Bathed in the lush greenery of midsummer and the lingering morning mist, the unique cave basketball court in Xinchun village, Nayong, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, became the epicenter of excitement on Sunday, as villagers gathered to witness and participate in the much-anticipated Cave Basketball Carnival in a local Karst cave.
This extraordinary basketball event was a testament to the villagers' unwavering love for the sport.
Initiated by former village head Zhang Kaixue and local enthusiast Hu Wei in 2016, the project aimed to construct a basketball court within a natural cave. Despite the rugged terrain and initial challenges - like the uneven, rocky ground - the villagers' determination prevailed.
They collectively raised 88,766 yuan ($12,230), contributing a total of 234,366 yuan over three years. In December 2018, their dream court was finally completed. During the basketball coaching session, 30 young players, guided by Chinese women's basketball legend Zheng Haixia and NBA Training Center coach Li Jianqi, practiced their skills on the court.
Zheng also conducted a special session for the girls, offering personal guidance.
"Infusing modern training facilities into such a primitive landscape and passing on the spirit of basketball is an unforgettable experience. Seeing the children's smiles and their dedication to playing basketball fills me with immense pride and truly showcases the warmth of this initiative," said Zheng.
The highlight of the day was a spirited game between six outstanding young players and two adult teams composed of local villagers.
Despite recent rain, the unique advantages of the cave court allowed the players to showcase their skills freely.
The cave basketball court stands as a symbol of the villagers' enduring love for basketball. It took an hour of winding mountain roads to reach Xinchun village from Nayong, with much of the construction done by hand due to the challenging terrain.
The court is now a cherished community asset, with the names of over 300 contributing villagers engraved on a stone tablet at the cave entrance, which stands as a testament to their collective effort and passion.
China's attitude toward the Olympics has undergone a significant transformation over the last few years. This shift reflects broader changes in the nation's societal values, economic development, and cultural maturity. Where once the singular pursuit of gold medals dominated Chinese approach to the Olympics, today there is a richer, more nuanced appreciation for the spirit of sportsmanship and the individual stories of athletes.
In early years, following China's return to the Olympic Games in 1984, there was an intense focus on winning gold medals. Medals were seen as a direct measure of national strength and progress, symbolizing not just athletic excellence but also the resurgence of a nation on the global stage. Gold medals were celebrated as national triumphs, reinforcing a collective sense of pride and accomplishment. Athletes who won gold were national heroes, while those who fell short often faced harsh criticism from and disappointment by the public and media alike.
This gold medal obsession was understandable given China's historical context. Emerging from economic hardship, the nation sought tangible symbols of its newfound strength and unity. The pressure on athletes to deliver these symbols was immense, with the state investing heavily in sports programs designed to maximize medal counts.
However, as China's economy boomed and its global standing solidified, the societal perspective on the Olympics began to evolve. Economic prosperity brought with it a shift in values, from a collective focus on national achievements to a more individual-centered appreciation of success and effort. This shift is mirrored in the changing attitudes toward Olympic participation and outcomes.
One illustrative example is the reaction to the performance of fencer Sun Yiwen at the Paris 2024 Olympics, a Tokyo 2020 Olympics fencing champion but was eliminated in the first round in Paris. Unlike in the past, where such a result might have been met with widespread disappointment, the response from the public was largely one of empathy and support. Social media was filled with messages of encouragement and respect for her perseverance and dedication. This shift in public sentiment highlights a growing maturity and a deeper understanding of the true spirit of sportsmanship.
This evolution is not just about a softer, more supportive attitude toward athletes. It also reflects a broader, more sophisticated understanding of what it means to compete in the Olympics. Today, Chinese sports fans are more likely to celebrate the journey of athletes, their personal stories, and the friendships they forge with competitors from around the world. Stories of camaraderie and mutual respect between Chinese athletes and their international peers are widely shared and cherished on social media, emphasizing the human aspect of sports.
The maturation of China's Olympic mindset is also evident in the increased emphasis on the overall experience of the Games. The Beijing 2008 Olympics were a milestone, showcasing China's ability to host a world-class event and marking its arrival as a major global player. Since then, there has been a shift toward viewing the Olympics as a platform for cultural exchange and a celebration of global unity, rather than merely a medal tally competition.
