On June 26, the 55MW/110MWh energy storage power station of China Resources Power successfully achieved full-capacity grid connection in one attempt, marking the first grid-side new-type energy storage project operated by China Resources Power Holdings Company Limited in Taizhou and also the first new-type energy storage power station put into operation in the Taizhou region.

The construction of grid-side new-type energy storage projects is a key task for ensuring power supply during peak summer demand in Jiangsu Province in 2024. It is of great significance in supporting the province's new energy consumption, promoting green transformation, facilitating high-quality development of the energy industry, and achieving carbon peaking and neutrality goals.

Located in the Science and Technology Park in Dainan township, this new-type energy storage power station covers a total area of approximately 41.346 acres with a total installed capacity of 55MW/110MWh. The project has installed 17 sets of 3.35MW/6.7MWh energy storage subsystems, which are aggregated and boosted to 110kV. A new 110kV line is constructed and T-connected to the 110kV Jixun-Guzhuang line, and then connected to the grid at the 220kV Guzhuang substation.

This energy storage power station is expected to have an average annual discharge capacity of approximately 36,000MWh and undergo 365 charging and discharging cycles annually, effectively enhancing the safety, economy, reliability, and flexibility of the regional power grid. Upon completion, the project will contribute to forming a 55MW new-type energy storage emergency peaking capacity in Taizhou before this year's peak summer demand period.

On Tuesday, the General Administration of Sport of China and the Ministry of Public Security held a joint news conference in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, about their crackdown on match-fixing, betting, and biased refereeing in professional football leagues. The conference reported on the strict legal actions taken by public security authorities against illegal activities in the football sector, including betting and match-fixing, as well as the disciplinary measures imposed by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) on 61 individuals involved in these cases. Among them, 43 individuals have been banned for life from football-related activities. This marks the first batch of "life bans" issued by the CFA. The General Administration of Sport of China and the CFA will continue to announce relevant penalties based on the lists provided by the Ministry of Public Security's public security administration bureau.

This significant industry penalty has attracted widespread attention both domestically and internationally. One reason for this is that the Chinese men's national soccer team recently suffered a 0-7 defeat to the Japanese team in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday, setting three "shameful records": the largest margin of defeat to Japan, the most goals conceded in a single World Cup qualifier match, and the largest margin of defeat in World Cup qualifiers. The team's performance in this match, which was widely deemed "completely lacking in fighting spirit," has sparked immense anger among the Chinese public and prompted reflection on the long-standing, deep-rooted issues plaguing Chinese football once again.

The public's anger and disappointment with the Chinese men's soccer team for "not living up to expectations" is entirely understandable. As the most popular and widely participated sport in the world, soccer has a unique ability to evoke collective emotions. It is inherently tied to sportsmanship, national pride, and identity. The national team jerseys worn by the players carry the hopes and expectations of countless citizens who long for them to fight for the country and for glory. On Thursday evening, in the stands of Saitama Stadium in Japan, Chinese fans displayed a banner that read: "With my sincere heart, may you find your fighting spirit!" In a sense, soccer matches are not just about winning or losing; they are about whether the team can stand tall and give their all, demonstrating the resilience and fighting spirit that is expected of them in the face of tough opponents and pressure.

In the past, China has lacked world-class coaches, good training environments and facilities in many sports, but it has never lacked spirit and determination. The Chinese men's national soccer team has also given us many memorable moments. For example, during the 2017 World Cup qualifiers, Chinese team defeated South Korean team, turning Changsha into a sea of joy that night. Many Chinese fans sang the national anthem with tears in their eyes and marched through the streets waving national flags late into the night. In the 2022 East Asian Football Championship game, Chinese team drew 0-0 with Japan. Despite being at a disadvantage, the team showed fighting spirit and determination, earning widespread praise at home. And who could forget the qualifiers of 2002 World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, when the Chinese men's team overcame many challenges to finally make it to the World Cup finals? The memories of the country celebrating its qualification are still vivid for many.

It is precisely because of these memories that, in the face of one "surrendered" match after another, people repeatedly ask: Where has the fighting spirit of the Chinese men's soccer team gone? Systemic corruption in the industry is widely considered one of the main reasons. The revelations at the press conference on September 10 were shocking: 120 matches involving match-fixing and betting have been confirmed, encompassing the Chinese Super League, China League One, China League Two, the Chinese FA Cup, and China Women's Super League. A total of 41 clubs across these leagues were involved. The government could thoroughly investigate the match-fixing, betting, and biased refereeing in soccer, leaving no stone unturned - this is the inevitable demand from the Chinese public, whose blame stems from a deep love for soccer.

