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China stands ready to promote high-quality and high-level cooperation in various fields with Vietnam and is willing to continue to make bigger the pie of economic and trade cooperation, said Chinese Premier Li Qiang who is on a three-day official visit to Vietnam.

When meeting with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Vietnamese president, on Saturday, Li conveyed the cordial greetings of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, to To Lam, saying that in August this year, the top leaders of the two parties and countries held a meeting in Beijing and made a strategic plan for promoting the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, which charted the course for the development of bilateral relations, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Sunday.

With the political guidance of top leaders from both nations, frequent high-level interactions have deepened political trust, promoting long-term, stable, and healthy development of bilateral relations and pushing them to a higher level. This will also inject greater momentum into economic, social, and civil exchanges and cooperation between the two nations, observers hailed on Sunday.

Frequent, high-level, and high-quality interactions underscore the significance both sides place on their amicable relations, Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute of Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Concrete actions

Li pointed out that China stands ready to solidify the six major goals of greater political mutual trust, more substantive security cooperation, deeper practical cooperation, more solid popular foundation, closer multilateral coordination and collaboration, and more proper management of differences, Xinhua reported.

Li expressed hope that the two sides will simultaneously promote the "hard connectivity" of railway, expressway and port infrastructure and the "soft connectivity" of smart customs to provide solid support for improving the facilitation of trade and investment and safeguarding the stability and smooth flow of industrial and supply chains.

Li also said China is willing to actively study the pilot construction of cross-border economic cooperation zones, expand cooperation in emerging fields such as information technology, new energy, digital economy, and important minerals, and deepen cultural exchanges.

China stands ready to carry out cooperation under the three major global initiatives, jointly promote the building of an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and maintain and promote prosperity and tranquility in Asia, Li said.

Cooperation in infrastructure development is a key and exemplary sector of China-Vietnam collaboration. In addition to directly driving the development of border regions and ports on both sides, it creates positive spillover effects in markets and investment, boosting the creation of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, Ding Duo, a deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at China's National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Both countries continue to strengthen bilateral relations through concrete actions, particularly in areas such as trade cooperation and regional connectivity. The construction of a cross-border railway, for instance, will enhance cooperation between China and Southeast Asia, Gu said.

China is the biggest trading partner of the Vietnam, with the bilateral trade exceeding $200 billion for three years in a row, and reaching $145.07 billion from January to July in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 20.9 percent, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

For his part, To Lam asked Li to convey his sincere greetings to Xi, and warmly congratulated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The Vietnamese side will firmly follow the path jointly set by the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, adhere to the six major goals, deepen the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, and promote the building of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

He noted that Vietnam firmly abides by the one-China principle and firmly opposes all forms of "Taiwan independence" separatist activities. 

Vietnam is the second stop of Li's ongoing Asia tour. Prior to this, he visited Laos, where he participated in a series of leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation and conducted an official visit to the country, according to Xinhua. 

According to the Vietnamese government website, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted an official welcome ceremony for Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Sunday.

In his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister, Li urged both sides to stick to friendly consultation, properly handle differences and expand maritime cooperation. In response, Pham Minh Chinh said the two sides should implement the high-level consensus of the two parties and two countries, properly manage differences through friendly consultation, and jointly safeguard maritime peace and stability. 

Vietnam and China signed 10 agreements ranging from agriculture cooperation to cross-border QR code payments on Sunday, according to Vietnamese government website. The two countries also signed a document on updating progress on cross-border railway links related to site survey. The signing ceremony followed Li's meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's "Double Ten" speech, pushing the "two-state" rhetoric, employs "backdoor listing" tactics to advance the agenda of "Taiwan independence," which could severely poison cross-Straits relations and escalate tensions, mainland scholars said at a seminar held on Friday.

The Institute of Taiwan Studies of Tsinghua University held a seminar on UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 and the one-China principle, with many scholars rebuking Lai's recent secessionist remarks that carried schemes of "de jure independence." They also urged Taiwan compatriots and the international community to fully recognize the harm that stubborn "Taiwan independence" separatists could inflict on the island and regional stability.

