1993 年牛津大学通过 DNA 比对，确认全球栽培苹果（Malus domestica）60%以上基因来自天山野苹果（Malus sieversii，或称中亚野苹果），其余来自欧洲野苹果（Malus sylvestris）和中亚其他野生种(主要是 Malus orientalis 东方苹果，或称高加索野苹果)。
Human injury from bear attacks in Alaska, 1900-1985 JP Middaugh - Alaska Medicine, 1987
\n
Injury to people inflicted by black, grizzly or polar bears: recent trends and new insights S Herrero, S Fleck - Bears: Their Biology and Management, 1990
\n
Bear-inflicted human injury and fatality T Floyd Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 1999
\n
Climate change threatens polar bear populations: a stochastic demographic analysis CM Hunter, H Caswell, MC Runge, EV Regehr, SC Amstrup, I Stirling Ecology, 2010
\n
Effects of climate warming on polar bears: a review of the evidence I Stirling, AE Derocher Global Change Biology, 2012
\n
Polar bear-human conflicts: state of knowledge and research needs DA Clark, FM van BEEST, RK Brook Canadian Wildlife Biology and Management, 2012
\n
Polar bear attacks on humans: Implications of a changing climate JM Wilder, D Vongraven, T Atwood, B Hansen, A Jessen, A Kochnev, G York, R Vallender… Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2017
\n
“It's just a matter of time:” Lessons from agency and community responses to polar bear-inflicted human injury AL Schmidt, DA Clark - Conservation and Society, 2018
\n
Human–bear conflict in Alaska: 1880–2015 TS Smith, S Herrero Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2018
然后我们来看一下《雄性大猩猩（Gorilla gorilla gorilla）的功能解剖及适应与雄性猩猩（Pongo pygmaeus）的比较》（Functional anatomy and adaptation of male gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) with comparison to male orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus)）这篇文章，它介绍了圈养死亡的五个大猩猩和四个红毛猩猩的解剖记录。
Zihlman A L, Mcfarland R K, Underwood C E. Functional anatomy and adaptation of male gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) with comparison to male orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus)[J]. The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, 2011, 294(11): 1842-1855.
\n
O’Connell C A, DiGiorgio A L, Ugarte A D, et al. Wild Bornean orangutans experience muscle catabolism during episodes of fruit scarcity[J]. Scientific Reports, 2021, 11(1): 10185.
\n
Schmidt D A, Zoo L P. Orangutan Husbandry Manual Nutrition Chapter—2004[J]. Orangutan SSP. Brookfield Zoo, Illinois, 2004.
\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 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 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
Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy forces attend the opening ceremony of the China-Russia "Joint Sea-2025" naval exercise in the Russian port city of Vladivostok on Friday. See story, page 2
\n",
- "content": "
Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy forces attend the opening ceremony of the China-Russia "Joint Sea-2025" naval exercise in the Russian port city of Vladivostok on Friday. See story, page 2
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
\n
stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com
\n",
- "content": "
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.
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.
",
@@ -8152,28 +7250,6 @@
"hash": "8eed865420e5a89f78d69958a560aa87",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "004COMMENT - Unified national market a new growth launchpad",
- "description": "\n\n
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.
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.
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.
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.
\n",
- "content": "
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.
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.
\n
chenye@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
@@ -8240,28 +7294,6 @@
"hash": "8c883cd2210629bea73588dbea807306",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "006WORLD - Beijing urges just approach to peace in Middle East",
- "description": "
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.
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.
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.
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.
\n",
- "content": "
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.
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.
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.
\n
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."
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.
\n
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."
Xiao He (left) talks with residents in his quest for nursery rhymes.
\n
His band and residents perform nursery rhymes at a show in Chengdu, Sichuan province.
\n
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.
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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.
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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.
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"The project was initiated as a 'public art' in Beijing in 2018", but it was broader than just saving nursery rhymes, recalls He.
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"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."
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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.
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"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.
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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.
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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".
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"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.
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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.
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He notes that they do not care too much about the "function" or "sense of purpose" of these nursery rhymes.
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Instead, they treat the songs more as good "natural" music, which they hope better connects them with audiences.
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"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.
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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.
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Unlike the stereotype that nursery rhymes are designed for children, hundreds of adults in the audience also enjoyed the performances — including Dunlop.
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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.
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"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.
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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.
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"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.
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"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.
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",
- "content": "
Online Scan the code to watch the video.
\n
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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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".
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This mutual understanding is not just reflected in technical precision but also in the emotional resonance of their combined musical expression.
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The China NCPA Orchestra is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and will tour Europe with Chung.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Pianist Bruce Liu, the first-prize winner at the 18th Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw, will join the tour.
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"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.
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On July 26 and 27, the conductor led the China NCPA Orchestra in two European tour preview concerts at the NCPA.
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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.
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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.
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"I am glad to see that music development has come to a point where China can partner with the Western world," he adds.
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"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."
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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".
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He chose Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet suites because he considers it to be "maybe his greatest work".
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"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.
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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.
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"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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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"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.
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"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."
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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."
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.
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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.
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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.
\n",
- "content": "
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.
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
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
\n
Contact the writers at zhangyu1@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
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.
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.
\n
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.
\n
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.
\n
"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."
\n
Local governments have introduced a range of measures to promote marriage, including extended marriage leave and financial incentives.
\n
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.
\n
In March, Zhejiang province issued a notice encouraging local authorities to offer incentives such as red packets and shopping vouchers to eligible couples.
\n
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.
\n
Jiang said further relief from economic burdens is needed, particularly for young people who want to buy property before getting married.
\n
"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 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.
\n
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.
\n
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.
\n
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.
\n
"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.
\n
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.
\n
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."
\n
IKang said a court is handling the lawsuit.
\n
wangxiaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
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.
\n
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.
\n
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.
\n
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.
\n
"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.
\n
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.
\n
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."
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.
\n",
@@ -8548,28 +7448,6 @@
"hash": "778b4dacee3af07fd628e665b1ad00b4",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "005CHINA - New air ambulance offers rapid medical aid",
- "description": "
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.
\n
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.
\n
zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
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.
\n
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.
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.
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",
- "content": "\n
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."
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.
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
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
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",
@@ -8680,28 +7514,6 @@
"hash": "e8be31fbc06f265da29c45e4403baeb5",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "008COMMENT - China steps up to the plate on climate",
- "description": "
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.
\n",
- "content": "
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
\n",
- "content": "
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.
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.
\n",
@@ -8812,28 +7580,6 @@
"hash": "c0809fdf798fe48af48435330bfac04e",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "011WORLD - Global push for Palestinian state intensifies",
- "description": "
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.
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.
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.
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."
\n
karlwilson@chinadailyapac.com
\n",
- "content": "
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."
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.
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