Revitalizing Chinese football requires not only rectification and adjustment but also systematic reform at the foundational level. The Overall Plan for China's Football Reform and Development emphasizes that football development should combine a long-term vision with a solid foundation, highlighting the need to strengthen the population base, infrastructure, management, and cultural foundation of football, while persistently exerting effort for long-term success. This is not something that can be resolved overnight; however, as long as the direction is correct, we need not fear the distance. This simple truth is equally applicable to Chinese football.

On Tuesday evening, the Chinese team hosted Saudi Arabia, currently ranked fourth in Asia, in Dalian, for a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Football Confederation qualifier game. Although the national soccer team ultimately lost 1-2 to the Saudi Arabian team, there were noticeable changes compared to their previous match against the Japanese team. However, this game further exposed the objective gap in technical abilities between the Chinese team and other teams. This serves as an opportunity for the national team to reassess themselves and start anew. Tuesday evening should be a starting point for the national team to recognize shame and inspire bravery. They need to accept and confront the current situation, follow the developmental laws of football, and establish a solid foundation for the sport. Additionally, they should exercise ample patience. As football reforms continue to deepen, the Chinese team should strive to play with skill, determination, and dignity on a clean pitch, and the public eagerly anticipates the arrival of that day.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged efforts to make solid progress toward the strategic goal of building China into a leading country in education.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a national meeting on education held in Beijing from Monday to Tuesday.

Tuesday marks the 40th Teachers' Day in China. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi sent greetings to teachers and others working in the education sector across the country.

Following the Super Typhoon Yagi which hit South China's Hainan Province over the weekend, schools and transportation services in Hainan - including high-speed rail, flights, shuttle services - are gradually returning to normal as of Monday.

Three airports in Hainan, affected by the typhoon, gradually resumed operation on Sunday, according to the China News Service (CNS). Qionghai Boao Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport have resumed flights on Saturday. Haikou Meilan International Airport, which was severely affected by the disaster, resumed flights from Sunday.

Seaports on the island are set to resume shipping, with a priority on cargo transport on Sunday. As of Sunday afternoon, 122 out of the 152 bus routes in Haikou have been restored, while the remaining 30 routes are likely to resume soon. A number of scenic spots in Hainan have also reopened and resumed operations.

A resident from the provincial capital Haikou told the Global Times on Monday that water and electricity have been almost completely restored to Haikou's urban areas. However, another local resident said that fallen trees can still be seen blocking the road sometimes while driving, and calling ride-hailing services may take longer, as many drivers are struggling to find charging stations for their vehicles following the storm.

Primary, secondary and vocational schools in the city will resume classes in batches from Monday to Wednesday, according to the Education Department of Haikou. Kindergartens across the city will resume on Thursday.

All schools should also conduct a comprehensive inspection of campus safety hazards and carry out cleaning and disinfection. Key areas to check include school buildings, walls, electrical wiring, educational facilities, and drinking water safety, according to the department.

The China Meteorological Administration identified Super Typhoon Yagi as the strongest autumn typhoon to make landfall in the Chinese mainland since 1949. It moved into northern Vietnam on Saturday, causing widespread destruction and power outages. As of Monday, 64 people have died in Vietnam, with 49 victims lost to landslides and flash floods, media reported.

China's central authorities sent a congratulatory message to the country's Paralympic delegation on Sunday for their accomplishments and sportsmanship at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

"You have won glory for our country and people, and we extend warm congratulations and heartfelt compliments to you," read a message jointly sent by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council, China's cabinet.

China claimed 94 gold, 76 silver and 50 bronze medals at the Paris Paralympics, topping the medal table for the sixth consecutive time.

"You have marked the new heights of our country's para-sports with your high-spirited morale, unyielding spirit and excellent performances, and demonstrated the new development achievements of our country's cause of persons with disabilities in the new era," read the message.

"You have vigorously promoted the Chinese sports spirit and the Paralympic spirit, challenging the limits, striving for excellence, and showcasing your self-confidence, optimism, openness and friendliness. In doing so, you have demonstrated China's spirit and image to the world," added the message.

The CPC Central Committee and the State Council called on the athletes to continue to carry forward the glorious tradition of para-sports to strive for athletic excellence, encourage persons with disabilities to exercise to achieve their dreams, and inspire all aspects of society to pursue a happy and fulfilling life.

China and the US, the world's two biggest economies, are set to hold a high-level meeting on Saturday in China to exchange views on China-US economic and trade relations as well as issues of common concern, maintaining the positive momentum on high-level engagement between the two sides as senior Chinese and US officials are holding or scheduled to hold meetings in multiple fields including climate and military.