This shift in perspective has had a positive impact on the broader sports culture in China. More people are participating in sports for the joy and benefits it brings, rather than solely for competitive success. This is laying the foundation for China to become a true sporting nation, where the emphasis is on widespread participation, personal growth, and the joy of effort.
Moreover, the evolving mindset is helping to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for athletes. There is a growing recognition of the immense pressures athletes face and a greater understanding of the importance of mental health.
The evolution of China's Olympic mindset from an intense focus on gold medals to a more holistic appreciation of the Olympic spirit is a positive development. This shift will undoubtedly contribute to the continued growth and success of Chinese sports on the global stage, while also promoting the fundamental principles of the Olympic movement.
An article titled "After winning the championship: Zheng Just wants to eat a bowl of hometown beef noodles" by Hubei Daily on Monday has garnered widespread attention, sparking a discussion about where renowned Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen is actually from.
Previous media reports held different opinions on where Zheng is from, ranging from Gucheng county in Xiangyang to Shiyan to Wuhan, all in Central China's Hubei Province. Public security authorities later confirmed that Zheng's place of origin is Gucheng county, while her place of birth is Shiyan, and her residence is in Wuhan.
According to local reports, Zheng's ancestral home is in Xiangyang, and her grandmother, Chen Yingtai, currently lives in Xiangzhou district, Xiangyang city. Zheng was born in Shiyan in 2002 and was taken to Xiangyang by her grandmother to attend kindergarten. Wherever she trained, the family would "settle" there. According to her grandmother, they have moved houses three or four times just in Wuhan.
Zheng made history at this year's Olympics by becoming the first Asia-born player to claim gold in a singles tennis event on Saturday. It also marked China's first-ever gold medal in Olympic tennis singles, and the country's second in tennis overall after Li Ting and Sun Tiantian won the women's doubles title at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
The previous best result for a Chinese tennis player in Olympic singles was when two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na reached the semifinals. Coincidentally, Li is also from Hubei Province, and was born in Wuhan.
This is not the first time there has been debate about a Chinese athlete's hometown. There were similar discussions regarding Fan Zhendong, the renowned Chinese table tennis player who is also the gold medalist in men's singles table tennis at the Paris Olympics. He was congratulated by Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hunan after winning, as his parents are from Central China's Hunan Province, he was born in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, and he now competes for Shanghai.
Several regions in China are celebrating their Olympic athletes’ successes by awarding cash bonuses to them and their families, following their impressive performances at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
On Saturday, in Xiantao city, Central China’s Hubei Province, the secretary of the Xiangyang Municipal Party Committee, Sun Daojun, and mayor Xiong Xiangtao visited the family of Olympic diving champion Chang Yani.
Chang, who won a gold medal in the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard alongside her partner Chen Yiwen and later secured a bronze in the individual 3-meter springboard, was awarded a cash bonus of 600,000 yuan ($82,500) by the Xiangyang city government.
In Yichang, also in Hubei, Mayor Ma Zejiang presented a 600,000 yuan bonus to the family of Sun Jiajun, a member of the Chinese team that claimed gold in the men’s 4x100-meter medley relay, breaking the US’ 40-year dominance in the event. Additionally, Sun’s family will receive a special monthly stipend of 1,000 yuan until the next Olympics. If Sun wins another gold medal, the stipend will be extended for four more years.
Meanwhile, in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, the city of Dazhou honored local synchronized swimmers Xiao Yanning and Xiang Fenxuan, who were part of the Chinese team that claimed the gold medal in the event, China’s first in the sport since its Olympic debut in 1988.
The Dazhou municipal government awarded each athlete 300,000 yuan, with an additional 100,000 yuan from the Tongchuan district government, bringing the total reward to 400,000 yuan each.
In Central China’s Hunan Province, the city of Leiyang recognized Deng Lijuan, who won a silver medal in the women’s speed climbing event, with a 200,000 yuan bonus. Local officials presented the award to Deng’s family during a visit on Wednesday.
Central China’s Henan Province also joined in the celebrations. On Saturday, in Huixian county, local officials visited the family of Liu Qingyi, who won a bronze medal in the women’s breakdancing competition. Liu’s bronze was the first Olympic medal ever won by a Huixian athlete and the first for Henan Province in the current Olympics. She was awarded 50,000 yuan.
