recent rule change will also hit many other businesses in China that do business with the US, as it's "not just fast fashion in this case, it's really all kinds of goods under the value of $800".
\n
In fiscal year 2024, $64.6 billion worth of goods in over 1.36 billion small shipments were utilized de minimis, according to Yale University and US Customs and Border Protection.
\n
Now, all countries that send items to US customers or businesses outside of the international postal network will be subject to the rule change starting on Aug 29, Trump's executive order stated on Wednesday.
\n
Any country that sends a low-value shipment to the US through the postal system will face one of two tariffs: either an "ad valorem duty" equal to the effective tariff rate of the package's country of origin. Or, for six months, a specific tariff of $80 to $200, depending on the country of origin's tariff rate, Reuters reported.
\n
At least 75 percent of all the packages that came to the US under de minimis in 2018 were from China, estimates by Baird Equity Research suggested.
\n
George S. Yip, an emeritus professor at Imperial College London and distinguished visiting professor at Northeastern University in Boston, explained that Chinese fast fashion brands have widely adopted this rule and are so popular with a global base because of their efficiency.
\n
"The essence of fast fashion is to see what the trend is, then respond to it very quickly in terms of manufacturing, and in terms of getting the distribution out. So Chinese companies excel at that," Yip told China Daily.
\n
US Customs processes 4 million de minimis shipments per day, the Trump administration said.
\n
Fewer shipments
\n
But delivery companies FedEx and UPS reported that they picked up many fewer shipments from China after the exemption ended, The New York Times reported.
\n
UPS's chief executive, Carol Tome, said during an earnings call on Tuesday that the result of the escalating tariffs and the end of de minimis led their daily volume of shipments from China to the US to fall by 35 percent in May and June this year compared to the same period in 2024, much more than expected.
\n
"There's uncertainty around tariffs and then that means there's uncertainty around consumer demand," she said.
\n
On Tuesday, UPS announced its second quarter sales declined 2.7 percent to $21.2 billion, with net income of $1.3 billion.
\n
Meanwhile, general air cargo volume from Asia declined by 10.7 percent in July after the US canceled the exemption for packages from China, Reuters reported.
\n
The initial aim of the de minimis exemption, enacted in 1938, was to allow US citizens to bring back souvenirs from abroad.
Lumber bound for export at the CentrePort terminal in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 10.
\n
Australia escaped the latest increases in global tariffs announced by the United States, but neighboring New Zealand was hit with a 15 percent levy, up from the 10 percent baseline rate that was proposed earlier.
\n
The White House, in a statement on Thursday, put out a list of modified tariff rates for affected countries, just before a pause on the tariffs it had unveiled globally in April was set to expire.
\n
In its statement on Thursday, the White House listed New Zealand under a "reciprocal tariff, adjusted" of 15 percent, from the previous 10 percent baseline rate.
\n
The increased tariffs on New Zealand exports will take effect from Aug 7, placing the country "alongside other key US trading partners including Japan and South Korea", New Zealand's Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay noted in a statement on Friday.
\n
The US was the second-largest export destination for New Zealand goods in 2024, with a total value of NZ$9 billion ($5.28 billion), according to figures from New Zealand's official data agency.
\n
Major exports
\n
The value of exports to the US nearly doubled over the past decade, driven by purchases of New Zealand meat like beef and sheep, it said, with other major exports including dairy and wine products.
\n
The latest tariff decision "appears to be based on a calculation of trade deficits, with countries running a surplus with the US moved to the higher rate. In New Zealand's case, the surplus is modest, around $500 million, and is not overly significant in the context of the US economy", McClay said.
\n
"I am seeking an urgent call with the US Trade Representative to make New Zealand's position clear: this increase risks harming exporters and consumers of both countries. The US currently faces an average tariff of just 0.8 percent when exporting to New Zealand, far lower than what we face into their market," the minister said.
\n
"Our focus now moves to engaging directly with the US on this current announcement to seek changes to this decision," he said.
\n
"New Zealand has always stood for open, rules-based trade. We will continue to advocate strongly for a resolution that supports our exporters and maintains the strength of our trading relationship with the United States," McClay added in the statement.
\n
Meanwhile, most Australian goods to the US are subject to the baseline 10 percent tariff, according to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
\n
The Australian government has called for zero US tariffs in line with a free trade agreement between the two countries.
\n
The country avoided a tariff increase that many had feared it would face on Friday, said Ben Udy, lead economist for economic advisory Oxford Economics Australia.
\n
Australian beef producers could stand to gain, with the pillar exports in high demand in recent months due to weather limiting herd numbers in the US, he said.
\n
"With Australian tariffs set to remain at 10 percent, and other exporters of high-quality beef like New Zealand and Japan facing higher tariffs, the industry should remain in high demand in the coming months," Udy said.
\n
"On that basis, Australian businesses can probably afford to leave prices unchanged, forcing US consumers or retailers to bear the brunt of the tariff increase without seeing a decline in demand."
\n
Contact the writers at xinxin@chinadaily.com.cn.
\n",
- "content": "
Lumber bound for export at the CentrePort terminal in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 10.
\n
Australia escaped the latest increases in global tariffs announced by the United States, but neighboring New Zealand was hit with a 15 percent levy, up from the 10 percent baseline rate that was proposed earlier.
\n
The White House, in a statement on Thursday, put out a list of modified tariff rates for affected countries, just before a pause on the tariffs it had unveiled globally in April was set to expire.
\n
In its statement on Thursday, the White House listed New Zealand under a "reciprocal tariff, adjusted" of 15 percent, from the previous 10 percent baseline rate.
\n
The increased tariffs on New Zealand exports will take effect from Aug 7, placing the country "alongside other key US trading partners including Japan and South Korea", New Zealand's Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay noted in a statement on Friday.
\n
The US was the second-largest export destination for New Zealand goods in 2024, with a total value of NZ$9 billion ($5.28 billion), according to figures from New Zealand's official data agency.
\n
Major exports
\n
The value of exports to the US nearly doubled over the past decade, driven by purchases of New Zealand meat like beef and sheep, it said, with other major exports including dairy and wine products.
\n
The latest tariff decision "appears to be based on a calculation of trade deficits, with countries running a surplus with the US moved to the higher rate. In New Zealand's case, the surplus is modest, around $500 million, and is not overly significant in the context of the US economy", McClay said.
\n
"I am seeking an urgent call with the US Trade Representative to make New Zealand's position clear: this increase risks harming exporters and consumers of both countries. The US currently faces an average tariff of just 0.8 percent when exporting to New Zealand, far lower than what we face into their market," the minister said.
\n
"Our focus now moves to engaging directly with the US on this current announcement to seek changes to this decision," he said.
\n
"New Zealand has always stood for open, rules-based trade. We will continue to advocate strongly for a resolution that supports our exporters and maintains the strength of our trading relationship with the United States," McClay added in the statement.
\n
Meanwhile, most Australian goods to the US are subject to the baseline 10 percent tariff, according to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
\n
The Australian government has called for zero US tariffs in line with a free trade agreement between the two countries.
\n
The country avoided a tariff increase that many had feared it would face on Friday, said Ben Udy, lead economist for economic advisory Oxford Economics Australia.
\n
Australian beef producers could stand to gain, with the pillar exports in high demand in recent months due to weather limiting herd numbers in the US, he said.
\n
"With Australian tariffs set to remain at 10 percent, and other exporters of high-quality beef like New Zealand and Japan facing higher tariffs, the industry should remain in high demand in the coming months," Udy said.
\n
"On that basis, Australian businesses can probably afford to leave prices unchanged, forcing US consumers or retailers to bear the brunt of the tariff increase without seeing a decline in demand."
A human-shaped pottery jar (left) from the transitional period of the Xia (c.21st century-16th century BC) and Shang (c.16th century-11th century BC) dynasties; a portrait brick (middle) showing an ancient delivery man dating back to time between the Three Kingdoms (220-280) period to the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420); and a human face pattern on the Houmuwu ding cauldron (right) from the Shang Dynasty are all discussed in the new book Chinese Faces: Reflections and Memories of the Chinese Nation in Cultural Relics.
\n
A meeting introducing the book was held in Beijing in July.
\n
The cover of the book that discusses the human faces found on cultural relics across the country.
\n
Delivery people have become part of everybody's day-to-day lives. However, from a portrait brick unearthed from a tomb dating back to some time between the Three Kingdoms (220-280) period to the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420) in Jiayuguan, Gansu province, visitors can catch a rare glimpse into the images and lives of their counterparts from ancient China.
\n
On the brick, a man is galloping on a horse, his right hand holding the reins while his left hand raising the letter he was transporting. He wears the postman's uniform, and the flesh on his face appears to tremble with the rhythm of the galloping steed.
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The man was painted without a mouth, which scholars believe may symbolize the privacy and security of the ancient postal service. On the back of the brick is evidence of the developed postal system of that time.
\n
Historical records indicate that the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) government established more than 80 courier stations on the ancient Silk Road from its capital, Chang'an (now Xi'an, Shaanxi province), to present-day Dunhuang, Gansu. With one station established about every 20 kilometers, men would transport official documents and receive envoys, and some stations continued to function during the period when the brick was made.
\n
Chinese Faces: Reflections and Memories of the Chinese Nation in Cultural Relics is a new book that explores these stories. It centers on the human faces found on cultural relics discovered across the country from the Paleolithic era to modern times.
\n
The cultural relics introduced in the book were unearthed and discovered to be from different eras, places and ethnic groups. They include pottery figurines, human-shaped ceramic and jade vessels, and human patterns in paintings, murals and stone carvings.
\n
Weng Huainan, the author of the book and the director of the Books and Materials Department of the National Museum of China in Beijing, chose 50 remarkable artifacts from various museums nationwide that he has visited to unveil the diverse faces that represent the emotions and values of the Chinese nation.
\n
Weng says he gained inspiration from writer Shen Congwen (1902-1988), who worked in the same department as Weng at the museum for nearly three decades.
\n
"Shen wrote novels that show the diverse faces of the Chinese people. He also researched ancient Chinese costumes, from which I see the portraits of countless Chinese people. Therefore, I believe the human face is a good perspective from which I can decode cultural relics," said Weng at a book sharing meeting in Beijing in July.
\n
Liu Shuguang, director of the Chinese Museums Association, says he is impressed by Weng's depiction of a face pattern on the Houmuwu ding cauldron from the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC), which is stored at the National Museum of China.
\n
"Although we are all very familiar with this symbolic ding from the Shang era, we often talk about its imposing manner and how it was made. I didn't notice it has such a human face on its body," says Liu.
\n
According to Weng, the face is in the open mouths of two opposite tigers, and displays the dynamic movement of a person being devoured by tigers, but the face appears to be fearlessly calm.
\n
Some people believe the human must possess some magic powers, and is negotiating with nature through the power of tigers. Others believe the image symbolizes the resolute belief that the person wishes to sacrifice himself for the stability of his clan.
\n
"Whatever it is, it carries rich cultural information from more than 3,000 years ago," Weng says.
\n
Liu highlights the angle of the book: "Sharing stories about cultural relics from the perspective of human faces is a good idea. Faces are not only about individuals but also represent a group, even the features of a civilization. When telling stories about civilization and culture, human faces are the most impressive."
\n
He also mentions that the book is the result of museum research, which is gaining momentum with the museum-going trend.
\n
"In recent years, the museum-going craze in China has become a remarkable phenomenon. Many people focus on the popularity of the museum exhibitions, but at the same time, museum research has also changed," says Liu.
\n
"In the past, researchers studied the artifacts from the perspectives they were interested in. Now, they are paying increasing attention to the discoveries and unearthing of the relics and introducing them to the public, thus sharing the spirit and culture behind them," he adds.
\n
"This book is a representative work of museum professionals' efforts in the new era."
Kenyan acrobat Mathias Kavita (with a hat) instructs children to practice acrobatics in Thika, Kenya, on July 11.
\n
NAIROBI — Having trained over 1,000 youths, Kenyan acrobat Mathias Kavita beams with pride when recalling his 41-year bond with China, which has transcended time and geography to flourish into a successful career.
\n
In 1983, just before his 12th birthday, Kavita's journey to China to study acrobatics, which focuses on group performance rather than individual routines like gymnastics, under a government scholarship marked a turning point in his life, ushering him into a "brave new world" of cross-cultural interactions and enduring friendships.
\n
For two years, Kavita and 23 of his compatriots lived together at the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe in Guangdong province, where they underwent rigorous training that culminated in mastering the difficult yet revered sport.
\n
Shortly after completing the program, Kavita returned to his homeland and worked as an acrobat coach for a private company. He later founded his own company in the mid-1990s, with the aim of nurturing and encouraging the next generation of acrobats.
\n
In a gated, leafy neighborhood in central Kenya's industrial town of Thika, the bubbly acrobat coach was in his element when he assembled a group of children for a one-hour training session that focused on jumps and rope-climbing.
\n
"I have been in this field ever since I learned acrobatics from the Chinese," says Kavita, dressed in traditional Chinese soft-soled black shoes, commonly worn by the elderly. His two assistants wore uniforms with "Hebei Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School" patches on them.
\n
In July 2024, Kavita visited Wuqiao county, located in North China's Hebei province, to participate in a two-month acrobatics training and exchange program funded by the Chinese government.
\n
"When I set foot on this land after 41 years, I truly felt like I had returned home. For over 40 years, I have cherished my memories of China," says Kavita.
\n
Kavita has preserved a "treasure trove" of mementos from his connection with China, including a graduation certificate from the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe, a visa from his first trip to China, and group photos taken during past training sessions.
\n
In June, Kenya marked 40 years of acrobatic exchange and cultural cooperation with China at a gala event where Kavita chaperoned youngsters who showcased their prowess in the time-honored sport.
\n
Over the years, Kavita has witnessed the popularity of acrobatics in Kenya growing tremendously, fueled by children and youth eager to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture.
\n
"Acrobatics has evolved since I came back from China 40 years ago. What I learned last year in China is what I want to implement in our acrobatics training in Kenya," says Kavita. "With all these exchanges, it is really giving us hope in our acrobatics and athletes that we might train and compete internationally."
\n
Kavita's mastery of acrobatics has not only provided him with a steady income as a coach but also inspired young people to embrace the sport.
\n
Eric Musyoka, a young, Nairobi-based talent, has become an accomplished acrobat thanks to Kavita's training and mentorship since 2017. He proudly demonstrated his expertise during a home-based training session for multiracial children in a gated community.
\n
Musyoka, one of Kavita's assistants, also took part in the exchange program with Hebei Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School, where he immersed himself in tai chi and Chinese martial arts while enjoying the scenic beauty of the countryside.
\n
According to Kavita, an increasing number of Kenyan youth and their parents have embraced acrobatics for its physical and mental well-being benefits.
\n
Tafari, a 10-year-old boy and one of Kavita's trainees in the gated community outside Thika town, says his health has improved tremendously since he started acrobatics lessons.
\n
"I feel like acrobatics is a good sport because it keeps you fit and helps you in life. Children should do it more so that when they grow up, they will have more opportunities to keep improving themselves in the sport," Tafari says.
\n
Madeline Herschdorfer, Tafari's mother, says the boy began practicing three years ago, while her daughter Ngina, aged 12, ventured into the sport when the family was living in Britain.
\n
"We came to Kenya and found that they train children much better here. This is the first sport that they started doing seriously every week," says Herschdorfer.
\n
"I think it is important to connect with different cultures and take home some of the good points," she adds.
\n",
- "content": "
Kenyan acrobat Mathias Kavita (with a hat) instructs children to practice acrobatics in Thika, Kenya, on July 11.
\n
NAIROBI — Having trained over 1,000 youths, Kenyan acrobat Mathias Kavita beams with pride when recalling his 41-year bond with China, which has transcended time and geography to flourish into a successful career.
\n
In 1983, just before his 12th birthday, Kavita's journey to China to study acrobatics, which focuses on group performance rather than individual routines like gymnastics, under a government scholarship marked a turning point in his life, ushering him into a "brave new world" of cross-cultural interactions and enduring friendships.
\n
For two years, Kavita and 23 of his compatriots lived together at the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe in Guangdong province, where they underwent rigorous training that culminated in mastering the difficult yet revered sport.
\n
Shortly after completing the program, Kavita returned to his homeland and worked as an acrobat coach for a private company. He later founded his own company in the mid-1990s, with the aim of nurturing and encouraging the next generation of acrobats.
\n
In a gated, leafy neighborhood in central Kenya's industrial town of Thika, the bubbly acrobat coach was in his element when he assembled a group of children for a one-hour training session that focused on jumps and rope-climbing.
\n
"I have been in this field ever since I learned acrobatics from the Chinese," says Kavita, dressed in traditional Chinese soft-soled black shoes, commonly worn by the elderly. His two assistants wore uniforms with "Hebei Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School" patches on them.
\n
In July 2024, Kavita visited Wuqiao county, located in North China's Hebei province, to participate in a two-month acrobatics training and exchange program funded by the Chinese government.
\n
"When I set foot on this land after 41 years, I truly felt like I had returned home. For over 40 years, I have cherished my memories of China," says Kavita.
\n
Kavita has preserved a "treasure trove" of mementos from his connection with China, including a graduation certificate from the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe, a visa from his first trip to China, and group photos taken during past training sessions.
\n
In June, Kenya marked 40 years of acrobatic exchange and cultural cooperation with China at a gala event where Kavita chaperoned youngsters who showcased their prowess in the time-honored sport.
\n
Over the years, Kavita has witnessed the popularity of acrobatics in Kenya growing tremendously, fueled by children and youth eager to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture.
\n
"Acrobatics has evolved since I came back from China 40 years ago. What I learned last year in China is what I want to implement in our acrobatics training in Kenya," says Kavita. "With all these exchanges, it is really giving us hope in our acrobatics and athletes that we might train and compete internationally."
\n
Kavita's mastery of acrobatics has not only provided him with a steady income as a coach but also inspired young people to embrace the sport.
\n
Eric Musyoka, a young, Nairobi-based talent, has become an accomplished acrobat thanks to Kavita's training and mentorship since 2017. He proudly demonstrated his expertise during a home-based training session for multiracial children in a gated community.
\n
Musyoka, one of Kavita's assistants, also took part in the exchange program with Hebei Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School, where he immersed himself in tai chi and Chinese martial arts while enjoying the scenic beauty of the countryside.
\n
According to Kavita, an increasing number of Kenyan youth and their parents have embraced acrobatics for its physical and mental well-being benefits.
\n
Tafari, a 10-year-old boy and one of Kavita's trainees in the gated community outside Thika town, says his health has improved tremendously since he started acrobatics lessons.
\n
"I feel like acrobatics is a good sport because it keeps you fit and helps you in life. Children should do it more so that when they grow up, they will have more opportunities to keep improving themselves in the sport," Tafari says.
\n
Madeline Herschdorfer, Tafari's mother, says the boy began practicing three years ago, while her daughter Ngina, aged 12, ventured into the sport when the family was living in Britain.
\n
"We came to Kenya and found that they train children much better here. This is the first sport that they started doing seriously every week," says Herschdorfer.
\n
"I think it is important to connect with different cultures and take home some of the good points," she adds.
Xiao He (left) talks with residents in his quest for nursery rhymes.
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His band and residents perform nursery rhymes at a show in Chengdu, Sichuan province.
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He (right) sets up a roadside booth at a local market to collect nursery rhymes with the offer of two eggs for each piece.
\n
A group photo of the Nursery Rhyme Program Band.
\n
Xiao He performs with other musicians and a children's choir at a show presented on Children's Day in Shanghai.
\n
The new album of Xiao He and the Nursery Rhyme Program Band, Rowing on the Wind: Two Eggs for a Nursery Rhyme, was released in May.
\n
Joshua Dunlop, a 35-year-old oral English teacher from the United States currently working at the Foreign Languages College of Shanghai Normal University, is a loyal fan of Chinese musician Xiao He, who, together with the Nursery Rhyme Program Band, connected him to lullabies, nursery rhymes and folk songs born decades and even centuries ago in China.
\n
Always standing front and center at the show, Dunlop and his wife have been showing their support to He, the band and their project, the Nursery Rhyme Program, which helps preserve and share the valuable bits and pieces in local folk cultures that most people probably never heard of or knew about.
\n
Xiao He, a 50-year-old singer-songwriter whose real name is He Guofeng, has been working on this project since 2018. With the aim of saving old nursery rhymes and folk songs from extinction, He and the band members have been searching for elders across China, listening to their life stories, and discovering faded, old melodies.
\n
By 2024, they had visited 24 cities nationwide, meeting more than 750 elders and recording nearly 1,200 pieces of original soundtracks. More than 90 songs have been revitalized at these musicians' hands, among which 15 pieces are recorded in their new album Rowing on the Wind: Two Eggs for a Nursery Rhyme, released in May.
\n
"The project was initiated as a 'public art' in Beijing in 2018", but it was broader than just saving nursery rhymes, recalls He.
\n
"We were invited by a gallery to present a show. We noticed many elders were leaving the city center that used to be their home and then becoming less seen, along with their lives and voices. We hope to bring those people and things back into public view with music."
\n
This led to the unexpected unearthing of nursery rhymes. Motivated by the experience, the team embarked on a nationwide journey of discovery in 2018 to find more rhymes in different cities and villages, presenting around 30 music shows along the way.
\n
"This project was never about profit or basking in the attention. One big motivation that keeps our members going is the 'childlike innocence' rooted in our hearts," says He.
\n
He indicated that the name of the album, Rowing on the Wind, was inspired by Yang Wanli, a poet during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Yang's poem depicts a vivid scene where two children enjoy trying to capture the wind with umbrellas and using it to propel their boat, which He felt was similar to what they were doing with the project.
\n
Two Eggs for a Nursery Rhyme refers to the team's true story during the journey. They had an unusual but highly effective idea. He would go to the local markets, buy eggs and set up a roadside stall with a sign that said, "Two eggs for a nursery rhyme".
\n
"There are countless stories behind the 15 tracks on the album. We hope the songs, along with the pure innocence they represent, can breathe fresh air into the world we are living in," He says.
\n
Nursery rhymes have diverse categories, He adds, such as games, educational messages and lullabies. The album includes four lullabies: Changsha Lullaby from Hunan province, Pudong Lullaby from Shanghai, the Cantonese Child, Sleep Well from Guangdong province, and Walk Softly from Fujian province.
\n
He notes that they do not care too much about the "function" or "sense of purpose" of these nursery rhymes.
\n
Instead, they treat the songs more as good "natural" music, which they hope better connects them with audiences.
\n
"Although some of the tracks were born more than 100 years ago, such as Autumn Willows and Row Your Boat, the lyrics and melodies are still beautiful with high standards. Many nursery rhymes were born naturally in local cultures and in the interactions between the parent and child, with distinct features but no commercial intention at all. It is especially precious in the current context," He says.
\n
Following the album release, He and the band presented two shows on Children's Day in Shanghai — one in the afternoon for the children and the other in the evening for adults and kids.
\n
Unlike the stereotype that nursery rhymes are designed for children, hundreds of adults in the audience also enjoyed the performances — including Dunlop.
\n
Dunlop shared with China Daily that he liked the final song Row Your Boat and enjoyed hearing all the different children's choirs singing with He and the band onstage.
\n
"It is a wonderful experience for the children and a great way to share this culture with the younger generations. Hopefully they'll remember this moment forever. And it's a downright entertaining show for the children and the adults alike," says Dunlop.
\n
In particular, he points out that the album includes an English version of the story behind the songs, which helps foreign audiences understand the project and the team's efforts.
\n
"Music is something beyond materialism, and it can connect people to all kinds of information. When you immerse yourself in a new place and culture, you will be naturally infected by their emotions and fit into their world without the need to understand their languages. That is the most important and beautiful part of music," says He.
\n
"This is also a critical motivation that drives us consistently on the project. We believe music has the power to positively expand our limited reality and thinking, making us go farther and easier," he adds.
\n
Contact the writer at wangxin2@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
@@ -4043,28 +4263,6 @@
"hash": "edc6c18dfe4c05033b55a281b28af580",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "009LIFE - Race against time to rescue rock carvings",
- "description": "
An iconic rock carving of the sun god on Helan Mountain.
\n
Workers with the Helan Mountain rock art administration conduct a field survey.
\n
YINCHUAN — Under the scorching sun, Xu Xiaolong and his colleagues trudged through wild grass in the Gobi Desert, scanning the rocky foothills of Helan Mountain in Yinchuan, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, in search of ancient carvings.
\n
Upon finding a pattern on a rock, the team immediately photographed and recorded its location.
\n
"This field survey not only assesses the preservation status of previously discovered rock carvings but also helps identify and document new ones," says Xu, 36, who works with the city's Helan Mountain rock art administration. He explains that the work lays the groundwork for subsequent digital archiving and protection efforts.
\n
Stretching 250 kilometers, Helan Mountain is home to more than 20,000 ancient rock carvings created by early inhabitants with stones, metal tools or mineral pigments. Dating back approximately 10,000 to 3,000 years, the carvings depict diverse subjects ranging from natural images like human faces, animals and handprints, to ancient life scenes such as herding, hunting and rituals.
\n
Launched in 2020 as a follow-up to the 2000-2003 census, the administration has surveyed over 12 sq km in and around the Helan Mountain rock art ruins park. The fieldwork is set to continue through the end of this year.
\n
Among the carvings, one features two handprints — one large and the other small. "The handprints likely signify 'me' and 'you', carved into the rock to seal an agreement," says Zhang Jianguo, deputy director of the administration.
\n
He adds that affixing a handprint to documents such as deeds and contracts was a traditional practice in China, and this rock carving reflects that enduring cultural continuity.
\n
Within the park, the deepest carving reaches 1.5 centimeters, a depth that has survived millennia of weathering. Via an experiment, the administration found that even three people carving throughout an entire day left only faint marks, indicating that a single work likely took multiple generations of prehistoric people to complete.
\n
"We assume that it was the tribal leaders or shamans who designed the patterns, and others might have carved and deepened the grooves in the following centuries as a way of expressing faith," he says.
\n
Guided tours, cultural events and creative products have boosted public engagement, with the park drawing 900,000 visitors last year.
\n
Despite their historic significance, the rock carvings face preservation challenges like any other outdoor ancient rock art elsewhere in the world. Weathering has faded or erased many images, while freeze-thaw cycles caused by rainwater have led to cracking and peeling.
\n
As part of efforts to strengthen protection, China's State Council designated the site as a major national cultural heritage unit in 1996, followed by the establishment of the administration in 2002. In 2003, the citylevel Helan Mountain rock art protection regulation became China's first dedicated legislation for the preservation of rock art.
\n
Zhang, who has witnessed and been involved throughout the entire conservation journey, recalls that concrete efforts included extensive field surveys, the construction of flood-prevention dams and protective fencing, and the development of protection plans to balance tourism with preservation.
\n
In cooperation with other institutions, the administration reinforced 20 rock faces with carvings and cracks, injecting organic materials into fissures to prevent surface peeling from 2012 to 2017. A nanomaterial coating is sprayed onto surfaces for water — and sun-proofing protection, and monitors have been installed to collect data to guide future protection work.
\n",
- "content": "
An iconic rock carving of the sun god on Helan Mountain.
\n
Workers with the Helan Mountain rock art administration conduct a field survey.
\n
YINCHUAN — Under the scorching sun, Xu Xiaolong and his colleagues trudged through wild grass in the Gobi Desert, scanning the rocky foothills of Helan Mountain in Yinchuan, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, in search of ancient carvings.
\n
Upon finding a pattern on a rock, the team immediately photographed and recorded its location.
\n
"This field survey not only assesses the preservation status of previously discovered rock carvings but also helps identify and document new ones," says Xu, 36, who works with the city's Helan Mountain rock art administration. He explains that the work lays the groundwork for subsequent digital archiving and protection efforts.
\n
Stretching 250 kilometers, Helan Mountain is home to more than 20,000 ancient rock carvings created by early inhabitants with stones, metal tools or mineral pigments. Dating back approximately 10,000 to 3,000 years, the carvings depict diverse subjects ranging from natural images like human faces, animals and handprints, to ancient life scenes such as herding, hunting and rituals.
\n
Launched in 2020 as a follow-up to the 2000-2003 census, the administration has surveyed over 12 sq km in and around the Helan Mountain rock art ruins park. The fieldwork is set to continue through the end of this year.
\n
Among the carvings, one features two handprints — one large and the other small. "The handprints likely signify 'me' and 'you', carved into the rock to seal an agreement," says Zhang Jianguo, deputy director of the administration.
\n
He adds that affixing a handprint to documents such as deeds and contracts was a traditional practice in China, and this rock carving reflects that enduring cultural continuity.
\n
Within the park, the deepest carving reaches 1.5 centimeters, a depth that has survived millennia of weathering. Via an experiment, the administration found that even three people carving throughout an entire day left only faint marks, indicating that a single work likely took multiple generations of prehistoric people to complete.
\n
"We assume that it was the tribal leaders or shamans who designed the patterns, and others might have carved and deepened the grooves in the following centuries as a way of expressing faith," he says.
\n
Guided tours, cultural events and creative products have boosted public engagement, with the park drawing 900,000 visitors last year.
\n
Despite their historic significance, the rock carvings face preservation challenges like any other outdoor ancient rock art elsewhere in the world. Weathering has faded or erased many images, while freeze-thaw cycles caused by rainwater have led to cracking and peeling.
\n
As part of efforts to strengthen protection, China's State Council designated the site as a major national cultural heritage unit in 1996, followed by the establishment of the administration in 2002. In 2003, the citylevel Helan Mountain rock art protection regulation became China's first dedicated legislation for the preservation of rock art.
\n
Zhang, who has witnessed and been involved throughout the entire conservation journey, recalls that concrete efforts included extensive field surveys, the construction of flood-prevention dams and protective fencing, and the development of protection plans to balance tourism with preservation.
\n
In cooperation with other institutions, the administration reinforced 20 rock faces with carvings and cracks, injecting organic materials into fissures to prevent surface peeling from 2012 to 2017. A nanomaterial coating is sprayed onto surfaces for water — and sun-proofing protection, and monitors have been installed to collect data to guide future protection work.
An immersive dining experience in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, transports guests back to the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), featuring music and dance inspired by that era.
\n
Diners are seated at long tables arranged in two rows on each side, while performances unfold on the walkway in between.
\n
The exquisite dishes offer a feast for both the palate and the eyes.
\n
What makes a perfect banquet an unforgettable evening? One might find the answer in the poems of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), which depict the nightlife of Chang'an, the imperial city in modern-day Xi'an of Shaanxi province, providing rich details and rhetoric beauty.
\n
For example, in Liren Xing (Fair Ladies on Outing) composed by Du Fu, elite diners "are served with arrays of delicate plates of fresh white fish"; in Preface for a Spring Night Banquet with Cousins in the Orchard, Li Bai described a joyful gathering in such verses as "begins the banquet by sitting among flowers, be drunk by beverages and intoxicating scenes of the moon".
\n
Surrounded by dancing, singing, and poem-chanting and served good food and drinks, these great poets not only celebrated the pleasures of life but they also expressed a concern for the deep malaise in society beneath the extravagance of Chang'an and the Tang empire.
\n
Be it prosperous, romantic, sorrowful, or complicated, Chang'an is poised as a fantasy worth a visit.
\n
Now, for visitors to Xi'an, that fantasy has become a reality with an extravagant dinner at the Fu Rong Yan Restaurant: A Seasonal Aesthetic Dining Show.
\n
The newly unveiled show at the Xi'an Qu Jiang Fu Rong Ge Hotel brings diners an immersive 90-minute "bite" of Chang'an with an engaging evening party that replicates the dinners that intellectuals, musicians and dancers of Tang once enjoyed.
\n
Directed by Sun Ting and Liu Xiaozhou, the dinner show allows people to feast on a carefully designed culinary set while their eyes and ears feast on a show that reenacts the many social aspects of the Tang Dynasty at its aesthetic heights.
\n
The dining hall is refurnished to resemble a fashion showroom, and diners sit at long tables with two rows on each side while performances are staged on the walkway in the middle.
\n
If they like, guests can wear Tang attire and makeup with the help of hotel staff members before attending the banquet.