On Thursday - October 10, a public holiday on Taiwan island that was originally meant to commemorate the 1911 Revolution - Lai delivered a speech that has been widely criticized by the mainland and people in the island. He claimed that the People's Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan and they are "not subordinate to each other."

Lai's recent public speeches, including the "Double Ten" speech, have reinforced and consolidated his "Taiwan independence" rhetoric, with the aim of dismantling the legal basis of both sides of the Taiwan Straits belonging to one China. His reaffirmation of the "two-state" rhetoric, claiming the two sides are "not subordinate to each other," is essentially a backdoor listing plot to disguise the idea of "Taiwan independence," Xie Yu, an expert from the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said at the seminar. 

Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, said at the Friday seminar that Lai continues to push the new "two-state" rhetoric using insidious tactics, in an attempt to stir up anti-mainland sentiment in the island and align with international anti-China forces' plan to contain China. 

From his May 20 inaugural speech and subsequent remarks, it is clear that Lai's stance on "Taiwan independence" is deeply entrenched. His claims of "peace," "democracy," and "goodwill" are deceptive, his brinkmanship dangerous, and his pursuit of "independence through foreign support" opportunistic, Zheng said.

Many scholars criticized Lai as a "true war instigator," "peace disruptor," and "troublemaker" for the dangers his secessionist actions and remarks pose. Some said that Lai is steering Taiwan island toward conflict by undermining the 1992 Consensus, severing the shared national and ethnic identity across the Straits, and fostering hostility and confrontation. 

The "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, in collusion with external anti-China forces, are attempting to challenge the one-China principle and distort UNGA Resolution 2758 in an effort to fabricate a "legal basis" for "Taiwan independence," Wu Yongping, director of the Institute of Taiwan Studies, Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Friday. 

"Taiwan independence" will not be tolerated under any circumstances, and it is not surprising to see firm countermeasures from the mainland in response to provocations, said Wu.

Wu also urged the people of Taiwan to fully recognize the harm that "Taiwan independence" secessionists could bring to the peace and stability of the island. He further noted that certain countries should avoid sending misleading signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a statement on Thursday that Lai's speech continued to propagate the new "two state" theory and fabricate "Taiwan independence" fallacies. It has deliberately heightened tensions and gravely undermined peace and stability in the Straits.

Noting that the future of Taiwan lies in national reunification, Chen said that nothing Lai has said can change Taiwan's legal status as a part of China or the fact and status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China.

Business activity in multiple border cities across China was ignited during the weeklong National Day holidays, with cross-border visitor trips and consumption both increasing significantly.

Observers attributed the prosperity to the country's upgraded infrastructure and services, which facilitate transportation for both domestic and foreign tourists, as well as the ongoing positive impact of the consumption peak nationwide.

As of 5 pm on Saturday, more than 70,000 people had entered and exited Hekou port in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province during the National Day holidays, a year-on-year increase of 15.4 percent, per CCTV.

In the first four days of the National Day holidays, China's Fuyuan port in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province recorded 1,860 inbound and outbound cross-border passenger trips, up 143 percent year-on-year, according to China News Service.

In the consumption sector, the number of people entering and exiting the China-Kazakhstan international border cooperation center in Khorgas in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reached 30,000 passenger trips per day during the holidays, up 35 percent compared with the level before the holidays, China Media Group reported on Sunday. 

Local customs opened all 12 manual inspection channels and 10 fast inspection channels to ensure the normal operation of the port during the cross-border travel peak during the holidays.

The cooperation center in Khorgas is the first cross-border economic and trade cooperation zone established by China and other countries. It has more than 200 duty-free enterprises and more than 1,000 merchants, with nearly 10,000 types of goods from both domestic and international sources.

China's extensive borders and numerous neighboring countries give each border city unique features that attract visitors from around the world, Jiang Yiyi, vice dean of the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism at Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times on Monday.

A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on all Somali parties to keep up the momentum, strengthen dialogue and unity, and stay committed to resolving differences through dialogue.

In remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on Somalia, Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, noted that in recent years, Somalia has made important headway in national reconstruction and peace and security, and both the UN and African Union (AU) missions have entered a critical transition period.

"At this important stage, the support and assistance of the international community cannot relax," Dai said.

He emphasized three points -- maintaining the overall situation of political stability; strengthening the foundation of security transition; and advancing UNSOM (UN Assistance Mission in Somalia) transition in an orderly manner.

Underscoring that the Somali federal government has maintained communication with the governments of federal member states and reached important consensus on the constitution, elections, and political parties, the ambassador said, "We expect all Somali parties to keep up the momentum, strengthen dialogue and unity, and stay committed to resolving differences through dialogue."

He stressed that China has consistently supported the efforts of the Somali government to safeguard national unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and called on the international community to support the country in exploring a development path that suits its national conditions, and provide guarantees for Somalia to embark on the path of long-term and stable development.

Dai noted that in the next phase, ATMIS (African Union Transition Mission in Somalia) will transition into a new AU mission, and expressed the hope that Somalia, the AU, the UN, and others will strengthen their communication and coordination to reach consensus on new mission arrangements and to ensure the smooth progress of the relevant work.

"Under-funding is an important challenge to AU missions' mandate performance," he said, calling on the European Union and other traditional donors to maintain their funding for the new mission and continue to contribute to the security and stability of Somalia. Dai also urged the Security Council to respond to the initiative of the AU and actively study various effective options to provide sustainable and predictable financial support for the new mission.

Noting that the Somali government has repeatedly called for the transition of UNSOM to a UN country team, and has recently submitted a two-year transition proposal to the Security Council, the ambassador called on the council to use this as a base and, in line with Somalia's national development priorities, adjust and streamline UNSOM's mandate, with a view to ensuring a smooth and orderly transition.

"China supports the peace and development process in Somalia, as well as the enhancement of Somalia's capacity for autonomous development, counter-terrorism, and stability. We will continue to provide support to international peacekeeping operations in Somalia," Dai said.

China's Wang Chuqin and Liang Jingkun rallied to clinch a five-set victory against teammates Lin Shidong and Lin Gaoyuan, claiming the men's doubles title at the World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Chen Xingtong and Qian Tianyi overcame Sun Yingsha and Wang Yidi in four sets in an all-Chinese women's doubles final.

The fourth-seeded pair Wang/Liang fought back to secure the win with scores of 8-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9. "We waited a long time for the doubles title and didn't give up after being two sets down," Liang commented.

"This is my first doubles trophy pairing up with Liang at the WTT events. We kept concentrating on the skills and tactics to turn the tide," noted the 24-year-old Wang after the match.
In the women's doubles final, Chen/Qian defeated Sun/Wang 12-10, 12-10, 3-11, 11-7 to seal their victory.

The singles semifinals were played in a best-of-seven format, and China has already secured both the men's and women's singles titles.

China's most decorated Olympian Ma Long overcame third seed Liang with scores of 11-8, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10, setting up a final against 19-year-old Lin Shidong in the men's singles.

"My performance was beyond my expectations before the event. After reaching the last eight, I just felt relaxed and wanted to enjoy playing on the court. With a great mindset, I found some inspirations during the games and made some beautiful returns," said the 35-year-old Ma.

The women's singles final will be a showdown between the top two seeds - Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, who defeated compatriots Fan Siqi and Chen Xingtong in their respective semifinals.

The 11-day WTT China Smash, the third and final WTT Grand Smash event of 2024, will conclude on Sunday with the singles finals. The event features a prize pool of two million U.S. dollars, with champions in each of the five events earning 2,000 ITTF world ranking points.

Boasting elements like stone bridges, winding rivers and elegant above-water architecture, ancient towns are highlights to the landscape of China's Jiangnan. Jiangnan is a geographic area that is commonly known as the south of the mighty Yangtze River.

Built with a touch of garden aesthetics, these towns are popular touristic destinations. Comparing to renowned sites like the Zhouzhuang Town in Jiangsu Province, the Puyuan Fashion Resort, opened to public in 2023, is an emerging spot that shows how an old rural town can sustain people's modern and fashionable lifestyles.