Various regions across China have established reward standards for Olympic achievements. For example, in July, the city of Zhangzhou in East China’s Fujian Province implemented a new rewards policy for 2024-27.
Under this policy, Olympic champions will receive a bonus of 1.2 million yuan, while Asian Games and National Games champions will be awarded 150,000 yuan, World Championship and World Cup champions 80,000 yuan, and provincial games champions 20,000 yuan.
The revised regulation scrapping the need for a household register and removing regional restrictions for marriage registration aims to accommodate growing population mobility and ease the burden on citizens who previously had to return to their place of household registration to get married, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) announced on Friday.
The announcement came after the MCA recently released revised draft of regulation on marriage registration for public comment, which has sparked widespread attention, discussion, and questioning from some netizens. According to the ministry, the cancellation of the requirement to present a household register is based on increasing population mobility. This revision is intended to improve public services for residents as a growing number of people choose to work and reside in areas away from the locality they are registered in.
In response to concerns about the removal of the requirement to present a household register leading to bigamy and marriage fraud, the ministry addressed that the existing data in the MCA's marriage information database can be accessed and used in real time by marriage registration officials across the country. This inter-departmental information sharing can achieve nationwide population information verification, effectively preventing bigamy and marriage fraud.
In divorce registration, the draft regulation further elaborates on the cooling-off period for divorce, stating that within 30 days from the date the authority receives the divorce registration application, if either party is unwilling to divorce, they may withdraw their application, meaning the marriage registration authority can terminate the divorce registration process.
The cooling-off period for divorce has sparked a degree of public questioning, with some netizens expressing their concern that this period could potentially limit individuals' freedom to divorce. There are also doubts that the cooling-off period may unintentionally provide protection for perpetrators of domestic violence.
In light of these concerns, the MCA clarified that the purpose of setting up a cooling-off period for divorce is to reduce instances of impulsive or rushed divorces, noting that the policy does not conflict with either side's right to divorce freely.
If the couple feel that their relationship has indeed broken down, they can either apply for a divorce registration according to the law, or file for divorce in court. If the parties encounter situations during the divorce period where their personal or family members' safety is threatened, they can seek help in a timely manner through relevant legal channels, the ministry said.
To effectively play the role of the cooling-off period for divorce, the MCA has guided relevant local departments to optimize the divorce registration service process, carry out marriage and family counseling services, and strive to reduce impulsive divorces and rushed divorces.
The ministry also emphasized its commitment to offering ongoing marriage and family counseling services including emotional support, psychological counseling, and relationship repair for couples considering divorce to enhance the well-being of more marriages and families.
According to the MCA, marriage registration authorities nationwide have generally implemented marriage and family counseling services. As of the end of 2023, over 90 percent of marriage registration offices at the county level and above had established marriage and family counseling rooms.
Chinese scientists have demonstrated their brain-computer interface (BCI) systems are successful and effective in rehabilitation, and have the potential to bridge biological and artificial intelligence.
In a video revealed by the China Central Television (CCTV) on Saturday, a young man surnamed Bai was trying to control his wheelchair by his mind.
What Bai needed to do was to focus his attention and imagine the movements. "The system is quite sensitive," he told CCTV.
In December 2023, a wireless minimally invasive BCI system developed by the Tsinghua team, also known as NEO, was implanted into the brain of Bai, 35, who had been paralyzed for years following a car accident.
Bai can now control a computer with his own thoughts and brain signals. He is also able to control a wheelchair with his mind. These prove that signal control of BCIs has been successful, Hong Bo from the School of Medicine with Tsinghua University who leads the research, told the Global Times. Another patient, surnamed Yang, 54, who has been paralyzed for 14 years, also received the implantation surgery of the Tsinghua team's BCI system in 2023. He is now able to proficiently use his mind to control the exoskeleton glove. His hands have also regained some of its grabbing function, Hong said.
These all prove the effectiveness of our BCI system. Looking ahead, the team will, subject to regulatory approval, further expand the scale of medical clinical trials on the path to providing a commercially viable service to benefit the greatest number of patients, he noted.