\n
"A primary challenge for this project is that, while we want to unveil a flourishing Chang'an and its diverse aspects of life, the show mustn't be dramatic — we don't want people to feel uncomfortable or too emotional when they eat," Liu says.
\n
"There is no plot or story to compete for people's attention or disrupt their gastronomic experiences.
\n
"Every scenario reveals a dimension of Tang society, culture and art, and reflects its varied seasonal customs. They can be performed as a stand-alone piece, so we can make improvements to the content and actions."
\n
Sun choreographed several important galas, including a group dance at the opening of the 2023 China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an.
\n
She says when tourists want to feel the city's historic depth, they visit the Shaanxi History Museum, Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, or other similar destinations. The dinner show adds another dimension to tourists' appreciation of Xi'an by making these figures and objects from the past come alive.
\n
A dance in the show is inspired by a Tang sancai (three-color glaze) pottery figurine of a band of musicians performing on the back of a howling camel.
\n
A celebrated collection in the Shaanxi History Museum, the figurine was excavated from a tomb on the western outskirts of Xi'an in 1959, which shows the city's pivotal role in trade and cultural exchanges between ancient China and other civilizations along the Silk Road. The band reflects the foreign musical instruments that were introduced to China and integrated into classical Chinese music.
\n
During the show, musicians are ushered onto the stage one by one as the band's conductor introduces the instruments that will be played. They gather and play instruments, such as the flute, the pear-shaped, four-stringed pipa, the plucked zither guzheng, and the konghou, a multi-stringed member of the harp family.
\n
Sun says the archetype of the band leader is Li Guinian, a reputed musician who performed at royal soirees during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong when the Tang Dynasty achieved its height of prosperity.
\n
The pairing of every scenario and each dish poses another challenge for the show's production team.
\n
"We work shoulder to shoulder with the chefs," Sun says.
\n
"One day at the hotel, we were offered a fungus soup for a taste test. It would be presented as the first dish at the show. The first sip of the yummy soup evoked a pleasant spring scene in my mind."
\n
That inspired her to create a group dance for the first scene — young women on an outing collecting fungus. As they dance, the fungus soup is presented.
\n
Sun Yanbin, general manager of the Qu Jiang Fu Rong Ge Hotel, says that although Xi'an is known for its variety of wheat-based food and barbecue culture, the show is suited for diners' varied diet and preferences.
\n
"There is sweet-and-sour fish and simple sauteed vegetables, which satisfy those who don't eat much wheat-based food and favor a light diet. Meanwhile, we celebrate Shaanxi's culinary traditions by offering Qishan Noodles to bring an end to the course," he says.
\n
What impressed Ma Ke, one of the first diners at the show, was a "lotus flower" floating in the fungus soup.
\n
Ma, who heads an art theater company in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, says he ate the flower and thought it was made of wheat. Later, the staff told him it was made of fish.
\n
"No wonder the texture was so smooth," he says.
\n
Sun Yanbin says a mood of auspiciousness and blooming Hibiscus flowers are two of the dinner show's keynotes that convey good hospitality and accentuate Xi'an's cultural accumulations over time.
\n
The hotel's neighbor, Tang Paradise, is a tourist complex that was once an imperial garden where Hibiscus flowers were believed to grow in large quantities.
\n
The dinner show addresses the city's intensified integration of tourism experiences and creative cultural products.
\n
Figures released by Shaanxi's culture and tourism bureau earlier this year show that in 2024, the province received 817 million domestic visits and 467,700 inbound visits.
\n
Sun Yanbin says that to better cater to people's ever-changing needs, they will continue to upgrade the content and dishes for the dinner show "about two to three times a year".
\n
He adds that foreign language subtitles are also in the making and will be added soon.
\n
Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
@@ -4087,28 +4285,6 @@
"hash": "7a2ff8b4e3ff0e976d52f69890af4896",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "010LIFE - Green tourism grows along revived Grand Canal",
- "description": "
Young visitors participate in a music festival at Kaisen (Happy) Tribe, a popular rural retreat in Wangjiangjing town, Jiaxing city, Zhejiang province.
\n
On a summer morning, the light cuts softly across grasslands intersected by stone paths, and the scent of lotus rises from the waterlogged fields at Kaisen (Happy) Tribe in Wangjiangjing town.
\n
This rural retreat in Xiuzhou district, Jiaxing in East China's Zhejiang province, has become a popular escape for urban travelers from the Yangtze River Delta region, especially those from Shanghai, since opening in October last year.
\n
The site blends natural village landscapes with children's play facilities, parent-child camping, agricultural exploration, and environmental education.
\n
The Grand Canal, threading through the heart of the town, has long shaped its identity — a slow, powerful artery that once carried grain, people and stories.
\n
In recent decades, as freight routes shift and industries modernize, old warehouses stand silent, bridges gather moss, and the stories of boatmen and local crafts fade into the background.
\n
As the country places renewed emphasis on the preservation and revitalization of the Grand Canal, local efforts have gone into repurposing the idling resources.
\n
Popular attractions now include a reptile museum, unique accommodations like cylindrical concrete pipe rooms, and interactive activities such as rice field tours and animal encounters, says Mo Xiaohua, who is in charge of the operations of Kaisen (Happy) Tribe.
\n
"The core philosophy of our entire tribe is to create a boundless classroom in nature," Mo explains.
\n
He emphasizes the concept of forest-style education and community growth, aligning with Wangjiangjing's broader vision to vigorously develop canal-themed experiential education and leverage nature-based learning and canal cultural tourism to create a new family vacation destination in the region.
\n
From its early planning stages, the project was guided by principles of green development and low-impact construction.
\n
Its goal is to revitalize an abandoned village on the original site by utilizing the area's natural landscape of forests, rice fields and ponds, and transform what was once a single-function space into an ecologically rich environment.
\n
During construction, the designers also took great care to seamlessly integrate diverse areas — playgrounds, fishponds, farms and rice paddies — through thoughtful details and facilities, Mo says.
\n
The effort has paid off, as the tribe manages to attract up to 10,000 visitors on peak days, with high occupancy rates.
\n
It is working to build more hotel rooms featuring distinctive local elements, Mo adds.
\n
The project is the latest addition to the Jiaxing canal culture and tourism resort in Wangjiangjing.
\n
The goal is to make the area feel alive — not an open-air museum or a scenic spot where visitors are not allowed to touch anything, says Shen Tao, an official with the canal resort's administration.
\n
Since its launch in 2018, the resort has pursued a "heritage-first" development model, he notes.
\n
The resort's identity is deeply rooted in its UNESCO-recognized heritage.
\n
The Changhong Bridge, a magnificent stone arch structure dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is part of the Grand Canal's UNESCO World Heritage site designation in 2014.
\n
Complementing this historical backbone are the region's abundant water resources — 11 lakes, each spanning over 66.7 hectares — that epitomize the classic water town landscape in the regions south of the Yangtze River.
\n
This aquatic environment has shaped local traditions, from lotus cultivation to the unique ancient fishermen's celebration.
\n
For instance, a granary complex from the 1960s has been turned into a vibrant cultural space with a speciality cafe, while preserving its distinctive architecture of the '60s. Another granary conversion highlights a digital culture hub featuring VR theaters and avant-garde performances.
\n
A meticulously reconstructed steam locomotive based on relics from the Suzhou-Jiaxing Railway stands as both a visitor center and a patriotic education site, complete with preserved wartime bunkers bearing visible bullet holes.
\n
The railway connected Suzhou of Jiangsu province and Jiaxing for about eight years since its opening in 1936, before being largely dismantled during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).
\n
Those sites have proved especially appealing to younger travelers looking for perfect social media moments, Shen says.
\n
Future plans include expanding night tourism options, enhancing digital integration, and developing a youth soccer training base for regional sports tourism, he adds.
Young visitors participate in a music festival at Kaisen (Happy) Tribe, a popular rural retreat in Wangjiangjing town, Jiaxing city, Zhejiang province.
\n
On a summer morning, the light cuts softly across grasslands intersected by stone paths, and the scent of lotus rises from the waterlogged fields at Kaisen (Happy) Tribe in Wangjiangjing town.
\n
This rural retreat in Xiuzhou district, Jiaxing in East China's Zhejiang province, has become a popular escape for urban travelers from the Yangtze River Delta region, especially those from Shanghai, since opening in October last year.
\n
The site blends natural village landscapes with children's play facilities, parent-child camping, agricultural exploration, and environmental education.
\n
The Grand Canal, threading through the heart of the town, has long shaped its identity — a slow, powerful artery that once carried grain, people and stories.
\n
In recent decades, as freight routes shift and industries modernize, old warehouses stand silent, bridges gather moss, and the stories of boatmen and local crafts fade into the background.
\n
As the country places renewed emphasis on the preservation and revitalization of the Grand Canal, local efforts have gone into repurposing the idling resources.
\n
Popular attractions now include a reptile museum, unique accommodations like cylindrical concrete pipe rooms, and interactive activities such as rice field tours and animal encounters, says Mo Xiaohua, who is in charge of the operations of Kaisen (Happy) Tribe.
\n
"The core philosophy of our entire tribe is to create a boundless classroom in nature," Mo explains.
\n
He emphasizes the concept of forest-style education and community growth, aligning with Wangjiangjing's broader vision to vigorously develop canal-themed experiential education and leverage nature-based learning and canal cultural tourism to create a new family vacation destination in the region.
\n
From its early planning stages, the project was guided by principles of green development and low-impact construction.
\n
Its goal is to revitalize an abandoned village on the original site by utilizing the area's natural landscape of forests, rice fields and ponds, and transform what was once a single-function space into an ecologically rich environment.
\n
During construction, the designers also took great care to seamlessly integrate diverse areas — playgrounds, fishponds, farms and rice paddies — through thoughtful details and facilities, Mo says.
\n
The effort has paid off, as the tribe manages to attract up to 10,000 visitors on peak days, with high occupancy rates.
\n
It is working to build more hotel rooms featuring distinctive local elements, Mo adds.
\n
The project is the latest addition to the Jiaxing canal culture and tourism resort in Wangjiangjing.
\n
The goal is to make the area feel alive — not an open-air museum or a scenic spot where visitors are not allowed to touch anything, says Shen Tao, an official with the canal resort's administration.
\n
Since its launch in 2018, the resort has pursued a "heritage-first" development model, he notes.
\n
The resort's identity is deeply rooted in its UNESCO-recognized heritage.
\n
The Changhong Bridge, a magnificent stone arch structure dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is part of the Grand Canal's UNESCO World Heritage site designation in 2014.
\n
Complementing this historical backbone are the region's abundant water resources — 11 lakes, each spanning over 66.7 hectares — that epitomize the classic water town landscape in the regions south of the Yangtze River.
\n
This aquatic environment has shaped local traditions, from lotus cultivation to the unique ancient fishermen's celebration.
\n
For instance, a granary complex from the 1960s has been turned into a vibrant cultural space with a speciality cafe, while preserving its distinctive architecture of the '60s. Another granary conversion highlights a digital culture hub featuring VR theaters and avant-garde performances.
\n
A meticulously reconstructed steam locomotive based on relics from the Suzhou-Jiaxing Railway stands as both a visitor center and a patriotic education site, complete with preserved wartime bunkers bearing visible bullet holes.
\n
The railway connected Suzhou of Jiangsu province and Jiaxing for about eight years since its opening in 1936, before being largely dismantled during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).
\n
Those sites have proved especially appealing to younger travelers looking for perfect social media moments, Shen says.
\n
Future plans include expanding night tourism options, enhancing digital integration, and developing a youth soccer training base for regional sports tourism, he adds.
Conductor Myung-Whun Chung will lead the China NCPA Orchestra as they perform at Europe's leading festivals from Wednesday to Aug 15. The festivals will feature western classical and Chinese music.
\n
On July 26, the China NCPA Orchestra performed under the baton of Korean conductor Myung-Whun Chung, giving a preview of the pieces they will play on the upcoming European tour.
\n\n
Conductor Myung-Whun Chung, who has collaborated with many of the world's leading orchestras during his decades-long career, prefers to focus on building long-term, deep relationships with a small selection of orchestras.
\n
Since first collaborating with the China NCPA Orchestra in 2014, the conductor says he has developed a strong and harmonious connection with the Chinese orchestra, describing it as a "good friend who understands me".
\n
This mutual understanding is not just reflected in technical precision but also in the emotional resonance of their combined musical expression.
\n
The China NCPA Orchestra is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and will tour Europe with Chung.
\n
From Wednesday to Aug 15, they will tour some of Europe's leading festivals, including the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland, the Santander International Festival in Spain, and the International Music festival Koblenz and Elbphilharmonie Summer festival in Germany.
\n
Under Chung's direction, the orchestra will perform a selection of classical Western music pieces, including Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major, Camille Saint-Saens' Third Symphony, and Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet suites.
\n
Chen Qigang's Wu Xing (The Five Elements), a 10-minute work comprising five short portrayals of metal, wood, water, fire and earth will also be performed on the tour.
\n
Pianist Bruce Liu, the first-prize winner at the 18th Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw, will join the tour.
\n
"Normally, Western orchestras come to Asia. But now, it's a worldwide sharing of music, which shows the growth and quality of the musicians (from Asia). The orchestra has made great achievements in a short time. We have completed eight rehearsals and they understand me. It's a very warm collaboration," says Chung at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on July 25.
\n
On July 26 and 27, the conductor led the China NCPA Orchestra in two European tour preview concerts at the NCPA.
\n
In 2023, Chung conducted the China NCPA Orchestra, featuring Liu on Chopin's Piano Concerto No 1 in E Minor, Op 11, in which Liu performed during the final round of the Chopin competition.
\n
In June, Chung invited musicians from the China NCPA Orchestra to join the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra he founded in 1995 to perform the opening concert for the Busan Concert Hall, where he is the artistic director.
\n
"I am glad to see that music development has come to a point where China can partner with the Western world," he adds.
\n
"Music can bring people together; that is important. We have no language barrier, and the world can share this music as one family," the conductor notes. "Music is free, warm, and equally shared."
\n
When asked about the music pieces chosen for the tour, he says he doesn't have a particular reason to choose the pieces because "we have such a wealth of repertoire" and "it depends on the feeling at that moment".
\n
He chose Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet suites because he considers it to be "maybe his greatest work".
\n
"The contrast of the pieces shows many aspects of the orchestra. I think they do particularly well with these music pieces," says the conductor, adding that pianist Liu wanted to play Maurice Ravel, and that's why Saint-Saens' Third Symphony was selected.
\n
According to Chung, the mission of the orchestra is to serve the composer and to understand and convey the essence of the work, rather than getting caught up in regional or stylistic differences.
\n
"When I was young, people asked why a pianist from Asia played music pieces from the West. But now there are no such questions," he says. "Music is a result of collaborations between the orchestra and the conductor, which cannot be defined by where the orchestra comes from — China, Spain or America."
\n
Born in Seoul in 1953, Chung began his career as a pianist, taking the second prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1974. He moved to the United States to study conducting at the Juilliard School in 1978. Throughout his career as a conductor, he has led many of the world's most renowned orchestras across Europe, Asia and the US. Milan's La Scala announced in May that Chung will take the post of music director in 2027. Chung will be the first Asian conductor and the second non-Italian musician to hold the position.
\n
The China NCPA Orchestra is the resident orchestra of the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Since its founding in 2010, it has established itself as one of the most adventurous and dynamic orchestras in the country and has earned an international reputation through extensive touring and recordings.
\n
Through its demanding schedule of concerts and opera performances, the orchestra serves as a major cultural powerhouse, propelling China's musical landscape forward. In this capacity, the orchestra has performed in over 70 opera productions by the NCPA, making it one of the few leading orchestras alongside the Vienna Philharmonic and the Staatskapelle Dresden to regularly perform in the concert hall and the opera pit.
\n
The orchestra presents over 100 concerts a year to a live audience of nearly 200,000 and an online concert series drawing an audience of 20 million viewers on average.
\n
"Based in the capital city of a country often regarded as the future of classical music, the China NCPA Orchestra is committed to reshaping China's entertainment industry as well as bringing the power of classical music to audiences across the world," says Ren Xiaolong, the China NCPA Orchestra's CEO.
\n
"Therefore, our first European tour is the perfect way to celebrate our 15th anniversary. With maestro Chung and Bruce Liu, our musicians are bringing a distinctively creative program that combines romantic French works and contemporary Chinese music. We look forward to meeting our audiences across Europe in August."
\n
Chung agrees. "It's very heartwarming to see the orchestra's growth in the past 10 years. I have worked with La Scala for over 34 years. The orchestra (China NCPA Orchestra) and our friendship are still young."
In Daofu, a quaint county in Southwest China's Sichuan province, traditional Tibetan homes have been beautifully transformed into cafes, seamlessly blending international favorites like butter tea and highland barley.
\n
"Sipping a highland latte while listening to Tibetan folk songs and learning thangka painting — what a perfect way to unwind!" says tourist Xu Xiaomei.
\n
In this county filled with Tibetan heritage, cafes don't just serve drinks — they offer local culture. "Even our coffee cups are custom-made from Daofu's black pottery," says Gao Yaojun, a manager at the hotel's cafe.
\n
Daofu now welcomes more than 1.5 million coffee-related tourist visits each year, reflecting the wider boom of cafe culture in China's countryside. As of 2024, over 44,000 countryside coffee shops have sprung up nationwide.
\n
To stand out in an increasingly crowded space, many rural cafes are turning to a "coffee+" model, which pairs coffee with experiences like hiking, handicrafts, or farm visits. It's not just about sipping a latte — it's about discovering what makes each place special.
\n
In Southwest China's Guizhou province, for example, a cafe perched on a 200-meter-high cliff has gone viral online. Adventurous visitors embark on a challenging trek through the forest and climb the cliffs to reach it, with the entire experience costing nearly 400 yuan ($55.73) per person. Similar adrenaline-fueled cafes have also emerged in provinces like Zhejiang and Fujian.
\n
In Yunnan province, one of the country's key habitats for wild Asian elephants, guests at a cafe in Pu'er can sip freshly brewed coffee while watching elephants roam and forage in the distant forests.
\n
Some cafes have chosen to tap into their agricultural roots. As China's primary coffee-producing region, Yunnan offers visitors the chance to sip locally grown brews while exploring plantations and roasteries.
\n
In Wanning, on island province of Hainan, coffee farm cafes let visitors roast their own beans, blending agritourism with beverage culture. Leftover coffee grounds are transformed into eco-friendly crafts, such as sand paintings, murals and scented accessories.
\n
This rural cafe boom is largely fueled by urbanites seeking weekend escapes into nature. In the first quarter, rural tourism welcomed 707 million visitors, an 8.9 percent year-on-year increase. Revenue reached 412 billion yuan, up 5.6 percent.
\n
The cafe boom is also energizing local economies. In Anji county, Zhejiang, a rural region with under 600,000 residents, more than 300 countryside cafes have opened in recent years. Cafes here often operate on a co-op model: villagers and collectives invest in land or resources, management teams handle operations, and profits are shared through rent, wages and dividends.
\n
Deep Blue, one of Anji's most popular cafes, returns nearly half of its sales revenue to its local shareholders. "You've got to admire how brilliantly resourceful these young people are," says a villager.
\n
The rise of rural cafes is also reversing urban migration. Many young entrepreneurs are returning to their hometowns, drawn by the potential of rural development. Among them is Wang Han, 27, from Xinzhai village in Yunnan. After working in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and Kunming, Yunnan, Wang returned in 2020 to open a cafe and an online coffee business. "There's something worth coming back for. Now visitors from across China come to tour our coffee fields and taste our brews," he says.
\n
At Deep Blue, its 127 staff members average an age of 25, and their backgrounds range from medicine to shipbuilding, according to founder Cheng Shuoqin, who grew up in Anji and launched his business in 2022 with six partners.
\n
Cheng believes concerns about market saturation are premature. More well-educated young talent is still on the way to the countryside, he says. "The more young people return, the brighter the future is for the countryside."
\n",
- "content": "\n
In Daofu, a quaint county in Southwest China's Sichuan province, traditional Tibetan homes have been beautifully transformed into cafes, seamlessly blending international favorites like butter tea and highland barley.
\n
"Sipping a highland latte while listening to Tibetan folk songs and learning thangka painting — what a perfect way to unwind!" says tourist Xu Xiaomei.
\n
In this county filled with Tibetan heritage, cafes don't just serve drinks — they offer local culture. "Even our coffee cups are custom-made from Daofu's black pottery," says Gao Yaojun, a manager at the hotel's cafe.
\n
Daofu now welcomes more than 1.5 million coffee-related tourist visits each year, reflecting the wider boom of cafe culture in China's countryside. As of 2024, over 44,000 countryside coffee shops have sprung up nationwide.
\n
To stand out in an increasingly crowded space, many rural cafes are turning to a "coffee+" model, which pairs coffee with experiences like hiking, handicrafts, or farm visits. It's not just about sipping a latte — it's about discovering what makes each place special.
\n
In Southwest China's Guizhou province, for example, a cafe perched on a 200-meter-high cliff has gone viral online. Adventurous visitors embark on a challenging trek through the forest and climb the cliffs to reach it, with the entire experience costing nearly 400 yuan ($55.73) per person. Similar adrenaline-fueled cafes have also emerged in provinces like Zhejiang and Fujian.
\n
In Yunnan province, one of the country's key habitats for wild Asian elephants, guests at a cafe in Pu'er can sip freshly brewed coffee while watching elephants roam and forage in the distant forests.
\n
Some cafes have chosen to tap into their agricultural roots. As China's primary coffee-producing region, Yunnan offers visitors the chance to sip locally grown brews while exploring plantations and roasteries.
\n
In Wanning, on island province of Hainan, coffee farm cafes let visitors roast their own beans, blending agritourism with beverage culture. Leftover coffee grounds are transformed into eco-friendly crafts, such as sand paintings, murals and scented accessories.
\n
This rural cafe boom is largely fueled by urbanites seeking weekend escapes into nature. In the first quarter, rural tourism welcomed 707 million visitors, an 8.9 percent year-on-year increase. Revenue reached 412 billion yuan, up 5.6 percent.
\n
The cafe boom is also energizing local economies. In Anji county, Zhejiang, a rural region with under 600,000 residents, more than 300 countryside cafes have opened in recent years. Cafes here often operate on a co-op model: villagers and collectives invest in land or resources, management teams handle operations, and profits are shared through rent, wages and dividends.
\n
Deep Blue, one of Anji's most popular cafes, returns nearly half of its sales revenue to its local shareholders. "You've got to admire how brilliantly resourceful these young people are," says a villager.
\n
The rise of rural cafes is also reversing urban migration. Many young entrepreneurs are returning to their hometowns, drawn by the potential of rural development. Among them is Wang Han, 27, from Xinzhai village in Yunnan. After working in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and Kunming, Yunnan, Wang returned in 2020 to open a cafe and an online coffee business. "There's something worth coming back for. Now visitors from across China come to tour our coffee fields and taste our brews," he says.
\n
At Deep Blue, its 127 staff members average an age of 25, and their backgrounds range from medicine to shipbuilding, according to founder Cheng Shuoqin, who grew up in Anji and launched his business in 2022 with six partners.
\n
Cheng believes concerns about market saturation are premature. More well-educated young talent is still on the way to the countryside, he says. "The more young people return, the brighter the future is for the countryside."
1. Members of the Milano Ballet from Italy display their techniques at the grand bazaar in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. They are participating in the 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival, which opened in Urumqi and runs until Tuesday.
\n
2. In Peking Opera costumes, members of the troupe learn hand gestures and body movements from the ancient art form in the Urumqi Peking Opera House.
\n
3. Under the guidance of a Peking Opera performer, an Italian dancer tests his agility in the ancient opera form in the Urumqi Peking Opera House.
\n
4. A performer demonstrates rod-controlled puppetry, a national intangible cultural heritage, backstage in Urumqi.
\n
5. Members from a Kazakhstan song and dance ensemble pose for a group photo with Chinese dancers upon their arrival in Urumqi.
\n
6. With help from several hands, a dancer with the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, who is a specialist in Khmer classical dance, adjusts her delicate headdress before performing in Karamay, an oil-rich city in northern Xinjiang.
\n
A scene from Carmen, performed by the Milano Ballet from Italy.
\n
The original Chinese dance drama, In the Distance, Here, which incorporates eye-catching elements from various ethnic dances, officially kicked off the 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival on July 20.
\n
Playing the character A Bing, a visually impaired musician in the opera dance Erquan, Wang Hongwei has to change his makeup backstage with the help of many hands within a few minutes to show the character's aging process.
\n
Italian ballet performers rehearse their roles and interactions before going onstage.
\n
The 7th China Xinjiang International Dance Festival hit the stage in spectacular style on July 20, as the dance drama In the Distance, Here, made a stunning debut at the Xinjiang People's Hall in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
\n
Under the theme — Let's Dance Together, this year's festival brings together 24 distinguished art troupes from home and abroad, including groups from eight countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, the United States, Italy and Cambodia.
\n
Each production will captivate audiences across the region until Tuesday.
\n
On stage, dancers move with ethereal grace — each leap electrifying, each turn fluid as water. Yet behind the curtain, a different rhythm pulses: the relentless beat of preparation.
\n
As the dance festival unfolds, China Daily reporters step beyond the footlights to witness artistry forged in the shadows.
\n
From every sequin to every stretched muscle and every split-second transition, it proves the old saying, "A minute on stage demands a decade of practice". Between performances, dancers bridge languages through interactive activities and shared applause.
\n
With Urumqi serving as the main venue, the festival has regional sub-venues in Ili, Hotan, Aksu, Karamay, Hami and Ala'er. Accompanying activities include the 2025 Xinjiang Silk Road Street Dance Show, village dance community performances, an international dance carnival, and a traditional opera week.
\n
Hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the State Council Information Office, and the Xinjiang regional government, the event has been held since 2008, attracting 138 art groups from more than 70 countries and regions during its previous six sessions.
In the early 2000s, Shaoxing, a centuries-old city in Zhejiang province, faced a dilemma familiar to many urbanized regions in China: whether to preserve historical neighborhoods or clear the way for modern construction.
\n
Cangqiao Zhijie, a historical street in Shaoxing dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and featuring narrow alleyways, traditional homes and crisscrossing waterways, stood at the heart of a preservation standoff. As redevelopment plans loomed elsewhere, residents feared displacement and officials hesitated.
\n
The impasse ended in January 2003, when Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Communist Party of China Zhejiang Provincial Committee, visited the neighborhood and gave a clear directive: It must be preserved in its original form and essence.
\n
He also instructed local officials to prioritize preserving historical authenticity, maintaining the integrity of the landscape and ensuring the continuity of people's lives in restoration and protection efforts — principles that would later point the way for preserving historical and cultural sites throughout Zhejiang.
\n
Ultimately, over 840 households continued to live in their old residences at the ancient site, earning the site recognition from UNESCO as a "living showcase of Chinese heritage".
\n
By the end of 2024, Zhejiang boasted 20 historic cultural cities and 11,126 historical buildings, placing it at the forefront of the nation in terms of cultural heritage preservation.
\n
The practices provided insight into Xi's vision for balancing cultural heritage preservation and urban development, which was reaffirmed at the Central Urban Work Conference held on July 14 and 15 in Beijing.
\n
During the meeting, President Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, listed priorities for urban development, including preserving historical and cultural heritage alongside refined urban landscape governance, with a focus on protecting cities' unique historical legacies, cultural geography and natural landscapes.
\n
This policy priority aligns with Xi's consistent approach to integrating cultural preservation into the shaping of urban landscapes, analysts said.
\n
Liu Guiru, an associate researcher at the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences, said that Xi, who worked in Fujian for more than 17 years, made "historic contributions" to the preservation of cultural heritage in the province.
\n
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, parts of revolutionary hero Lin Juemin's residence faced demolition due to urban development in Sanfang Qixiang, also known as the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, a 40-hectare cultural and historical neighborhood.
\n
Upon learning of the situation, Xi, who was then the Party secretary of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian, visited the neighborhood. During an on-site meeting that focused on the preservation of cultural heritage, Xi said, "We must ensure the comprehensive protection, restoration and utilization of cultural relics in the city — not only safeguarding them from damage but also enhancing their splendor to pass them on to future generations."
\n
Therefore, Xi ordered a halt to the demolition and called for the restoration of Lin's residence. Later, other old houses in the historical neighborhood were gradually restored and brought under protection.
\n
Liu said that "during his tenure in Fujian, Xi placed a high emphasis on cultural heritage protection, introduced many forward-thinking ideas and spearheaded a series of pioneering explorations and practices, ensuring the preservation of cultural heritage and historical cities".
\n
"This is in line with the philosophy and practices regarding cultural heritage protection that Xi has advocated since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012," she added.
\n
"Cultural heritage protection requires efforts to strike a balance between urban development and the preservation of cultural legacy, ensuring that history, culture and modern life are seamlessly integrated," Liu said. "Xi's philosophy allows cities to grow and modernize while still preserving and celebrating their unique historical and cultural identities."
\n
For the Chinese president, preserving cultural relics is not just about honoring the past, but also about shaping the future for cities and their residents.
\n
During an inspection of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in July 2023, Xi called for efforts to better protect, develop and leverage the Pingjiang Historic and Cultural Block, a site with a rich history spanning over 2,500 years.
\n
Xi said that Suzhou has excelled in blending tradition with modernity, simultaneously promoting historical and cultural inheritance and boosting high-tech innovation and high-quality development.
\n
This approach represents the future of development, he added.
\n
Xu Yunhe, an official in charge of cultural heritage protection in Suzhou's Gusu district, said that "Gusu has successfully integrated the cultural, commercial, tourism and public service industries, while prioritizing cultural heritage protection, achieving a synergy between preservation and development".
\n
"On the one hand, this approach promotes local economic growth. On the other, the restoration of ancient buildings enhances their potential for upgrading and reclassification, increasing the number of heritage buildings and reinforcing the profound historical legacy of the ancient city," Xu added.
\n
In June 2023, Suzhou launched an initiative aimed at promoting the preservation of the ancient city while infusing it with new vibrancy.
\n
The focus is on revitalizing historical residences within the 19.2 square kilometers of its ancient city area through inviting enterprises and individuals to participate in the revitalization and utilization of these historic buildings.
\n
By June 2025, the program included 80 historical residences, with 36 of them now being utilized.
\n
Thanks to such revitalization efforts, more historical and cultural areas are thriving in Suzhou. For example, the Pingjiang Historic and Cultural Block received 15.06 million visits in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 11.73 percent.
\n
As the Central Urban Work Conference set clear goals and directions for more systematic and scientific urban cultural heritage protection efforts in the years ahead, greater policy emphasis is being given to integrate cultural heritage into everyday life to ensure sustainable development.
\n
Liu, the associate researcher, said urban cultural heritage protection should be treated as a comprehensive project, promoting the systematic integration and deepening of cultural heritage protection.
\n
She noted that Xi's vision for cultural heritage protection has always emphasized maintaining the unique historical and cultural character of cities throughout the course of modernization.
\n
"This vision also emphasizes that in the new era, the preservation of traditional cultural districts must always uphold a people-centered approach, ensuring that the value of preservation is genuinely realized," she added.
\n
Zhejiang Daily contributed to this story.
\n
Contact the writers at jihaisheng@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
In the early 2000s, Shaoxing, a centuries-old city in Zhejiang province, faced a dilemma familiar to many urbanized regions in China: whether to preserve historical neighborhoods or clear the way for modern construction.
\n
Cangqiao Zhijie, a historical street in Shaoxing dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and featuring narrow alleyways, traditional homes and crisscrossing waterways, stood at the heart of a preservation standoff. As redevelopment plans loomed elsewhere, residents feared displacement and officials hesitated.
\n
The impasse ended in January 2003, when Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Communist Party of China Zhejiang Provincial Committee, visited the neighborhood and gave a clear directive: It must be preserved in its original form and essence.
\n
He also instructed local officials to prioritize preserving historical authenticity, maintaining the integrity of the landscape and ensuring the continuity of people's lives in restoration and protection efforts — principles that would later point the way for preserving historical and cultural sites throughout Zhejiang.
\n
Ultimately, over 840 households continued to live in their old residences at the ancient site, earning the site recognition from UNESCO as a "living showcase of Chinese heritage".
