In commemoration of the National Day of Mexican Cinema 2024, the Embassy of Mexico in China will screen Cronos, a movie directed by Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro at the Beijing Yuan Museum on August 31.
In 1536, during the Inquisition, an alchemist builds a mysterious and sophisticated device named Cronos to provide eternal life to the owner in Veracruz, Mexico.
In the present day, antiques dealer Jesus Gris finds Cronos hidden inside an ancient statue while cleaning it with his granddaughter Aurora.
He accidentally triggers the device and soon his wife Mercedes and he note that he has a younger appearance.
Out of the blue, the stranger Angel de la Guardia visits Gris' shop and buys the old statue. On the next day, Gris finds his shop trashed and Angel's card on the floor.
He pays a visit to Angel who introduces him to the eccentric millionaire De la Guardia that explains the healing power and the eternal life bestowed by Cronos.
Angel is sent by De la Guardia to hunt down Gris to get Cronos no matter the costs.
Chushu, the 14th of the 24 solar terms of the traditional Chinese calendar, fell on Thursday. Meaning the "end of heat," the term gives hope to people in areas suffering from intense summer temperatures. After Chushu, the climate starts to become dry and temperatures change drastically. This can lead to sore throats and dryness, making it essential to take measures to prevent pharyngitis.
Chushu begins when the sun reaches 150 degrees of ecliptic longitude. By this time, the hottest days of the year, known as Sanfu or dog days, are either ending or are winding down.
Ancient Chinese people divided the Chushu period into three pentads: in the first pentad, eagles, treated as a type of sacrificial bird, were hunted and displayed as sacrificial offering before being served as dishes; the second pentad saw plants beginning to wither; while the third marked the maturation of grains.
During the period of Chushu, the northeast and northwest regions of China start to cool down, while the Jianghuai area might experience heavy rainfall.
After Chushu, the cooling effect is noticeable especially in the morning and evening, with each rain bringing a little more relief from the summer heat.
Experts suggest that consuming less spicy and stimulating food, eating more vitamin-rich fresh vegetables and fruits, avoiding to stay up late and exercising appropriately are all valid ways to boost the body's immunity during Chushu.
Folk customs include adding duck to one's diet as duck is believed to be particularly nutritious after mid-July of the lunar calendar. Having duck is believed to replenish yin and benefit the blood, cooling down the body and strengthening the spleen at the same time.
Suanmeitang, or sour plum drink, is highly recommended to combat dryness. In North China, the drink is mostly made of hawthorn, while in the south of the Yangtze River, dried dark plum is used.
This solar term coincides with the harvest season. Ancient farmers worshiped the Land God, praying for good weather and a bumper harvest.
In coastal areas, Chushu also signals the start of the fishing season. Since 1998, China has celebrated the Fishing Festival, acknowledging its rich fishing culture. More and more people are aware of respecting oceans by celebrating this festival. This festival marks the end of the fishing moratorium in the East China Sea. The coastal areas of Zhejiang Province celebrate new fishing season and diners to enjoy a wide variety of seafood.
Yin Jifu is a senior engineer with the National Engineering Research Center of Dredging Technology and Equipment under the state-owned construction giant China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).
Yin, whole holds a doctorate degree, has been working hard.
"The recently concluded third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China filled me with great confidence. The reform-centric resolution of the plenum led me to believe that now it is the right time to do big things," Yin told the Global Times.
According to a resolution adopted at the plenum, the country vowed to foster new quality productive forces, advance modern engineering technology, and establish mechanisms to ensure increased funding for future industry innovation, while enhancing the institutions and mechanisms for promoting the development of the marine economy.
For Yin, all these matters hold special significance. Spurred by top-down policy incentives and driven by a sense of urgency, he feels that there are many big things to do.
"For instance, to extract valuable metals from under the wild ocean waves could have huge implications for the lifeline of the nation's emerging new industries, and that's where our expertise can be of great use," Yin told the Global Times.