Old yet fashionable

Puyuan is located in Tongxiang, East China's Zhejiang Province. Its history dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), and the town is one of the stops where the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal flows through.

To promote the protection of the ancient canal culture heritage, in 2016, a renovation project was carried out in Puyuan, covering an area of approximately 858,000 square meters.

In order to preserve the traditional look of the town's above-water architectures, the renovation project followed the concept of "repairing old buildings by keeping their old aesthetics while also integrating new cultural and commercial elements into the town," Yao Jie, a manager of the resort, told the Global Times.

Nine well-preserved ancient bridges, including the Zong'an Bridge and the Dayou Bridge are distributed along the "H"-shaped river system of the Puyuan Fashion Resort. Many of those bridges date back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Some of those bridges connect to inns. For instance, an owner of the Xianzi Beach Inn told the Global Times that the inn is not the biggest one in the resort, but it can offer an "authentic taste of Puyuan" as guests can see the green and clear river flowing beneath their feet just by opening their bedroom's window.

Wooden boats and shuttle buses are always available in the resort. Boats take visitors underneath the bridges' arches to arrive at notable scenic spots in the ancient town. Two popular local destinations are the Meijing Theater, founded in 1947 and offering performances of the traditional Yue Opera, and the Xiangyun Taoist Temple, a symbol of the Taoist philosophy's development in the region, built in the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368).

The ancient town's time-honored locations are mixed with new buildings including modern hotels, performance plazas, and a visitor center that boasts a T-stage venue for fashion shows.

Puyuan, where the resort is located, is one of China's most dynamic centers for fashion production, especially in the cashmere and knitwear sectors. Around 700 million sweaters made in Puyuan are sold worldwide every year.

Relying on the Town's solid foundation in the clothing industry, the resort has found its niche character of promoting shows and exhibitions that connect to the international market.

One of its strategies is to collaborate with the entertainment industry. It has invited highly popular reality shows such as Funny Team 2024 to film at the resort. In the show, Chinese stars such as Na Ying and Huang Zitao run around the resort, taking audiences on a visual journey around Puyuan's beautiful scenic spots.

In 2023, the resort organized a successful campaign in collaboration with the Chinese version of the fashion magazine Gentlemen's Quarterly, also known as GQ. By having superstars such as Fei Xiang (also known as Kris Phillips, is a Chinese-American pop icon and musical singer) posting photos of the resort, the fashion title of the ancient town was accentuated.

"There are many ancient towns in China, and we need to give them unique themes to make them stand out. This is the creative strategy we need to promote Chinese ancient towns," Xiao Junfu, a marketer of the touristic industry, told the Global Times.
Niche interests

Other than Puyuan, the Wuzhen Town and Xitang Town, two ancient water towns nestled in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang Province, have also embarked on a journey of remarkable transformation.

Wuzhen Town, whose roots trace back over 1,000 years, found a way to bridge the gap between past and future. Its once quiet canals, lined with Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1368-1644) buildings, became the stage for a new kind of digital dialogue: the town's transformation began with its establishment as the permanent home of the World Internet Conference, cementing its role as a digital pioneer.

But it was the birth of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival in 2013 that truly brought Wuzhen's spirit into full bloom. The event integrated Wuzhen's historical landscape with cutting-edge theater, making the town a beacon of artistic and cultural exchange.

A few kilometers away, Xitang Town embarked on its own revival journey. Originally created back in the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC), the town still thrives nowadays thanks to its own unique cultural initiatives. For example, the Xitang Hanfu Culture Week showcases not only the town's past but also its deep connection to Chinese tradition. During the week, people dress in elegant Hanfu attire strolling through the streets, bringing the past vividly to life as workshops and parades make the town a living museum of ancient fashion.

The Xitang Ancient Town Protection Regulations of Jiaxing City released in 2023, further promote the construction of an ecological cultural tourism zone and the integration of ancient town culture and tourism, while continuing to protect the cultural heritage and traditional architecture of the ancient town.