However, ahead of the talks, the US announced a flurry of actions, including new export curbs on critical technologies including quantum computing and semiconductor goods, widely seen as primarily targeting China. Analysts called on the US to handle relations with China from the perspective of a responsible major country and join hands with China to maintain normal global trade order and reasonable market competition, which will benefit the whole world.

The vice-ministerial meeting of the China-US commercial and trade working group, the second of its kinds,  will be co-chaired by China International Trade Representative and Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen and the US Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago. The two sides will exchange views on a wide range of issues, including their respective concerns about economic and trade policies, appeals from businesses and pragmatic cooperation, according to the Chinese Commerce Ministry.

Enhancing bilateral dialogues is necessary in addressing certain issues of concern to both sides and helps stabilize bilateral ties, especially in the economic and trade fields, said He Weiwen, senior fellow from the Center for China and Globalization. 

The upcoming meeting of the China-US commercial and trade working group continued the momentum of recent increased interactions between Chinese and US officials. 

Following US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's China trip in late August, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with US Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta on Friday. The US is reportedly planning to send a deputy assistant secretary of defense to 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum this month. 

Given the US' foreign policy of "decoupling" from and cracking down on China is fundamentally unchanged, it is expected the Chinese side will likely raise concerns over a series of unilateral policies from the US, for example, plans to impose hefty additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and export restrictions of tech products targeting China at the upcoming commercial and trade talks, He said. 

The Biden administration plans to impose export controls on critical technologies including quantum computing and semiconductor goods, seeking to align the US with allies working to thwart advancements in China and other adversarial nations, media reported.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday that China is opposed to the US turning trade and tech issues into political issues and weapons. Obstructing normal cooperation on tech and trade and economic exchange violates the principle of market economy, destabilizes global industrial and supply chains and serves no one's interest.

It is a familiar gimmick made by the US to leverage unilateral measures as a bargaining chip ahead of talks with China. This also indicates the challenges of the upcoming trade talks between the two countries, Bao Jianyun, director of the Center for International Political Economy Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.

However, despite the US' political maneuvers, China has showed sincerity and is trying to boost bilateral relations back to normal track, Bao said. "In combination, the output of the Chinese and US economies accounted for over 40 percent of the global total in 2023, and thus it bears monumental significance for the two countries to maintaining global economic stability," he said.

US should view its relations with Beijing from the perspective of a responsible major country and join hands with China to maintain normal global trade order and reasonable market competition, which will not only benefit the two countries but the whole world, Bao said.

Chinese localities have been ramping up efforts to boost consumption, with increased policy support, including direct financial support, for trade-ins of consumer goods and equipment upgrades at companies, in line with a national campaign to bolster domestic demand amid economic recovery. 

The intensifying efforts come as domestic consumption, while holding vast potential, remains under pressure, and plays a critical role in China's overall economic growth. Experts said that the increasing policy support will not only help underpin stable growth in consumption in the short term, but also lay a solid foundation for overall economic development in the long run.  

In recent days, various Chinese localities, including Central China's Hunan Province, South China's Guangdong Province and East China's Shanghai Municipality, have issued detailed plans to boost consumption demand, according to a report by the China Securities Journal on Thursday.

In addition to expanding the coverage of trade-in policies and increasing support for trade-ins in areas such as automobiles and home appliances, the new measures from local governments also specifically mentioned the utilization of capital from ultra-long special treasury bonds, the China Securities Journal report noted. 

Among the highlights of the Shanghai action plan is increased financial support from both the ultra-long special treasury bonds and local counterpart funding, which exceeded 4 billion yuan ($563.3 million), Shanghai Observer reported. 

Another highlight is increased financial support for trade-ins of certain goods. For example, the subsidy for trade-ins of new-energy vehicles was increased from 10,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan, according to the Shanghai Observer report. The policy coverage was also extended to home appliances such as furniture and vacuum cleaners.

The Guangdong provincial government recently released an implementation plan to better utilize funds from ultra-long special treasury bonds to support trade-ins of consumers goods, which also increased financial support for trade-ins of products such as automobiles.

The local plans come after the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance in July issued a plan for equipment renewal and trade-ins of consumer goods, including a fund of 300 billion yuan from ultra-long special treasury bonds to support the campaign. 

City governments have also stepped up efforts to boost trade-ins. Shantou in Guangdong, for instance, said that since May, it has taken various steps to increase trade-ins of consumer goods, and as of July 10, the efforts have led to total consumption of 200 million yuan, the city government said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Thursday, adding that the city will hold various activities in districts and counties to further boost market vitality and create a favorable environment for consumption. 

Unleashing potential

The ramped-up policy support for trade-ins of consumer products and equipment renewal with the support of funds from the ultra-long special treasury bonds will help boost consumer confidence and unleash the vast potential of China's consumption, experts said. 