According to his estimation, each electric vehicle consumes 10 times the amount of rare metals as used by an internal combustion engine vehicle, so endeavoring to seek marine technology breakthroughs could power the country's future development.
Yin is not alone. The resolution adopted at latest CPC plenum has sparked renewed vigor in the hearts of those in the nation's marine engineering sector, from scientists in the lab to frontline workers on oil rigs and vessels at sea.
Marine engineering
Behind the story of Yin and many others is China's rapidly developing marine engineering sector - one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
After years of accumulating strengths and heavy investment devoted to solving tech bottlenecks, China's marine engineering sector has enjoyed meteoric development during recent years.
The nation has successfully rolled out its domestically manufactured large cruise vessel, large liquefied natural gas ship, the world's largest-capacity offshore wind turbine and a series of floating facilities used in offshore oil and gas exploration.
Marking one of the latest achievements, on August 12, a production facility in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province under China National Offshore Oil Corporation completed and handed over the 17,000-ton, 24-story-building-high Marjan oil and gas collection and transportation platform - China's heaviest offshore oil and gas platform destined for overseas markets - to its clients from Saudi Arabia.
In the first six months of the year, China's marine economy expanded steadily, outperforming national GDP growth. The sector's gross output reached 4.9 trillion yuan ($678.55 billion), up 5.6 percent year-on-year, state broadcaster China Central Television reported on July 31, citing data from the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Notably, the growth rate of the marine economy was 0.6 percentage points higher than that of the overall economy from January to June.
Significantly, marine equipment manufacturing has witnessed a marked rebound, the ministry said, with multiple sizable deals clinched in the second quarter.
The new orders of marine engineering projects increased by 205 percent year-on-year, while the value of holding orders rose by 11.6 percent.
In the meantime, the country's shipbuilding capacity, marine traffic and cargo throughput all improved, with the foreign trade value of vessels and offshore wind turbine and parts increasing by 87.3 percent and 32.6 percent year-on-year, respectively, according to the ministry.
Analysts noted that the emerging marine engineering sector is set to make up a larger share of China's economy, as the sector has greater growth potential, featuring the use of new technologies.
Tech-driven growth
The third plenum resolution's emphasis on science-technology and innovation and digital technologies has led to a deep resonation with those in the marine engineering sector, whose job's prerequisite is the solid mastery of scientific knowledge and engineering expertise.
Zeng Nannuo, an oil worker at Shenhai Yihao, or Deep Sea No 1, China's first independently developed ultra-deepwater gas field, told the Global Times that the third plenum has injected renewed confidence across the industry, with the emphasis on fully implementing the strategy of invigorating China through science and education, the strategy of developing a high-quality workforce and the innovation-driven development strategy.
The platform, which has recorded an accumulated natural gas output of over 8 billion cubic meters, with its oil output exceeding 800,000 cubic meters as of May 3 this year, incorporates cutting-edge technologies such as 5G wireless telecommunication, digital twins, and Internet of Things technology.
"We will continue to implement innovation-driven development strategy, intensify the efforts in mastering key technologies and core parts, nurture the new quality productive forces in the marine energy sector, and further intensifying the digitalization of oil & gas production," Zeng said.
The emphasis by the resolution on scientific innovation is very heartening, CCCC's Yin said.
"Deep sea and deep earth probes require the pooling of resources from all sides, and the trend, which is already emerging, is expected to accelerate further," Yin said.
As part of a national push to foster scientific breakthroughs and break technological bottlenecks constraining the development of the fast-growing marine industry, a number of Chinese centrally administered state-owned enterprises are setting up a good number of innovation-driven consortiums to converge their scientific strengths.
CCCC led and set up in July a marine engineering innovation consortium, with initial objectives such as mastering technologies for key equipment for large-scale offshore wind farms.
"Now it is time to do big things," Yin said. "I can't say we are going to do zero-to-one sort of deeds, but at least we are aiming to connect the dots between labs and the vast ocean."
Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has reportedly looked into the errors made in the preparation work for the test removal of nuclear fuel debris from one of the reactors at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after the discovery of a problem led to its suspension.
Observers warned of a more severe pollution leak, saying the lack of transparency in handling dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater has eroded trust in the Fukushima nuclear power plant, and called for effective transparency. TEPCO has been immersed in public concerns, and surging opposition has continued in the first year since Japan began dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater.
The plant operator has been preparing to conduct a test retrieval of nuclear fuel debris from one of the plant's reactors that experienced meltdowns in 2011, according to Japanese media outlet NHK.
The debris, a mixture of molten nuclear fuel and parts of the reactor structure, is estimated to weigh around 880 tons, and the task of removal is considered to be the most challenging step in decommissioning the damaged power plant because of extremely high levels of radiation, as reported by NHK.
The suspension was implemented due to a problem discovered with the installation of a removal device, the NHK report said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday that the more transparent and open Japan is on the issue, the easier it will be for Japan to alleviate international concerns.
China once again calls on Japan to seriously respond to international and domestic concerns, fulfill its responsibilities and obligations, and offer full cooperation in setting up an independent international monitoring arrangement that remains effective in the long haul, Mao said.
Lü Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday that the test retrieval of nuclear fuel debris has prompted increasing opposition, particularly from Japanese citizens, due to concerns that it could result in a second, more severe pollution leak.
Given the frequent occurrences of accidents at the Fukushima nuclear power plant and public concerns, the lack of transparency in handling the related issues has eroded trust in the plant among both the Japanese public and the international community, Lü said.
The Global Times learnt from Japanese environmental NGO "Don't Contaminate the Oceans Anymore! Citizens' Council" that it will organize a 2024 global action on Saturday to raise voices from Japan and abroad in opposition to the dumping of the nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and advocate for an end to the radioactive water dumping.
"The ocean is the source of all life. We cannot dump radioactive materials into it for human convenience. Moreover, ocean creatures cannot raise their voices. It is only us humans who can raise our voices in opposition!" said a representative from the Japanese NGO.
The NGO noted that during last year's global action in April before Japan officially discharged the contaminated water, they had received nearly 100 photos and powerful messages worldwide from countries including France, Canada, South Korea, Fiji and Solomon Islands against the dumping.
With a 3-2 victory defeating the reigning champion Japan, the Chinese women's U20 volleyball team won the Women's Asian U20 Volleyball Championship on Tuesday in Jiangmen, South China's Guangdong Province, reclaiming the title after eight years.
In the past two tournaments, the Chinese youth team had lost twice to Japan in the finals. With the tournament being suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, this victory showcases the progress of the young generation of Chinese volleyball players.
In the first set, both teams fought closely with alternating leads. China sent in substitute outside hitter Dong Yuhan at a critical moment, but Japan managed to score key points with their well-placed shots and gaps, winning the first set 25-23. In the second set, with flexible tactical adjustments, the revamped Chinese team played with greater speed and flexibility, managing to close the gap and win the set 25-21.
In the third set, Japan made more errors while China surged with momentum, taking a significant lead early on and eventually winning 25-17. Japan, strengthened their defense against China's key scorers in the fourth set, winning 25-14 and leveling the match at 2-2, thus forcing a decisive fifth set. In the final set, China's high-point attack efficiency was outstanding, leading 8-4 at the side change. With powerful serves disrupting the opponent's rhythm, China secured the championship with a 15-10 win.
After the match, Chinese women's volleyball team head coach Kuang Qi said that the championship was hard-earned. He praised it as one of the most spectacular finals in recent years in Asian youth volleyball, highlighting the perfect volleyball skills displayed by both teams and their excellent conduct and performance. Kuang believes the championship is the result of the players' hard work, and that the young Chinese players gained confidence from this tournament, which they cherish deeply.
Chinese team captain Wang Yindi was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. After the game, Wang said that they started off a bit unevenly, but after adjusting their mindset, they began to perform at their best.