Together, the Wuzhen and Xitang water towns breathe a new life, exemplary for the cultivation of a new cultural ecology in historical towns, one that honors the past while embracing the future.

A series of the latest archaeological discoveries in North China related to the Neolithic Hongshan culture, renowned for its exquisite jade artifacts, have captivated the public's attention. 

These findings were highlighted by significant phrases such as "the largest," "the first time," and "filling the research gap" during their announcement at the seminar commemorating the 70th anniversary of the naming of the Hongshan culture held on Sunday.

According to the Inner Mongolia Institute of Cultural Relics and ­Archeology, which conducted the archaeological project, Chinese archaeologists uncovered a complete stone mound tomb dating back to the late period of Hongshan culture. 

It is a representative archaeological culture of the middle and late Neolithic period in Chifeng, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Hundreds of jade artifacts, including the largest jade dragon of the Hongshan culture, have been unearthed, covering almost all types of prehistorical culture. 

Additionally, a building site that combines tombs and sacrificial altars was discovered for the first time.

The jade materials, drill cores, and fragments of jade artifacts excavated from the site have offered substantial resources for investigating the processing techniques, sources of jade, and utilization of jade artifacts within the Hongshan culture. 

Experts noted that the discovery of this site is highly significant for gaining deeper insights into the social structures, organizational management, human-environment relationships, and jade-processing practices of the late Hongshan culture. 

It also plays an important role in exploring the early formation of ritual systems in the ancient Hongshan state and supporting the efforts to have Hongshan culture recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Wang Meng, a veteran Chinese ­archaeologist, told the Global Times that the site's jade artifacts reveal "the region's complex cultural and social ­structures were formed in ancient times." 

These objects were used to represent the "social statues and cultural belief dating back then," Wang said. 

"Even some of those leftover jade materials discovered at the site can also reveal the jade manufacturing techniques of Hongshan people." 

Wang stressed the significance of the largest jade dragon discovered in the country to have been made during the Hongshan culture.

"It is a signature piece showing the refined jade-crafting skills in the region of West Liaohe River. The region's ancient jade culture has inspired the Liangzhu jade culture in [East China's]Zhejiang Province," said Wang.

The remains of the stone mound tomb were discovered near a village in Chifeng. 

After three months of archaeological work, researchers have uncovered a total area of 1,400 square meters, discovering 21 tombs, 3 stone piles, 1 ash pit, and 1 sacrificial pit. 

They have unearthed more than 200 artifacts, including pottery, stone tools, jade artifacts, bone tools, and shell objects.

Sun Jinsong, director of the Institute of Cultural Relics and ­Archaeology of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous ­Region, told the Global Times that the site underwent a "rescuing archaeological excavation" starting from May and in the future, the local experts will carry out "active archaeological works" on the site.

"We plan to carry out sub-archaeological projects surrounding the site," Sun said.

With a history of about 6,500 years, the Hongshan culture is known for its "well-established ritual system," noted Jia Xiaobing, director of the world archaeological research office at the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"The Hongshan culture's refined ritual system and its character of merging different philosophical thoughts making significant contributions to investigate the origin of civilizations of China," Jia said.

Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in what Tehran said was retaliation for the recent killings of top Hezbollah and Hamas officials. Analysts view the attack as the latest escalation of the regional tensions at a time when this round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has dragged on for nearly a year, with a greater potential to spill over to regional multi-point conflicts.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said in statements on Tuesday that it launched dozens of ballistic missiles on strategic centers in Israel in retaliation for Israel's assassinations of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and senior IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan, as well as its intensification of "malicious acts" with the US support in its offensives against Lebanese and Palestinian peoples, Xinhua reported.

Iran's forces used hypersonic Fattah missiles for the first time, and 90 percent of its missiles successfully hit their targets in Israel, the Revolutionary Guards said, according to Reuters.