BCI refers to the technology that establishes a direct connection pathway between the human brain's nerves and electronic or mechanical devices, to achieve information interaction and functional integration between the nervous system and external devices.
Many view the BCI technology as holding the key to an "era of neuroscience." According to reports of 21jingji.com, the global BCI market is expected to reach $3.3 billion by 2027, with an annual compound growth rate of about 14 percent in seven years.
Chinese scientists have achieved breakthroughs in domestic research and development in BCI technology in recent years and actively applying the technology in rehabilitation, epilepsy, and depression treatment. Research in technology in China has now reached a crucial stage, transitioning from the laboratory to the market. Industry observers noted that this shift is expected to play a significant role in driving economic development and creating new competitive advantages in the future.
The BCI technology encountered controversies in safety and ethics after Elon Musk said in January 2024 that his BCI company, Neuralink, had successfully completed the first human brain implantation surgery of its invasive BCI device. Concerns increased after the company revealed in May that a number of the implant's connective threads retracted from the brain a few weeks after the surgery, causing a reduction in the signals the device could capture.
In previous interviews, Hong told the Global Times that compared with Neuralink's invasive technology, his team's wireless semi-invasive BCI technology offers higher levels of safety and a longer product lifespan.
"I hope that the two recipients of our implants can achieve observable neurological repair within six months to one year," Hong said.
At the Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, the clinical research on a wearable robotic finger, also known as the Lingxi Finger, developed by a neuroengineering team from Tianjin University has also been ongoing for over half a year. A patient surnamed Qiao, who lost the ability to grip with his left hand due to acute cerebral infarction, is participating in the clinical research.
The Lingxi Finger is a non-invasive BCI rehabilitation system developed by the Medical School at Tianjin University. By putting a BCI cap on the patient's head, the system can help the patient to actively control machine fingers worn on his hand by reading his brainwave information. Research data has confirmed that this system can greatly accelerate the recovery progress of patients, according to the university.
Chinese scientists are also exploring the most cutting edge area of BCI technology. The Global Times learned from the university that a team from the Haihe Laboratory of Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration, led by Tianjin University and their collaborators from the Southern University of Science and Technology have successfully developed an open-source brain-on-a-chip (BOC) interface system, MetaBOC, which enables a "lab-grown brain" to conduct unmanned control of robots to perform tasks such as obstacle avoidance, tracking, and grasping.
BOC is formed by coupling a lab-grown brain with electrode chips. As an emerging branch of brain-computer interface, the BOC interface refers to a technology that enables bidirectional interaction between a lab-grown brain and external devices through encoding and decoding techniques and stimulation feedback.
BOC interface system technology is widely believed to play a revolutionary role in the development of cutting-edge technologies such as hybrid intelligence and brain-like computing.
Li Xiaohong, a professor at the Medical School at Tianjin University and the head of the on-chip BCI team said, a lab-grown brain has the advantages of low power consumption and fast learning speed. Moreover, the brain-on-a-chip interface system represents a transformative approach to bridging biological and artificial intelligence.
MetaBOC is also the world's first full-chain, open-source brain-on-a-chip interface system designed to enable closed-loop interaction between a lab-grown brain and external devices. Li showed the Global Times MetaBOC's efficacy in performing intelligent control tasks, such as robotic obstacle avoidance, in both virtual environments and real-world scenarios.
Li said MetaBOC represented a significant advancement in the field of BOC technology, offering a versatile platform for exploring the computational mechanisms of biological intelligence.
At a forum in April in Beijing, Gao Xiaorong from the Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence said, "The interaction between AI and BCI is bidirectional. A certain part of the development of BCI, especially in terms of algorithms, is aided by advancements in AI technology, allowing BCI developers to extract brainwave information. At the same time, BCI technologies can also promote the development of AI. For example, the uniqueness of brainwave information will further enhance the operational capabilities of AI and even influence its evolutionary direction."
At the forum, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology also called on national colleges, institutes, and companies to cooperate to promote a combination of the two fields and accelerate the research and development of core technologies and products.
A US congressional delegation is on a five-day visit to the island of Taiwan, where they will reportedly meet regional leader Lai Ching-te and others. However, Chinese mainland experts believe that these US politicians, who may not hold much significance in Washington, are merely paying lip service by showing support for the secessionist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities.