In this year's tournament, the Chinese team advanced to the semifinals without losing a set, defeating South Korea 3-1 in the semifinals. With the end of this tournament, the qualification for the FIVB Volleyball Women's U21 World Championship in the Asian region has been confirmed, and China qualified as the reigning U21 World Championship champion.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics round the corner, the Chinese women's volleyball team, which has garnered numerous honors, is under the spotlight. Women's volleyball is traditionally a sport that has impacted generations of Chinese, with the national senior team once bringing major international glory to the country, including winning Olympic gold medals in 1984, 2004, and 2016.
However, in recent years, the team has not been as dominant as before. The path for the Chinese women's volleyball team to qualify for the Paris Olympics has been fraught with challenges. Not only did they fail to win a World Series title, but they also missed out on direct qualification for the Paris Olympic Games in September, after suffering three consecutive losses. The team also struggled in the early stages of the World Volleyball League this year, failing to show the expected strong performance.
The youth team's victory in the Asian Championship undoubtedly injects new hope into the future of Chinese women's volleyball.
An anonymous sports specialist who has followed the national volleyball team for many years told the Global Times that every team needs to continuously discover new talents and maintain a balanced ratio of experienced and new players to sustain high performance.
"Allowing more coaches and players to grow in the league will elevate the overall level of the national team," he said.
The development of the volleyball league in China shows positive signs. Some young players are getting more opportunities to play on the field. At the same time, related officials are paying more attention to youth training. Local teams are focusing more on talent development, including improvements in youth sports events and university leagues.
Opinions differ. Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based commentator, told the Global Times that though China has many great players, the popularity of volleyball remains low. "But as long as we fairly make the development, we can still remain highly competitive in the international arena," Wang said.
Globally, China holds the sixth position, with Japan trailing closely behind in seventh. In the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games group stage, China plays in Group A with the strong team of Serbia, and defending champion team USA.
The Chinese women's volleyball team will make its debut facing the defending champion USA on June 29.
Chinese table tennis Olympic champion Chen Meng urged fans to appreciate the athletes' determination and approach competition outcomes with a balanced perspective, rather than focusing solely on the results.
Chen, the newly crowned women's singles Olympic champion, made the remarks during an interview after China advanced to the semifinals of the women's table tennis team event at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, while responding to a question about the recent crackdown by China's public security and cyberspace administration departments on illegal activities within sport fan communities.
Chen herself faced much pressure during her women's singles final match against Sun Yingsha, as many fans on the stand showed favoritism toward Sun while booing Chen.
A 29-year-old woman surnamed He was detained by the police for posting inflammatory and defamatory comments about Chinese athletes and coaches on Sina Weibo, following the table tennis women's singles final at the Paris Olympics, according to a circular released by the Beijing police on Monday.
The arrest came after Beijing police received reports from the public about the posts, which were found to be harmful due to their malicious and false nature. The woman has been placed under criminal detention while the investigation continues.
The case highlighted the authorities' efforts to preserve the spirit of sportsmanship and prevent the negative aspects of toxic fan culture from tarnishing the integrity of sports.
Over 300 accounts and influential users that engaged in maliciously speculating about coaches and posting attacks against athletes following the women's singles table tennis final have been banned from posting, according to a notice by Sina Weibo on Sunday.
Chen noted that while fans naturally wish for their favorite athletes to win, it is essential to understand that victories and defeats are inherent in competitive sports, adding that those who follow sports should be mentally prepared to handle these outcomes, as they are an integral part of any sport. Finally, she encouraged fans to appreciate and pay more attention to the athletes' perseverance, passion and resilience.
China’s Olympic delegation for Paris 2024 has not only achieved the goal of “zero occurrence” of doping issues, but also marked a phased victory against the US over its anti-doping practices, Liu Guoyong, deputy head of the delegation, told a press conference on Sunday.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games concluded on Sunday with Team China winning 40 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals, with the result marking the best performance for Team China at an Olympic Games held overseas.