The Israel Defense Forces said it conducted a "large number of interceptions." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israelis that Iran "made a big mistake" and "will pay" for launching a missile attack on the country Tuesday, according to CNN.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi posted on social media platform X early on Wednesday that Iran exercised "self-defense" against Israel and its action is concluded unless the "Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation," Reuters reported. "Our action is concluded unless Israeli regime decides to invite further retaliation. In that scenario, our response will be stronger and more powerful," Araqchi added.

Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon have announced the closure of their airspace on Tuesday evening after the Iranian missile attack.

Meanwhile, 55 people were killed and 156 were injured in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon in the past 24 hours, according to the Lebanese health ministry on early Wednesday.

With war ramping up across the Middle East on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for the violence to end now. "I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict, with escalation after escalation," he said in a tersely worded statement. "This must stop.  We absolutely need a ceasefire."

Iran's move is a response to a series of recent developments in the region, experts said. "Recently, evaluations from both Iran and the international community suggest that Iran is in a rather unfavorable situation," Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Iran has endured pressure for a long time, and this move may intend to reverse the increasingly disadvantageous situation for Iran over the past few months, Liu said.

According to the Washington Post, US Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday she condemned Iran's attack on Israel "unequivocally" and "fully support[s]" President Joe Biden's order for the US military to shoot down Iranian missiles aimed at Israel.

Experts warned that the regional situation is at high risk of escalating into multi-point conflicts. The US continues to indulge Israel and tacitly allows it to take any unrestricted military action, Sun Degang, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"The US has sent the wrong signals to the wrong allies at the wrong time, leading to an escalation of the situation that is out of control and spreading. Therefore, it is likely that multi-point conflicts will inevitably erupt next," Sun said.

Experts also noted that the difficulty faced by the US to maintain its balancing policy in the Middle East will increase. 

The US aims to maintain comprehensive support for Israel while hoping to avoid being drawn into a new round of conflict, which could affect its strategic contraction in the Middle East and the global shift of focus toward great power competition, Liu said.

Therefore, the US has adopted a strategy of dynamic military adjustments. Whenever the crisis escalates, it enhances its military presence in the Middle East to demonstrate support for Israel and deter the Iran-led axis of resistance, Liu noted. "However, as tensions between Israel and Iran escalate, achieving this balance will be increasingly challenging."

According to the Department of Consular Affairs of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 146 Chinese citizens in Lebanon and five foreign family members safely arrived in Beijing on Wednesday on a charter flight operated by Air China, following 69 Chinese citizens in Lebanon, along with their 11 foreign family members, on Tuesday safely arrived in Cyprus aboard the vessel Xin Xia Men of China Ocean Shipping Group.

All Chinese citizens who wished to evacuate have now safely left Lebanon. The Chinese embassy in Lebanon will continue its work and remain on duty, the department said on Wednesday.

The world's top table tennis players will fight for 2000 world ranking points at the 2024 World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash, the highest-level event in WTT, as its draw ceremony for the main event was held on Friday in Beijing. 

"The world's best players are gathered here, from Olympic champions to rising stars, each ready to leave their mark on this historic event. From the first serve to the final point, every match will be a testament to the grit, skill, and resilience of these athletes," said WTT CEO Steve Dainton in an interview with the Global Times.

In a Chinese derby qualifying match on Friday, Liu Weishan, a member of the Chinese national team and the WTT regular challenge women's doubles champion, defeated her teammate Yang Yiyun 3-0 to advance smoothly.

After the match, Liu Weishan told the Global Times that the two players knew each other quite well, and she attributed her victory to her mindset. She noted that she performed well by being more patient on the court, thinking less about the result and focusing on doing her best.

Outside of the competition, Lars Graff, the joint tournament director of the China Tennis Open, visited the venue. The competitive teams from the two top international tournaments discussed their experiences in hosting events.

"I believe that more young people will enjoy the WTT table tennis events, as the color schemes and atmosphere in the venues are very appealing. Compared to tennis, the audience for table tennis is becoming younger," Graff noted.

He believes that table tennis and tennis have much to learn and collaborate on, especially in areas such as sponsorship. He looks forward to seeing table tennis promoted better around the world through the development of WTT.