\n
By the end of 2024, Zhejiang boasted 20 historic cultural cities and 11,126 historical buildings, placing it at the forefront of the nation in terms of cultural heritage preservation.
\n
The practices provided insight into Xi's vision for balancing cultural heritage preservation and urban development, which was reaffirmed at the Central Urban Work Conference held on July 14 and 15 in Beijing.
\n
During the meeting, President Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, listed priorities for urban development, including preserving historical and cultural heritage alongside refined urban landscape governance, with a focus on protecting cities' unique historical legacies, cultural geography and natural landscapes.
\n
This policy priority aligns with Xi's consistent approach to integrating cultural preservation into the shaping of urban landscapes, analysts said.
\n
Liu Guiru, an associate researcher at the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences, said that Xi, who worked in Fujian for more than 17 years, made "historic contributions" to the preservation of cultural heritage in the province.
\n
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, parts of revolutionary hero Lin Juemin's residence faced demolition due to urban development in Sanfang Qixiang, also known as the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, a 40-hectare cultural and historical neighborhood.
\n
Upon learning of the situation, Xi, who was then the Party secretary of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian, visited the neighborhood. During an on-site meeting that focused on the preservation of cultural heritage, Xi said, "We must ensure the comprehensive protection, restoration and utilization of cultural relics in the city — not only safeguarding them from damage but also enhancing their splendor to pass them on to future generations."
\n
Therefore, Xi ordered a halt to the demolition and called for the restoration of Lin's residence. Later, other old houses in the historical neighborhood were gradually restored and brought under protection.
\n
Liu said that "during his tenure in Fujian, Xi placed a high emphasis on cultural heritage protection, introduced many forward-thinking ideas and spearheaded a series of pioneering explorations and practices, ensuring the preservation of cultural heritage and historical cities".
\n
"This is in line with the philosophy and practices regarding cultural heritage protection that Xi has advocated since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012," she added.
\n
"Cultural heritage protection requires efforts to strike a balance between urban development and the preservation of cultural legacy, ensuring that history, culture and modern life are seamlessly integrated," Liu said. "Xi's philosophy allows cities to grow and modernize while still preserving and celebrating their unique historical and cultural identities."
\n
For the Chinese president, preserving cultural relics is not just about honoring the past, but also about shaping the future for cities and their residents.
\n
During an inspection of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in July 2023, Xi called for efforts to better protect, develop and leverage the Pingjiang Historic and Cultural Block, a site with a rich history spanning over 2,500 years.
\n
Xi said that Suzhou has excelled in blending tradition with modernity, simultaneously promoting historical and cultural inheritance and boosting high-tech innovation and high-quality development.
\n
This approach represents the future of development, he added.
\n
Xu Yunhe, an official in charge of cultural heritage protection in Suzhou's Gusu district, said that "Gusu has successfully integrated the cultural, commercial, tourism and public service industries, while prioritizing cultural heritage protection, achieving a synergy between preservation and development".
\n
"On the one hand, this approach promotes local economic growth. On the other, the restoration of ancient buildings enhances their potential for upgrading and reclassification, increasing the number of heritage buildings and reinforcing the profound historical legacy of the ancient city," Xu added.
\n
In June 2023, Suzhou launched an initiative aimed at promoting the preservation of the ancient city while infusing it with new vibrancy.
\n
The focus is on revitalizing historical residences within the 19.2 square kilometers of its ancient city area through inviting enterprises and individuals to participate in the revitalization and utilization of these historic buildings.
\n
By June 2025, the program included 80 historical residences, with 36 of them now being utilized.
\n
Thanks to such revitalization efforts, more historical and cultural areas are thriving in Suzhou. For example, the Pingjiang Historic and Cultural Block received 15.06 million visits in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 11.73 percent.
\n
As the Central Urban Work Conference set clear goals and directions for more systematic and scientific urban cultural heritage protection efforts in the years ahead, greater policy emphasis is being given to integrate cultural heritage into everyday life to ensure sustainable development.
\n
Liu, the associate researcher, said urban cultural heritage protection should be treated as a comprehensive project, promoting the systematic integration and deepening of cultural heritage protection.
\n
She noted that Xi's vision for cultural heritage protection has always emphasized maintaining the unique historical and cultural character of cities throughout the course of modernization.
\n
"This vision also emphasizes that in the new era, the preservation of traditional cultural districts must always uphold a people-centered approach, ensuring that the value of preservation is genuinely realized," she added.
\n
Zhejiang Daily contributed to this story.
\n
Contact the writers at jihaisheng@chinadaily.com.cn
A worker uses equipment at the workshop of Anhui Shengfang Machinery Manufacturing Co in Huaibei, Anhui province, on Monday. China's manufacturing sector softened slightly in July due to seasonal factors, but underlying growth momentum remained resilient, with emerging industries gaining traction and business confidence continuing to improve. See story, page 3
\n",
@@ -4219,28 +4351,6 @@
"hash": "2c6e392b72cd00aa2ce839721d16ff64",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "001FRONT - Flag patterns for four branches of PLA unveiled",
- "description": "
Flag patterns for four branches of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, namely (from left) the aerospace force, cyberspace force, information support force and joint logistics support force.
\n
Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, has signed an order to unveil the flag patterns of four branches of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
\n
In his order, which was made public on Thursday, Xi, who is also Chinese president and general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, authorized the use and publication of the four flags, which represent the aerospace force, cyberspace force, information support force and joint logistics support force.
\n
On the occasion of China's Army Day, which falls on Aug 1 and marks the 98th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, Xi extended festive greetings to service personnel of the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of reserve forces and militia.
\n
Also on Thursday, Xi signed an order awarding citations for merit to two military units and five service members.
\n
According to a news release from the military, the new flags were meticulously designed to embody the Party's leadership over the forces, highlight their strategic importance, and inspire troops' sense of honor and mission.
\n
The new flags will join the PLA flag and those of the army, navy, air force and rocket force to form a military flag system aimed at better motivating PLA members to accomplish their missions and build the Chinese military into a world-class force, the release said.
\n
The Central Military Commission has also issued a set of revised guidelines on the use of military flags.
\n
In another development, Dong Jun, China's defense minister, said at a grand reception in Beijing on Thursday, held to mark Army Day on Aug 1, that the Chinese armed forces will continue to uphold Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, steadfastly advance the principle of building the armed forces through political work, intensify combat training and preparedness, and effectively fulfill their missions and tasks in the new era.
\n
"We will never tolerate any 'Taiwan independence' separatist attempts, and stand ready to promptly defeat any external military intervention. The PLA is fully prepared to ensure the complete reunification of the motherland," Dong told attendees.
\n
The minister noted that the Chinese military is committed to working with armed forces worldwide to address risks and challenges collectively.
\n
"Together, we aim to build a world characterized by lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, and ecological sustainability," Dong said.
\n
Contact the writers at zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
Flag patterns for four branches of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, namely (from left) the aerospace force, cyberspace force, information support force and joint logistics support force.
\n
Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission, has signed an order to unveil the flag patterns of four branches of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
\n
In his order, which was made public on Thursday, Xi, who is also Chinese president and general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, authorized the use and publication of the four flags, which represent the aerospace force, cyberspace force, information support force and joint logistics support force.
\n
On the occasion of China's Army Day, which falls on Aug 1 and marks the 98th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, Xi extended festive greetings to service personnel of the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of reserve forces and militia.
\n
Also on Thursday, Xi signed an order awarding citations for merit to two military units and five service members.
\n
According to a news release from the military, the new flags were meticulously designed to embody the Party's leadership over the forces, highlight their strategic importance, and inspire troops' sense of honor and mission.
\n
The new flags will join the PLA flag and those of the army, navy, air force and rocket force to form a military flag system aimed at better motivating PLA members to accomplish their missions and build the Chinese military into a world-class force, the release said.
\n
The Central Military Commission has also issued a set of revised guidelines on the use of military flags.
\n
In another development, Dong Jun, China's defense minister, said at a grand reception in Beijing on Thursday, held to mark Army Day on Aug 1, that the Chinese armed forces will continue to uphold Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, steadfastly advance the principle of building the armed forces through political work, intensify combat training and preparedness, and effectively fulfill their missions and tasks in the new era.
\n
"We will never tolerate any 'Taiwan independence' separatist attempts, and stand ready to promptly defeat any external military intervention. The PLA is fully prepared to ensure the complete reunification of the motherland," Dong told attendees.
\n
The minister noted that the Chinese military is committed to working with armed forces worldwide to address risks and challenges collectively.
\n
"Together, we aim to build a world characterized by lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, and ecological sustainability," Dong said.
Rescuers transport supplies to villages where roads were damaged by recent downpours in Beijing's Miyun district on Wednesday.
\n
Torrential rainfall in Beijing and its neighboring areas since last week resulted in more than 60 deaths, including 31 residents of an elderly care center in the capital's Miyun district, while over 30 were missing as of Thursday, according to local authorities.
\n
Intensive relief efforts are underway in affected districts of Beijing and Tianjin and in Hebei province, with the maximum focus on repairing damaged infrastructure, strengthening flood defenses and enhancing disaster preparedness.
\n
Flash floods triggered by the Qingshui River early on Monday sent water gushing into Taishitun town in Miyun, trapping residents and attendants at the elderly care center, according to officials who held a news briefing on Thursday.
\n
The water in the river surged, reaching a maximum flow rate of 2,800 cubic meters per second, which was 1,500 times the usual flow rate. As the level of floodwaters quickly rose, rescue teams couldn't access the elderly care facility until late morning on Monday.
\n
Of the 69 residents and eight staff members trapped inside, multiple fatalities were later confirmed, said Yu Weiguo, Party secretary of Miyun.
\n
While more than 16,000 people from 205 high-risk villages were promptly evacuated in response to weather alerts, the area where the elderly care center is located was considered safe and not included in the evacuation plan, Yu said at the briefing.
\n
"This shows there were gaps in our preparedness," he said. "These elderly people were around the same age as my parents. We are very saddened and deeply grieved."
\n
Yu added that disaster response will be further strengthened in the future, especially in cases involving vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and individuals with disabilities.
\n
Officials and attendees at the news conference observed a moment of silence to mourn the flood victims.
\n
Over 300,000 people have been affected and more than 24,000 homes damaged in Beijing since heavy rains started on July 23, with Miyun, Yanqing, Huairou and Pinggu districts among the hardest hit. The death toll in the city reached 44, while nine people were missing as of Thursday.
\n
Xia Linmao, executive vice-mayor of Beijing, said at the news conference that more than 104,000 people were evacuated and over 5,400 who were trapped or missing rescued.
\n
Military and emergency response forces were swiftly mobilized under a joint central-local coordination mechanism, he said, adding that more than 6,000 soldiers and firefighters, as well as personnel from State-owned enterprises, were deployed alongside heavy machinery to assist in rescue and relief efforts.
\n
Authorities have prioritized the safety of key infrastructure, ramping up inspections of dams and river embankments.
\n
In Miyun, police have been stationed at both ends of 64 bridges along the Miyun Reservoir's discharge channel. Controlled water discharge from the reservoir continued on Thursday, with real-time monitoring and adjustments made to manage upstream inflows and protect downstream communities.
\n
Rescue operations are underway, while officials are assessing further risks and strengthening flood defenses, Xia said.
\n
"This disaster has caused many casualties and heavy losses, and we feel deep sorrow and a strong sense of responsibility," he said, adding that authorities will learn from the experience and improve disaster prevention, mitigation and relief efforts to better protect the people. "We must speed up repairing damaged houses to ensure people can return home soon."
\n
Beijing is also accelerating the restoration of damaged roads, power and water supplies, and communication infrastructure, aiming to complete all work by Saturday, Xia said.
\n
Of the 424 rural roads cut off due to the rains, 364 have been reopened. "We aim to restore all main roads by Thursday. All affected villages now have emergency water supplies," he added.
\n
To prevent secondary disasters, Beijing plans to conduct thorough inspections of affected mountainous areas and other critical sites. The environmental clean-up will be strengthened to prevent outbreaks of diseases in the aftermath of the floods.
\n
In neighboring Hebei province, which was also hit by severe downpours, flash floods and landslides, resulting in 18 deaths and 24 people unaccounted for as of Thursday, all-out relief and rescue efforts are underway.
\n
Across Hebei, 406 blocked road sections have been cleared to facilitate rescue and relief operations. In places that were hardest hit, such as Xinglong county in Chengde, roads to affected villages were reopened by Thursday, as emergency responders cleared debris overnight.
\n
In Luanping county, also in Chengde, all four bridges leading to landslide-hit Nantaizi Xigou village were repaired and reopened by Wednesday night. Additionally, all telecom services within 3 kilometers of Liudaogou village in Xinglong were resumed.
Bangladesh's Ministry of Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin (third from left) and Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen (second from right) inspect mango boxes during a ceremony at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on May 28.
\n
Customs officers conduct on-site inspections on the first batch of imported Bangladeshi mangoes at Changsha Huanghua International Airport in Changsha, Hunan province, on May 28.
\n
A farmer shows his mangoes at a wholesale market in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, on June 25.
\n
A farmer works in a mango orchard in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, on June 25.
\n
Farmers sell their mangoes at a wholesale market in Rajshahi on June 25. Rajshahi is famous for producing high-quality mangoes across Bangladesh during the mango season from May to August.
\n
At a colorful fruit market in Changsha, Hunan province, Gui Jirong and his friends are all enticed by the sweet aroma of mangoes filling the air.
\n
Despite the imperfect appearance of the produce on display, one of the sellers tells Gui these mangoes from Bangladesh are renowned for their excellent quality and flavor, with several varieties popular around the world.
\n
"At first, I was hesitant to try these mangoes because the skin looked a bit spotted and uneven — definitely not 'perfect'. But after trying one, I was completely won over," Gui said.
\n
"The flesh is incredibly smooth and sweet, and it has a deep tropical flavor, regardless of how they look. There's no stringy texture at all. Now I don't care what they look like — I am waiting for them to be available online."
\n
As China and Bangladesh strengthen their economic ties, several of the most popular mango varieties from the South Asian country have recently made their way into the Chinese market. Bangladeshi mangoes are known for their fine texture, high sugar content, and tropical fragrance.
\n
In early June, some of these high-quality mangoes were introduced to the Chinese market, and traders said they have continued to win over Chinese consumers.
\n
Kohinoor Kamal, chairwoman of the Meridian Group, a supplier of premium Bangladeshi mango varieties, said one of her wishes had been fulfilled with the export market opening up and Chinese consumers being able to sample the delicious fruit.
\n
"Over the past few years, we've actively expressed our interest in exporting mangoes to our Chinese partners," Kamal told China Daily. "However, due to the absence of a G2G (government-to-government) protocol, we were unable to proceed earlier."
\n
Export doors opened
\n
In July 2024, Bangladesh received approval from the General Administration of Customs to export fresh mangoes to China. Kamal said she and her colleagues were grateful to Chinese and Bangladeshi government officials for their efforts to expedite the necessary protocols.
\n
"Their support motivated us to persevere, and ultimately, we secured a buyer and fulfilled all compliance requirements," she said. "We sincerely appreciate our Chinese partners' trust in us and in Bangladeshi mangoes."
\n
Meridian Group's subsidiary Meridian Agro was able to act promptly once the protocols were in place, Kamal said.
\n
On May 28, Meridian became the first Bangladeshi company to export mangoes to China, when 3 metric tons of the fruit arrived in Changsha in the evening. To streamline the process, Changsha Customs provided end-to-end support, including policy consultation and quarantine approval, Xinhua News Agency reported.
\n
At Changsha Huanghua International Airport, a dedicated "fresh express" team ensured speedy, on-arrival inspection with a tailor-made clearance plan.
\n
"We see a promising opportunity to tap into this largely untapped segment," Kamal said. "We believe the shipment is the first step toward a large milestone in China-Bangladeshi bilateral ties in the agro-sector."
\n
Bill Wei, investment director for the importer Hunan BabaiLi Holding Group, is also optimistic about the growth potential of Bangladeshi mangoes in the Chinese market.
\n
His company is involved in air freight operations and international trading, and has strong domestic distribution channels. He said the first shipment of mangoes was mainly distributed as samples to downstream partners, including e-commerce platforms, supermarkets, and fresh produce chains.
\n
The distinctive flavor and aroma of Bangladeshi mangoes set them apart from domestic and other foreign varieties, he said. Despite their "average" appearance due to Bangladeshi farmers' natural cultivation methods they are highly prized by Chinese consumers, Wei said.
\n
His company's focus is on selling to consumers who are more aware of the benefits of naturally cultivated and chemical-free mangoes.
\n
"The aroma from these Bangladeshi mangoes is noticeable the moment you open the box," said Zou Qiuhong, a wholesale procurement manager at an online platform operating in South China. "We are particularly amazed by their smooth texture with no fiber, and are already in talks about procurement procedures," she added.
\n
Market potential
\n
Bangladesh is forecast to produce around 2.7 million tons of mangoes in 2025, with about 5,000 tons planned for export, according to the Bangladeshi government's Department of Agricultural Extension.
\n
"The entry of Bangladeshi mangoes into the Chinese market will not only help expand the bilateral trade volume and improve trade imbalances, (but) more importantly, it reflects the mutually beneficial and win-win essence of our economic cooperation," said Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen.
\n
Yao and Bangladeshi Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, were at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the nation's capital, to see the first mango shipment to China depart.
\n
Yao expressed special thanks to Bangladesh's Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture, and Export Promotion Bureau for their contributions, which helped make the inaugural export a reality.
\n
Grown in the fertile soils of the Ganges Delta, Bangladeshi mangoes represent green and high-quality agricultural products, Yao said. For Chinese consumers, the mangoes mean more diverse choices in their shopping baskets that will enhance people's well-being, Yao added.
\n
For Bangladesh, the vast potential of the Chinese market will directly drive industrial upgrading in the mango sector, create more employment opportunities, and contribute to Bangladesh's socioeconomic development.
\n
Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser to the Bangladeshi interim government, visited Beijing earlier this year, Yao said, and the export of Bangladeshi mangoes to China marks a concrete step in implementing the outcomes of that visit.
\n
"I see strong and growing prospects for mango exports to China," said Razia Sultana, a Bangladeshi mango exporter.
\n
The Chinese market has shown increasing demand for high-quality tropical fruits, and mangoes are gaining in popularity due to their flavor and nutritional value, said Sultana, proprietor of Global Trade Link, which exports premium-quality fresh fruits, vegetables, and spices worldwide. GTL is listed as a mango exporter to China.
\n
"With China's large consumer base, rising middle class, and expanding interest in imported fruits, there is significant potential for growth," Sultana said.
\n
However, she said success depends on meeting China's strict phytosanitary standards, ensuring consistent supply chains, and building strong distribution partnerships.
\n
Sultana added that with the right strategy, China can become a key export destination for her country's mangoes in the coming years.
\n
Bangladeshi fruits are known for their unique taste and organic cultivation methods, which can appeal to health-conscious Chinese consumers, she added.
\n
Strong competition
\n
Bangladeshi mango exporters, however, face strong global competition to gain a sizable share of the Chinese market.
\n
Several mango-exporting countries — such as Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Pakistan and Peruare already active in the Chinese market, and these countries often have trade agreements or geographical advantages, which can affect pricing and market share, Sultana said.
\n
Despite the competition, with the right approach there is room for success in the Chinese market, she said.
\n
"To strengthen their own position, it's essential to focus on strict quality control, modern packaging, cold chain infrastructure, and compliance with China's phytosanitary regulations," said Sultana.
\n
Apart from China, the key export markets for Bangladeshi mangoes include the Middle East, Asian countries, Canada, and the European Union, said Kamal, from Meridian.
\n
"What sets Bangladeshi mangoes apart is their juiciness and sweetness, which is a byproduct of our soil and climate," she said.
\n
"More importantly, at Meridian Agro, we focus on natural harvesting and healthy products. Our traditional farming methods and near-organic harvesting practices cater to the growing demand for natural and healthy produce."
\n
While the company has a longstanding trade relationship with China, primarily through imports, Kamal said the Chinese market remains a major opportunity.
\n
Mohammad Kalim Uddin, senior figure in supply chain management for the Meridian Group, said the company plans to replicate its existing overseas marketing strategies, emphasizing quality and organic production to penetrate the Chinese market. Meridian also has its own nursery development, and extends its nursery capacity every year, he said.
\n
China expects to sell over 100 tons of Bangladeshi mangoes in the first year of sales, according to Xinhua.
\n
Fruitful future
\n
Bangladeshi growers are now eyeing exports of guavas and jackfruits — fruits they have in abundance — to China.
\n
Exporting to China involves several compliance steps, notably registering with the Plant Quarantine department, and registering on the General Administration of Customs of China's platform. After completing these procedures, the remaining export processes align closely with European Union standards.
\n
Ambassador Yao said he is confident that the export of Bangladeshi mangoes is just the start, adding that China has already initiated market access reviews for Bangladeshi guava and jackfruit.
\n
"We are discussing imports of raw animal hides from Bangladesh, and look forward to the export of hilsa (the national fish of Bangladesh) to China," he said.
\n
"I am confident that in the near future, an increasing number of high-quality Bangladeshi agricultural products will be stocked on the shelves of Chinese supermarkets, bringing more tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries," Yao added.
\n
Sultana, of GTL, agreed that the Chinese market presents a promising opportunity for Bangladeshi fruit exports, particularly mangoes, guavas, and jackfruits.
\n
"China's growing appetite for exotic and tropical fruits aligns well with Bangladesh's strengths in producing flavorful, naturally ripened fruits," she said.
\n
The recent openings for mango exports show positive diplomatic and trade relations, and a mutual interest in agricultural trade, Sultana said. "Overall, with strategic investment in quality and branding, Bangladesh can become a significant supplier of tropical fruits to China, tapping into a lucrative and growing market," she said.
\n
The relationship goes both ways, as seen in the northwestern region of Chapai Nawabganj, about 300 kilometers from Dhaka.
\n
Known as the "Mango Capital", the region is famous for its high-quality, chemical-free mangoes. In recent years, Chinese bagging technology, a safer alternative to chemical pesticides, has gained popularity among local growers.
\n
This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Bangladesh. In recent years, bilateral economic cooperation has deepened significantly, with China serving as Bangladesh's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years.
\n
Contact the writers at vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com
\n",
- "content": "
Bangladesh's Ministry of Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin (third from left) and Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen (second from right) inspect mango boxes during a ceremony at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on May 28.
\n
Customs officers conduct on-site inspections on the first batch of imported Bangladeshi mangoes at Changsha Huanghua International Airport in Changsha, Hunan province, on May 28.
\n
A farmer shows his mangoes at a wholesale market in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, on June 25.
\n
A farmer works in a mango orchard in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, on June 25.
\n
Farmers sell their mangoes at a wholesale market in Rajshahi on June 25. Rajshahi is famous for producing high-quality mangoes across Bangladesh during the mango season from May to August.
\n
At a colorful fruit market in Changsha, Hunan province, Gui Jirong and his friends are all enticed by the sweet aroma of mangoes filling the air.
\n
Despite the imperfect appearance of the produce on display, one of the sellers tells Gui these mangoes from Bangladesh are renowned for their excellent quality and flavor, with several varieties popular around the world.
\n
"At first, I was hesitant to try these mangoes because the skin looked a bit spotted and uneven — definitely not 'perfect'. But after trying one, I was completely won over," Gui said.
\n
"The flesh is incredibly smooth and sweet, and it has a deep tropical flavor, regardless of how they look. There's no stringy texture at all. Now I don't care what they look like — I am waiting for them to be available online."
\n
As China and Bangladesh strengthen their economic ties, several of the most popular mango varieties from the South Asian country have recently made their way into the Chinese market. Bangladeshi mangoes are known for their fine texture, high sugar content, and tropical fragrance.
\n
In early June, some of these high-quality mangoes were introduced to the Chinese market, and traders said they have continued to win over Chinese consumers.
\n
Kohinoor Kamal, chairwoman of the Meridian Group, a supplier of premium Bangladeshi mango varieties, said one of her wishes had been fulfilled with the export market opening up and Chinese consumers being able to sample the delicious fruit.
\n
"Over the past few years, we've actively expressed our interest in exporting mangoes to our Chinese partners," Kamal told China Daily. "However, due to the absence of a G2G (government-to-government) protocol, we were unable to proceed earlier."
\n
Export doors opened
\n
In July 2024, Bangladesh received approval from the General Administration of Customs to export fresh mangoes to China. Kamal said she and her colleagues were grateful to Chinese and Bangladeshi government officials for their efforts to expedite the necessary protocols.
\n
"Their support motivated us to persevere, and ultimately, we secured a buyer and fulfilled all compliance requirements," she said. "We sincerely appreciate our Chinese partners' trust in us and in Bangladeshi mangoes."
\n
Meridian Group's subsidiary Meridian Agro was able to act promptly once the protocols were in place, Kamal said.
\n
On May 28, Meridian became the first Bangladeshi company to export mangoes to China, when 3 metric tons of the fruit arrived in Changsha in the evening. To streamline the process, Changsha Customs provided end-to-end support, including policy consultation and quarantine approval, Xinhua News Agency reported.
\n
At Changsha Huanghua International Airport, a dedicated "fresh express" team ensured speedy, on-arrival inspection with a tailor-made clearance plan.
\n
"We see a promising opportunity to tap into this largely untapped segment," Kamal said. "We believe the shipment is the first step toward a large milestone in China-Bangladeshi bilateral ties in the agro-sector."
\n
Bill Wei, investment director for the importer Hunan BabaiLi Holding Group, is also optimistic about the growth potential of Bangladeshi mangoes in the Chinese market.
\n
His company is involved in air freight operations and international trading, and has strong domestic distribution channels. He said the first shipment of mangoes was mainly distributed as samples to downstream partners, including e-commerce platforms, supermarkets, and fresh produce chains.
\n
The distinctive flavor and aroma of Bangladeshi mangoes set them apart from domestic and other foreign varieties, he said. Despite their "average" appearance due to Bangladeshi farmers' natural cultivation methods they are highly prized by Chinese consumers, Wei said.
\n
His company's focus is on selling to consumers who are more aware of the benefits of naturally cultivated and chemical-free mangoes.
\n
"The aroma from these Bangladeshi mangoes is noticeable the moment you open the box," said Zou Qiuhong, a wholesale procurement manager at an online platform operating in South China. "We are particularly amazed by their smooth texture with no fiber, and are already in talks about procurement procedures," she added.
\n
Market potential
\n
Bangladesh is forecast to produce around 2.7 million tons of mangoes in 2025, with about 5,000 tons planned for export, according to the Bangladeshi government's Department of Agricultural Extension.
\n
"The entry of Bangladeshi mangoes into the Chinese market will not only help expand the bilateral trade volume and improve trade imbalances, (but) more importantly, it reflects the mutually beneficial and win-win essence of our economic cooperation," said Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen.
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Yao and Bangladeshi Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, were at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the nation's capital, to see the first mango shipment to China depart.
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Yao expressed special thanks to Bangladesh's Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture, and Export Promotion Bureau for their contributions, which helped make the inaugural export a reality.
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Grown in the fertile soils of the Ganges Delta, Bangladeshi mangoes represent green and high-quality agricultural products, Yao said. For Chinese consumers, the mangoes mean more diverse choices in their shopping baskets that will enhance people's well-being, Yao added.
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For Bangladesh, the vast potential of the Chinese market will directly drive industrial upgrading in the mango sector, create more employment opportunities, and contribute to Bangladesh's socioeconomic development.
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Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser to the Bangladeshi interim government, visited Beijing earlier this year, Yao said, and the export of Bangladeshi mangoes to China marks a concrete step in implementing the outcomes of that visit.
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"I see strong and growing prospects for mango exports to China," said Razia Sultana, a Bangladeshi mango exporter.
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The Chinese market has shown increasing demand for high-quality tropical fruits, and mangoes are gaining in popularity due to their flavor and nutritional value, said Sultana, proprietor of Global Trade Link, which exports premium-quality fresh fruits, vegetables, and spices worldwide. GTL is listed as a mango exporter to China.
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"With China's large consumer base, rising middle class, and expanding interest in imported fruits, there is significant potential for growth," Sultana said.
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However, she said success depends on meeting China's strict phytosanitary standards, ensuring consistent supply chains, and building strong distribution partnerships.
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Sultana added that with the right strategy, China can become a key export destination for her country's mangoes in the coming years.
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Bangladeshi fruits are known for their unique taste and organic cultivation methods, which can appeal to health-conscious Chinese consumers, she added.
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Strong competition
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Bangladeshi mango exporters, however, face strong global competition to gain a sizable share of the Chinese market.
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Several mango-exporting countries — such as Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Pakistan and Peruare already active in the Chinese market, and these countries often have trade agreements or geographical advantages, which can affect pricing and market share, Sultana said.
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Despite the competition, with the right approach there is room for success in the Chinese market, she said.
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"To strengthen their own position, it's essential to focus on strict quality control, modern packaging, cold chain infrastructure, and compliance with China's phytosanitary regulations," said Sultana.
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Apart from China, the key export markets for Bangladeshi mangoes include the Middle East, Asian countries, Canada, and the European Union, said Kamal, from Meridian.
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"What sets Bangladeshi mangoes apart is their juiciness and sweetness, which is a byproduct of our soil and climate," she said.
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"More importantly, at Meridian Agro, we focus on natural harvesting and healthy products. Our traditional farming methods and near-organic harvesting practices cater to the growing demand for natural and healthy produce."
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While the company has a longstanding trade relationship with China, primarily through imports, Kamal said the Chinese market remains a major opportunity.
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Mohammad Kalim Uddin, senior figure in supply chain management for the Meridian Group, said the company plans to replicate its existing overseas marketing strategies, emphasizing quality and organic production to penetrate the Chinese market. Meridian also has its own nursery development, and extends its nursery capacity every year, he said.
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China expects to sell over 100 tons of Bangladeshi mangoes in the first year of sales, according to Xinhua.
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Fruitful future
\n
Bangladeshi growers are now eyeing exports of guavas and jackfruits — fruits they have in abundance — to China.
\n
Exporting to China involves several compliance steps, notably registering with the Plant Quarantine department, and registering on the General Administration of Customs of China's platform. After completing these procedures, the remaining export processes align closely with European Union standards.
\n
Ambassador Yao said he is confident that the export of Bangladeshi mangoes is just the start, adding that China has already initiated market access reviews for Bangladeshi guava and jackfruit.
\n
"We are discussing imports of raw animal hides from Bangladesh, and look forward to the export of hilsa (the national fish of Bangladesh) to China," he said.
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"I am confident that in the near future, an increasing number of high-quality Bangladeshi agricultural products will be stocked on the shelves of Chinese supermarkets, bringing more tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries," Yao added.
\n
Sultana, of GTL, agreed that the Chinese market presents a promising opportunity for Bangladeshi fruit exports, particularly mangoes, guavas, and jackfruits.
\n
"China's growing appetite for exotic and tropical fruits aligns well with Bangladesh's strengths in producing flavorful, naturally ripened fruits," she said.
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The recent openings for mango exports show positive diplomatic and trade relations, and a mutual interest in agricultural trade, Sultana said. "Overall, with strategic investment in quality and branding, Bangladesh can become a significant supplier of tropical fruits to China, tapping into a lucrative and growing market," she said.
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The relationship goes both ways, as seen in the northwestern region of Chapai Nawabganj, about 300 kilometers from Dhaka.
\n
Known as the "Mango Capital", the region is famous for its high-quality, chemical-free mangoes. In recent years, Chinese bagging technology, a safer alternative to chemical pesticides, has gained popularity among local growers.
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This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Bangladesh. In recent years, bilateral economic cooperation has deepened significantly, with China serving as Bangladesh's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years.
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Contact the writers at vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com
China's marriage rate continued to decline last year, reflecting both a shrinking pool of eligible partners and changing views on marriage, an expert said, calling for stronger measures to encourage unions.
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Registrations of married couples fell to about 6.11 million in 2024, a drop of 20.5 percent from the previous year, according to the 2024 Statistical Bulletin on the Development of Civil Affairs, released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The figure is less than half the number recorded in 2014.
