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.
China has implemented a special guarantee plan to support scientific and technological (sci-tech) innovation, under which a national fund will increase its risk-sharing and compensation for small tech firms to support their innovation endeavors, an official with the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said on Tuesday.
The move is part of a broader effort by China to achieve sci-tech self-reliance, as the US and some other Western countries have been stepping up a crackdown campaign to stop China's technological rise.
The plan aims to further leverage the role of the National Financing Guarantee Fund, increase risk-sharing and compensation for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in sci-tech innovation, and offer strong support for achieving high-level sci-tech self-reliance, accelerating the formation of new quality productive forces, and promoting high-quality economic development, an MOF official said in a post online.
It comes after the MOF, along with several other Chinese government departments, released a notice on July 24 regarding the establishment of a special guarantee plan to support sci-tech innovation.
Among the key points of the plan, the risk-sharing ration of the National Financing Guarantee Fund has been increased from 20 percent to a maximum of 40 percent. Meanwhile, the risk-sharing ratio of provincial-level financing guarantee institutions has been set at no less than 20 percent, according to the notice.
Also, the upper limit of the amount of financing can be guaranteed for a single SME for sci-tech innovation has been increased from 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) to 30 million yuan, the notice said.
China previously established the National Financing Guarantee Fund in 2018 to tackle financing challenges faced by SMEs and businesses related to agriculture.
Since then, the fund's re-guarantee business has accumulated a total scale of 4.73 trillion yuan, serving approximately 4.2 million operating entities and more than 40 million employees. "It has played a positive role in meeting the financing needs of inclusive fields, assisting the development and growth of small and micro enterprises, and promoting the continued recovery of the national economy," the MOF official said on Tuesday.
In addition, in order to implement the special guarantee plan for sci-tech innovation and achieve concrete results, "we will strengthen the coordination of fiscal, monetary, and scientific and technological policies to form policy synergy," the official said.
The move comes as China has been stepping up efforts to bolster sci-tech innovation, as the US and some of its allies have waged a tech crackdown against China. Achieving sci-tech self-reliance has become a top priority, according to China's recent top policy meetings.
A meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on July 30, which focused on the economic work for the second half of 2024, stressed the need to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology and to strive for breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields.
The communique released following the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC also listed education, science and technology among various factors that will help boost the overall performance of China's innovation system.
The trade war, initiated by the US against China in 2018 and intensified in the following years, has placed unprecedented external pressure on China's economy. However, this pressure has catalyzed China's economic transformation and market diversification efforts.
Beijing's strategic pivot to expand external markets and extend its supply chains has rapidly reduced its overreliance on the US market. This adjustment has enhanced China's economic resilience and positioned it more favorably within the global financial landscape.
As the US economy shows signs of slowing and the specter of recession looms large, China's economy - despite its challenges - displays remarkable stability. This contrast underscores the effectiveness of China's recent economic adjustments and its increased adaptability.
The US Department of Labor on Thursday released data showing that initial claims for unemployment benefits rose to 249,000 the week before, topping analyst forecasts and reaching the highest level since August of 2023. New purchasing managers data also showed that manufacturers are weakening as they grapple with higher interest rates. US stocks dived immediately as investors fretted over signs of US economic slowdown. The S&P 500 tumbled 76 points, or 1.3 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled roughly 1.2 percent. The Nasdaq Composite was down even more sharply, sliding 2.3 percent.
The cyclical nature of the US economy raises critical questions: Will this downturn arrive sooner and hit harder than previous downturns?
The US strategy of decoupling from China and reshoring industries was conceived during an economic upswing, along with pandemic-era stimulus measures. As the positive effects of these policies wane, the US economic slowdown is beginning to reverberate globally.
As the world's largest consumer market, US economic fluctuations significantly impact emerging economies. The recent US push for decoupling from China has left many emerging economies more dependent on US exports, making them vulnerable to declining US demand.
Manufacturing exports from countries like Vietnam, Mexico, Bangladesh, the Philippines and India may face shrinking external demand. These countries may need help in maintaining stable economic growth and more resources for industrial upgrading and technological innovation.
Compared to China, these emerging markets often need more foundation for long-term social stability. They may face more significant social tensions and political risks, potentially impacting economic development, labor force improvement and sustained foreign investment.
A US economic downturn could significantly reduce global investors' risk appetite, leading to capital flight from emerging markets. This could exacerbate economic difficulties in these countries, potentially sparking a chain reaction of currency volatility and rising debt risks.
Domestically, the US faces tightening job markets and growing social tensions. Rising unemployment and income inequality may become the primary focus for the US government, potentially diverting attention and resources from global supply chain restructuring efforts.
Economic hardship often breeds protectionism. Based on past trade experiences, we may see more trade barriers, subsidy policies and localization requirements, potentially hindering normal trade relations between emerging markets and the US.
Should the US economic downturn evolve into a global crisis akin to 2008 financial crisis, these emerging markets may need more China's financial resilience and policy flexibility to weather the economic storm effectively as they could face severe economic crises, social unrest and political instability.
Given its economic challenges, Washington's political will and financial resources to continue pushing for decoupling from China remain uncertain. While unlikely to abandon its China strategy entirely, the US may be forced to reassess its global approach, potentially softening its stance on implementation.
In this shifting landscape, China's economic adjustments and export diversification strategy appear increasingly prescient, potentially offering a buffer against the impending global economic turbulence.