"I love the table tennis events in China, not only for the exciting matches but also for the vibrant atmosphere. I hope to see more young players like Sun Yingsha leading the development of this sport, helping table tennis gain broader recognition and appreciation worldwide!" a fan of Sun Yingsha told our reporters.

At the WTT merchandise store, enthusiastic fans crowded the venue. The limited-release "plantable seed badges" sold out quickly, while staff explained that the two types of table tennis paddle badges were also very popular among customers.

On September 26, the finals of the Global Agrilnno Challenge began. Nine international teams and dozens of young entrepreneurs showcased their artificial intelligence-empowered solutions to address the challenging issues in the global agrifood system transformation.

After nearly three hours of intense on-site competition, the "Identity" team from Peru won gold medal, the team from Tanzania took silver medal for their Climate Smart Irrigator, and the "Smart Tomato" project from China earned bronze.
The Global Agricultural Maker Competition was jointly initiated by Zhejiang University and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and was successfully founded in 2020. This competition is jointly hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Zhejiang University, and supported by the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the People's Government of Binjiang District, Hangzhou, and Pinduoduo. This is also Pinduoduo's fourth consecutive support for this competition.

Since the global recruitment notice was released on the FAO's official website in late June, the competition received over 200 applications, with 155 teams entering the preliminary round. After selection, 9 teams advanced, including 3 teams from China. It is reported that representatives of the gold and silver teams in this competition will have the opportunity to travel to Rome in October to showcase their innovative solutions to global agricultural technology entrepreneurs and investors at the 2024 FAO Science and Innovation Forum.

The Global Agrilnno Challenge is a global competition brand aimed at young agricultural entrepreneurs. It aims to unleash the innovation potential in the agricultural field by widely soliciting innovative business models and digital solutions, helping transform the agrifood system, and achieving the "Four Better" goals proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, namely: better production, better nutrition, better environment, and better life.

The competition showcased numerous digital agriculture solutions, innovative concepts, and technologies that are transforming the global agricultural food system. Our innovation and dedication today will become the seeds of changing the future of the agricultural food system, making the global agricultural food system more sustainable and resilient, Wei Longbao, chairman of the judging panel of this competition. Wei is a distinguished professor at Zhejiang University, and the director of the Institute of Food Economy and Agricultural Business Management.

The Chinese "Smart Tomato" team won bronze, while seawater rice is being sold nationwide with the help of Pinduoduo

Since 2020, the Global Agricultural Maker Competition has been held four times. The previous three competitions attracted active participation from 1,044 young agricultural technology entrepreneurs from 65 countries as well as 427 teams, attracting widespread attention worldwide.

At this year's competition, AI technology became the focus of agricultural research innovation for participating teams. Nine teams showcased their solutions for applying artificial intelligence to transform traditional agricultural production systems, covering breeding, planting, management, and sales.
The Peruvian team leading the competition launched a "decentralized interactive protocol system" to address the widespread "digital divide" problem among farmers. It is reported that farmers can synchronize various demands in agricultural production in real time to the system, and accurately match relevant entities such as government, purchasers, and nongovernmental organizations under the recommendation of the system to solve problems faced in the process of production, sales, and other links.

The "Climate Intelligent Irrigation Device" solution of the Tanzanian team won the silver award. Team members introduced that in 2021, the severe drought in East Africa exacerbated the local food shortage, and the cost of using traditional diesel engines for water diversion irrigation was high. In this context, the team developed the "Climate Intelligent Irrigation Device," which uses sensors and other real-time analysis of soil and water conditions, combined with AI and big data technology, to accurately and efficiently irrigate farmland and prevent waste of water resource. The irrigator is powered by solar energy, significantly reducing carbon emissions compared to traditional diesel engines, and promoting environmental sustainability.

The "Smart Tomato" project from China won the bronze award. The team from Guangzhou Guangxin Technology Co Ltd in Guangdong integrated spectral imaging and artificial intelligence technology to monitor the full-cycle growth of tomatoes during the planting process, resulting in higher tomato yields and higher levels of nutrients such as lycopene. "Food safety concerns in underdeveloped regions are significant, and we hope to help farmers around the world grow high-quality tomatoes without posing higher environmental challenges, "said the project members. It is reported that the cost of this equipment has been significantly reduced, and the mature technology has reduced the cost to one-tenth of what it was a few years ago.