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The bulletin also said the marriage rate stood at 4.3 per 1,000 people in 2024, down 1.1 points year-on-year and marking the lowest since 2020.
\n
Jiang Quanbao, a professor at the School of Labor Economics at the Capital University of Economics and Business, said the decline in the overall population is contributing to a smaller marriage-age demographic.
\n
"Also, today, the idea of marrying late or not marrying at all is becoming more accepted among young people," he said. "The trend of delaying marriage is on the rise, resulting in a lower marriage rate."
\n
About 4.29 million people age 25 to 29 registered marriages last year, a sharp decrease from the 5.83 million in 2023.
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"As the Chinese hold the belief of establishing a career before starting a family, economic pressure on young people is hindering the prospect of marriage," Jiang said. "They face both academic pressure — especially as more young women attain higher levels of education — and challenges securing employment."
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Local governments have introduced a range of measures to promote marriage, including extended marriage leave and financial incentives.
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Since 2021, for example, Henan province has allowed newlyweds an additional 18 days of marriage leave on top of the three-day national allowance. In Lyuliang, Shanxi province, first-time couples in which the woman is 35 or younger have been eligible for a 1,500 yuan ($208) cash reward since Jan 1.
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In March, Zhejiang province issued a notice encouraging local authorities to offer incentives such as red packets and shopping vouchers to eligible couples.
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Authorities have also moved to streamline the registration process. Revised marriage registration regulations that took effect on May 10 removed the requirement for household registration books and eliminated fees for marriage certificates.
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Jiang said further relief from economic burdens is needed, particularly for young people who want to buy property before getting married.
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"It is good to see that the government has taken seriously the need to reduce costs associated with marriage, such as traditional practices like dowries in some regions," he added.
A media worker operates the Mars rover Zhurong at a simulator exhibited at the Hong Kong Science Museum on Thursday. The exhibition, titled Endless Exploration: The Journey of Chinese Aerospace, Aviation and Navigation, will run from Friday to Sept 7. It showcases the country's achievements in the realms of aerospace, aviation and navigation.
\n",
- "content": "
A media worker operates the Mars rover Zhurong at a simulator exhibited at the Hong Kong Science Museum on Thursday. The exhibition, titled Endless Exploration: The Journey of Chinese Aerospace, Aviation and Navigation, will run from Friday to Sept 7. It showcases the country's achievements in the realms of aerospace, aviation and navigation.
A leading private Chinese healthcare provider has filed a defamation lawsuit against a customer for spreading allegations about flaws in its health checkup services, stressing that routine annual examinations cannot replace clinical diagnoses for specific diseases such as cancer.
\n
IKang Healthcare Group, which provides annual checkups for more than 8 million people each year, held a news conference on Wednesday in response to widely circulated social media posts from a Beijing lawyer questioning the effectiveness of its services.
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The lawyer, surnamed Zhang, wrote in mid-July that she was diagnosed with late-stage kidney cancer that had spread to her spine in October, despite undergoing health checkups for 10 consecutive years at the company since 2013.
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Zhang said her 2023 health check report noted kidney calcification, but company personnel reassured her at the time that the condition was normal and required no intervention. She also said her carcinoembryonic antigen test results — a marker sometimes elevated in people with certain cancers — had shown normal readings for years.
\n
Zhang said she has sent a legal letter to the company, demanding it turn over her blood samples and testing data over the past decade, as well as certificates of its carcinoembryonic antigen test equipment and information about the laboratory workers who conducted the tests.
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Zhang said she underwent nine months of treatment overseas, lost a kidney and now has lifelong spinal problems.
\n
IKang said internal and external reviews found no medical oversights, diagnostic errors or fraudulent testing as claimed by Zhang.
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"Zhang shifted her personal accountability for failing to undergo timely follow-up examinations into a systematic critique targeting the company," it said in a statement.
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Li Xiuchi, a senior manager at the company and former physician at China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said Zhang's 2023 medical report had flagged a potential kidney tumor and recommended further tests.
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Wang Zhaohui, iKang's vice-president and a medical expert, said that early detection of kidney tumors relies primarily on imaging rather than blood tests. He noted that CEA testing is mainly used to evaluate the risk of digestive cancers, such as colorectal cancer, and that there is currently no widely accepted blood-based biomarker for kidney cancer.
\n
China reports more than 4.5 million new cancer cases annually, with lung, colorectal, gastric, liver and breast cancers being the most common. About 70,000 new cases of kidney cancer are reported each year, according to official data.
\n
Zhang Ligang, chairman of iKang, said the company identifies about 15,000 cancer cases annually through routine health checks. However, he emphasized that basic physical examinations, which typically cost several hundred to a few thousand yuan, are fundamentally different from clinical diagnostics that can cost tens of thousands.
\n
"The purpose of routine checkups is to detect early warning signs so that individuals can then seek specialized care," Zhang said. "This model applies to both private health centers and public hospitals."
Experts attending a national conference in Hefei, Anhui province, on Thursday called for stronger legislation to protect copyrights in the face of rapidly developing artificial intelligence, even as AI also offers tools to aid those efforts.
\n
The Ninth National Conference on Copyright Protection and Development in Digital Environment highlighted both the challenges and opportunities AI presents for copyright.
\n
China has been proactive in addressing AI's impact on intellectual property.
\n
As early as 2023, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued the country's first AI management regulation, which mandates the use of legally sourced data and technology models and emphasizes that AI use must not infringe on existing intellectual property rights.
\n
"From this perspective, China is very forward-looking, hoping to establish more comprehensive laws and regulations in the future to strengthen the protection of digital copyrights," said Tong Zhilei, chairman and president of COL Group.
\n
The National Copyright Administration recently released "Opinions on Accelerating the High-Quality Development of Copyright Undertakings", outlining goals to be achieved by 2030, with the top priority being the improvement of the copyright legal system.
\n
Central authorities plan to intensify legislative efforts, accelerate revisions of administrative regulations supporting the Copyright Law and establish a robust legal system to bolster copyright protection in the digital sphere. They aim to make legislation more forward-looking, enhance theoretical research on new technologies and improve copyright protection for emerging areas such as blockchain, big data, cloud computing and AI.
\n
"We have always regarded works as property, hence the existence of copyright systems," said Guo He, a professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing.
\n
However, Guo raised a critical point: with the widespread and convenient use of AI to generate content, such content may lose its scarcity.
\n
"Do we still need to protect something that is not scarce as property? So, I think this is a matter worth discussing seriously," he said.
\n
Under China's current Copyright Law, AI-generated content does not fall under the category of "works".
\n
"Content generated by AI can be used by anyone, but it must be strictly labeled," said Liu Qingfeng, chairman of iFlytek, a major AI developer based in Hefei. "However, in the future, it will be a significant challenge to trace the content back to its original creator and determine how to protect it. This is a major issue awaiting exploration in this era."
\n
Zou Tao, CEO of Kingsoft Corp, noted that AI development relies on shared data.
\n
"However, to what extent should sharing be done, and what is the relationship between secondary creations and original creators? This is still a major challenge that requires legislative support, law enforcement agencies, and our joint technological means to uphold and consolidate," Zou said.
\n
A court ruling from 2024 underscored the importance of respecting intellectual property when using AI tools. A company was ordered to pay 800,000 yuan ($111,180) for copyright infringement after using another company's one-click composition AI tool to create a short video of a popular drama. This case further confirms that "even when using AI tools in the field of copyright, respect for intellectual property rights is paramount," Tong said.
\n
Liu also highlighted the challenge of "AI illusions" from generative AI, which can lead to risks such as fabricating public figures, creating false information and leaking personal privacy.
\n
iFlytek is developing digital watermarking technology to authenticate AI-generated content, verifying the authenticity of text and video.
\n
The company is also working on an intellectual property protection tool to assist copyright owners and judges in tracing sources, conducting cross-modal comparisons, providing legal advice and drafting litigation documents.
\n
zhulixin@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
Experts attending a national conference in Hefei, Anhui province, on Thursday called for stronger legislation to protect copyrights in the face of rapidly developing artificial intelligence, even as AI also offers tools to aid those efforts.
\n
The Ninth National Conference on Copyright Protection and Development in Digital Environment highlighted both the challenges and opportunities AI presents for copyright.
\n
China has been proactive in addressing AI's impact on intellectual property.
\n
As early as 2023, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued the country's first AI management regulation, which mandates the use of legally sourced data and technology models and emphasizes that AI use must not infringe on existing intellectual property rights.
\n
"From this perspective, China is very forward-looking, hoping to establish more comprehensive laws and regulations in the future to strengthen the protection of digital copyrights," said Tong Zhilei, chairman and president of COL Group.
\n
The National Copyright Administration recently released "Opinions on Accelerating the High-Quality Development of Copyright Undertakings", outlining goals to be achieved by 2030, with the top priority being the improvement of the copyright legal system.
\n
Central authorities plan to intensify legislative efforts, accelerate revisions of administrative regulations supporting the Copyright Law and establish a robust legal system to bolster copyright protection in the digital sphere. They aim to make legislation more forward-looking, enhance theoretical research on new technologies and improve copyright protection for emerging areas such as blockchain, big data, cloud computing and AI.
\n
"We have always regarded works as property, hence the existence of copyright systems," said Guo He, a professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing.
\n
However, Guo raised a critical point: with the widespread and convenient use of AI to generate content, such content may lose its scarcity.
\n
"Do we still need to protect something that is not scarce as property? So, I think this is a matter worth discussing seriously," he said.
\n
Under China's current Copyright Law, AI-generated content does not fall under the category of "works".
\n
"Content generated by AI can be used by anyone, but it must be strictly labeled," said Liu Qingfeng, chairman of iFlytek, a major AI developer based in Hefei. "However, in the future, it will be a significant challenge to trace the content back to its original creator and determine how to protect it. This is a major issue awaiting exploration in this era."
\n
Zou Tao, CEO of Kingsoft Corp, noted that AI development relies on shared data.
\n
"However, to what extent should sharing be done, and what is the relationship between secondary creations and original creators? This is still a major challenge that requires legislative support, law enforcement agencies, and our joint technological means to uphold and consolidate," Zou said.
\n
A court ruling from 2024 underscored the importance of respecting intellectual property when using AI tools. A company was ordered to pay 800,000 yuan ($111,180) for copyright infringement after using another company's one-click composition AI tool to create a short video of a popular drama. This case further confirms that "even when using AI tools in the field of copyright, respect for intellectual property rights is paramount," Tong said.
\n
Liu also highlighted the challenge of "AI illusions" from generative AI, which can lead to risks such as fabricating public figures, creating false information and leaking personal privacy.
\n
iFlytek is developing digital watermarking technology to authenticate AI-generated content, verifying the authenticity of text and video.
\n
The company is also working on an intellectual property protection tool to assist copyright owners and judges in tracing sources, conducting cross-modal comparisons, providing legal advice and drafting litigation documents.
Tourists crowd the peak of Taishan Mountain to enjoy the spectacular view of the sunrise in Tai'an, Shandong province, on Thursday. During the summer, the scenic area experiences a surge of tourists.
China's power sector has implemented a wide range of measures to tackle soaring temperatures and surging electricity demand as a result of this summer's intense heatwave.
\n
High temperatures pose a serious risk to both power equipment and workers. Wang Lei, deputy director of the operation department at the Liujiaxia Hydropower Station in Gansu province, said the most immediate impact is increased thermal stress on power transmission and transformation systems, which jeopardizes their operational safety and reliability.
\n
Wang added that heat waves also exacerbate equipment failures, requiring faster response times from maintenance crews.
\n
"Yet the harsh working conditions during heat waves impair human efficiency, creating a dual challenge of strained infrastructure and reduced workforce effectiveness," he said.
\n
In addition to equipment stress, electricity demand surges during high temperatures — particularly from air conditioning use. Persistent high temperatures have also worsened drought conditions, pushing up demand for water and electricity for crop irrigation and significantly increasing the overall power load, Wang said.
\n
According to data from the National Energy Administration, the country's maximum power load reached 1.465 billion kilowatts on July 4 — up about 200 million kW from the end of June and nearly 150 million kW higher than the same period last year, setting a new record.
\n
To meet this rising demand, the power industry is using a combination of advanced technology and expanded generation to secure energy supplies.
\n
"At Liujiaxia Hydropower Station, smart patrol and inspection systems use AI to monitor the operational trends of equipment. If any fault signals are detected, immediate intervention can be carried out to minimize system failures," Wang said.
\n
The AI system also helps optimize power grid interconnection to improve load distribution and reduce system risks. By running large-scale simulations and predictive modeling, it can signal the ideal timing for switching between grid configurations to enhance operational stability and prevent failures, he said.
\n
Beyond technical upgrades, emergency repair teams and rapid-response units have been established at all power supply units and hydropower plants. These teams conduct regular training and comprehensive drills to prepare for scenarios such as flood prevention and large-scale blackouts caused by extreme heatwaves.
\n
At the same time, China is ramping up coal-fired power generation, which plays a key role in ensuring power security.
\n
Wang Feng, president of CHN Energy Sichuan Tianming Power Co, said the company has enhanced coal supply management to support continuous high-load operations of its coal-fired units.
\n
"As the unit with the largest single-unit capacity and strongest peak shaving capacity in Sichuan, we were the first to resume high-load operation of two units in early June, consistently delivering high-quality and stable power to the Sichuan grid," Wang said.
\n
Since June, the company has produced an average of 34 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per day, with a peak of 44 million kWh — enough to meet the daily power needs of about 2.2 million households, he said.
\n
To meet that generation output, coal supply is crucial. Based on fuel inventory levels, generation needs and unloading capacity, the company has worked with authorities to open a "green channel" for coal transportation, Wang said.
\n
As China expands its renewable energy footprint, energy storage has become essential for maintaining a stable and efficient power system.
\n
"With a longer high-temperature period and more installed new energy capacity than previous summers, the grid now has higher peak shaving requirements and demands more flexible energy storage operations," said Liu Lei, head of operation and maintenance department at the Jintan Salt Cavern Compressed Air Energy Storage Power Station in Jiangsu province.
\n
The Jintan station is part of Jiangsu's broader strategy to stabilize its power supply. Since July 6, under centralized control, 93 new energy storage power stations in the province have been discharging power to the grid during evening peak hours, with peak discharge capacity reaching 7.14 million kW, said Qiu Chenguang, head of the dispatch and operation division at the State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co.
\n
Qiu added that the company uses a next-generation dispatch system to coordinate the discharge of more than 7 million kW of energy storage during peak consumption periods — enough to meet the one-hour electricity demand of about 48 million households simultaneously.
\n
As of July, Jiangsu's installed capacity of new energy storage had reached 7.616 million kW, encompassing technologies such as electrochemical batteries and salt cavern compressed air systems, Qiu said.
\n
wangsongsong@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
China's power sector has implemented a wide range of measures to tackle soaring temperatures and surging electricity demand as a result of this summer's intense heatwave.
\n
High temperatures pose a serious risk to both power equipment and workers. Wang Lei, deputy director of the operation department at the Liujiaxia Hydropower Station in Gansu province, said the most immediate impact is increased thermal stress on power transmission and transformation systems, which jeopardizes their operational safety and reliability.
\n
Wang added that heat waves also exacerbate equipment failures, requiring faster response times from maintenance crews.
\n
"Yet the harsh working conditions during heat waves impair human efficiency, creating a dual challenge of strained infrastructure and reduced workforce effectiveness," he said.
\n
In addition to equipment stress, electricity demand surges during high temperatures — particularly from air conditioning use. Persistent high temperatures have also worsened drought conditions, pushing up demand for water and electricity for crop irrigation and significantly increasing the overall power load, Wang said.
\n
According to data from the National Energy Administration, the country's maximum power load reached 1.465 billion kilowatts on July 4 — up about 200 million kW from the end of June and nearly 150 million kW higher than the same period last year, setting a new record.
\n
To meet this rising demand, the power industry is using a combination of advanced technology and expanded generation to secure energy supplies.
\n
"At Liujiaxia Hydropower Station, smart patrol and inspection systems use AI to monitor the operational trends of equipment. If any fault signals are detected, immediate intervention can be carried out to minimize system failures," Wang said.
\n
The AI system also helps optimize power grid interconnection to improve load distribution and reduce system risks. By running large-scale simulations and predictive modeling, it can signal the ideal timing for switching between grid configurations to enhance operational stability and prevent failures, he said.
\n
Beyond technical upgrades, emergency repair teams and rapid-response units have been established at all power supply units and hydropower plants. These teams conduct regular training and comprehensive drills to prepare for scenarios such as flood prevention and large-scale blackouts caused by extreme heatwaves.
\n
At the same time, China is ramping up coal-fired power generation, which plays a key role in ensuring power security.
\n
Wang Feng, president of CHN Energy Sichuan Tianming Power Co, said the company has enhanced coal supply management to support continuous high-load operations of its coal-fired units.
\n
"As the unit with the largest single-unit capacity and strongest peak shaving capacity in Sichuan, we were the first to resume high-load operation of two units in early June, consistently delivering high-quality and stable power to the Sichuan grid," Wang said.
\n
Since June, the company has produced an average of 34 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per day, with a peak of 44 million kWh — enough to meet the daily power needs of about 2.2 million households, he said.
\n
To meet that generation output, coal supply is crucial. Based on fuel inventory levels, generation needs and unloading capacity, the company has worked with authorities to open a "green channel" for coal transportation, Wang said.
\n
As China expands its renewable energy footprint, energy storage has become essential for maintaining a stable and efficient power system.
\n
"With a longer high-temperature period and more installed new energy capacity than previous summers, the grid now has higher peak shaving requirements and demands more flexible energy storage operations," said Liu Lei, head of operation and maintenance department at the Jintan Salt Cavern Compressed Air Energy Storage Power Station in Jiangsu province.
\n
The Jintan station is part of Jiangsu's broader strategy to stabilize its power supply. Since July 6, under centralized control, 93 new energy storage power stations in the province have been discharging power to the grid during evening peak hours, with peak discharge capacity reaching 7.14 million kW, said Qiu Chenguang, head of the dispatch and operation division at the State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co.
\n
Qiu added that the company uses a next-generation dispatch system to coordinate the discharge of more than 7 million kW of energy storage during peak consumption periods — enough to meet the one-hour electricity demand of about 48 million households simultaneously.
\n
As of July, Jiangsu's installed capacity of new energy storage had reached 7.616 million kW, encompassing technologies such as electrochemical batteries and salt cavern compressed air systems, Qiu said.
The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, the country's dominant passenger jetliner manufacturer, has developed a medical variant of its C909 airliner, aiming to bolster the nation's air medical services.
\n
The C909 air ambulance features a modular cabin design, enabling customized layouts based on patient needs and mission requirements. It can be used for both emergency first-aid missions and patient transport, said Chen Yong, chief designer of the C909 family.
\n
He said that the cabin of a typical C909 medical configuration consists of three distinct functional sections: a medical expert zone, a support crew zone and an intensive care unit zone.
\n
The expert area is equipped with height-adjustable and foldable tables, allowing medical specialists to use computers and related equipment. The ICU zone accommodates two critical-care stretchers, each capable of being equipped with devices such as defibrillator monitors, ventilators, infusion pumps and suction units, depending on the patients' condition.
\n
Moreover, the seats in both the expert and support crew zones can be temporarily converted into six sets of double-tiered lightweight stretchers to accommodate increased capacity.
\n
The air ambulance also has an electric-powered lift system at the rear door, allowing for the convenient loading and unloading of patients in a lying position, Chen explained.
\n
He said that the C909 is characterized by its high safety rating and operational reliability.
\n
"It has a large inner space, which means we can offer different layouts to users in accordance with their needs. For instance, we can replace the ICU section with other equipment and carry more patients with mild symptoms," the designer said. "Moreover, we have given the air ambulance an additional fuel tank, which enables the jet to fly farther."
\n
The company worked with Ruijin Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University's School of Medicine to build the air ambulance. Modified last year, it was used in a charitable medical tour in Yunnan province in December.
\n
Formerly known as ARJ21, the C909 regional jetliner entered the market in November 2015 and made its first commercial flight in June 2016.
\n
Since the C909's debut, 166 have been delivered to 13 customers in China and abroad. The aircraft operate on 721 routes and have facilitated more than 25 million passenger trips.
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Internationally, C909 aircraft have been delivered to airlines in Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam, serving routes across Southeast Asia.
\n
Besides the passenger and air ambulance aircraft, the C909 has three other models: a freighter, an emergency response command plane and an executive jet.
China has seen a steady growth in the wild populations of several flagship species since it began promoting the development of a national park system over a decade ago, an official with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said on Thursday.
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During the same period, the stability and diversity of the country's ecosystems have also steadily improved, said Sun Hongyan, deputy director of the administration's nature reserve department, at a news conference.
\n
The national park system was first proposed in 2013 during the third plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee. The country launched 10 pilot parks in 2015 and officially designated five of them as national parks in October 2021.
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In December 2022, China released a plan aimed at establishing the world's largest national park system by 2035.
\n
Sun outlined the progress made in each of the five established parks.
\n
At Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, authorities have developed an intelligent space-air-ground integrated monitoring system. The system allows for round-the-clock tracking and precise positioning of the big cats, while also providing early warnings of potential human-tiger conflicts, Sun said.
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As a result of conservation efforts, the number of wild Northeast China tigers in the park has increased from 27 in 2015 to 70, while the number of leopards has risen from 42 to about 80, she added.
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For the first time in three decades, tiger tracks were discovered on Changbai Mountain in Jilin province late last year, signaling a habitat expansion of more than 200 kilometers from the national park's core area, Sun added.
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Because of their naturally shy nature, leopards rarely come into conflict with humans.
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In Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in south Hainan province, the wild population of Hainan gibbons — one of the rarest primates on Earth — has increased from 35 individuals in five groups to 42 in seven groups. It remains the only gibbon population among the 20 known species worldwide to show continuous growth, according to Sun.
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The increase has been credited to efforts to restore damaged forest ecosystems through artificial means, helping to gradually bring back the rainforest's ecological balance, she said.
\n
Sun also announced that the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Sichuan provincial government will jointly host the third National Park Forum in Chengdu, Sichuan's capital, on Aug 18 and 19.
\n
With a focus on promoting high-level conservation and sustainable development of national parks, delegates at the forum will explore key issues and future strategies for park development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), she said.
\n
Chen Zongqian, deputy director of the Sichuan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration, said the province aims to make the forum a national benchmark for green and low-carbon events.
\n
A pioneering carbon neutrality evaluation system will be introduced to assess emissions from transportation, lodging, dining and material consumption, Chen said. All emissions from the forum will be offset by purchasing carbon credits, he added.
\n
The event will also prioritize the use of eco-friendly products, including goods from Giant Panda National Park. Nameplates will be made of bamboo, and badges will be produced from biodegradable bamboo fiber, Chen said.
\n
"By substituting plastic with bamboo, the forum will markedly reduce its plastic use," he said.
China has seen a steady growth in the wild populations of several flagship species since it began promoting the development of a national park system over a decade ago, an official with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said on Thursday.
\n
During the same period, the stability and diversity of the country's ecosystems have also steadily improved, said Sun Hongyan, deputy director of the administration's nature reserve department, at a news conference.
\n
The national park system was first proposed in 2013 during the third plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee. The country launched 10 pilot parks in 2015 and officially designated five of them as national parks in October 2021.
\n
In December 2022, China released a plan aimed at establishing the world's largest national park system by 2035.
\n
Sun outlined the progress made in each of the five established parks.
\n
At Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, authorities have developed an intelligent space-air-ground integrated monitoring system. The system allows for round-the-clock tracking and precise positioning of the big cats, while also providing early warnings of potential human-tiger conflicts, Sun said.
\n
As a result of conservation efforts, the number of wild Northeast China tigers in the park has increased from 27 in 2015 to 70, while the number of leopards has risen from 42 to about 80, she added.
\n
For the first time in three decades, tiger tracks were discovered on Changbai Mountain in Jilin province late last year, signaling a habitat expansion of more than 200 kilometers from the national park's core area, Sun added.
\n
Because of their naturally shy nature, leopards rarely come into conflict with humans.
\n
In Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in south Hainan province, the wild population of Hainan gibbons — one of the rarest primates on Earth — has increased from 35 individuals in five groups to 42 in seven groups. It remains the only gibbon population among the 20 known species worldwide to show continuous growth, according to Sun.
\n
The increase has been credited to efforts to restore damaged forest ecosystems through artificial means, helping to gradually bring back the rainforest's ecological balance, she said.
\n
Sun also announced that the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Sichuan provincial government will jointly host the third National Park Forum in Chengdu, Sichuan's capital, on Aug 18 and 19.
\n
With a focus on promoting high-level conservation and sustainable development of national parks, delegates at the forum will explore key issues and future strategies for park development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), she said.
\n
Chen Zongqian, deputy director of the Sichuan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration, said the province aims to make the forum a national benchmark for green and low-carbon events.
\n
A pioneering carbon neutrality evaluation system will be introduced to assess emissions from transportation, lodging, dining and material consumption, Chen said. All emissions from the forum will be offset by purchasing carbon credits, he added.
\n
The event will also prioritize the use of eco-friendly products, including goods from Giant Panda National Park. Nameplates will be made of bamboo, and badges will be produced from biodegradable bamboo fiber, Chen said.
\n
"By substituting plastic with bamboo, the forum will markedly reduce its plastic use," he said.
A herder falls off his horse while participating in the Daye Verse horse racing cultural tourism season event in Litang county, Sichuan province, on Wednesday.
\n",
@@ -4483,28 +4483,6 @@
"hash": "3392f9fbe0edc1e6a6798d2a011417ae",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "005CHINA - Yangtze River sees recovery in aquatic biodiversity",
- "description": "
Staff members prepare to release a Chinese sturgeon into the Yangtze River during a release event in Yichang city, Hubei province, on April 12. Over 20,000 second-generation Chinese sturgeon returned to the river, including juvenile fish age 6 months and 230 large individuals age 3 to 16.
\n
Two new nationally protected species were identified and the natural breeding of the Chinese high-fin banded shark was observed for the first time in nearly 30 years in the Yangtze River Basin, signaling an overall recovery of aquatic biological resources and habitats, according to a new report.
\n
The Communique on Aquatic Biological Resources and Habitat Status in the Yangtze River Basin (2024) was jointly released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the Ministry of Transport. It highlights an improving trend in the basin's aquatic biodiversity.
\n
Between 2021 and 2024, 344 indigenous fish species were monitored — an increase of 36 species compared with the period before the 10-year fishing ban began in 2021. In 2024, 230 species were observed, including 15 key protected species, 43 economically significant species and 172 other varieties.
\n
The two newly identified national second-class protected species are the long-fin rhino gudgeon and the vermilion botia. The natural reproduction of the Chinese high-fin banded shark — a rare event last recorded nearly three decades ago — was also documented, according to an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
\n
Resources of commercially important species, such as the four major Chinese carps, are steadily recovering. The volume of carp larvae in a section of the river's middle reaches is now 6.2 times higher than in 2020, before the fishing ban. The Chinese tapertail anchovy population at the Yangtze estuary is 8.5 times higher than five years ago.
\n
In the Chishui River, an upper tributary of the Yangtze, the number of released Yangtze sturgeon — listed as a national first-class protected species — rose from 110 in 2023 to 399 in 2024. Eels were also recorded for the first time in over 20 years in the Chishui city section of the Chishui River.
\n
Despite the overall positive trend, conservation of critically endangered species remains a challenge. All Yangtze sturgeon found in the wild were released through artificial stocking programs, the ministry said. Meanwhile, Chinese sturgeon have not been observed reproducing naturally for eight consecutive years. In 2024, only 10 adult Chinese sturgeon were found to have reached the critical spawning grounds below the Gezhouba Dam.
\n
To strengthen protection of endangered species in the Yangtze, the ministry said it plans to upgrade its rare species rescue action plan, including intensified conservation measures and expanded artificial breeding programs. So far this year, 970,000 Chinese sturgeon have been released into the river.
\n
zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
Staff members prepare to release a Chinese sturgeon into the Yangtze River during a release event in Yichang city, Hubei province, on April 12. Over 20,000 second-generation Chinese sturgeon returned to the river, including juvenile fish age 6 months and 230 large individuals age 3 to 16.
\n
Two new nationally protected species were identified and the natural breeding of the Chinese high-fin banded shark was observed for the first time in nearly 30 years in the Yangtze River Basin, signaling an overall recovery of aquatic biological resources and habitats, according to a new report.
\n
The Communique on Aquatic Biological Resources and Habitat Status in the Yangtze River Basin (2024) was jointly released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the Ministry of Transport. It highlights an improving trend in the basin's aquatic biodiversity.
\n
Between 2021 and 2024, 344 indigenous fish species were monitored — an increase of 36 species compared with the period before the 10-year fishing ban began in 2021. In 2024, 230 species were observed, including 15 key protected species, 43 economically significant species and 172 other varieties.
\n
The two newly identified national second-class protected species are the long-fin rhino gudgeon and the vermilion botia. The natural reproduction of the Chinese high-fin banded shark — a rare event last recorded nearly three decades ago — was also documented, according to an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
\n
Resources of commercially important species, such as the four major Chinese carps, are steadily recovering. The volume of carp larvae in a section of the river's middle reaches is now 6.2 times higher than in 2020, before the fishing ban. The Chinese tapertail anchovy population at the Yangtze estuary is 8.5 times higher than five years ago.
\n
In the Chishui River, an upper tributary of the Yangtze, the number of released Yangtze sturgeon — listed as a national first-class protected species — rose from 110 in 2023 to 399 in 2024. Eels were also recorded for the first time in over 20 years in the Chishui city section of the Chishui River.
\n
Despite the overall positive trend, conservation of critically endangered species remains a challenge. All Yangtze sturgeon found in the wild were released through artificial stocking programs, the ministry said. Meanwhile, Chinese sturgeon have not been observed reproducing naturally for eight consecutive years. In 2024, only 10 adult Chinese sturgeon were found to have reached the critical spawning grounds below the Gezhouba Dam.
\n
To strengthen protection of endangered species in the Yangtze, the ministry said it plans to upgrade its rare species rescue action plan, including intensified conservation measures and expanded artificial breeding programs. So far this year, 970,000 Chinese sturgeon have been released into the river.
China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for veteran services and support is progressing smoothly, with all key targets met, according to the Minister of Veterans Affairs.
\n
"The overall level of services and support for veterans has been significantly enhanced during this period," Minister Pei Jinjia said at a news conference on Thursday.
\n
Pei highlighted strengthened efforts in searching for, excavating, identifying and protecting the remains of martyrs, as well as locating their relatives.
\n
From 2021 to 2025, the remains of 265 soldiers with the Chinese People's Volunteers who died in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53) were repatriated and laid to rest in China, said Chen Erwei, director of the ministry's department of ideology and rights protection.
\n
"So far, we have collected DNA data for the remains of 981 martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers returned from South Korea, along with samples from more than 1,300 related family members, establishing a comprehensive and dynamic DNA database," Pei said. He added that a national martyrs' remains search team and a national martyrs' remains DNA identification laboratory have been established.
\n
A public government service platform has also been launched to help trace the relatives of martyrs and encourage civil society participation. To date, the burial sites or relatives of nearly 7,000 martyrs have been identified, according to Pei.
\n
Vice-Minister of Veterans Affairs Xu Yao stated that the ministry has defended the honor of martyrs through legal measures to crack down on unlawful acts harming their reputation, fostering a strong social atmosphere of honoring and remembering them.
\n
Pei noted that all binding indicators of the plan, such as the job placement rate of veterans, have been achieved on schedule. Other indicators, including the establishment of veteran service stations and martyrs' memorial facilities, have progressed steadily, with some even surpassing targets.
\n
"More than 8 million entitled recipients of preferential treatment have been included in the national compensation and subsidy system," Xu said. These recipients include active-duty military personnel and their families, veterans and the families of those who died in the line of duty or from illness.
\n
"In addition, over 610,000 veteran service stations have been established at the village and community levels, bringing services directly to veterans and turning respect for them into concrete action," Xu added.
\n
Throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the consistent goal of transfer and placement efforts has been to ensure veterans are properly received, effectively placed and able to contribute meaningfully to society, Xu said.