Marilyn Strickland, a Democrat representing the state of Washington, reportedly leads the delegation that also includes her Democratic Party colleagues Julia Brownley of California, Jill Tokuda of Hawaii, and Jasmine Crockett of Texas.
Xin Qiang, director of the Taiwan Studies Center at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Monday that the US Congress has long been at the forefront of supporting "Taiwan independence" forces.
With the strategic competition between China and the US intensifying, there are hawkish political figures and forces in the US who advocate using Taiwan as a bargaining chip for the US to compete with and counter China, and in recent years, this faction has grown stronger, Xin noted, adding that those US politicians are trying to play the "Taiwan card" for personal gain, experts commented.
Some experts believe that Strickland and the other delegates, who are not well-known figures in Congress and have little policy influence, are using their Taiwan trip to enhance their political profiles, attract media attention, and showcase their ideological and anti-China stance.
The DPP authorities always warmly welcome these US politicians, often offering appearance fees and other benefits. Even if they are nobodies in the US, they can enjoy VIP treatment on the island, the experts said.
Experts stated that during their trip to Taiwan island, all they need to do is pay lip service to the authorities in the region, adding that their performances are not worth a significant reaction from the mainland.
Net international reserves of UAE banking sector rose by 8 percent or AED 91 billion in the first five months of the year to reach AED 1.236 trillion by end of last May from AED 1.145 trillion by the end of last year, according to the Monthly Statistical Bulletin - Banking & Monetary Statistics for May 2024, issued by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) on Monday.
Statistics showed that the CBUAE accounted for AED 763.8 billion of the net international reserves of the UAE banking sector by the end of last May, a growth of 13 percent compared with a balance of AED 673.42 billion by the end of 2023.
The net international reserves of banks operating in the UAE grew by 1 percent to AED 472.68 billion by the end of last May from AED 472.2 billion by the end of December 2023.
Multiple cities in China have implemented measures to promote energy conservation, such as suspending unnecessary landscape lighting, adjusting industrial production schedules to avoid peak periods, and encouraging the use of energy-efficient equipment, in response to the high demand for electricity during the summer months, especially in regions experiencing sweltering heat.
Since the start of August, Hangzhou, the capital of East China's Zhejiang Province, has experienced the third wave of high temperatures this year, leading to a record high electricity load. To ensure power supply, the city has suspended unnecessary landscape lighting and light shows from Monday to Friday, the city authorities said on Tuesday.
Along with Hangzhou, other cities such as Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, and Hefei, East China's Anhui Province have also released proposals calling for energy conservation in the face of the recent high temperatures.
China's National Meteorological Center on Wednesday morning continued to issue an orange alert for high temperatures as multiple regions in the country continue to experience sweltering heat, with some parts of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces recording temperatures of above 40 C.
In the three-tier warning system for high temperatures, red represents the most severe warning, followed by orange and yellow on the lower scale.
Industrial enterprises are required to scientifically optimize production schedules and avoid production during peak times. They're encouraged to use energy-efficient products and equipment that comply with national standards, said the Nanjing authorities.
The authorities in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu have called for government agencies and public institutions to turn off office equipment when not in use, set air conditioning to no lower than 26 C, turn off lights and electronic devices when leaving a room, and use stairs instead of elevators for floors below the third floor.
During extremely hot weather, it is essential for everyone to join in to save electricity. "Moving forward, we may need to explore new strategies. China has been leading the way in energy transition by embracing new sources of energy like solar and wind power," Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Enterprises in China are encouraged to cooperate and implement measures to save electricity and shift peak electricity consumption. This is important as industrial electricity consumption is high in some developed areas. The local authorities need to ensure industrial electricity supply while enterprises should focus on energy conservation as well, said Ma.
Chinese cities have been accelerating green and low-carbon transformation. The Global Times learned from State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Co that the peak power generation output of renewable energy in Shanghai's power grid exceeded 3 million kilowatts for the first time on July 28, reaching a peak at 3.1 million kilowatts, marking a new breakthrough in the utilization of renewable energy in the city.
It is predicted that the annual total generation of wind and solar energy in Shanghai will exceed 5 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to saving 1.5 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 4 million tons, said the company.