In addition to the winning team, other finalists presented innovative plans. A team from Uganda innovatively proposed to turn kitchen waste into treasure by incubating black soldier flies and other tools to address issues such as food waste. The team from Guangdong Haidaohong Agricultural Technology Co Ltd in China, based on the reality of 1.5 billion acres of saline alkali land in China, efficiently selected and bred a salt tolerant variety ̶ seawater rice using artificial intelligence technology. This not only effectively utilizes saline alkali land but also promotes increased grain production. It is reported that the seawater rice developed by the team has been sold to the national market through Pinduoduo, with nearly 100,000 bags sold by merchants.
induoduo continually supports agricultural research and technology to enhance agriculture

In her speech at the competition, Hou Kaidi, Vice President of Pinduoduo, mentioned her renewed support for the Global Agricultural Maker Competition, stating that the development of AI will inject new vitality into traditional agricultural production. Pinduoduo hopes to build a platform for young agricultural technology entrepreneurs around the world to exchange ideas and explore the possibility of "AI+agriculture" landing together, so that more emerging technologies in the agricultural field can be explored and popularized.

Besides the Global Agricultural Maker Competition, Pinduoduo has been continuously increasing its investment in agricultural research and technology. In 2022, Pinduoduo was awarded the 2022 Innovation Award by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, becoming the only global enterprise winner of the award that year.

In 2023, Pinduoduo donated 100 million yuan to China Agricultural University to establish the "Pinduoduo China Agricultural University Research Fund," supporting China Agricultural University to actively explore the strengthening of basic research and key core agricultural technologies around major national strategic needs, based on the forefront of global agricultural science and technology. Among the 50 ongoing research projects supported by the research fund so far, multiple projects have achieved important interim results, and some of the results have been published in authoritative international academic journals such as Cell and Nature.

In addition to supporting basic agricultural research and tackling bottleneck technologies, exploring the application of emerging technologies such as AI in agriculture has also been a key focus of Pinduoduo in recent years. In the finals of the "4th Duoduo Agricultural Research Technology Competition" that recently kicked off, six teams from enterprises, agricultural research institutes, and universities used AI to subvert traditional agricultural production methods. One team customized a "smart brain" for a container plant factory, allowing operators to complete tasks such as watering, fertilizing, dimming, and warming the entire space with just a few clicks of their fingers; Some teams have also designed and adopted a combination of large and small models to monitor various environmental indicators inside the container in real time and adjust the planting plan in a timely manner.

In addition, Pinduoduo also leverages its platform advantages to bridge the "last mile" of agricultural research commercialization, using market sales to support agricultural research innovation. On September 19, before the opening of China's Harvest Festival, Pinduoduo teamed up with representatives from 17 science and technology schools in Lankao, Henan Province and other places to showcase nearly 20 new agricultural research achievements, including Northeast Sea Buckthorn Health Tea, Guangxi Beihai Fresh Shrimp Crisp, Sichuan Ebian Fresh Bamboo Shoots, and Yunnan Erhai Fragrant Rice, to the on-site audience. Under Pinduoduo's concentrated exposure, the live broadcast attracted a total of 18.5 million netizens to watch and purchase on the spot.

"Pinduoduo is one of the representatives of Chinese e-commerce platforms. We would like to thank Pinduoduo for its support of the Global Agricultural Maker Competition. The future food security and sustainable development depend on our breakthroughs and innovations today. We anticipate these innovations will have a sustainable impact on the global agricultural food system in the future, "Wei Longbao said in his concluding speech.

Hou Kaidi stated that the future of agriculture is promising, and AI will provide greater opportunities for growth. "Pinduoduo will continue to work with young scientific and technological innovators and ambitious individuals from around the world to join this promising cause and bring new vitality to agriculture."