\n
"To date, we have placed more than 250,000 demobilized officers and veterans into work positions," he stated. "Veterans are playing an increasingly important role in China's socioeconomic development."
\n
lishangyi@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
@@ -4527,28 +4505,6 @@
"hash": "fc87c888686f5ad8dda85f5f7ab0c624",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "006CHINA - Great parenting is all about finding the right balance",
- "description": "
A mother plays with her child at a park in Zaozhuang, Shandong province, on International Children's Day on June 1.
\n\n
Editor's note: In a society once renowned for its "tiger parenting", a shifting cultural landscape is emerging as more moms and dads embrace alternative, relaxed approaches to child rearing. The following three narratives capture this evolving dynamic and reflect a growing trend toward healthier parent-child relationships in China.
\n
Luo Peng, 42, a nature educator in Beijing
\n
\n
All of those who know my son say that his smile is particularly infectious and healing. Raising him for nearly seven years, I have also gained countless strengths in growing up with him, just as he said: "Mom, I am your mobile charging station."
\n
As a mother, I accept my son as he is. A mother must have eyes to discover these traits. Instead of being anxious because of others' judgments, it is better to spend more time and energy observing and understanding my own child.
\n
My son's piano teacher once told me that he is so great and that he should keep it up, who knows what achievements he will make? It suddenly occurred to me how brilliant his piano playing could be one day. And in that instant, it dawned on me that I was about to get caught up in this subconscious competition.
\n
There are too many outstanding children around us in various aspects, with rich vocabularies and fluent in poetry and literature. When we only see the good displayed by others and compare, anxiety is bound to arise. Learning the piano can help us better enjoy music, it's not important to achieve a certain level of proficiency.
\n
Really respecting my child is about respecting his choices, treating him as an individual. It is not about pretending to respect him in order to achieve a parent's goal. Parents need to genuinely respect children from the heart. Specifically speaking, I let my son make a choice first and accept it if it's within my ability, but refuse those beyond my reach. It's okay to say no.
\n
Great parenting is not about everything going smoothly all the time. It's about disagreements, arguments and then resolutions. In this process, the relationship between us becomes stronger and more resilient. In this way, I provide my son with a sense of security, which means that an argument won't affect the relationship.
\n
Whenever I feel my mother's love, I always feel that behind it is more of an expectation. For example, I mustn't drag my feet while walking, can't make noise while eating and I must have a good academic performance. When I was a child, I was obedient and did well in my studies. But from a young age, when I was being disciplined by her, there was a voice in my heart that spoke of my rebellion. I would always think, when I become a mother, I will never be like this.
\n
I think between two generations, we can't say who's at fault. We are limited by circumstances and mindset. There's no blame in this issue. I never blame my mother for not giving me enough maternal love. I've never been one to play the victim. Without a victim mentality, I can solve the problem and continue to create something new.
\n
Children are more self-disciplined than we adults think. For example, I explain to my son the potential impact of sugar on his health and teeth. So, we have designated every Saturday as "sugar day". He can eat as much as he wants on that day, but no sugar on other days.
\n
At just over 2 years old, he started asking what day it was. You can't be too rigid with rules. I asked him if he really wanted it. If yes, okay, have it today, but no more on Saturday. I was creating a framework of rules for him. Within that, I don't need to manage every detail. He might slip up once or twice. But after you discuss the consequences with him, he'll be better at self-control.
\n
Even if he tells me in the future that he doesn't want to go to college, I'm okay with that. It's hard to say that children from top schools are always happy or successful. Life is about experiences, about creating, not about achieving a specific outcome. I see the light in my son's eyes, happiness, curiosity, gentleness and empathy. He's very good at discovering and solving problems. These qualities are enough for him to lead a wonderful life, a life where he can create.
\n
Why does he have to live in a big city? Why does he have to work? I would think it's great even if one day he tells me he wants to go to the mountains to herd sheep.
\n
If a job is just about having money to sustain your life or a high-quality life, why isn't life the focus? We've got it all mixed up. Do you want a good life or a good job? If it's a good life you want, there are so many ways to achieve it.
\n
If we set the end goal as being an elite in a big city as providing a good life, this misplaced focus will inevitably lead to anxiety. It's hard to imagine that in 20 years, our next generation will have the same jobs we do now. It's even possible that they won't need jobs and will still lead meaningful and happy lives. Many things can be assisted by artificial intelligence. The most important thing for children that cannot be replaced is the curiosity and problem-solving abilities they have from a young age. I think the reason why so many parents struggle with tutoring and homework is that they've got it wrong. Who is responsible when things go wrong? The responsibility for homework lies with the child, not the parent.
\n
Luo Peng spoke with Li Hongyang.
\n
Contact the writer at lihongyang@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
A mother plays with her child at a park in Zaozhuang, Shandong province, on International Children's Day on June 1.
\n\n
Editor's note: In a society once renowned for its "tiger parenting", a shifting cultural landscape is emerging as more moms and dads embrace alternative, relaxed approaches to child rearing. The following three narratives capture this evolving dynamic and reflect a growing trend toward healthier parent-child relationships in China.
\n
Luo Peng, 42, a nature educator in Beijing
\n
\n
All of those who know my son say that his smile is particularly infectious and healing. Raising him for nearly seven years, I have also gained countless strengths in growing up with him, just as he said: "Mom, I am your mobile charging station."
\n
As a mother, I accept my son as he is. A mother must have eyes to discover these traits. Instead of being anxious because of others' judgments, it is better to spend more time and energy observing and understanding my own child.
\n
My son's piano teacher once told me that he is so great and that he should keep it up, who knows what achievements he will make? It suddenly occurred to me how brilliant his piano playing could be one day. And in that instant, it dawned on me that I was about to get caught up in this subconscious competition.
\n
There are too many outstanding children around us in various aspects, with rich vocabularies and fluent in poetry and literature. When we only see the good displayed by others and compare, anxiety is bound to arise. Learning the piano can help us better enjoy music, it's not important to achieve a certain level of proficiency.
\n
Really respecting my child is about respecting his choices, treating him as an individual. It is not about pretending to respect him in order to achieve a parent's goal. Parents need to genuinely respect children from the heart. Specifically speaking, I let my son make a choice first and accept it if it's within my ability, but refuse those beyond my reach. It's okay to say no.
\n
Great parenting is not about everything going smoothly all the time. It's about disagreements, arguments and then resolutions. In this process, the relationship between us becomes stronger and more resilient. In this way, I provide my son with a sense of security, which means that an argument won't affect the relationship.
\n
Whenever I feel my mother's love, I always feel that behind it is more of an expectation. For example, I mustn't drag my feet while walking, can't make noise while eating and I must have a good academic performance. When I was a child, I was obedient and did well in my studies. But from a young age, when I was being disciplined by her, there was a voice in my heart that spoke of my rebellion. I would always think, when I become a mother, I will never be like this.
\n
I think between two generations, we can't say who's at fault. We are limited by circumstances and mindset. There's no blame in this issue. I never blame my mother for not giving me enough maternal love. I've never been one to play the victim. Without a victim mentality, I can solve the problem and continue to create something new.
\n
Children are more self-disciplined than we adults think. For example, I explain to my son the potential impact of sugar on his health and teeth. So, we have designated every Saturday as "sugar day". He can eat as much as he wants on that day, but no sugar on other days.
\n
At just over 2 years old, he started asking what day it was. You can't be too rigid with rules. I asked him if he really wanted it. If yes, okay, have it today, but no more on Saturday. I was creating a framework of rules for him. Within that, I don't need to manage every detail. He might slip up once or twice. But after you discuss the consequences with him, he'll be better at self-control.
\n
Even if he tells me in the future that he doesn't want to go to college, I'm okay with that. It's hard to say that children from top schools are always happy or successful. Life is about experiences, about creating, not about achieving a specific outcome. I see the light in my son's eyes, happiness, curiosity, gentleness and empathy. He's very good at discovering and solving problems. These qualities are enough for him to lead a wonderful life, a life where he can create.
\n
Why does he have to live in a big city? Why does he have to work? I would think it's great even if one day he tells me he wants to go to the mountains to herd sheep.
\n
If a job is just about having money to sustain your life or a high-quality life, why isn't life the focus? We've got it all mixed up. Do you want a good life or a good job? If it's a good life you want, there are so many ways to achieve it.
\n
If we set the end goal as being an elite in a big city as providing a good life, this misplaced focus will inevitably lead to anxiety. It's hard to imagine that in 20 years, our next generation will have the same jobs we do now. It's even possible that they won't need jobs and will still lead meaningful and happy lives. Many things can be assisted by artificial intelligence. The most important thing for children that cannot be replaced is the curiosity and problem-solving abilities they have from a young age. I think the reason why so many parents struggle with tutoring and homework is that they've got it wrong. Who is responsible when things go wrong? The responsibility for homework lies with the child, not the parent.
\n
Luo Peng spoke with Li Hongyang.
\n
Contact the writer at lihongyang@chinadaily.com.cn
My son has just finished the college entrance exam and is researching which university and what major he wants to study, all by himself.
\n
At the age of 18, he is able to choose his own path and take responsibility for his life. We respect his opinions and only provide him with some guidance. We tell him about which majors would be good for his future career. He wants to work in research and technology, and prefers college majors related to science and engineering.
\n
His father wanted him to study medicine, which he was not interested in. I discussed with him about the possibility of doctors being replaced by artificial intelligence and he shared his views. He said that doctors need to build trust with patients through face-to-face interactions, which is something AI may not be able to achieve. Without trust, one may not endorse the treatment plan. I think my son is insightful.
\n
His father tends to be stricter with him. Sometimes, when it comes to studying, his dad feels he isn't putting in enough effort. But I think that our son has his own pace. His father simply aims to toughen him up, believing it will lead to certain outcomes. From what I've observed, that is partly because my son's grandfather is strict with his father. I believe my son is a relaxed child. I emphasize the importance of respecting his individuality and what he values.
\n
I would like to seek my son's advice and opinions, as he is good at independent thinking. We don't have strict rules in our interactions. I'm amazed by his unique insights that are often beyond my expectations. I find myself often praising him, acknowledging his brilliance.
\n
He is indeed an easygoing boy. For example, when he played the board game Go, he would calmly explain his moves to his opponents. He has a gentle personality and we have never pressured him to achieve specific goals. We don't force him, but we encourage him to strive for excellence.
\n
He has many friends, some of whom are outstanding students. He may learn from some of his classmates' strengths but still maintains his own unique qualities. He may have classmates who don't perform as well academically, but he believes in their capabilities and thinks they will excel in the future. He is a child with great potential and sincerely appreciates the strengths of others. He acknowledges his own limitations, such as not delving as deeply into subjects as some of his peers. He has a good understanding of himself and his abilities.
\n
Although we didn't push him excessively, the pressure from the surrounding parents and institutions was significant. While many families enrolled their children in extra classes, we did too, but not to the extreme levels of intensity. Not every child is suited for tutorial classes like Olympiad math. But if my child wasn't part of it, I felt like he would fall behind, leading to a culture of intense competition. However, we don't specifically push him to excel academically. Some parents went all out, enrolling their child in multiple classes across different levels, like advanced math classes.
\n
In primary school, we focused on cultivating his interests and hobbies. He enjoyed playing Go, rugby, learning the piano and playing the trombone. These activities have helped him cope with stress and improve his mood.
\n
During kindergarten and primary school, I would often take him on trips to explore and play with friends. When we went out, we visited various places, including remote and challenging locations. For example, we once traveled to Guizhou province, where we experienced activities like harvesting corn to understand different aspects of life. I also took him to rural areas to observe the countryside lifestyle. When we went abroad, I made sure to expose him to different cultures and experiences. That helped him relax and get his own insights and reflections.
\n
Zhang Rong spoke with Li Hongyang.
\n",
@@ -4571,28 +4527,6 @@
"hash": "dc1a6951a3c1717bfd0c2fb78e04338a",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "006CHINA - Road to lifelong happiness is not about stereotypes",
- "description": "\n
Yao Pan, 41, lactation consultant in Shenzhen, Guangdong province
\n
As a single mother raising three children, my journey through parenthood has been a transformative experience filled with challenges. My eldest is a 17-year-old boy, followed by a 15-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy. I used to push my children and have them engage in intense competitions with their peers. After introspection and growth, I embraced a laid-back parenting style. I realized the importance of balancing attention between my children and myself.
\n
In the past, as a full-time stay-at-home mom, my focus revolved solely around my children. However, this intense scrutiny led to unintended consequences. While their academic performance improved, their happiness and intrinsic motivation suffered.
\n
For example, during their elementary school years, I used to help them with homework from 5 pm until midnight, pushing them to do extra test papers. The children and I were both overwhelmed after I went through the exam paper with them. Their grades did improve but they were not happy. They felt like they were studying for me.
\n
After communicating with their teachers, I decided to relax a bit. I let them work independently. I started giving them a bit of entertainment time every evening, like reading their favorite books or playing games. By letting them handle their own tasks, they found studying less painful. Even though their grades didn't improve as much as during my intense tutoring phase, their motivation increased. I realized that trying to control everything doesn't always lead to the outcomes I wanted.
\n
I found that if I excessively focus on my children, they would become difficult to manage, causing trouble and issues.
\n
After becoming a single mother, I shifted my focus from the children to myself. I realized that not obsessing over them made them develop better.
\n
While my eldest bore the brunt of my initial parenting intensity, my middle child thrived in an environment of relative freedom. She is the one I have the least control over. I found that her independence was better than her brothers. At seven years old, she would help her younger brother bathe and complete her homework by herself.
\n
In recent years, there has been a shift in parenting philosophies. I was diagnosed with severe depression last year. I was exhausted and drained from constantly focusing on others and neglecting myself. After being diagnosed, I started taking medication, and my state of mind has improved significantly.
\n
After experiencing this, I don't want my children to pursue a life or career that others admire but aren't necessarily happy with. Even many high-achieving students are not happy. I've noticed in the depression clinic that many patients are students. If parents put too much pressure on children, they may not show immediate emotional stress, but it may lead to explosive outbursts later on.
\n
If you ask parents whether they want their children to excel academically or be happy, they will likely choose happiness. As societal norms evolve, so do parenting ideologies. I refuse to succumb to the pressure of pushing my children toward societal success at the cost of their happiness. I've learned that true success lies in a child's self-fulfillment, not just academic achievements.
\n
I've learned the value of quality companionship over constant supervision. Engaging in meaningful conversations, actively listening and creating a safe space for my children to share their joys and struggles became my priority.
\n
When they need me, I'm there to listen and respond. They are eager to share their school experiences with me, big or small.
Yao Pan, 41, lactation consultant in Shenzhen, Guangdong province
\n
As a single mother raising three children, my journey through parenthood has been a transformative experience filled with challenges. My eldest is a 17-year-old boy, followed by a 15-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy. I used to push my children and have them engage in intense competitions with their peers. After introspection and growth, I embraced a laid-back parenting style. I realized the importance of balancing attention between my children and myself.
\n
In the past, as a full-time stay-at-home mom, my focus revolved solely around my children. However, this intense scrutiny led to unintended consequences. While their academic performance improved, their happiness and intrinsic motivation suffered.
\n
For example, during their elementary school years, I used to help them with homework from 5 pm until midnight, pushing them to do extra test papers. The children and I were both overwhelmed after I went through the exam paper with them. Their grades did improve but they were not happy. They felt like they were studying for me.
\n
After communicating with their teachers, I decided to relax a bit. I let them work independently. I started giving them a bit of entertainment time every evening, like reading their favorite books or playing games. By letting them handle their own tasks, they found studying less painful. Even though their grades didn't improve as much as during my intense tutoring phase, their motivation increased. I realized that trying to control everything doesn't always lead to the outcomes I wanted.
\n
I found that if I excessively focus on my children, they would become difficult to manage, causing trouble and issues.
\n
After becoming a single mother, I shifted my focus from the children to myself. I realized that not obsessing over them made them develop better.
\n
While my eldest bore the brunt of my initial parenting intensity, my middle child thrived in an environment of relative freedom. She is the one I have the least control over. I found that her independence was better than her brothers. At seven years old, she would help her younger brother bathe and complete her homework by herself.
\n
In recent years, there has been a shift in parenting philosophies. I was diagnosed with severe depression last year. I was exhausted and drained from constantly focusing on others and neglecting myself. After being diagnosed, I started taking medication, and my state of mind has improved significantly.
\n
After experiencing this, I don't want my children to pursue a life or career that others admire but aren't necessarily happy with. Even many high-achieving students are not happy. I've noticed in the depression clinic that many patients are students. If parents put too much pressure on children, they may not show immediate emotional stress, but it may lead to explosive outbursts later on.
\n
If you ask parents whether they want their children to excel academically or be happy, they will likely choose happiness. As societal norms evolve, so do parenting ideologies. I refuse to succumb to the pressure of pushing my children toward societal success at the cost of their happiness. I've learned that true success lies in a child's self-fulfillment, not just academic achievements.
\n
I've learned the value of quality companionship over constant supervision. Engaging in meaningful conversations, actively listening and creating a safe space for my children to share their joys and struggles became my priority.
\n
When they need me, I'm there to listen and respond. They are eager to share their school experiences with me, big or small.
A historical photo shows people carrying saplings to plant in Youyu county, Shanxi province, in the 1970s.
\n
Wang Zhanfeng checks the growth of apricots at his family's orchard in Laoqiangkuang village in Youyu on July 5.
\n
Tourists visit the Youyu Spirit Exhibition Hall in the county on July 5.
\n
An aerial photo shows part of a forest park in Youyu, which has been transformed from a barren area through decades of afforestation.
\n
For over 40 years, Wang Zhanfeng had rooted himself in the barren mountains of Youyu county in the northern province of Shanxi. Starting from the challenging task of planting the first sapling amid swirling yellow sands, he has now transformed over 200 hectares of land into lush woodland, significantly altering the local ecosystem.
\n
Wang, 74, a villager from Laoqiangkuang village, bears calloused hands as evidence of his decades-long dedication.
\n
"In my childhood, we had to cover our bowls while eating, otherwise they would be filled with sand," Wang told China Daily. Villagers had to wear windproof goggles and sand masks when venturing outside. During the worst winds, they had to light lamps indoors during the day.
\n
Youyu is situated less than 100 kilometers from the Mu Us Desert spreading between the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Shaanxi province, positioned in a natural wind corridor where the Siberian cold air moves southward.
\n
In the early years of New China, the county faced severe environmental conditions with extensive land desertification and extremely low plant survival rates. It was once deemed by international environmental experts as one of the "least suitable areas for human habitation", prompting suggestions for the relocation of the entire county.
\n
However, the locals were determined to make a change.
\n
Wang's grandfather and father had shouldered shovels to plant trees voluntarily. In the 1980s, upon hearing that his hometown was still battling sandstorms, he closed his hotel business and returned to the village, determined to protect the land and turn the barren slopes green.
\n
His tree-planting endeavors faced three major challenges.
\n
Acquiring seedlings was difficult, requiring arduous journeys over mountains to fetch them. Planting was challenging due to the semi-desert soil's inability to retain water, necessitating the laying of river mud at the bottom of pits. Survival was tough for seedlings, with an average annual precipitation of fewer than 400 millimeters, prompting the innovation of "fish-scale pits" to collect rainwater on the mountainside.
\n
Even then, during droughts, manual watering was necessary. Local women organized water-carrying teams, joining men in hauling water from the valleys to irrigate the saplings.
\n
Equipped with his "three treasures" — a shovel for digging holes, dried bread as food on mountains, and frostbite ointment for cracked hands — Wang would dig and plant trees in up to 50 pits a day at his peak, often leaving him too exhausted to stand straight.
\n
"I've thought about giving up, it's too tough," Wang said. Yet, seeing newly planted saplings partially buried by sand, he couldn't help but brush off the soil and prop them upright again.
\n
"One must not abandon halfway; trees are no different."
\n
After numerous failed attempts, he gradually mastered the art of tree planting. After 2000, the survival rates of his trees reached 80-90 percent and now, it's close to a perfect score.
\n
Today, green grass, Mongolian pine, pitch pine, and larch trees cover the Shipaogou area — what was once a barren ravine had transformed into his daily "green sanctuary".
\n
Carrying scissors during his mountain patrols, he prunes crooked branches as if he is tending to his own children. "While the green hills and clear waters have taken shape, the transformation is not yet complete," he said.
\n
Throughout history, Youyu had been a meeting point of agricultural and grassland civilizations, as well as a crucial passage for Shanxi merchants traveling to Mongolia. However, continuous wars had ravaged its ecology.
\n
For over 70 years, Youyu had relentlessly pursued tree planting and afforestation to improve the environment. With nearly 130 million trees planted across almost 113,333 hectares, the county's forest cover surged from less than 0.3 percent to 57 percent. What was once a "barren land" had metamorphosed into a "green oasis".
\n
In October 2024, the 19th annual session of the Global Forum on Human Settlements and the New Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards ceremony took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
\n
The submission from Youyu county, detailing the "70-year practice of desert control, afforestation, and ecological restoration", clinched the New Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Award.
\n
Ma Zhanwen, Party secretary of Youyu, said, "Over the 70 years, Youyu's ecological civilization practice, through the diligent efforts of several generations, vividly exemplifies the 'lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets' concept of green development, paving a viable path for ecological restoration and sustainable development in desertified regions."
\n
To further promote the enduring spirit, the Youyu Spirit Exhibition Hall was established in 2013, covering an area of nearly 1,600 square meters.
\n
Centered on the theme of transforming Youyu's landscape through afforestation, the exhibition employs various forms of media such as graphics, videos, physical displays and a 4D cinema, attracting over 500,000 visitors.
\n
One of the most poignant items in the exhibition hall is an oil lamp shaped like an ink bottle. Next to it, photos on display showcase the stark contrast between the past scenes of yellow sandstorms and the present lush forests.
\n
The exhibition hall's curator, Li Gongyuan, explained, "The ink bottle-shaped oil lamp and matches were essential items for children studying back then. They relied on these oil lamps for reading and learning. That scene is now a thing of the past."
\n
Today, Youyu is vigorously nurturing forest tourism and forest health industries, establishing the largest domestic horse breeding base in operation and the largest youth football training base in North China.
\n
Besides, they are actively developing a 1 billion yuan ($140 million) sheep industry and a 500 million yuan sea buckthorn industry chain.
\n
Last year, the county welcomed 6.22 million visitors from home and abroad, generating tourism revenue of 3.58 billion yuan.
\n
Wang Zhanfeng's unwavering efforts have garnered recognition from various quarters, earning him honors such as the "Shanxi Province Watershed Governance Model" and the "Shanxi Province May 1 Labor Medal" in recent years.
\n
"Youyu people understand trees. Without afforestation, this place would have long succumbed to sandstorms," Wang said. "To me, the Youyu spirit means afforestation, and it must continue steadfastly."
\n
Contact the writers at zhuxingxin@chinadaily.com.cn
",
@@ -4615,28 +4549,6 @@
"hash": "cad5b30b16543922edb4bce05d1bb35c",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "007CHINA - Mothers pool resources to help baby get a new heart",
- "description": "\n
Jun Jun, an ethnic Yi infant from Sichuan province, has recovered and left the hospital after a lifesaving heart transplant at Wuhan's Union Hospital in Hubei province.
\n
The surgery was funded by 150,000 yuan ($20,893) raised in just four hours through donations from over 400 kindhearted mothers across China.
\n
Jun Jun was born on Nov 6, 2024, in Suba town, Mabian Yi autonomous county.
\n
In early March, he suddenly developed symptoms like rapid breathing and paleness, diagnosed as "heart failure and severe pneumonia".
\n
Doctors at West China Second University Hospital in Chengdu told Jun Jun's father that a heart transplant was the child's only hope for survival.
\n
The 34-year-old father, who underwent heart surgery himself two years ago, supports his four children through odd jobs. The family was already 70,000 yuan in debt from Jun Jun's previous medical bills and could not afford the operation.
\n
In desperation, Jun Jun's mother posted a video plea on social media platforms.
\n
A breakthrough came on May 8 when an online user from Henan province contacted her. After verifying the boy's story, they set up a rescue group on WeChat.
\n
The group quickly attracted over 400 members from across the country, mostly mothers.
\n
"As Sichuan hospitals advised transferring Jun Jun to a more advanced facility, the group researched options nationwide," said one of the group members, Liu Jiangtao.
\n
Members discovered that Professor Dong Nianguo at Wuhan Union Hospital has rich experience in this field and is famous for developing Asia's smallest artificial heart.
\n
One woman in the group had her heart valve successfully replaced by Dong nine years ago and remains healthy.
\n
These sympathetic mothers unanimously chose Wuhan Union Hospital for Jun Jun's treatment.
\n
However, the biggest hurdle remained: The family did not have money for the surgery.
\n
The group turned to online crowd-funding — posting daily on social media platform Xiaohongshu and in other WeChat groups, expanding their network.
\n
On June 4, Wuhan Union Hospital confirmed: a matching donor heart was available for surgery the next day, requiring a 150,000 yuan deposit.
\n
The group sprang into action: donations of 50, 66, 520 and 1,000 yuan flooded in as a flurry of red envelopes filled the WeChat group.
\n
The full amount was raised within four hours. "Jun Jun is like our own child. We couldn't watch him die," Liu said.
\n
Members not only donated but also organized supplies, assisted with paperwork, and some drove hundreds of kilometers overnight to help in Wuhan.
\n
Some more good news came in: The donated heart from Zhejiang province was a blood match for Jun Jun.
\n
After a four-hour operation on June 5, the new heart beat successfully in Jun Jun's chest.
\n
He was taken off the tracheal tube 17 hours post-surgery, moved from the ICU after 16 days, and now weighs 7.5 kg — up from 6 kg pre-operation.
\n
He drinks nearly 600 milliliters of milk daily, with all indicators showing strong recovery.
\n
"Paediatric heart transplants represent the pinnacle of organ transplants, challenged by donor shortages and technical complexity," Dong said.
\n
His hospital achieves an 89.1 percent five-year survival rate — surpassing the internationally reported 72.56 percent average.
\n
Beyond medical care, the hospital provided Jun Jun's family free accommodation for cooking and childcare. Dong's team will also offer long-term medical guidance and psychological support.
\n
After the operation, Jun Jun's mother said: "The kindhearted mothers and Union Hospital gave him a second life. We'll teach our children to take this kindness forward."
\n
Liu, one of the "kindhearted mothers", said: "Many assume such illnesses are untreatable. But doctors like Dong, skilled and ethical, can achieve success in this kind of surgery. They deserve wider recognition.
\n
"With costs often reaching 500,000 or even 1 million yuan, many families usually abandon treatment for this kind of disease. But growing public generosity and improved medical insurance now offer seriously ill children greater hope of survival."
\n
Contact the writers at zhaoruinan@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "\n
Jun Jun, an ethnic Yi infant from Sichuan province, has recovered and left the hospital after a lifesaving heart transplant at Wuhan's Union Hospital in Hubei province.
\n
The surgery was funded by 150,000 yuan ($20,893) raised in just four hours through donations from over 400 kindhearted mothers across China.
\n
Jun Jun was born on Nov 6, 2024, in Suba town, Mabian Yi autonomous county.
\n
In early March, he suddenly developed symptoms like rapid breathing and paleness, diagnosed as "heart failure and severe pneumonia".
\n
Doctors at West China Second University Hospital in Chengdu told Jun Jun's father that a heart transplant was the child's only hope for survival.
\n
The 34-year-old father, who underwent heart surgery himself two years ago, supports his four children through odd jobs. The family was already 70,000 yuan in debt from Jun Jun's previous medical bills and could not afford the operation.
\n
In desperation, Jun Jun's mother posted a video plea on social media platforms.
\n
A breakthrough came on May 8 when an online user from Henan province contacted her. After verifying the boy's story, they set up a rescue group on WeChat.
\n
The group quickly attracted over 400 members from across the country, mostly mothers.
\n
"As Sichuan hospitals advised transferring Jun Jun to a more advanced facility, the group researched options nationwide," said one of the group members, Liu Jiangtao.
\n
Members discovered that Professor Dong Nianguo at Wuhan Union Hospital has rich experience in this field and is famous for developing Asia's smallest artificial heart.
\n
One woman in the group had her heart valve successfully replaced by Dong nine years ago and remains healthy.
\n
These sympathetic mothers unanimously chose Wuhan Union Hospital for Jun Jun's treatment.
\n
However, the biggest hurdle remained: The family did not have money for the surgery.
\n
The group turned to online crowd-funding — posting daily on social media platform Xiaohongshu and in other WeChat groups, expanding their network.
\n
On June 4, Wuhan Union Hospital confirmed: a matching donor heart was available for surgery the next day, requiring a 150,000 yuan deposit.
\n
The group sprang into action: donations of 50, 66, 520 and 1,000 yuan flooded in as a flurry of red envelopes filled the WeChat group.
\n
The full amount was raised within four hours. "Jun Jun is like our own child. We couldn't watch him die," Liu said.
\n
Members not only donated but also organized supplies, assisted with paperwork, and some drove hundreds of kilometers overnight to help in Wuhan.
\n
Some more good news came in: The donated heart from Zhejiang province was a blood match for Jun Jun.
\n
After a four-hour operation on June 5, the new heart beat successfully in Jun Jun's chest.
\n
He was taken off the tracheal tube 17 hours post-surgery, moved from the ICU after 16 days, and now weighs 7.5 kg — up from 6 kg pre-operation.
\n
He drinks nearly 600 milliliters of milk daily, with all indicators showing strong recovery.
\n
"Paediatric heart transplants represent the pinnacle of organ transplants, challenged by donor shortages and technical complexity," Dong said.
\n
His hospital achieves an 89.1 percent five-year survival rate — surpassing the internationally reported 72.56 percent average.
\n
Beyond medical care, the hospital provided Jun Jun's family free accommodation for cooking and childcare. Dong's team will also offer long-term medical guidance and psychological support.
\n
After the operation, Jun Jun's mother said: "The kindhearted mothers and Union Hospital gave him a second life. We'll teach our children to take this kindness forward."
\n
Liu, one of the "kindhearted mothers", said: "Many assume such illnesses are untreatable. But doctors like Dong, skilled and ethical, can achieve success in this kind of surgery. They deserve wider recognition.
\n
"With costs often reaching 500,000 or even 1 million yuan, many families usually abandon treatment for this kind of disease. But growing public generosity and improved medical insurance now offer seriously ill children greater hope of survival."
\n
Contact the writers at zhaoruinan@chinadaily.com.cn
XINING — Chinese researchers have recently revealed that the plasticity of gut microbiota is a key factor assisting ungulates in better adapting to different regions on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in western China.
\n
This study has provided insights into understanding how gut microbiota helps hosts adapt to local diets during the adaptation of ungulates to different areas on "the roof of the world", according to the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
\n
Conducted by a research team from the NWIPB, the study also unveiled the host-microbiota synergy mechanism of plateau wildlife, thereby providing a scientific basis for formulating targeted protection strategies. These findings have been published in the journal mSystems.
\n
"Revealing how wildlife adapts to different regions has always been one of the goals of conservation biology, especially given the background of accelerating loss of global biodiversity," said Zhang Tongzuo, leader of the study and a researcher at the NWIPB.
\n
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the world's highest-altitude ecosystem and one of the global hot spots in the field of conservation biology studies. It boasts diverse habitats and a rich variety of wild animals, including blue sheep, which is one of the ungulates with the widest distribution and the largest population in this region.
\n
"Blue sheep are widely distributed in various habitats, such as shrub-lands, grasslands and deserts — forming a complex regional dietary differentiation pattern. It provides an ideal model for studying host-microorganism co-adaptation in extreme environments," Zhang said.
\n
The researchers used blue sheep as the focus of the study, adopting high-throughput sequencing techniques and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to investigate their diets and the composition and functioning of their gut microbiota.
\n
The team collected and tested the composition of gut microbial metabolites in three regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau — namely the Qinghai Lake basin, the Kunlun Mountains and the Sanjiangyuan area.
\n
The team explored their different diets and the composition and functional characteristics of their gut microbiota, as well as differences in their metabolites. Compared with their peers living in the other two regions, blue sheep in the Qinghai Lake basin possess gut microbiota with a greater capacity to digest seemingly indigestible substances — thus significantly enhancing their energy conversion efficiency, according to the research findings.