As of August 10, the delegation athletes have undergone a total of 214 doping tests during the Olympic Games, a decrease from the 230 tests conducted during the Tokyo Olympics. The decrease reflects the international anti-doping organization’s recognition of clean Chinese athletes and the effectiveness of China’s anti-doping efforts, Liu said.
Liu emphasized China’s comprehensive efforts in establishing a “clean national team anti-doping ecosystem.” China focuses on building cleanliness in various aspects such as the national teams, training facilities, support teams, food, drugs and nutrition, external support, social environment, competition processes and ethical standards.
Liu noted that the self-awareness among Chinese athletes has increased, and the national teams have strengthened their anti-doping management to reduce doping risks.
The delegation has implemented measures to protect athletes’ rights and interests, ensuring the athletes to participate in the Olympic Games without unfair interference. The delegation has also united with global organizations to oppose politicization of sports and “long-arm jurisdiction” by the US, safeguarding the unity of the international Olympic family, according to Liu.
Chinese swimming athletes have always followed international rules and cooperated with high-frequency pre-competition doping tests, with no positive results, demonstrating their good personal qualities and spirit, earning them widespread respect and recognition, said Liu.
The China Anti-Doping Center remains independent, fair, professional, and authoritative in its work, passing the World Anti-Doping Agency’s on-site compliance review.
The China Anti-Doping Center conducted over 33,000 doping tests in 2023, representing in excess of 10 percent of the global total. The number of doping violations decreased from 92 cases in 2017 to 30 cases in 2023, with the violation rate dropping from 0.53 percent to 0.09 percent, according to Liu.
China’s anti-doping efforts have formed a unique anti-doping governance system with Chinese characteristics, said Liu.
Vietnam's top leader To Lam will make a three-day state visit to China starting Sunday, his first overseas trip since becoming the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee.
Analysts said the trip shows a continuation of the close relationship between the two countries as developing long-term, stable and sound Vietnam-China relations has always been the strategic choice and top priority of the CPV and the Vietnamese government.
At the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and Vietnamese President To Lam will pay a state visit to China from August 18 to 20, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced Thursday.
Lam was elected General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee on August 3, following the passing of former General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 19. Analysts said that Lam's visit to China underscored the unique and strategic significance of China-Vietnam relations, highlighting that cooperation with China is a top priority of Vietnam's foreign policy in the post-Trong era.
President Xi will meet Lam during his visit to China. Premier Li Qiang, Chairman Zhao Leji of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and Chairman Wang Huning of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, will meet with Lam respectively, the spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
China and Vietnam are working intensively to implement the outcomes achieved during Xi's historic visit to Vietnam at the end of last year, the spokesperson said, adding that efforts to build the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance have had a good start, said the spokesperson.
Noting that China is the first country that Lam will visit after becoming the general secretary of the CPV central committee, the spokesperson said this fully demonstrates the great importance that he attaches to the relations between the two parties and countries.
"Through this visit, China looks forward to carrying forward traditional friendship, deepening the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future, and working with Vietnam to achieve success on our respective socialist paths toward modernization with distinctive characteristics, jointly advance the global socialist cause, and contribute to regional and global peace, stability and development," said the spokesperson.
China-Vietnam relations have a rich and positive legacy. Since the normalization of relations in 1991, Vietnam's leaders have adopted a pragmatic foreign policy toward China, leading to steady progress in the relationship. With Lam taking over, the most important task is to ensure a smooth transition and build on this positive legacy, Feng Chao, director of the Institute of South and Southeast Asian Studies in Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times.
Maintaining strong ties with China is highly beneficial for Vietnam's industrialization and modernization, especially given the current economic development challenges the country faces, said Feng.