"The use of funds from the ultra-long special treasury bonds by various localities to promote trade-ins is an effort to increase consumers' desire to spend by leveraging subsidies, which can be effective in stimulating consumption demand," Tian Yun, a veteran economist based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Tian said that the campaign to boost trade-ins of consumer goods and equipment renewal is conducive not only to boosting consumption, but also to promoting development in various industries. "This is not a short-term policy to boost consumption, but rather a long-term strategic arrangement," Tian said. 

Boosting consumption demand is critical in supporting the ongoing economic recovery amid external and internal pressure. In July, total retail sales of consumer goods, a broad gauge of consumption, reached 3.7757 trillion yuan, up 2.7 percent year-on-year, according to official data. 

Experts said that while the data showed that domestic consumption continues to recover, there is vast potential for further improvement in demand, and increasing efforts to promote consumption will have a profound positive effect on the economy as a whole.

"Consumer spending will lift domestic demand and promote economic development. On the other hand, trade-ins could lead to development in industries such as recycling, pollution reduction, as well as new momentum for economic development," said Pan Helin, a member of the Expert Committee for the Information and Communication Economy under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

A worker is seen on the production line of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber Composite in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province on August 29, 2024. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, profits in China's high-tech manufacturing sector grew 12.8 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of 2024. Photo: VCG

A worker is busy filling international orders for LED chips at a factory in Suqian, East China's Jiangsu Province, on September 3, 2024. According to the General Administration of Customs, China's exports of high-tech products totaled 3.45 trillion yuan ($484.7 billion) in the first seven months of 2024, a 7 percent year-on-year increase. Photo: VCG

China's State Council, the cabinet, on Monday issued a guideline on high-level opening-up in the services sector, containing 20 specific measures including improving the negative list mechanism for cross-border trade in services.

The move further highlighted China's commitment to high-standard opening-up, and China's rapidly growing services market will offer greater opportunities for businesses from around the world, experts said, noting that the opening-up measures are also crucial to promote the high-quality development of China's services industry.

The guideline covers six areas, including promoting institutional opening-up in services trade, facilitating cross-border flows of resources such as talent and capital, advancing innovative development in key areas such as international shipping, and expanding the international market. 

Notably, the guideline said that China will fully implement a negative list for cross-border services trade and establish a corresponding management system. For cross-border services trade outside of the negative list, the principle of uniform treatment will be adopted in managing both domestic and foreign services providers, according to the guideline. 

China will further open up the services sector by giving full play at free trade pilot zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port, and strengthen regulatory coordination and compatibility with international trade rules so as to streamline approval procedures, improve regulatory and policy transparency, and reduce costs for cross-border services trade, the guideline said. 

"The guideline represents major measures in China's all-round opening-up," Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Monday, noting the fast development in China's services industry.

The services industry plays an increasingly important role in China's high-quality development. In the first half of 2024, the value added of the services industry grew by 4.6 percent year-on-year, and contributed 52.6 percent of China's overall economic growth during the period. 

In terms of trade in services, total imports and exports by value jumped by 14 percent year-on-year, according to official data. 

Li said that as China has basically fully opened up the manufacturing industry to foreign businesses, the services sector is a critical area of China's continuous high-level opening-up. "Opening-up in the services industry will also be critical in China's efforts to attract foreign investment," he said. 

China has been steadily promoting opening-up in both the manufacturing and services industries. This year's Government Work Report, released in March, said that all market access restrictions on foreign investment in manufacturing will be abolished, and market access restrictions in the services sectors, such as telecommunications and healthcare, will be reduced.

Before the guideline on Monday, China in July announced a major step to further open up the services sector, allowing six cities, including Shenyang in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, Nanjing in East China's Jiangsu Province and Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province, to offer greater market access for foreign services providers. 

For example, foreign investment will be granted greater access in the eldercare, travel, telecoms, entertainment and live performance businesses.

Li said the opening-up measures in the guideline on Monday cover a wide range of areas, including new emerging sectors such as cross-border data flows. "This is very significant in improving the business environment and creating greater opportunities for services providers," the expert said. 

According to the guideline, China will facilitate the effective, convenient and safe cross-border flows of data. China will also facilitate cross-border flows of talent, capital and technologies. 

In terms of services imports, China will increase imports of services in high demand, including healthcare, culture and entertainment. 

China will also promote international cooperation in the services industry through various platforms and initiatives, including the Belt and Road Initiative, the guideline said. 

In line with China's efforts to boost services cooperation, the 2024 China International Fair For Trade In Service will be held in Beijing from September 12 to 16, where more than 420 Fortune Global 500 and leading enterprises will participate, according to officials.