\n
This study for the first time reveals an adaptive strategy for efficient energy acquisition in plateau blue sheep via a low crude fiber dietary mode, Zhang said.
\n",
@@ -4659,28 +4571,6 @@
"hash": "e8be31fbc06f265da29c45e4403baeb5",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "008COMMENT - Pacific Ocean should not be turned into a sea of zero-sum disturbances",
- "description": "
When asked how he proposed to balance his country's ties between the United States and China when facing the media in his meeting with the US president at the White House on Tuesday last week, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr apparently intended to take advantage of his reply to curry favor with his US host.
\n
But before Marcos finished his I-am-always-on-your-side ingratiation, his US counterpart's abrupt interjection obviously caught the Philippine president off guard.
\n
That was because he had been told at the Pentagon one day earlier that the Philippines should continue to do the dirty work it has been doing in the South China Sea as a provoker of China.
\n
But as predicted by many observers, Marcos' bewilderment proved to be short-lived, as just one week after his trip to the White House, his government made a bid to purchase US arms, pretending it has no choice but to do so for its own security.
\n
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr on Wednesday urged the country's Congress to amend the military's modernization program. "The challenge isn't just traditional threats anymore," he said in a panel discussion. "We now face asymmetric and hybrid threats, like cyberattacks and others."
\n
The Philippines has launched a sweeping $35-billion military modernization program aimed at bolstering its defense capabilities over the next decade, including the acquisition of advanced naval vessels, planes and missile systems, in a move to push back against what it claims is China's "threat".
\n
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief-of-Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr said in the same panel discussion that the military is enhancing its cyberwarfare capabilities, as he described cyberspace as a new frontier for conflict, adding "We will harness this not only to defend our country, but, if necessary, to be on the offense".
\n
The Marcos government's to-do list is therefore no longer restricted to staging its look-at-the-bully farces in the South China Sea, and it is also acting as a US agent in the new frontier of cyberspace, laying bare the hypocrisy of its "China threat" theory.
\n
In stark contrast with the long-term strategic restraint China has been practicing in handling the maritime disputes with the Philippines, Manila's moves only serve to expose to the world that it is a US puppet in the South China Sea.
\n
The Marcos government's increased spending on military in the costly new frontier warfare will directly benefit the US military-industrial complex. That this happens when the Philippines faces no actual security threat in either conventional or the new cyber frontier only proves the Pentagon's success with its other AI tactic — "artificial intimidation".
\n
The US applies similar tactics to its other regional allies and partners as well by hyping up a "China threat". Both Australia and Japan are being pressed to increase their purchases of US weapons.
\n
In a move that experts said is undoubtedly "directed at China", the US Air Force's Resolute Force Pacific exercise from July 10 to Aug 8 has seen more than 400 aircraft and 12,000 personnel from the US and allies such as Australia and Japan converge on Guam.
\n
The exercises in the Pacific come on the back of US Defense Under Secretary Elbridge Colby's recent comments, calling on allies, such as Australia and Japan, to make clear if they would commit troops to a conflict with the Chinese mainland over the Taiwan question.
\n
Meanwhile, the US and Japan have been discussing a scenario, in which the US military would use nuclear weapons in the event of a contingency, during talks on so-called extended deterrence. It is the first time the two countries have delved into the issue, in a sign that they are seeking to strengthen the US nuclear umbrella amid what they allege is intensifying military activity by "hostile countries".
\n
These are all desperate moves by the US to try and create a confrontational atmosphere reflecting the unwavering focus of its strategic emphasis on the Asia-Pacific. Moves that are detrimental to regional peace and stability.
\n
The Pacific Ocean is a place of peace and should not be turned into a sea of artificial disturbances, as Chinese National Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said on Wednesday while taking questions on the US moves.
\n
The US allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific should realize that threatening and undermining the security of other countries will not bring about their own security. Only by fostering a comprehensive, cooperative and lasting security perspective and embarking on a new security path based on dialogue rather than confrontation, partnership rather than alliance, and win-win rather than zero-sum strategies can the region truly ensure security.
\n",
- "content": "
When asked how he proposed to balance his country's ties between the United States and China when facing the media in his meeting with the US president at the White House on Tuesday last week, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr apparently intended to take advantage of his reply to curry favor with his US host.
\n
But before Marcos finished his I-am-always-on-your-side ingratiation, his US counterpart's abrupt interjection obviously caught the Philippine president off guard.
\n
That was because he had been told at the Pentagon one day earlier that the Philippines should continue to do the dirty work it has been doing in the South China Sea as a provoker of China.
\n
But as predicted by many observers, Marcos' bewilderment proved to be short-lived, as just one week after his trip to the White House, his government made a bid to purchase US arms, pretending it has no choice but to do so for its own security.
\n
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr on Wednesday urged the country's Congress to amend the military's modernization program. "The challenge isn't just traditional threats anymore," he said in a panel discussion. "We now face asymmetric and hybrid threats, like cyberattacks and others."
\n
The Philippines has launched a sweeping $35-billion military modernization program aimed at bolstering its defense capabilities over the next decade, including the acquisition of advanced naval vessels, planes and missile systems, in a move to push back against what it claims is China's "threat".
\n
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief-of-Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr said in the same panel discussion that the military is enhancing its cyberwarfare capabilities, as he described cyberspace as a new frontier for conflict, adding "We will harness this not only to defend our country, but, if necessary, to be on the offense".
\n
The Marcos government's to-do list is therefore no longer restricted to staging its look-at-the-bully farces in the South China Sea, and it is also acting as a US agent in the new frontier of cyberspace, laying bare the hypocrisy of its "China threat" theory.
\n
In stark contrast with the long-term strategic restraint China has been practicing in handling the maritime disputes with the Philippines, Manila's moves only serve to expose to the world that it is a US puppet in the South China Sea.
\n
The Marcos government's increased spending on military in the costly new frontier warfare will directly benefit the US military-industrial complex. That this happens when the Philippines faces no actual security threat in either conventional or the new cyber frontier only proves the Pentagon's success with its other AI tactic — "artificial intimidation".
\n
The US applies similar tactics to its other regional allies and partners as well by hyping up a "China threat". Both Australia and Japan are being pressed to increase their purchases of US weapons.
\n
In a move that experts said is undoubtedly "directed at China", the US Air Force's Resolute Force Pacific exercise from July 10 to Aug 8 has seen more than 400 aircraft and 12,000 personnel from the US and allies such as Australia and Japan converge on Guam.
\n
The exercises in the Pacific come on the back of US Defense Under Secretary Elbridge Colby's recent comments, calling on allies, such as Australia and Japan, to make clear if they would commit troops to a conflict with the Chinese mainland over the Taiwan question.
\n
Meanwhile, the US and Japan have been discussing a scenario, in which the US military would use nuclear weapons in the event of a contingency, during talks on so-called extended deterrence. It is the first time the two countries have delved into the issue, in a sign that they are seeking to strengthen the US nuclear umbrella amid what they allege is intensifying military activity by "hostile countries".
\n
These are all desperate moves by the US to try and create a confrontational atmosphere reflecting the unwavering focus of its strategic emphasis on the Asia-Pacific. Moves that are detrimental to regional peace and stability.
\n
The Pacific Ocean is a place of peace and should not be turned into a sea of artificial disturbances, as Chinese National Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said on Wednesday while taking questions on the US moves.
\n
The US allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific should realize that threatening and undermining the security of other countries will not bring about their own security. Only by fostering a comprehensive, cooperative and lasting security perspective and embarking on a new security path based on dialogue rather than confrontation, partnership rather than alliance, and win-win rather than zero-sum strategies can the region truly ensure security.
In a major backtracking move, the United States government has fired the last of the staff members at the State Department's Office of Global Change, which oversees the country's international climate change negotiations. This means the world's largest historical polluter will possibly have no official presence at the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP30, scheduled to be held in Belem, Brazil, in November.
\n
The event will provide representatives from 190 countries with a platform to try to foster consensus on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2035. It is considered to be one of the most consequential climate summits with a large bearing on the future of humanity. The absence of the US at the meeting will compromise the global efforts to address climate change.
\n
A direct outcome of the US' withdrawal could be a shortage of the vital funding that spurs emissions reductions in other countries, and helps the most vulnerable communities to adapt to the mounting impacts of climate change. In 2023, the US announced a $3 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund. And, given that the US is a high-tech superpower capable of providing solutions based on technology and innovation, its reversal on the climate agenda will make it more difficult for countries to try to slow the rising temperatures and deal with increasing extreme weather events.
\n
The US' withdrawal also marks a major step back from the leading role it once played on climate change. The US is abandoning its responsibilities in the midst of a planetary emergency, as some observers said.
\n
The US first committed to the Paris Agreement in a joint announcement with China in 2015. The legally binding international treaty, which entered into force in November 2016, aims to hold "the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 C above preindustrial levels".
\n
Yet just one year later, the US withdrew from the treaty. The US rejoined the pact in 2021 and set the goal of cutting carbon emissions by at least half by 2030. But with the US pulling out of the Paris pact again and taking steps to boost fossil fuels and slow the growth of clean energy under the US leader's pro-drilling energy policy, the world again stands at a critical juncture as to how to work together to ramp up renewable energy and curb planet-warming gases in the face of the harsh reality of global warming.
\n
Despite the challenges, China has remained steadfast in its commitment to green development and emerged as a major contributor to the global transition to renewable energy and the global fight against climate change. The country has been taking concrete steps toward its commitment to peak carbon emissions before 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Statistics show that China's energy consumption per unit of GDP decreased by 11.6 percent in the first four years of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period. A reduction that is equivalent to cutting 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, nearly 50 percent of the European Union's total carbon emissions in 2024.
\n
This attests to China's commitment to climate action. Despite the absence of robust US climate moves, China is determined to continue to work with other countries and international organizations to address the shared existential threat they confront. In a joint statement on climate change issued by China and the EU after their meeting in Beijing last week, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris Agreement and called for strong action at the upcoming COP30. "In the fluid and turbulent international situation today, it is crucial that all countries, notably the major economies, maintain policy continuity and stability and step up efforts to address climate change," it said.
\n
The US' withdrawal from the global climate agenda does not mean the end of the international community's endeavor to combat global warming. Rather, the global efforts aimed at creating a sustainable, resilient and low-carbon future that safeguards the planet that we call home will never cease.
\n
The Paris Agreement demonstrates that countries with divergent interests can come together to address shared concerns that will affect them all. It survived the first US withdrawal eight years ago, and it will survive its second one.
Israel has rejected Hamas' proposed changes to the Gaza ceasefire deal, Egyptian sources said on Wednesday.
\n
Tel Aviv refused to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remains of Israeli captives held by Hamas, rejected a Hamas-proposed map for the redeployment of Israeli forces in Gaza, and declined to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, a key border strip between Gaza and Egypt. Besides, Israel's continued military offensive in Gaza and its closure of border crossings have led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, with the United Nations saying that a widespread famine was unfolding in Gaza.
\n
Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip since Hamas' attacks on Oct 7, 2023, has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, injured over 146,000 others, and caused massive destruction, according to an update by Gaza's health authorities on Wednesday.
\n
With no sign of an end to the conflict, the immediate priority is to achieve a full ceasefire in Gaza and alleviate the humanitarian crisis, creating the necessary conditions for realizing a "two-state solution".
\n
That's also the central message that Chinese envoy Zhai Jun delivered at the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution held at the UN Headquarters in New York from Monday to Wednesday.
\n
It is clear for a long time now that Tel Aviv's objective is neither a ceasefire nor the release of hostages — it is the annexation of the Gaza Strip.
\n
"We warn of the dangers of the occupation's plans for the gradual annexation of the Gaza Strip," the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday. The ministry considers Israel's move "a conspiracy to forcibly displace the population of the Strip and undermine the opportunity to establish a Palestinian state on the ground".
\n
Israel, as well as its major backer the United States, should realize that any attempt to forcibly alter Gaza's status or encroach upon West Bank territory will not bring peace. Such actions will only ignite further instability and undermine the prospects for the "two-state solution", which remains the only viable path for resolving the Palestinian question.
\n
China strongly supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, enjoying full sovereignty, Zhai said at the UN conference.
\n
All countries that strive for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestine question oppose any actions that violate international law and seek to undermine the "two-state solution". The UN should play a leading role in prompting relevant stakeholders to come up with a clear timeline and a roadmap for its implementation. China calls for a ceasefire with maximum urgency and for de-escalation of the humanitarian crisis; upholding the principle of "Palestinians governing Palestine" to advance governance in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank; supporting Palestinian internal unity and assisting Palestine with its capacity-building in governance and improvement of economic resilience.
\n
The security of Israel can only be based on the security of its neighbors and regional reconciliation. If it continues to use force to annex its neighboring regions to build a so-called buffer zone for its own security, the "security" it is fighting for will only be a castle built on sand.
\n
The security of all countries in the region is interconnected, and a unilateral approach to security will not work; only collective security can pave the way for lasting peace.
\n
Tel Aviv needs to demonstrate the flexibility, political wisdom and strategic foresight to replace its unilateral approach with a comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security approach for long-term peace in the Middle East. Also, it shouldn't take more lives and another humanitarian crisis for the Israeli people to realize that they have only become more insecure compared with the situation before Oct 7, 2023. Israel's military operations have far exceeded retaliation, instead becoming maneuvers of some politicians for their own narrow ends.
\n
The question is for how long Israelis will continue to allow themselves to be hoodwinked for a "security" based on fighting, hatred and manipulation.
Editor's Note: In recent years, extreme weather events have become increasingly frequent. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Jin Ronghua, director-general of the National Meteorological Center of China Meteorological Administration, explained the reasons behind the surge in extreme weather events, changes in weather patterns and why weather forecasts may sometimes appear inaccurate. Following are excerpts from the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
\n
In summer, due to the influence of the subtropical high, large parts of China often experience hot weather. This year, the subtropical high has strengthened. At the same time, the continental high has also been more active, often leading to clear and sunny conditions. Together, these two systems have contributed to widespread abnormal high temperatures across the country.
\n
High temperatures are normal in summer. However, in late June, the northeastern region, especially parts of Heilongjiang, experienced temperatures above 35 C, which was indeed unusual. In some areas, the temperatures even broke historical records since meteorological data began to be recorded in 1961.
\n
In addition, global warming is also a contributing factor to the rise in summer temperatures. Compared with the past, the intensity, duration, extent and frequency of high-temperature events are all likely to increase.
\n
Extreme weather is defined in relation to the climatic average. Against the backdrop of global warming, atmospheric fluctuations have become more intense, leading to more deviations from the climatic norm. This, in turn, makes extreme weather events more likely to occur.
\n
Over the past 20 years, both the trend and degree of global warming have intensified. As a result, extreme weather events are not only happening more frequently, but are also becoming more severe.
\n
To respond to these challenges, China's meteorological departments have established a comprehensive three-dimensional monitoring network that covers the sky, space and ground. This includes eight Fengyun meteorological satellites in orbit, over 500 weather radars and more than 90,000 ground observation stations, enabling close monitoring of various weather phenomena and disasters.
\n
This system is among the most advanced in the world. However, some weather events, like tornadoes, are very sudden, short-lived and extremely localized, making them difficult to detect and monitor accurately.
\n
The National Meteorological Center issues warnings for 14 types of extreme weather, including typhoons, heavy rainfall, severe convective storms, freezing conditions, cold waves, high temperatures, sandstorms and dense fog. The lead time for issuing warnings varies depending on the type of weather. For systematic events like cold waves and heatwaves, forecasts can be made up to seven days in advance, with warnings typically issued two to three days before the event happens. In contrast, phenomena like severe convective storms and heavy rainfall are more complex in origin and require more cautious analysis, so warnings are generally issued one day in advance.
\n
Ultimately, weather forecasting is a predictive science, and forecasters are constantly working to improve accuracy. In most cases, weather assessments are accurate. As global warming continues, forecasters are facing more and more challenges.
\n
Yet, with an advanced observation system in place and the empowering capabilities of artificial intelligence, meteorological departments in China are expected to meet future challenges. They are confident of providing improved services to the public and various sectors in the future.
\n",
- "content": "
Editor's Note: In recent years, extreme weather events have become increasingly frequent. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Jin Ronghua, director-general of the National Meteorological Center of China Meteorological Administration, explained the reasons behind the surge in extreme weather events, changes in weather patterns and why weather forecasts may sometimes appear inaccurate. Following are excerpts from the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
\n
In summer, due to the influence of the subtropical high, large parts of China often experience hot weather. This year, the subtropical high has strengthened. At the same time, the continental high has also been more active, often leading to clear and sunny conditions. Together, these two systems have contributed to widespread abnormal high temperatures across the country.
\n
High temperatures are normal in summer. However, in late June, the northeastern region, especially parts of Heilongjiang, experienced temperatures above 35 C, which was indeed unusual. In some areas, the temperatures even broke historical records since meteorological data began to be recorded in 1961.
\n
In addition, global warming is also a contributing factor to the rise in summer temperatures. Compared with the past, the intensity, duration, extent and frequency of high-temperature events are all likely to increase.
\n
Extreme weather is defined in relation to the climatic average. Against the backdrop of global warming, atmospheric fluctuations have become more intense, leading to more deviations from the climatic norm. This, in turn, makes extreme weather events more likely to occur.
\n
Over the past 20 years, both the trend and degree of global warming have intensified. As a result, extreme weather events are not only happening more frequently, but are also becoming more severe.
\n
To respond to these challenges, China's meteorological departments have established a comprehensive three-dimensional monitoring network that covers the sky, space and ground. This includes eight Fengyun meteorological satellites in orbit, over 500 weather radars and more than 90,000 ground observation stations, enabling close monitoring of various weather phenomena and disasters.
\n
This system is among the most advanced in the world. However, some weather events, like tornadoes, are very sudden, short-lived and extremely localized, making them difficult to detect and monitor accurately.
\n
The National Meteorological Center issues warnings for 14 types of extreme weather, including typhoons, heavy rainfall, severe convective storms, freezing conditions, cold waves, high temperatures, sandstorms and dense fog. The lead time for issuing warnings varies depending on the type of weather. For systematic events like cold waves and heatwaves, forecasts can be made up to seven days in advance, with warnings typically issued two to three days before the event happens. In contrast, phenomena like severe convective storms and heavy rainfall are more complex in origin and require more cautious analysis, so warnings are generally issued one day in advance.
\n
Ultimately, weather forecasting is a predictive science, and forecasters are constantly working to improve accuracy. In most cases, weather assessments are accurate. As global warming continues, forecasters are facing more and more challenges.
\n
Yet, with an advanced observation system in place and the empowering capabilities of artificial intelligence, meteorological departments in China are expected to meet future challenges. They are confident of providing improved services to the public and various sectors in the future.
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. The year also marks the final phase of the journey toward achieving the centenary goals of the People's Liberation Army in 2027, making it necessary to stay on track, harness the core strengths of a "people's war" and mobilize the people for just causes.
\n
Marxism holds that what is called history is nothing but the creation of man by human labor. In other words, people are the decisive force behind progress. The theory of people's war is rooted in this principle, and emphasizes that people, not weapons, ultimately determine the outcome of war.
\n
The legacy of people's war has been evolving over the past 80 years. In today's era of multi-domain competition, victory depends on maintaining a strong bond with the people, adapting to technological and tactical changes, and mobilizing the people.
\n
During the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Communist Party of China mobilized the people, established base areas behind enemy lines, and gained support from a cross-section of society. By organizing guerrilla forces and militias, the Party developed a combat system integrating trained troops, armed civilians and local forces to counter the enemy.
\n
The Party-led people's war is the foundation of the PLA's combat effectiveness and its key strategic advantage. At its core lies the truth that people are the real source of military strength. Guided by this principle, the people's armed forces have, from their modest beginnings, transformed into a major military force. As Chairman Mao Zedong emphasized in On Protracted War, mobilizing the people compensates for inferior equipment and brings victory despite adverse conditions.
\n
On the open plains of North China, where natural cover was limited, the Party-led troops and civilians built hidden tunnels, planted landmines, and used "sparrow warfare" (hit-and-run) tactics to immobilize the Japanese forces, thwarting the enemy's "mopping-up" operations. The campaign demonstrated the creativity and decisive role of the people in the war.
\n
Adhering to the philosophy of people's war, the Party developed a complete system of strategies and tactics based on actual conditions. From the guerrilla warfare of the Red Army and immobilizing of the Japanese forces to the strategic adjustments during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53) and the post-1949 military reforms, the PLA has been learning from its experiences.
\n
By advancing the concept of people's war in line with the evolving times, the PLA has made remarkable achievements, including defeating stronger enemies in war and safeguarding national interests during peacetime.
\n
Today, technological advancement in fields such as information networks, artificial intelligence, and multi-domain battlefields has transformed the nature of warfare, with joint operations becoming the core of modern combat and creating new opportunities for people's participation in national defense.
\n
Yet victory in warfare still stems from the people. To ensure the PLA achieves its centenary goals and becomes a world-class defense force, China must combine the principle of people's war and advanced technologies to work out its future defense strategy.
\n
People's expertise in information and communications technology, data and innovation is a vital strategic resource and a decisive advantage in modern warfare. As such, China needs to leverage digital tools such as big data, AI and cloud computing to enhance cyber intelligence and improve communication mechanisms that help build public consensus on national defense.
\n
Therefore, it is necessary to reinforce unity between the PLA, the government and the people, and promote a strong social ethos to boost national defense.
\n
History tells us that the people are the foundation of military success. In the pursuit of its centenary goals despite facing new technological challenges, the PLA should continue to rely on the people, leveraging their combined strength and protecting their interests. By adhering to the people's war principle, developing new strategies, and integrating advanced technologies into its military modernization plan, China can strengthen its armed forces and ensure they deter aggression, prevent conflict, and maintain peace.
\n
The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
The just-concluded 25th China-EU Summit, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides, issued a joint statement on climate change, detailing the way forward as the world approaches the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement.
\n
Climate change poses an unprecedented threat to all countries. As two major forces committed to building a multipolar world, China and the European Union have always called for global climate governance based on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Since "green" is the hallmark of China-EU cooperation, the two sides agree on climate action, ecological preservation and environmental protection.
\n
In stark contrast to China and the EU, the United States has been taking unilateral actions detrimental to not only global climate governance but also the natural environment. For example, on July 4, the US passed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", which will undermine the country's energy transition as well as global climate cooperation. The bill deals another blow to the global fight against climate change, especially as the US has once again begun the process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement — a reversal of the previous administration's decision to rejoin it.
\n
Against such a background, strengthening China-EU climate cooperation has become even more important.
\n
For a long time, both China and the EU have attached great importance to fighting climate change, launching a series of productive policy dialogues and engaging in practical cooperation. From hosting the Global Sustainable Transport Forum to establishing the China-Europe carbon neutrality research center, from the zero-emissions vessels in Northern European ports to the industrial parks producing solar panels in the Iberian Peninsula, China-EU cooperation on green development has been advancing in both depth and latitude.
\n
The latest China-EU joint statement on climate change further stresses the need for the two sides to deepen cooperation in areas such as energy transition, climate adaptation, carbon market, and green and low-carbon technology.
\n
But such cooperation comes with challenges due to the EU's lack of real concern for the Global South as a major development force. On July 23, just a day before the China-EU Summit, the International Court of Justice delivered its first advisory opinion on climate change, asserting that countries have a legal obligation to protect the climate system from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and mend the resulting damage. The case saw the highest level of participation from the international community in the ICJ's history, with 91 written statements and 62 written comments filed in the Registry by States and international organizations, including China and the EU.
\n
Despite claiming to be a "green flagbearer", the EU targeted developing countries including China in the written statement it submitted to the court. It claimed that climate mitigation obligations of all the state parties to the Paris Agreement have changed the basis of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. It also said the principle is based on the different national circumstances of the states, but not on developed countries' responsibility for historical emissions, so the countries with enhanced capacity should shoulder more responsibility for reducing emissions, and provide financial assistance for less-developed economies.
\n
Blurring the line between developed and developing countries, the EU intends to transfer the responsibility of reducing emissions and providing financial assistance from the Global North to the emerging market economies such as China. Unfortunately, the EU's contention influenced the ICJ's final opinion. Although the court recognized common but differentiated responsibilities as the guiding principle directly applicable to climate change, it held that the principle does not call for assigning new responsibilities to countries.
\n
This is to say, the ICJ fell short of analyzing how the principle provides meaningful guidance for the interpretation of treaties, limiting the effectiveness of the principle merely to the nominal level.
\n
The ICJ's advisory opinion is a mirror that reflects the power imbalance between the Global North and the Global South in making global climate governance rules, which is unfair to the Global South.
\n
Studies show that about 90 percent of the excessive carbon emissions come from developed countries, with developing countries, especially least-developed and small island developing countries, being disproportionally affected by climate change. Worse, they lack the needed technology and financial support to cope with the challenge. These countries need global cooperation, including technology transfer and financial assistance from the developed economies, to combat climate change. And it is the common but differentiated responsibilities principle that lays the foundation of global cooperation.
\n
As part of the Global South, China has been emphasizing the key role of the common but differentiated responsibilities principle in global climate governance. In its written statement, China said the essence of global climate governance based on the UNFCCC is to stress the legal obligation of "differentiation": Article 3 of the convention refers to "common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities", thus establishing the primacy of the principle, with the Nationally Determined Contributions clause of the Paris Agreement further developing it.
\n
It's time the Global South amplified its collective voice in global climate governance to counter West-centrism. This is necessary for democratizing the global climate governance system, and prompting the international community to make global climate governance more effective by adhering to the China-proposed principles: extensive consultation, joint construction and shared benefit. Only if we combat climate change through multilateral cooperation can all countries reduce the cost of their climate actions and cope with climate challenge.
\n
The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
\n",
- "content": "\n
The just-concluded 25th China-EU Summit, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides, issued a joint statement on climate change, detailing the way forward as the world approaches the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement.
\n
Climate change poses an unprecedented threat to all countries. As two major forces committed to building a multipolar world, China and the European Union have always called for global climate governance based on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Since "green" is the hallmark of China-EU cooperation, the two sides agree on climate action, ecological preservation and environmental protection.
\n
In stark contrast to China and the EU, the United States has been taking unilateral actions detrimental to not only global climate governance but also the natural environment. For example, on July 4, the US passed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", which will undermine the country's energy transition as well as global climate cooperation. The bill deals another blow to the global fight against climate change, especially as the US has once again begun the process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement — a reversal of the previous administration's decision to rejoin it.
\n
Against such a background, strengthening China-EU climate cooperation has become even more important.
\n
For a long time, both China and the EU have attached great importance to fighting climate change, launching a series of productive policy dialogues and engaging in practical cooperation. From hosting the Global Sustainable Transport Forum to establishing the China-Europe carbon neutrality research center, from the zero-emissions vessels in Northern European ports to the industrial parks producing solar panels in the Iberian Peninsula, China-EU cooperation on green development has been advancing in both depth and latitude.
\n
The latest China-EU joint statement on climate change further stresses the need for the two sides to deepen cooperation in areas such as energy transition, climate adaptation, carbon market, and green and low-carbon technology.
\n
But such cooperation comes with challenges due to the EU's lack of real concern for the Global South as a major development force. On July 23, just a day before the China-EU Summit, the International Court of Justice delivered its first advisory opinion on climate change, asserting that countries have a legal obligation to protect the climate system from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and mend the resulting damage. The case saw the highest level of participation from the international community in the ICJ's history, with 91 written statements and 62 written comments filed in the Registry by States and international organizations, including China and the EU.
\n
Despite claiming to be a "green flagbearer", the EU targeted developing countries including China in the written statement it submitted to the court. It claimed that climate mitigation obligations of all the state parties to the Paris Agreement have changed the basis of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. It also said the principle is based on the different national circumstances of the states, but not on developed countries' responsibility for historical emissions, so the countries with enhanced capacity should shoulder more responsibility for reducing emissions, and provide financial assistance for less-developed economies.
\n
Blurring the line between developed and developing countries, the EU intends to transfer the responsibility of reducing emissions and providing financial assistance from the Global North to the emerging market economies such as China. Unfortunately, the EU's contention influenced the ICJ's final opinion. Although the court recognized common but differentiated responsibilities as the guiding principle directly applicable to climate change, it held that the principle does not call for assigning new responsibilities to countries.
\n
This is to say, the ICJ fell short of analyzing how the principle provides meaningful guidance for the interpretation of treaties, limiting the effectiveness of the principle merely to the nominal level.
\n
The ICJ's advisory opinion is a mirror that reflects the power imbalance between the Global North and the Global South in making global climate governance rules, which is unfair to the Global South.
\n
Studies show that about 90 percent of the excessive carbon emissions come from developed countries, with developing countries, especially least-developed and small island developing countries, being disproportionally affected by climate change. Worse, they lack the needed technology and financial support to cope with the challenge. These countries need global cooperation, including technology transfer and financial assistance from the developed economies, to combat climate change. And it is the common but differentiated responsibilities principle that lays the foundation of global cooperation.
\n
As part of the Global South, China has been emphasizing the key role of the common but differentiated responsibilities principle in global climate governance. In its written statement, China said the essence of global climate governance based on the UNFCCC is to stress the legal obligation of "differentiation": Article 3 of the convention refers to "common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities", thus establishing the primacy of the principle, with the Nationally Determined Contributions clause of the Paris Agreement further developing it.
\n
It's time the Global South amplified its collective voice in global climate governance to counter West-centrism. This is necessary for democratizing the global climate governance system, and prompting the international community to make global climate governance more effective by adhering to the China-proposed principles: extensive consultation, joint construction and shared benefit. Only if we combat climate change through multilateral cooperation can all countries reduce the cost of their climate actions and cope with climate challenge.
\n
The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
I know I might invite criticism if I promote alcohol, but I also believe it would be a dereliction of duty on my part to bid farewell to Belgium after nearly seven years without writing about its beer culture.
\n
I remember well when the Belgian embassy official who interviewed me in Beijing seven years ago for issuing a journalist visa asked me how long I would be stationed in Brussels, I told him in a lighter vein, "Until I finish all the Belgian beers".
\n
His response was prompt: "That's impossible."
\n
I knew that Belgium brews about 1,600 types of beer, so it would take a little more than four years to taste all of them even if you try a different beer every day. But the fact that a lot of new varieties enter the market every year makes it almost impossible for someone like me to taste all of them.
\n
The official then asked me what I would write about during my posting in Belgium. I said that "my job is to cover the European Union but I might also write about Belgian beer if there is not much news". He got quite excited, saying that I must send him a copy if I write a column on Belgian beer.
\n
I did try different beer brands during my initial days in Belgium in late 2018. I love those Trappist beers brewed by monks in monasteries and the Abbey beers, known for their rigid brewing styles. But they are strong. In fact, Belgian beers are known to be strong, often with 6 to 12 percent ABV(alcohol by volume), compared with German beers, which often have 4-5 percent alcohol.
\n
I have to admit that I was deterred by some beers, especially some Lambic and Gueuze beers. They tasted weird to me.
\n
I have taken friends visiting from China to the Delirium Café in Brussels, which boasts 2,000 beers from around the world and holds the Guinness World Records for the number of beers available for tasting. The mood inside the cafe and the decoration, with many old advertising plates and glasses, are as impressive as the beers.
\n
The Bier Central, where I had dinner on Monday, serves 300 different types of beer. The Belgian beer culture was included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2016. Beer is like a religion in Belgium. Drinking beer is a social event. People meet in bars, cafes and restaurants over a beer. The same is true for the gatherings in parks, such as in the Parc du Cinquantenaire near my apartment.
\n
The country of 11 million people, half of my hometown Shanghai's population, had 417 breweries at the end of 2023, most of them micro-breweries, with 73 percent of beer produced in Belgium being exported, mostly to neighboring countries such as France and the Netherlands, but also, increasingly, to new markets like China.
\n
Belgian beers Hoegaarden and Vedett are now being brewed in China to meet the growing demand in Chinese and other Asian markets. A Belgian friend who visited China for the first time last month sent me a photo of him drinking Duvel in a Beijing bar.