By choosing China as Lam's first overseas visit, Vietnam has reaffirmed the significant role China plays in its diplomacy and the enduring friendship between the two parties. The relationship between the CPC and CPV will steer the development of bilateral relations, highlighting that strong party ties continue to be a key feature of the current China-Vietnam relationship, Ge Hongliang, vice dean of the ASEAN College at the Guangxi Minzu University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
Ge said that Lam is expected to have in-depth discussions with Chinese leaders on further developing relations between the CPC and CPV, with new consensus possibly being made.
One of the main goals of Lam's visit to China is to engage in high-level strategic dialogue with Chinese leaders on future cooperation. In addition to reconnecting with old friends, new connections will be established, Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.
As both China and Vietnam are socialist countries and led by communist parties, Lam's visit is key to deepening mutual understanding. It also aims to shape the development of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future, said Xu.
China and Vietnam have maintained high-level interactions in recent years. In December 2023, President Xi paid a state visit to Vietnam, during which Xi and then general secretary of the CPV Central Committee Trong announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Analysts are highly anticipating Lam's visit, which will advance the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. They believe it will not only deliver tangible benefits to both nations but also provide significant certainty, confidence, and momentum for regional development.
In addition to economic cooperation, China and Vietnam will also hold discussions covering core issues, particularly maritime issues, said Xu.
Balanced diplomacy unchanged
The US and some Western countries are closely watching Lam's visit to China.
Ge noted that Lam's visit underscores Vietnam's balanced foreign policy, termed "bamboo diplomacy" and honed under the late general secretary Trong, remains unchanged.
Despite facing challenges and pressures, Vietnam has effectively integrated into the international community and regional value chains by maintaining a non-aligned stance, said the expert, noting that being committed to an open and inclusive model of international relations, Vietnam aims to enhance its global standing to foster economic development and achieve long-term national goals.
"This strategy supports Vietnam's autonomy while contributing to regional and global stability," said Ge.
Since becoming president in May, Lam has visited Laos and Cambodia. He also met with Russia's President Vladimir Putin during Putin's visit to Hanoi in June and spoke with him by phone on August 8 after assuming his role as party leader.
Amid rising protectionism from Europe and America, Vietnam, like China, faces challenges from the US and Europe's "small yard and high fence" strategy, analysts said.
Strengthening cooperation between regional countries and developing countries are crucial for addressing these issues effectively, observers said, calling for more cooperation and exchanges between China and Vietnam.
A 71-year-old man in Southwest China's Sichuan Province ran two kilometers to escape after being attacked by a black bear, with the distance between the man and bear at one point being only one meter, according to recent local media reports.
The man, surnamed Lan, was out in nearby mountains to gather matsutake mushroom. As Lan ascended a slope, he suddenly spotted a black bear resting on the flat ground. With just a mere meter separating them, Lan found himself face-to-face with the bear, according to his daughter, as reported by media on August 9.
Before he could react and move, the bear lunged at him. In the ensuing struggle, the bear swiped at the right side of Lan's face with such force that it tore skin and flesh from his face. The overwhelming strength of the bear rendered Lan defenseless.
However, the black bear's attack lasted for a while and paused. Lan noticed that the bear itself had a leg injury upon seeing the bear run away. Lan then hurriedly got up to escape, took off his clothes, wrapped his face wound to stop the bleeding, and fled the scene by running for two kilometers down the river. During this time, he called his wife for help.
Nearby herdsmen then discovered Lan covered in blood, and after his family members arrived, he was taken immediately to hospital. According to the report, Lan was diagnosed as displacement of the soft tissues in his face, severe fractures, and partial collapse of facial bones. One side of the nostril has been displaced.
Doctors suggested that if someone is injured by a wild animal in the wilderness, they should promptly observe the wound and stop any significant bleeding by applying pressure with clothing or using items like ropes or rubber bands to restrict blood flow.
In the event of a fracture, individuals can stabilize the affected area with nearby items such as wooden boards to prevent further harm to blood vessels, nerves, and tissues. Seeking medical attention promptly is of crucial importance.