\n
Belgian company AB InBev is the world's largest producer of beer, brewing 49.5 billion liters of beer in 2024, which accounted for more than a quarter of the global production.
\n
An amazing thing about Belgium is that a brand of beer is always served in a glass with the beer brand's logo, unlike in most other countries. And pouring beer is often like an art, not to mention the annual competition of so-called draught masters.
\n
I gave up the mission impossible of sampling all the Belgian beers long ago. But I have been fascinated by the country's beer culture.
\n
While writing this column, I realized that this year, International Beer Day happens to fall on Aug 1 — the first Friday of August. The timing couldn't have been better for my last column from Brussels.
\n
chenweihua@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
@@ -4835,28 +4659,6 @@
"hash": "4d64c6ac5df52fe5d279bdfd1f17f54e",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "010WORLD - US Fed stands firm on rates amid pressure from Trump",
- "description": "
A television displays Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell speaking on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York on Wednesday.
\n
NEW YORK — The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept the target range for the federal funds rate unchanged at 4.25 to 4.5 percent, though it faces stark pressure and harsh criticism from the Trump administration.
\n
"Although swings in net exports continue to affect the data, recent indicators suggest that the growth of economic activity moderated in the first half of the year. The unemployment rate remains low, and labor market conditions remain solid. Inflation remains somewhat elevated," said a statement by the Federal Open Market Committee.
\n
Uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated, said the statement.
\n
The US economy expanded at an annualized rate of 3 percent in the second quarter, compared with a contraction of 0.5 percent in the first quarter, according to data released on Wednesday by the US Commerce Department.
\n
The FOMC added that it is "strongly committed to supporting maximum employment and returning inflation to its 2 percent objective".
\n
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed is focused on controlling inflation — not on government borrowing or home mortgage costs that President Donald Trump wants lowered — and added that the risk of rising price pressures from the administration's trade and other policies remains too high for the central bank to begin loosening its "modestly restrictive" grip on the economy until more information is collected.
\n
While there will be two full months of data before the Fed's Sept 16-17 meeting, Powell said the central bank was still in the early stages of understanding how Trump's rewrite of import taxes and other policy changes will unfold in terms of inflation, jobs and economic growth.
\n
"You have to think of this as still quite early days," Powell said in a news conference after the release of the Fed's latest policy statement. "There's quite a lot of data coming in before the next meeting. Will it be dispositive? … It is really hard to say."
\n
Lower probability
\n
Those comments, and others that placed the burden on upcoming data to convince policymakers that lower rates were warranted, led investors to reduce the probability of a rate cut in September to less than 50 percent, after entering this week's two-day Fed meeting at nearly 70 percent.
\n
Powell "made clear that he thinks the Fed has room to hold the fed funds rate steady for a period of time and wait and see how much tariffs affect inflation", said Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank, projecting that the central bank won't cut rates until its last meeting of the year in December. "If the unemployment rate holds steady and tariffs push up inflation, it will be hard to justify a rate cut in the next few months."
\n
The latest policy decision was made by a 9-2 vote, which passes for a split outcome at the consensus-driven central bank, with two Fed governors dissenting for the first time in more than 30 years.
\n
Trump has given Powell the pejorative nickname "Too Late" for his refusal to cut rates, but the Fed chief on Wednesday said he hoped to be right on time when the decision is made to lower borrowing costs, neither moving so soon that inflation reemerges, or waiting so long that the job market slides and the unemployment rate rises.
\n
"In the end, there should be no doubt that we will do what we need to do to keep inflation controlled. Ideally, we do it efficiently," Powell told reporters.
\n
Trump on Wednesday once again urged Powell to lower interest rates, citing better-than-expected GDP data in the second quarter.
\n
"No inflation! Let people buy, and refinance, their homes!" Trump said in a post on social media.
\n",
- "content": "
A television displays Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell speaking on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York on Wednesday.
\n
NEW YORK — The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept the target range for the federal funds rate unchanged at 4.25 to 4.5 percent, though it faces stark pressure and harsh criticism from the Trump administration.
\n
"Although swings in net exports continue to affect the data, recent indicators suggest that the growth of economic activity moderated in the first half of the year. The unemployment rate remains low, and labor market conditions remain solid. Inflation remains somewhat elevated," said a statement by the Federal Open Market Committee.
\n
Uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated, said the statement.
\n
The US economy expanded at an annualized rate of 3 percent in the second quarter, compared with a contraction of 0.5 percent in the first quarter, according to data released on Wednesday by the US Commerce Department.
\n
The FOMC added that it is "strongly committed to supporting maximum employment and returning inflation to its 2 percent objective".
\n
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed is focused on controlling inflation — not on government borrowing or home mortgage costs that President Donald Trump wants lowered — and added that the risk of rising price pressures from the administration's trade and other policies remains too high for the central bank to begin loosening its "modestly restrictive" grip on the economy until more information is collected.
\n
While there will be two full months of data before the Fed's Sept 16-17 meeting, Powell said the central bank was still in the early stages of understanding how Trump's rewrite of import taxes and other policy changes will unfold in terms of inflation, jobs and economic growth.
\n
"You have to think of this as still quite early days," Powell said in a news conference after the release of the Fed's latest policy statement. "There's quite a lot of data coming in before the next meeting. Will it be dispositive? … It is really hard to say."
\n
Lower probability
\n
Those comments, and others that placed the burden on upcoming data to convince policymakers that lower rates were warranted, led investors to reduce the probability of a rate cut in September to less than 50 percent, after entering this week's two-day Fed meeting at nearly 70 percent.
\n
Powell "made clear that he thinks the Fed has room to hold the fed funds rate steady for a period of time and wait and see how much tariffs affect inflation", said Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank, projecting that the central bank won't cut rates until its last meeting of the year in December. "If the unemployment rate holds steady and tariffs push up inflation, it will be hard to justify a rate cut in the next few months."
\n
The latest policy decision was made by a 9-2 vote, which passes for a split outcome at the consensus-driven central bank, with two Fed governors dissenting for the first time in more than 30 years.
\n
Trump has given Powell the pejorative nickname "Too Late" for his refusal to cut rates, but the Fed chief on Wednesday said he hoped to be right on time when the decision is made to lower borrowing costs, neither moving so soon that inflation reemerges, or waiting so long that the job market slides and the unemployment rate rises.
\n
"In the end, there should be no doubt that we will do what we need to do to keep inflation controlled. Ideally, we do it efficiently," Powell told reporters.
\n
Trump on Wednesday once again urged Powell to lower interest rates, citing better-than-expected GDP data in the second quarter.
\n
"No inflation! Let people buy, and refinance, their homes!" Trump said in a post on social media.
People gather on a beach in Antibes, southern France, on Wednesday.
\n
PARIS — A heat wave scorching Europe had barely subsided in early July when scientists published estimates that 2,300 people may have died across a dozen major cities during the extreme, climate-fueled episode.
\n
The figure was supposed to "grab some attention" and sound a timely warning in the hope of avoiding more needless deaths, said Friederike Otto, one of the scientists involved in the research.
\n
"We are still relatively early in the summer, so this will not have been the last heat wave. There is a lot that people and communities can do to save lives," Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London, told AFP.
\n
Heat can claim tens of thousands of lives during European summers, but it usually takes months, even years, to count the cost of this "silent killer".
\n
Otto and colleagues published their partial estimate just a week after temperatures peaked in western Europe.
\n
While the underlying methods were not new, the scientists said it was the first study to link heat wave deaths to climate change so soon after the event in question.
\n
Early mortality estimates could be misunderstood as official statistics, but "from a public health perspective, the benefits of providing timely evidence outweigh these risks", Raquel Nunes from the University of Warwick told AFP.
\n
"This approach could have transformative potential for both public understanding and policy prioritization" of heat waves, said Nunes, an expert on global warming and health who was not involved in the study.
\n
Science can show, with increasing speed and confidence, that human-caused climate change is making heat waves hotter and more frequent.
\n
Unlike floods and fires, heat kills quietly, with prolonged exposure causing heat stroke, organ failure and death.
\n
The sick and elderly are particularly vulnerable, but so are younger people exercising or toiling outdoors.
\n
But every summer, heat kills and Otto — a pioneer in the field of attribution science — started wondering if the message was getting through.
\n
'Big deal'
\n
"We have done attribution studies of extreme weather events and attribution studies of heat waves for a decade … but as a society, we are not prepared for these heat waves," she said.
\n
"People think it's 30(C) instead of 27, what's the big deal? And we know it's a big deal."
\n
When the mercury started climbing in Europe earlier this summer, scientists tweaked their approach.
\n
Joining forces, Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene& Tropical Medicine chose to spotlight the lethality — not just the intensity — of the heat between June 23 and July 2.
\n
Combining historic weather and published mortality data, they assessed that climate change made the heat wave between 1 and 4 degrees hotter across 12 cities, depending on location, and that 2,300 people had likely perished.
\n
But in a notable first, they estimated that 65 percent of these deaths — around 1,500 people across cities including London, Paris and Athens — would not have occurred in a world without global warming.
\n
"That's a much stronger message," said Otto.
\n
"It brings it much closer to home what climate change actually means and makes it much more real and human than when you say this heat wave would have been two degrees colder."
\n
The study was just a snapshot of the wider heat wave that hit western Europe during the hottest month of June on record and sent temperatures soaring to 46 C in Spain and Portugal.
\n
The true toll was likely much higher, the authors said, noting that heat deaths are widely undercounted.
My neighbor, Claire, is a friendly lady, likely in her late 70s, and a polyglot who can speak Dutch, English, French and German. We chatted from time to time and I was happy to offer her a helping hand, such as carrying her groceries up and garbage down the stairway when the building elevator was under repair for three months, and driving her to her relative to get the spare key when she locked the key inside one rainy evening.
\n
Yet the daunting task was to explain China to her and her friends when she invited me for afternoon tea at her home. Claire asked if China is still like what it was in Herge's comic books The Adventures of Tintin.
\n
Of course not. I have visited the Herge Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve, and I have his book The Blue Lotus on my bookshelf. It was about old China, a totally different China in the 1930s.
\n
China is such a fast-changing country that I myself have found it hard to keep updated after 16 years as a foreign correspondent from the United States to Belgium. The last time I went back to China in November 2023 after three years of COVID-19 lockdown, I was surprised to see that buses and cars in my home city Shanghai were becoming electric. Yinchuan, a once "remote and backward" northwestern city in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, where I went to visit my cousin, looked so modern compared to many European cities.
\n
China's transformation in the past five decades is so phenomenal that if you have not visited the country in the last 10 or 15 years, you have no idea what it is like today, both in terms of cityscapes and people's mindsets.
\n
I don't blame Claire and most other Europeans who have never set foot on China. The Western media and politicians have done a terrible job in informing their audience about a real China. The public often gets a heavy dose of disinformation, misinformation and fearmongering of China. The prevailing rhetoric: Everything in China is bad.
\n
Francois Serneels, who first got to know China by reading the comic series Tintin in his childhood years, is an exception. A Belgian agronomist and potato expert, whom I have interviewed, has visited China dozens of times in the past three decades and has a nuanced understanding of the country.
\n
He has taken many of his students to China, some of whom have said the trips completely changed their perception of the Asian nation, unlike what they heard in the Western media.
\n
Same was true with Dorien Emmers, an assistant professor of Chinese economy at KU Leuven, Belgium's oldest university, who once studied in Chengdu and has been visiting China regularly and encouraging her students to study in China.
\n
The ignorance and misperception about China is staggering despite the fact that the people I have been dealing with are often regarded as well-educated and well-informed, including officials, members of the European Parliament, think-tank folks and fellow journalists.
\n
Former German chancellor Angela Merkel was able to develop a relatively good understanding of China because she had visited China 12 times, each time including cities other than the capital Beijing. Her background as a quantum chemistry scientist must have helped her understand the issues better.
\n
Not everything in China is great. But it would be dead wrong to assume you understand China by reading a few newspaper articles. China has a long history and a landmass more than twice the size of 27 EU member states combined and it is home to a fifth of humanity, more than thrice the EU's total population.
\n
The Chinese friends visiting me in Europe complain about delayed trains, low efficiency, poor road conditions and shops that close at 6 pm. I understand because China isn't what it was 40 years ago. It has leapfrogged in terms of high-speed rail, government and business efficiency as well as the juan culture, which implies intense competition within society.
\n
Most Chinese are hardworking people. In my school years, it was the poor students who took private tutoring to catch up. However, top students are now opting for such tutoring to leave everyone else behind.
\n
Overall, Europeans have a better work-life balance. The better public healthcare and education systems mean Europeans don't have to worry as much and save as much as many Chinese do.
\n
Some Europeans realize they have to work harder to survive the tough competition at home and abroad. The Carrefour market near my apartment now opens on Sundays, including on Belgium's National Day on July 21. The Belgian federal government decided last week that stores will soon be allowed to remain open until 9 pm, as well as seven days a week.
\n
China has learned a great deal from Europe in the past decades of its modernization and still has a lot to learn from Europe, such as in preserving historical cities. Some Europeans feel they have much to learn from today's China, a developing nation whose economic and technological advancements are nothing short of a miracle.
\n
The past years have allowed me to travel to various European destinations to discover their unique culture, tradition and people, an experience that has transformed my perception of Europe.
\n
More Europeans could take advantage of China's visa-free policy to discover the country and to see for themselves both the good and bad things there. The good news is that bookings for travel to China are on the rise lately in several European countries.
\n
It would be great if Europe reciprocates by easing its visa approvals, such as working on a 10-year Schengen visa scheme for Chinese tourists, like the one reached between China and the US in 2016.
\n
Seeing is believing. That's true for anyone who wants to truly understand another country.
\n
Contact the writer at chenweihua@chinadaily.com.cn.
\n",
- "content": "
Chen Weihua
\n\n
My neighbor, Claire, is a friendly lady, likely in her late 70s, and a polyglot who can speak Dutch, English, French and German. We chatted from time to time and I was happy to offer her a helping hand, such as carrying her groceries up and garbage down the stairway when the building elevator was under repair for three months, and driving her to her relative to get the spare key when she locked the key inside one rainy evening.
\n
Yet the daunting task was to explain China to her and her friends when she invited me for afternoon tea at her home. Claire asked if China is still like what it was in Herge's comic books The Adventures of Tintin.
\n
Of course not. I have visited the Herge Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve, and I have his book The Blue Lotus on my bookshelf. It was about old China, a totally different China in the 1930s.
\n
China is such a fast-changing country that I myself have found it hard to keep updated after 16 years as a foreign correspondent from the United States to Belgium. The last time I went back to China in November 2023 after three years of COVID-19 lockdown, I was surprised to see that buses and cars in my home city Shanghai were becoming electric. Yinchuan, a once "remote and backward" northwestern city in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, where I went to visit my cousin, looked so modern compared to many European cities.
\n
China's transformation in the past five decades is so phenomenal that if you have not visited the country in the last 10 or 15 years, you have no idea what it is like today, both in terms of cityscapes and people's mindsets.
\n
I don't blame Claire and most other Europeans who have never set foot on China. The Western media and politicians have done a terrible job in informing their audience about a real China. The public often gets a heavy dose of disinformation, misinformation and fearmongering of China. The prevailing rhetoric: Everything in China is bad.
\n
Francois Serneels, who first got to know China by reading the comic series Tintin in his childhood years, is an exception. A Belgian agronomist and potato expert, whom I have interviewed, has visited China dozens of times in the past three decades and has a nuanced understanding of the country.
\n
He has taken many of his students to China, some of whom have said the trips completely changed their perception of the Asian nation, unlike what they heard in the Western media.
\n
Same was true with Dorien Emmers, an assistant professor of Chinese economy at KU Leuven, Belgium's oldest university, who once studied in Chengdu and has been visiting China regularly and encouraging her students to study in China.
\n
The ignorance and misperception about China is staggering despite the fact that the people I have been dealing with are often regarded as well-educated and well-informed, including officials, members of the European Parliament, think-tank folks and fellow journalists.
\n
Former German chancellor Angela Merkel was able to develop a relatively good understanding of China because she had visited China 12 times, each time including cities other than the capital Beijing. Her background as a quantum chemistry scientist must have helped her understand the issues better.
\n
Not everything in China is great. But it would be dead wrong to assume you understand China by reading a few newspaper articles. China has a long history and a landmass more than twice the size of 27 EU member states combined and it is home to a fifth of humanity, more than thrice the EU's total population.
\n
The Chinese friends visiting me in Europe complain about delayed trains, low efficiency, poor road conditions and shops that close at 6 pm. I understand because China isn't what it was 40 years ago. It has leapfrogged in terms of high-speed rail, government and business efficiency as well as the juan culture, which implies intense competition within society.
\n
Most Chinese are hardworking people. In my school years, it was the poor students who took private tutoring to catch up. However, top students are now opting for such tutoring to leave everyone else behind.
\n
Overall, Europeans have a better work-life balance. The better public healthcare and education systems mean Europeans don't have to worry as much and save as much as many Chinese do.
\n
Some Europeans realize they have to work harder to survive the tough competition at home and abroad. The Carrefour market near my apartment now opens on Sundays, including on Belgium's National Day on July 21. The Belgian federal government decided last week that stores will soon be allowed to remain open until 9 pm, as well as seven days a week.
\n
China has learned a great deal from Europe in the past decades of its modernization and still has a lot to learn from Europe, such as in preserving historical cities. Some Europeans feel they have much to learn from today's China, a developing nation whose economic and technological advancements are nothing short of a miracle.
\n
The past years have allowed me to travel to various European destinations to discover their unique culture, tradition and people, an experience that has transformed my perception of Europe.
\n
More Europeans could take advantage of China's visa-free policy to discover the country and to see for themselves both the good and bad things there. The good news is that bookings for travel to China are on the rise lately in several European countries.
\n
It would be great if Europe reciprocates by easing its visa approvals, such as working on a 10-year Schengen visa scheme for Chinese tourists, like the one reached between China and the US in 2016.
\n
Seeing is believing. That's true for anyone who wants to truly understand another country.
\n
Contact the writer at chenweihua@chinadaily.com.cn.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas on Thursday announced his resignation as the country's head of government and chairman of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party. Paluckas' departure from office comes amid investigations into his financial dealings and allegedly inappropriate involvement in business, ties to certain businesspeople and failure to pay damages owed to the Vilnius municipality. Under the Constitution of Lithuania, the entire cabinet will resign along with the prime minister.
\n
SOUTH KOREA
\n
Warrant issued again for ex-president Yoon
\n
A South Korean court on Thursday issued a fresh arrest warrant for former president Yoon Suk-yeol, enabling prosecutors to forcibly bring him in for questioning after he refused to appear for questioning multiple times. The warrant, which was issued by the Seoul Central District Court, had been requested by a team leading an investigation into corruption allegations that involve Yoon's wife, Kim Keon-hee. Yoon defied the special counsel's summons to appear for questioning twice.
People collect water lilies on a canal in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Wednesday. The water lily, known as "shapla "in Bangladesh, is the country's national flower.
\n",
- "content": "
People collect water lilies on a canal in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Wednesday. The water lily, known as "shapla "in Bangladesh, is the country's national flower.
People grieve during a funeral of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire while trying to receive aid and in overnight Israeli airstrikes on tents, at a hospital in southern Gaza on Thursday.
\n
A three-day high-level international conference on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question and the implementation of the two-state solution, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, concluded on Wednesday at the United Nations headquarters in New York, with China and many other countries calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state.
\n
In remarks at the conference, China's Special Envoy on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun said on Tuesday that the conflict in Gaza is still raging, an unprecedented humanitarian crisis is unfolding, and the foundation for implementing the two-state solution continues to be eroded.
\n
Zhai outlined China's five-point proposal, urging efforts to promote an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, and to ease the humanitarian catastrophe. He called for advancing governance in Gaza and the West Bank under the principle of "the Palestinians governing Palestine", and for supporting Palestinian efforts to strengthen internal unity.
\n
He emphasized the need to assist Palestine in enhancing governance capacity and economic resilience, to preserve the momentum for peace and the implementation of the two-state solution, and to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, with the goal of achieving lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
\n
Zhai said China will continue to work with the international community to promote a ceasefire in Gaza and push for an early, comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question.
\n
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has reached "a breaking point", and that the two-state solution is "farther than ever before".
\n
Despite the worsening situation, Guterres stressed that the conflict "can be resolved", but doing so requires "political will and courageous leadership". He said the high-level conference was a "rare and indispensable opportunity" and urged participants to go beyond "well-meaning rhetoric".
\n
"This conference can and must serve as a decisive turning point — one that catalyzes irreversible progress toward ending the occupation and realizing our shared aspiration for a viable two-state solution," he said.
\n
Guterres reaffirmed the two-state solution remains the only framework rooted in international law, endorsed by the General Assembly, and backed by the international community.
\n
Representatives of more than 120 countries attended the conference. As of Wednesday, 147 of the 193 UN member states have recognized the State of Palestine as a sovereign country.
\n
On Wednesday, Canada and Malta said they intended to recognize the State of Palestine in September.
\n
Singapore, addressing the conference on Tuesday, said it is prepared in principle to do the same, emphasizing that such a recognition should contribute to peace and support a negotiated two-state solution.
\n
'Appalling' situation
\n
Also on Tuesday, the United Kingdom urged Israel to take substantive steps to end what it called "the appalling situation in Gaza" and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace. The British government warned that in the absence of meaningful progress, it would recognize the State of Palestine in September to "protect the viability of the two-state solution".
\n
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 24 that France will formally recognize the State of Palestine during the upcoming 80th session of the UN General Assembly in September.
\n
On Nov 20, 1988, the Chinese government officially recognized the State of Palestine — one of the first to do so — and established diplomatic relations with it.
\n
In northern Gaza, Israeli forces killed at least 30 people when they opened fire on Wednesday on a crowd waiting for humanitarian aid, the territory's civil defense agency said.
\n
The Israeli military said it had no knowledge of casualties in the incident north of Gaza City.
Wildebeests plunge into the Mara River in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve on Wednesday during their annual migration. Each year beginning in July, massive herds of grazers journey from Tanzania's Serengeti National Park into Kenya, creating a spectacular "river of life "across the savannas and rivers.
\n",
- "content": "
Wildebeests plunge into the Mara River in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve on Wednesday during their annual migration. Each year beginning in July, massive herds of grazers journey from Tanzania's Serengeti National Park into Kenya, creating a spectacular "river of life "across the savannas and rivers.
Facing a weakening currency and a slump in global diamond demand, Botswana is signaling a strategic pivot to diversify its economy.
\n
The timing of China's recent decision to eliminate tariffs on products from 53 African countries — including Botswana — is seen as critical for the southern African country as it seeks to reduce its dependence on a single export.
\n
In an interview with the correspondent, Botswana's minister of trade and entrepreneurship, Tiroeaone Ntsima, said the announcement "opens doors for Botswana to export a wider array of products".
\n
The country's economy is under growing pressure, with its diamond sector struck by reduced global demand. In addition, Botswana recently devalued its currency by 2.76 percent, a move aimed at boosting export competitiveness and preserving foreign exchange reserves.
\n
In this context, China's zero-tariff initiative is seen not merely as welcome support, but as a lifeline — a timely opportunity for Botswana to break free from its historical reliance on a narrow basket of exports.
\n
"Export diversification has been a priority for the government for many years, and these efforts are being intensified in the face of a subdued global economy, which has adversely affected our traditional export — diamonds," Ntsima said.
\n
While copper ore slag and diamonds remain Botswana's major exports, he said the country is now prioritizing beef, horticultural produce, leather, and processed agricultural goods in a renewed push for economic resilience.
\n
A recently signed beef protocol with China allows for duty-free access to the Chinese market, which is "a significant boost" for the beef industry, he said.
\n
Botswana's ties with China have evolved significantly in recent years. Although they have yet to formalize a bilateral trade agreement, both trade volumes and investment flows have grown rapidly, he said.
\n
"Elimination of tariffs by China for African countries will enhance market access and competitiveness. China's importance as a trading partner is likely to increase."
\n
Mmantlha Sankoloba, CEO of the Botswana Exporters and Manufacturers Association, described China's zero-tariff move as a rare opportunity for local exporters to access new markets, build long-term partnerships and move away from dependence on raw commodity exports.
\n
"Duty-free access to such a large and diverse market offers Botswana exporters the chance to increase their competitiveness through lower landed costs," she said. "It allows us to diversify export markets and reduce overdependence on southern African or Western markets."
\n
Amid mounting economic pressures at home, Sankoloba said she believes Botswana's private sector is well-positioned to turn crisis into opportunity. From the perspective of her association, China's initiative "aligns well with our mission to facilitate greater market access and support Botswana's industrial development agenda", she said.
\n
Niche markets
\n
While Botswana's beef and mineral exports are already well established, Sankoloba is looking ahead to products such as morula oil, baobab-based health supplements, and locally made leather goods that appeal to eco-conscious and health-focused consumers in China.
\n
"Botswana's beef, sorghum, morula-based products, and other indigenous foods already have appeal in niche and health-conscious markets," she said. "We also see potential in textiles and garments."
\n
Crafts and cultural products stand out, too. Sankoloba said handcrafted goods made from local raw materials, particularly those with sustainable or cultural value, are being repositioned for export.
\n
Despite the enthusiasm, Sankoloba remains clear-eyed about the barriers ahead. For many of Botswana's exporters, especially small- and medium-sized companies, entering the Chinese market is no easy feat.
\n
"Logistical costs and complexities remain significant due to our landlocked geography, lack of direct shipping lines, and absence of on-the-ground representation in China," she said.
\n
"There are also language barriers and limited market intelligence. Our exporters struggle with stringent certification standards in the food, health and cosmetics sectors."
\n
According to the Botswana Exporters and Manufacturers Association, overcoming these barriers will require a holistic support system, involving not only the government but also international partners and private sector players.
\n
To maximize the benefits of the zero-tariff policy, Sankoloba outlined critical areas where Botswana's exporters need support, such as training, research of the Chinese market, and government support.
\n
"We are engaging with the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship to align trade policy and export promotion efforts with this opportunity," she said. "We're also advocating for a Botswana-China Export Growth Strategy, possibly within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation."
\n
The association is exploring partnerships with Chinese business chambers, trade expos and e-commerce platforms to enhance visibility for Botswana-made goods, she said.
LUANDA — Angola's government said on Wednesday that the death toll from violent protests against a fuel price hike had risen to 22 from the previous day's estimate of four.
\n
The unrest broke out on Monday when minibus taxi associations launched a three-day strike against the government's decision to increase the price of diesel by one-third, part of efforts to curb costly subsidies and shore up public finances.
\n
Looting, vandalism and clashes with police started in capital Luanda, then spread to other provinces.
\n
President Joao Lourenco's Cabinet met on Wednesday and received an update on the security situation and police response.
\n
A presidential statement said there had been 22 deaths, 197 people injured and 1,214 arrests. Sixty-six shops and 25 vehicles had been vandalized, and some supermarkets and warehouses looted, it said.
\n
"We regret 22 deaths, including one police officer," Interior Minister Manuel Homem told reporters on the sidelines of the Cabinet meeting.
\n
The overall public security situation in Angola has stabilized, Homem said. In Luanda, the situation has returned to normal, with public transportation services back to their regular operations.
\n
"We will remain steadfast, committed to ensuring that public security in our country will not undergo changes that would make social life unfeasible for all of us," he said.
\n
The strike brought traffic to a standstill in several parts of Luanda and led to road blockages. According to the Luanda provincial government, criminal elements took advantage of the strike to attack passing vehicles and loot shops.
\n
The oil-rich southern African country has been gradually removing fuel subsidies since 2023, when a petrol price hike also triggered deadly protests, encouraged by the International Monetary Fund, among others.
\n
Subsidies amounted to as much as 4 percent of GDP last year, according to the finance minister.
\n",
- "content": "
LUANDA — Angola's government said on Wednesday that the death toll from violent protests against a fuel price hike had risen to 22 from the previous day's estimate of four.
\n
The unrest broke out on Monday when minibus taxi associations launched a three-day strike against the government's decision to increase the price of diesel by one-third, part of efforts to curb costly subsidies and shore up public finances.
\n
Looting, vandalism and clashes with police started in capital Luanda, then spread to other provinces.
\n
President Joao Lourenco's Cabinet met on Wednesday and received an update on the security situation and police response.
\n
A presidential statement said there had been 22 deaths, 197 people injured and 1,214 arrests. Sixty-six shops and 25 vehicles had been vandalized, and some supermarkets and warehouses looted, it said.
\n
"We regret 22 deaths, including one police officer," Interior Minister Manuel Homem told reporters on the sidelines of the Cabinet meeting.
\n
The overall public security situation in Angola has stabilized, Homem said. In Luanda, the situation has returned to normal, with public transportation services back to their regular operations.
\n
"We will remain steadfast, committed to ensuring that public security in our country will not undergo changes that would make social life unfeasible for all of us," he said.
\n
The strike brought traffic to a standstill in several parts of Luanda and led to road blockages. According to the Luanda provincial government, criminal elements took advantage of the strike to attack passing vehicles and loot shops.
\n
The oil-rich southern African country has been gradually removing fuel subsidies since 2023, when a petrol price hike also triggered deadly protests, encouraged by the International Monetary Fund, among others.
\n
Subsidies amounted to as much as 4 percent of GDP last year, according to the finance minister.
A toxic algal bloom covering more than 4,400 square kilometers of South Australia's coastline is being labeled an ecological catastrophe, as dead fish, stingrays and dolphins wash up on beaches.
\n
"This is a natural disaster," South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas told ABC's News Breakfast on July 22.
\n
First detected off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March, the bloom has spread north into Spencer Gulf, south into the Coorong wetlands, and along Adelaide's coastline into the Port River.
\n
The brownish foam has devastated marine life and disrupted tourism and commercial fishing. The state and federal governments have announced a A$28 million ($18 million) relief package for cleanup efforts. However, the long-term cost to affected industries remains uncertain.
\n
"It could take years before everything returns to normal," Perran Cook, a professor in the School of Chemistry at Melbourne's Monash University, told China Daily.
\n
Algal blooms are a naturally occurring phenomenon, he said, but what made this one so unusual were several events — a warm summer, a marine heat wave and major flooding.
\n
Martina Doblin, CEO and director of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, said algal blooms do not start as big as the one in South Australia, the scale and duration of which are unprecedented.
\n
"We cannot just treat this as a one-off event that should be monitored," she said. "This is a complex problem, and we need a coordinated science-industry-governance response to be more strategically positioned for such events in the future."
\n
How Australia prepares for future algal blooms is a "big question", Doblin said, one that scientists and an advisory committee will be addressing in the coming weeks.
\n
She emphasized the need for accurate real-time ocean models, good spatial data on tourism and fishing activity, and a better understanding of harmful algae and prevention methods.
\n
Adriana Verges, a marine ecologist at the University of New South Wales, described the crisis as extremely severe, with widespread deaths of nearly 500 marine species — including habitat-forming sponges and other invertebrates — along more than 500 kilometers of coastline.
\n
"It's completely devastating," she said.
\n
Lucille Chapuis of the School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment at La Trobe University in Melbourne said, "We can expect more algal blooms as our climate continues to warm."
A 78-year-old woman confronts a riot police officer with an impassioned gesture near Argentina's Congress during a weekly protest in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, where demonstrators demanded better pensions.
\n",
- "content": "
A 78-year-old woman confronts a riot police officer with an impassioned gesture near Argentina's Congress during a weekly protest in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, where demonstrators demanded better pensions.
Vehicles for export are parked at a port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Thursday. Shares of South Korean automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia fell on Thursday after US President Donald Trump said the US will charge a 15 percent tariff on imports from South Korea, including cars.
\n
The United States has agreed to impose 15 percent tariffs on imports from South Korea under a trade deal announced on Wednesday, easing earlier concerns over a potential 25 percent rate.
\n
Analysts have noted that while the outcome is not a worst-case scenario, it is still economically damaging for both South Korea and the US, and the impact on specific industries will depend on the detailed provisions of the agreement.
\n
US President Donald Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social that South Korea "will give to the United States 350 billion dollars for investments owned and controlled by the US, and selected by myself, as president". He also said South Korea has agreed to purchase $100 billion worth of liquefied natural gas and other energy products.
\n
South Korea's President Lee Jaemyung said the $350 billion investment pledged by South Korea will solidify the foundation for bilateral cooperation in strategic industries, such as shipbuilding, semiconductors, secondary batteries, biotechnology and energy.
\n
In particular, $150 billion will be committed exclusively for supporting the entry of South Korean shipbuilders into the US shipbuilding industry, Lee said.
\n
Yang Jun-sok, an economics professor at the Catholic University of Korea, told China Daily that the new deal was probably "the best" for South Korea from a diplomatic or negotiating perspective, but still "a bad agreement for both the US and South Korea "when considered from an economic perspective.
\n
"Since it will raise general tariffs from the current 10 percent to 15 percent, and from 0 percent to 15 percent if we consider the US-(South) Korea Free Trade Agreement," Yang said.
\n
He also cited a February study by the Industrial Bank of Korea, which estimated that for each one percentage point increase in tariffs imposed by the US, South Korea's exports to the US would fall by 0.45 percent, and exports to other countries would fall by 0.15 percent.
\n
Based on that projection, a 15 percent tariff could reduce exports to the US by 6.8 percent and to other markets by 2.25 percent — translating into a potential 0.7-0.8 percent decline in South Korea's GDP, he said.
\n
Lee Dong-won, an official at the bank, told Yonhap News Agency that "starting from the third quarter, the impact of US tariffs is likely to become more pronounced. Economic growth may slow further under the 15 percent tariff scheme".
\n
Uncertain prospects
\n
Yang noted that in the longer term, the direction of the US tariff policy remains uncertain and will depend on the trajectory of the US economy over the next two to three years. He suggested that South Korea needs to strengthen its domestic demand rather than rely on exports as the main engine of growth.
\n
South Korea's new tariff deal with the US, considered favorable as those achieved by other major trading partners, is likely to offer short-term relief for its export-dependent economy.
\n
The South Korean industrial community on Thursday welcomed the new trade agreement, which lowered Washington's "reciprocal" tariff on South Korean goods to 15 percent, though businesses remained wary about the deal's details and its potential impact on specific sectors.
\n
"I consider the 15 percent automobile tariff rate to be a considerable success in the negotiations. However, on steel-related goods, it is not yet clear whether they will be covered by 50 percent steel tariffs or 15 percent general tariffs, since home appliances are one of (South) Korea's major export items," Yang said.
\n
Yang also said that despite Seoul's pledge of a $350 billion investment package in the US, key details remain unclear — and interpretations appear to diverge between the two countries.
\n
Most of the money is expected to come from private firms, with the South Korean government providing guarantees and incentives. However, it's difficult to see how such a large sum can be achieved without affecting domestic investment, even if the government insists it will be done by readjusting overseas plans, Yang said.
\n
Yang noted that domestic labor unions could push back against large-scale overseas investments.
\n
"In the past, major (South) Korean unions have opposed foreign investment, fearing long-term job losses. And with the Yellow Envelope Act under review, it may become easier for them to protest," he added.
\n
Contact the writers at houjunjie@chinadaily.com.cn.
President Xi Jinping and Nepalese President Ram Chandra Poudel exchanged congratulations on Friday on the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, with both leaders pledging to boost the countries' partnership.
\n
In his congratulatory message to Poudel, Xi noted that China and Nepal are connected by mountains and rivers, with a long history of friendly exchanges.
\n
Over the 70 years, the two countries have always upheld mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation, no matter how the international and regional landscapes evolve, setting an example for friendly coexistence between countries with different social systems and of different sizes, he said.
\n
Xi noted that in recent years, China-Nepal relations have developed healthily and steadily, with their political mutual trust continuously enhanced and cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road and various fields expanding.
\n
Saying that he highly values the development of China-Nepal ties, Xi emphasized that he is willing to work with Poudel to take the 70th anniversary as an opportunity to carry forward the traditional friendship between the two countries and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, in order to promote bilateral ties to better benefit the two peoples and contribute to regional peace and development.
\n
Poudel said that over the past 70 years, Nepal-China friendship has stood the test of time. He described China as a trustworthy neighbor and development partner for Nepal, and expressed his appreciation for China's long-term support for Nepal's development and its respect for Nepal's sovereignty and independence.
\n
Nepal firmly adheres to the one-China principle and looks forward to joining hands with China to further deepen cooperation in various fields and realize the common vision of peace, progress and prosperity, Poudel said.
\n
Also on Friday, Premier Li Qiang exchanged congratulatory messages with Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on the 70th anniversary, with both prime ministers committed to promoting bilateral ties.
\n
caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
President Xi Jinping and Nepalese President Ram Chandra Poudel exchanged congratulations on Friday on the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, with both leaders pledging to boost the countries' partnership.
\n
In his congratulatory message to Poudel, Xi noted that China and Nepal are connected by mountains and rivers, with a long history of friendly exchanges.
\n
Over the 70 years, the two countries have always upheld mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation, no matter how the international and regional landscapes evolve, setting an example for friendly coexistence between countries with different social systems and of different sizes, he said.
\n
Xi noted that in recent years, China-Nepal relations have developed healthily and steadily, with their political mutual trust continuously enhanced and cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road and various fields expanding.
\n
Saying that he highly values the development of China-Nepal ties, Xi emphasized that he is willing to work with Poudel to take the 70th anniversary as an opportunity to carry forward the traditional friendship between the two countries and strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, in order to promote bilateral ties to better benefit the two peoples and contribute to regional peace and development.
\n
Poudel said that over the past 70 years, Nepal-China friendship has stood the test of time. He described China as a trustworthy neighbor and development partner for Nepal, and expressed his appreciation for China's long-term support for Nepal's development and its respect for Nepal's sovereignty and independence.
\n
Nepal firmly adheres to the one-China principle and looks forward to joining hands with China to further deepen cooperation in various fields and realize the common vision of peace, progress and prosperity, Poudel said.
\n
Also on Friday, Premier Li Qiang exchanged congratulatory messages with Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on the 70th anniversary, with both prime ministers committed to promoting bilateral ties.
\n \n \n \n With a performance inspired by the Terracotta Warriors, the Chinese artistic swimming team concluded their World\n \n \n \n \n Aquatics\n \n \n \n \n Championships campaign in Singapore on July 25, as they secured a gold in the team acrobatic event, bringing their total medal tally to four golds and three silvers in the tournament with gold medals in all three team events.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n Wearing golden headbands symbolizing the legendary Monkey King, China's artistic swimmers brought the myth to life in a powerful Wukong-inspired routine to win gold in the team technical event at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships last Tuesday. Their performance, based on the popular Chinese video game\n \n Black Myth: Wukong\n \n , earned China 307.8001 points.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n Performing a routine titled \"Soul of the Terracotta Army\", the Chinese squad topped the preliminary round and carried that momentum into the team acrobatic final on Friday, where they scored 229.0186 points to secure the gold.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n Dead to Rights\n \n \n \n \n \n ,\n \n \n a film set during the Nanjing Massacre,\n \n \n \n \n \n opened in domestic theaters on July 25\n \n \n \n \n \n .\n \n \n \n \n Marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), the film revisits one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II through the perspective of a group of unsung heroes.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Set against the Nanjing Massacre, the film follows a group of civilians sheltering in a photo studio.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n Forced to develop a Japanese military photographer's film to survive, they accidentally uncover photographic proof of the atrocities. Initially focused on mere survival, they ultimately risk everything to preserve the evidence and expose the war crimes.\n \n \n
\n \n \n The most powerful core of this film lies in its tearing open the veil of history, allowing me an outsider to viscerally empathize wth the unimaginable suffering endured by the Chinese nation during the catastraphe. It doesn't shy away from the darkness, nor does it gloss over the pain. It confronts the nation's scars with immense artistic courage.\n \n \n
\n \n \n China's 2025 summer box office, including presales, exceeded 5 billion yuan on Sunday. Daily box office takings have remained above 100 million yuan for 10 consecutive days. On Saturday alone, ticket sales hit 293 million yuan, setting a new single-day high for this year's summer movie season.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Leading the charts is Universal's \"Jurassic World Rebirth,\" with 541 million yuan in ticket sales, followed by Chinese comedy \"The Lychee Road,\" which has grossed 468 million yuan. Other top performers include Japanese animated movie \"Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback,\" Peter Chan's crime drama \"She's Got No Name\" and the sports film \"F1 The Movie\" starring Brad Pitt.\n \n \n
\n \n \n \n On Tuesday, the United States announced a decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) by the end of December 2026. This marks the third time Washington has exited UNESCO.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n According to a statement by the US State Department, the withdrawal was prompted by what Washington perceived as UNESCO's tendency to \"advance divisive social and cultural causes,\" particularly regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n The US exit will take effect at the end of December 2026.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO expressed regret over the US decision, calling it inconsistent with the fundamental principles of multilateralism.\n \n \n
\n \n \n UNESCO said the US exit was regrettable but came as no surprise. \"However regrettable, this announcement was expected, and UNESCO has prepared for it,\" Azoulay said in a statement.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n \"We have implemented major structural reforms and diversified our funding sources. Thanks to the efforts made by the Organization since 2018, the decline in US financial contributions has been effectively offset,\" she stated.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n Earlier Tuesday afternoon, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed on his X account France's \"unwavering support\" for UNESCO. He called UNESCO a \"universal guardian of science, the ocean, education, culture, and world heritage.\"\n \n \n
\n \n \n \n France, as the host country and a founding member of UNESCO, regrets the US decision to quit UNESCO, the spokesperson of the country's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n S\n \n \n \n ince Donald Trump's second term in office started early this year, the Trump administration had announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Human Rights Council.\n \n \n
\n \n \n \n \n \n The finals of the 2025 RoboCup Humanoid League\n \n \n \n \n concluded on Sunday in Brazil, with Tsinghu\n \n \n \n \n \n \n a U\n \n \n \n \n niversity's Hephaestus team beating China Agricultural University's Mountain Sea tea\n \n \n \n \n m 5:3 to clinch the title.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n China has made history by winning the gold for the first time in the 28-year history of the tournament's Humanoid AdultSize Soccer Competition.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Chinese teams showed dominant form from the group stage onward. Hephaestus, powered by the domestically developed T1 humanoid robots, overwhelmed opponents with multiple clean-sheet victories, including 16:0, 9:0, and 12:0 triumphs over UT Austin Villa from the United States.\n \n \n
\n \n \n \n One highlight of the tournament came during the group stage, when a Hephaestus robot scored the tournament's \"best goal\"\n \n \n \n \n \n .\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n In a moment reminiscent of Dutch footballer Robin van Persie's iconic diving header, the robot read the ball's trajectory at the goalmouth and launched forward to head the ball into the net. The dramatic goal was dubbed the \"robot Van Persie dive.\"\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n Other Chinese teams also delivered impressive results, with Tsinghua's TH-MOS team taking second place in the KidSize category. In the KidSize soccer competition final, both the German champions Boosted HTWK and China's TH-MOS team relied on the K1 robot.\n \n \n
\n \n \n \n Notably, both Chinese and international teams, including those from Germany and the US, chose to use China-made humanoid robots such as the T1 and K1, underscoring the growing global influence of Chinese robotics.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n Founded in 1997, RoboCup is the world's leading robotics competition, known for its scale, prestige, and technological rigor. Among its many leagues, the Humanoid category attracts the most attention.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n \n The ultimate goal of the RoboCup Initiative is stated as,\"By the middle of the 21st century, a team of fully autonomous humanoid robot soccer players shall win a soccer game, complying with the official rules of FIFA, against the winner of the most recent World Cup,\"\n \n \n according to its official website.\n \n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n Several of the teams that participated in RoboCup 2025 are also expected to compete at the upcoming first World Humanoid Sports Games to be held in August in Beijing, where the world's first 5v5 AI robotic soccer will be introduced.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n Health authorities said all affected children received treatment, with nearly all now discharged after their blood lead levels dropped by around 40 percent on average. The government is covering medical costs and has set up a monitoring program to track the children's recovery.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Seventeen officials have been placed under disciplinary investigation, and 10 others, including senior health and education officials in Tianshui city and its Maiji district, Gansu province, face formal accountability procedures, according to a report released on Sunday.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n Authorities said the kindergarten was operating without a license and that local education and market supervision departments failed to carry out oversight. Some officials are suspected of accepting bribes and favors from the kindergarten's investor. Disciplinary and criminal investigations have been launched against officials, including the head of the provincial health commission and the mayor of Tianshui.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Authorities found that the kindergarten's management had instructed staff to add brightly colored but inedible industrial pigments to foods such as corn rolls and jujube cakes (steamed buns), to make them look more appealing to children and parents.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n Two samples from Peixin — a tricolor red date sponge cake served at breakfast and a corn roll with sausage served at dinner — failed to meet food safety standards. The samples contained lead levels of 1,052 milligrams per kilogram and 1,340 milligrams per kilogram, respectively, far above the national limit of 0.5 milligram per kilogram.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n On Sunday, officials revealed in a report that six had been arrested on suspicion of producing toxic and harmful food.\n \n \n
\n \n \n AI hallucination occurs when an AI model generates false or illogical information that is not based on real data or events, but is presented as fact. Hallucinations can lead to significant consequences when people use AI for tasks with the potential for high-stakes consequences.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Launched by Fudan University and sponsored by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in China, the Youth Innovation Competition on Global Governance (YICGG) is an international competition that encourages youths from around the world to develop innovative global governance solutions.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Apart from having the required curriculum, Science and Technology Branch of\n \n \n \n \n Beijing Academy\n \n \n \n \n focus more on teaching science and technology. The school is guided jointly by the\n \n \n \n \n Beijing Academy\n \n \n \n \n Educational Group and five nearby universities.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n With the five universities giving students access to their labs and arranging for lectures by their professors, the school aims to rear talents interested in science and technology.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Faced with the challenges of the economic globalization, where cross-cultural dialogue has an important place, education is booming increasingly globalized.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n Ever since the concept of Education for International Understanding was proposed by UNESCO, this dialogue has been highlighted by the government.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n The Ministry of Education of China has repeatedly pointed out that the development of core competencies for Chinese students is required to be in line with the world education reform, and strengthens the international competitiveness of China's education.\n \n \n
\n \n \n In a small workshop in Wuhan, Hubei province, traditional Chinese elements like dragons and cranes aren't just painted on walls or silk — they're coming alive on sneakers.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n Behind these creations is Wang Qing, a 26-year-old postgraduate student at the School of Arts and Design, Wuhan University of Technology.\n \n \n
\n \n \n One of his most popular collections was inspired by the animated film\n \n \n White Snake\n \n \n (2019), a modern retelling of a classic Chinese legend. The design features a dragon that coils gently around the shoe's emblem, blending into a misty mountain background. A silhouette emerges from the clouds on the heel, adding a scent of romantic mystique.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Beyond folklore, Wang's work incorporates regional heritage. For example, his \"Waking Lion\" series pays homage to the lion dance traditions.\n \n \n
\n \n \n \"I loved reciting Chinese poems when I was little and was deeply fascinated by the artistic conception brought by the verses,\" he said. \"Even before the term 'China chic' existed, traditional culture was already influencing my imagination.\"\n \n \n
\n \n \n In a spontaneous moment in 2022, he decided to repair his torn skate shoes by drawing Chinese-style cartoon patterns on them. That was when the idea of wearable culture took form.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Wang explained that government-backed innovation programs have played a crucial role in helping their team expand.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n Through Hubei's entrepreneurship fund for university students, his team secured 50,000 yuan in initial funding. Later, by participating in a youth innovation competition, they received an additional 100,000 yuan and established valuable connections with investors and policy advisers.\n \n \n
\n \n \n But for Wang, it's not just about decoration. \"It's never as easy as simply copying a symbol and printing it on a shoe,\" he said. \"We consider the shoe's silhouette, its structure, and how each design element complements the form.\"\n \n \n
\n \n \n His academic background in landscape architecture gives him a unique edge. Wang believes that core design principles — structure, proportion, and harmony — are transferable across disciplines. \"When I design a 50-square-meter courtyard, I think about plant arrangement, paving patterns, water features — it's all about composition,\" he said. \"Sneakers may be a smaller canvas, but the design logic is similar.\"\n \n \n
\n \n \n To maintain high standards, Wang and his team traveled to major footwear material markets in Houjie, Guangdong, and Quanzhou, Fujian, to source better materials. One result: their shoes are 30 percent more scratch-resistant than comparable handcrafted products.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n When facing color fading issues, Wang consulted a doctoral researcher in materials science at his university and developed a pigment formula that preserves color saturation while enhancing wear resistance.\n \n \n
\n \n \n The team also established its own design database and incorporated an AI color-matching system. \"This allows us to complete color matching in approximately 10 seconds,\" Wang noted. \"Designers then build on this foundation by adding elements, significantly boosting design efficiency.\"\n \n \n
\n \n \n Looking ahead, Wang hopes to launch his own China chic fashion brand, expanding into clothing, accessories, and global markets. \"Being Chinese and growing up with these traditions has deeply influenced me,\" he said.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \"We want to create something that truly belongs to us and reflects our identity. Our dream is to make Chinese brands more high-end and infuse international brands with the spirit of Chinese culture.\"\n \n \n
\n \n \n \n Recently, an influencer launched a creative writing challenge where participants were randomly assigned past national college entrance exam essay prompts. A construction worker was assigned\n \n \n \n \n \"My Mother\"—the 1957 gaokao composition topic.\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n He wrote:\n \n \n \n \n \"The grass on my mother's grave turns green\n \n \n \n \n ,\n \n \n \n \n then yellow\n \n \n \n \n ;\n \n \n \n \n yellow\n \n \n \n \n ,\n \n \n \n \n then green—just like my longing. Year after year, it never fades. I'\n \n \n \n \n ve become a father and then a grandfather, yet it's been over thirty years since I last called out '\n \n \n \n \n Mom'.\n \n \n \n \n I keep thinking, when the day comes that I can no longer haul cement, I'\n \n \n \n \n ll return to the village and lie down beside that mound of earth. Maybe then, if I call for my mother again, she'll hear me.\"\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n When asked about the essay, the worker\n \n \n \n \n ,\n \n \n \n \n surnamed An,\n \n \n \n \n said: \"\n \n \n \n \n This composition reflects\n \n \n \n \n my family's truth—it'\n \n \n \n \n s my own\n \n \n \n \n lived experience.\"\n \n \n \n \n He recalled how his mother cared for him and his seven siblings. \"\n \n \n \n \n The prompt '\n \n \n \n \n My Mother'\n \n \n \n \n felt deeply moving,\"\n \n \n \n \n he explained. \"\n \n \n \n \n That's what compelled me to pour my heart into this writing.\"\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n Known to some Westerners as \"century eggs\" or \"thousand-year-old eggs\" for their dark, translucent appearance and bold flavor, these traditional Chinese delicacies have long sparked mixed reactions abroad.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Once dubbed one of the world's most disgusting foods, China's preserved eggs are now flying off the shelves at Costco stores across the United States.\n \n \n
\n \n \n The buzz began on Xiaohongshu, where Chinese shoppers in the US posted photos of the eggs on display. The posts quickly drew a flood of comments asking for store locations and ZIP codes.\n \n \n
\n \n \n Then came a viral boost. US food influencer \"The Sushi Guy\" reviewed the eggs on TikTok and YouTube, drawing more than 660,000 views. Food site Tasting Table followed up with a feature exploring the eggs' cultural roots and distinctive taste.\n \n \n
\n \n \n On TikTok, adventurous eaters filmed their reactions: some recoiled at the first bite, then returned for more.\n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n 在线下购买皮蛋的消费者\n \n
\n
\n \n 除了华人之外\n \n
\n
\n \n 也可以看到当地人的身影\n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n 在TikTok上\n \n
\n
\n \n 皮蛋还收获了不少“回头客”\n \n
\n
\n \n 他们不少都是初尝“拒绝”\n \n
\n
\n \n 不知不觉就对皮蛋“上瘾”了\n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n \n On TikTok, adventurous eaters filmed their reactions: some recoiled at the first bite, then returned for more. \"I don't know what I'm doing, but it's weirdly addictive,\" said vloggers.\n \n \n
\n \n \n \"We planned enough stock for three months – some stores ran out in under three days,\" sales manager of the company behind the product said.\n \n \n
\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.\n \n \n \n \n
\n
\n \n Today, July 7, is etched in history with the Lugou Bridge Incident (1937) in Beijing, when Japanese troops attacked Lugou Bridge (Marco Polo Bridge) and the defending Chinese troops rose to fight the enemy. The event triggered China's full-scale war of resistance against Japanese aggression, also a main Eastern theater of the World Anti-Fascist War.\n \n
\n \n \n Japan has never fully reflected on its aggressive acts and war crimes before and during World War II. Right-wing forces have repeatedly downplayed or glorified this history, promoting revisionist narratives that blur public understanding of World War II.\n \n \n
I know I might invite criticism if I promote alcohol, but I also believe it would be a dereliction of duty on my part to bid farewell to Belgium after nearly seven years without writing about its beer culture.
\n
I remember well when the Belgian embassy official who interviewed me in Beijing seven years ago for issuing a journalist visa asked me how long I would be stationed in Brussels, I told him in a lighter vein, "Until I finish all the Belgian beers".
\n
His response was prompt: "That's impossible."
\n
I knew that Belgium brews about 1,600 types of beer, so it would take a little more than four years to taste all of them even if you try a different beer every day. But the fact that a lot of new varieties enter the market every year makes it almost impossible for someone like me to taste all of them.
\n
The official then asked me what I would write about during my posting in Belgium. I said that "my job is to cover the European Union but I might also write about Belgian beer if there is not much news". He got quite excited, saying that I must send him a copy if I write a column on Belgian beer.
\n
I did try different beer brands during my initial days in Belgium in late 2018. I love those Trappist beers brewed by monks in monasteries and the Abbey beers, known for their rigid brewing styles. But they are strong. In fact, Belgian beers are known to be strong, often with 6 to 12 percent ABV(alcohol by volume), compared with German beers, which often have 4-5 percent alcohol.
\n
I have to admit that I was deterred by some beers, especially some Lambic and Gueuze beers. They tasted weird to me.
\n
I have taken friends visiting from China to the Delirium Café in Brussels, which boasts 2,000 beers from around the world and holds the Guinness World Records for the number of beers available for tasting. The mood inside the cafe and the decoration, with many old advertising plates and glasses, are as impressive as the beers.
\n
The Bier Central, where I had dinner on Monday, serves 300 different types of beer. The Belgian beer culture was included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2016. Beer is like a religion in Belgium. Drinking beer is a social event. People meet in bars, cafes and restaurants over a beer. The same is true for the gatherings in parks, such as in the Parc du Cinquantenaire near my apartment.
\n
The country of 11 million people, half of my hometown Shanghai's population, had 417 breweries at the end of 2023, most of them micro-breweries, with 73 percent of beer produced in Belgium being exported, mostly to neighboring countries such as France and the Netherlands, but also, increasingly, to new markets like China.
\n
Belgian beers Hoegaarden and Vedett are now being brewed in China to meet the growing demand in Chinese and other Asian markets. A Belgian friend who visited China for the first time last month sent me a photo of him drinking Duvel in a Beijing bar.
\n
Belgian company AB InBev is the world's largest producer of beer, brewing 49.5 billion liters of beer in 2024, which accounted for more than a quarter of the global production.
\n
An amazing thing about Belgium is that a brand of beer is always served in a glass with the beer brand's logo, unlike in most other countries. And pouring beer is often like an art, not to mention the annual competition of so-called draught masters.
\n
I gave up the mission impossible of sampling all the Belgian beers long ago. But I have been fascinated by the country's beer culture.
\n
While writing this column, I realized that this year, International Beer Day happens to fall on Aug 1 — the first Friday of August. The timing couldn't have been better for my last column from Brussels.
\n
chenweihua@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
Chen Weihua
\n\n
I know I might invite criticism if I promote alcohol, but I also believe it would be a dereliction of duty on my part to bid farewell to Belgium after nearly seven years without writing about its beer culture.
\n
I remember well when the Belgian embassy official who interviewed me in Beijing seven years ago for issuing a journalist visa asked me how long I would be stationed in Brussels, I told him in a lighter vein, "Until I finish all the Belgian beers".
\n
His response was prompt: "That's impossible."
\n
I knew that Belgium brews about 1,600 types of beer, so it would take a little more than four years to taste all of them even if you try a different beer every day. But the fact that a lot of new varieties enter the market every year makes it almost impossible for someone like me to taste all of them.
\n
The official then asked me what I would write about during my posting in Belgium. I said that "my job is to cover the European Union but I might also write about Belgian beer if there is not much news". He got quite excited, saying that I must send him a copy if I write a column on Belgian beer.
\n
I did try different beer brands during my initial days in Belgium in late 2018. I love those Trappist beers brewed by monks in monasteries and the Abbey beers, known for their rigid brewing styles. But they are strong. In fact, Belgian beers are known to be strong, often with 6 to 12 percent ABV(alcohol by volume), compared with German beers, which often have 4-5 percent alcohol.
\n
I have to admit that I was deterred by some beers, especially some Lambic and Gueuze beers. They tasted weird to me.
\n
I have taken friends visiting from China to the Delirium Café in Brussels, which boasts 2,000 beers from around the world and holds the Guinness World Records for the number of beers available for tasting. The mood inside the cafe and the decoration, with many old advertising plates and glasses, are as impressive as the beers.
\n
The Bier Central, where I had dinner on Monday, serves 300 different types of beer. The Belgian beer culture was included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2016. Beer is like a religion in Belgium. Drinking beer is a social event. People meet in bars, cafes and restaurants over a beer. The same is true for the gatherings in parks, such as in the Parc du Cinquantenaire near my apartment.
\n
The country of 11 million people, half of my hometown Shanghai's population, had 417 breweries at the end of 2023, most of them micro-breweries, with 73 percent of beer produced in Belgium being exported, mostly to neighboring countries such as France and the Netherlands, but also, increasingly, to new markets like China.
\n
Belgian beers Hoegaarden and Vedett are now being brewed in China to meet the growing demand in Chinese and other Asian markets. A Belgian friend who visited China for the first time last month sent me a photo of him drinking Duvel in a Beijing bar.
\n
Belgian company AB InBev is the world's largest producer of beer, brewing 49.5 billion liters of beer in 2024, which accounted for more than a quarter of the global production.
\n
An amazing thing about Belgium is that a brand of beer is always served in a glass with the beer brand's logo, unlike in most other countries. And pouring beer is often like an art, not to mention the annual competition of so-called draught masters.
\n
I gave up the mission impossible of sampling all the Belgian beers long ago. But I have been fascinated by the country's beer culture.
\n
While writing this column, I realized that this year, International Beer Day happens to fall on Aug 1 — the first Friday of August. The timing couldn't have been better for my last column from Brussels.
In the early 2000s, Shaoxing, a centuries-old city in Zhejiang province, faced a dilemma familiar to many urbanized regions in China: whether to preserve historical neighborhoods or clear the way for modern construction.
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Cangqiao Zhijie, a historical street in Shaoxing dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and featuring narrow alleyways, traditional homes and crisscrossing waterways, stood at the heart of a preservation standoff. As redevelopment plans loomed elsewhere, residents feared displacement and officials hesitated.
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The impasse ended in January 2003, when Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Communist Party of China Zhejiang Provincial Committee, visited the neighborhood and gave a clear directive: It must be preserved in its original form and essence.
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He also instructed local officials to prioritize preserving historical authenticity, maintaining the integrity of the landscape and ensuring the continuity of people's lives in restoration and protection efforts — principles that would later point the way for preserving historical and cultural sites throughout Zhejiang.
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Ultimately, over 840 households continued to live in their old residences at the ancient site, earning the site recognition from UNESCO as a "living showcase of Chinese heritage".
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By the end of 2024, Zhejiang boasted 20 historic cultural cities and 11,126 historical buildings, placing it at the forefront of the nation in terms of cultural heritage preservation.
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The practices provided insight into Xi's vision for balancing cultural heritage preservation and urban development, which was reaffirmed at the Central Urban Work Conference held on July 14 and 15 in Beijing.
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During the meeting, President Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, listed priorities for urban development, including preserving historical and cultural heritage alongside refined urban landscape governance, with a focus on protecting cities' unique historical legacies, cultural geography and natural landscapes.
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This policy priority aligns with Xi's consistent approach to integrating cultural preservation into the shaping of urban landscapes, analysts said.
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Liu Guiru, an associate researcher at the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences, said that Xi, who worked in Fujian for more than 17 years, made "historic contributions" to the preservation of cultural heritage in the province.
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In the late 1980s and early 1990s, parts of revolutionary hero Lin Juemin's residence faced demolition due to urban development in Sanfang Qixiang, also known as the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, a 40-hectare cultural and historical neighborhood.
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Upon learning of the situation, Xi, who was then the Party secretary of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian, visited the neighborhood. During an on-site meeting that focused on the preservation of cultural heritage, Xi said, "We must ensure the comprehensive protection, restoration and utilization of cultural relics in the city — not only safeguarding them from damage but also enhancing their splendor to pass them on to future generations."
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Therefore, Xi ordered a halt to the demolition and called for the restoration of Lin's residence. Later, other old houses in the historical neighborhood were gradually restored and brought under protection.
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Liu said that "during his tenure in Fujian, Xi placed a high emphasis on cultural heritage protection, introduced many forward-thinking ideas and spearheaded a series of pioneering explorations and practices, ensuring the preservation of cultural heritage and historical cities".
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"This is in line with the philosophy and practices regarding cultural heritage protection that Xi has advocated since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012," she added.
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"Cultural heritage protection requires efforts to strike a balance between urban development and the preservation of cultural legacy, ensuring that history, culture and modern life are seamlessly integrated," Liu said. "Xi's philosophy allows cities to grow and modernize while still preserving and celebrating their unique historical and cultural identities."
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For the Chinese president, preserving cultural relics is not just about honoring the past, but also about shaping the future for cities and their residents.
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During an inspection of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, in July 2023, Xi called for efforts to better protect, develop and leverage the Pingjiang Historic and Cultural Block, a site with a rich history spanning over 2,500 years.
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Xi said that Suzhou has excelled in blending tradition with modernity, simultaneously promoting historical and cultural inheritance and boosting high-tech innovation and high-quality development.
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This approach represents the future of development, he added.
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Xu Yunhe, an official in charge of cultural heritage protection in Suzhou's Gusu district, said that "Gusu has successfully integrated the cultural, commercial, tourism and public service industries, while prioritizing cultural heritage protection, achieving a synergy between preservation and development".
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"On the one hand, this approach promotes local economic growth. On the other, the restoration of ancient buildings enhances their potential for upgrading and reclassification, increasing the number of heritage buildings and reinforcing the profound historical legacy of the ancient city," Xu added.
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In June 2023, Suzhou launched an initiative aimed at promoting the preservation of the ancient city while infusing it with new vibrancy.
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The focus is on revitalizing historical residences within the 19.2 square kilometers of its ancient city area through inviting enterprises and individuals to participate in the revitalization and utilization of these historic buildings.
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By June 2025, the program included 80 historical residences, with 36 of them now being utilized.
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Thanks to such revitalization efforts, more historical and cultural areas are thriving in Suzhou. For example, the Pingjiang Historic and Cultural Block received 15.06 million visits in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 11.73 percent.
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As the Central Urban Work Conference set clear goals and directions for more systematic and scientific urban cultural heritage protection efforts in the years ahead, greater policy emphasis is being given to integrate cultural heritage into everyday life to ensure sustainable development.
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Liu, the associate researcher, said urban cultural heritage protection should be treated as a comprehensive project, promoting the systematic integration and deepening of cultural heritage protection.
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She noted that Xi's vision for cultural heritage protection has always emphasized maintaining the unique historical and cultural character of cities throughout the course of modernization.
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"This vision also emphasizes that in the new era, the preservation of traditional cultural districts must always uphold a people-centered approach, ensuring that the value of preservation is genuinely realized," she added.
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Zhejiang Daily contributed to this story.
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Contact the writers at jihaisheng@chinadaily.com.cn
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