During the three-day visit of the Maldivian Foreign Minister, Abdulla Khaleel, to India, some Indian media outlets linked China-Maldives cooperation, which is unrelated to the visit, to Maldives-India relations. Experts say this is an outdated mindset of the Indian media to exert pressure on South Asian countries.
NDTV, an Indian media outlet, said that the ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain after Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu took charge of the top office in November 2023.
India may not hold a dominant position globally, but in the South Asian region, India views itself as a leader, Long Xingchun, a professor from the School of International Relations at Sichuan International Studies University, told the Global Times on Friday.
The Tribune India publishing an article titled "Maldives minister in Delhi as FTA with China kicks in" on Friday.
Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times that the Indian media's tendency to conflate unrelated issues indicates their intent to pressure South Asian countries. They often engage in sensationalism in an attempt to coerce these nations into yielding to their pressure, thereby pursuing their own interests, Qian noted.
Indian media inherently view South Asia as their sphere of influence, seeking to exclude other major powers in the region, Qian said.
Long said the Indian media's concerns lack basis, noting that China refrains from pressuring South Asian countries to take sides and instead promotes regional collaboration among these neighboring nations, including India. Furthermore, China has proposed the philosophy of trilateral cooperation, demonstrating confidence, inclusivity, and a focus on practical partnerships, according to Long.
China will always support the Maldives' effort to protect its sovereignty and independence, territorial integrity and national dignity, and support the Maldives' search for a development path that suits the country's reality, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during his meeting with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on September 23, 2024.
It is the wish of China to carry forward its traditional friendship with Maldives and march alongside Maldives at the forefront of the endeavor to build a community with a shared future for mankind, Wang added.
A deep sinkhole appeared in the kitchen of Hu Yuzhen, an elderly woman in Xiangping Village, Fuquan, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, recently. Sinkhole disasters in the village have severely disrupted residents' lives and caused significant property damage. Emergency relocation and post-disaster reconstruction efforts have been launched by local authorities, according to Hongxing News.
Since August 2022, the village has experienced frequent sinkhole disasters, with 32 sinkholes recorded so far, some as deep as three meters. According to geological experts from Guizhou Province, geological experts have attributed the sinkholes to the fragile karst topography in the region.
This has been exacerbated by prolonged groundwater extraction by nearby coal mines, causing a significant drop in the water table, which destabilized the surface layer and triggered the formation of sinkholes.
The villagers' lives have been significantly disrupted. Local springs have dried up, making traditional rice farming nearly impossible, and many families have experienced severe damage to their farmland and homes.
In May, the Fuquan Natural Resources Bureau designated Xiangping village as a high-risk geological disaster zone, affecting 85 households and causing economic losses estimated at 15 million yuan ($2.05 million). Experts identified both natural and human-induced factors as contributors.
Hu and other affected villagers were temporarily relocated to a previously abandoned school. Evacuation routes and warning signs have been installed in certain areas for safety.
Representatives of the relevant coal mines committed to supporting recovery efforts and considering the engagement of third-party investigators to examine the disaster's causes further.
To ensure the safety and livelihood of the villagers, the government proposed three resettlement options, including local reconstruction, guaranteed housing, or financial compensation. The construction of new houses is being expedited.
China has completed the acceptance of the deepwater jacket structure Haiji-2 and Asia's first cylindrical floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility, Haikui No.1, cctv.com reported on Tuesday, citing information from China National Offshore Oil Corp, the largest offshore oil and gas producer in China. The completion of China's first deepwater oil field secondary development project represents a major breakthrough in the nation's independent construction capabilities of all types of deepwater oil and gas equipment. Experts noted that this approach strengthens China's deepwater drilling technology and promotes the efficient development of deepwater oil and gas fields. "The secondary development upgrades aging oil fields that are nearing their extraction limits, significantly boosting efficiency through new technologies," Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Zhang added that this is essential for strengthening China's deepwater oil field development capabilities, as advancements in maritime technology pave the way for future offshore oil field exploitation. Zhang noted that global deep-sea energy development remains limited, with most extraction occurring on land, particularly in the Middle East. "Given the significant technological and infrastructure demands of deep-sea projects, this breakthrough not only enables oil and gas extraction within China's territorial waters but also creates opportunities to export relevant technology and equipment," Zhang said. The Haikui No. 1 is a self-developed cylindrical FPSO facility from China. It is installed in the sea area of the Liuhua Oilfield in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, located more than 320 meters deep and about 240 kilometers southeast of Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province. The Haiji-2, acting as a "foundation" supporting fixed offshore oil and gas platforms where seabed conditions are challenging, can provide support for pipelines and subsea structures of an offshore platform. The jacket is a globally used marine oil and gas development type of equipment. For instance, Haiji-2 is equipped with advanced automation systems, including a robotic arm that enables "one-click operations" across various tasks, significantly enhancing the efficiency and stability of deepwater drilling. Both Haiji-2 and Haikui No.1 are serving China's first deepwater oil field, the Liuhua 11-1 offshore field. On August 9, Haiji-2 was officially drilled. It was the first time that China exploited oil and gas through a fixed platform in waters with a depth of more than 300 meters.
Over 700 years ago, Italian traveler Marco Polo journeyed through China, documenting his experiences and introducing the splendor of ancient China to Europe in his book. Fast forward to the present day, when people discover China through online videos. With China's visa-free policies and the introduction of 144-hour visa-free transit, a wave of international YouTubers and vloggers has flocked to China.
After exploring gateway cities, where they gain initial insights into China's modern cityscapes and rich cultural heritage, these YouTubers and vloggers soon turn their attention to localized regions, delving into frontier areas, revolutionary sites, and public infrastructure to find the answers to the questions: "What is modern China like, why is it the way it is, and how does it function?" Through their cameras, they present a real, friendly, and vibrant China to the world. They are affectionately referred to by the Chinese as the "Marco Polos" in the New Era.
Therefore, the Global Times presented this Marco Polo Trilogy. This is the second installment, sharing experiences and thoughts of some international travelers who had been to "red tourism" sites, which are characterized by patriotic or revolutionary themes. Videos of their visits became a vivid window to the global audience to take a closer look at the history and achievements of China and the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Canadian travel content creator Kourosh Kamyabi enters a historic building after walking down the old streets in downtown Shanghai. In the beginning, he doesn't know this building is to some extent the "founding site" of the CPC.
In a video he later shared on YouTube, Kamyabi says "I was just walking around, and I saw massive lineups to come into this area, and I walked in, and I saw a museum."
"I'm not sure what this is. Give me a moment," he opens Google Translate. "Ah… It says this is the site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China."
"That's cool!"
Unplanned encounters
Kamyabi is among the surging number of international tourists who recently visited China thanks to the loosened entry policy. With some 20,000 subscribers on YouTube, he has uploaded several travel vlogs of himself visiting Chinese cities like Shanghai and Chongqing under the screen name "KSquared."
One vlog titled "I went to a Communist Museum in China" showed Kamyabi's unplanned trip to the Memorial of the First National Congress of the CPC in Shanghai - hailed as the CPC's "birthplace," becoming one of his most popular vlogs that has gained 127,000 views thus far.
Similarly, Nepalese tourist Nagendra Bhujel and his wife Ananda Kala Rai did not put the memorial on their Shanghai journey schedule in advance. At first, they entered the memorial only to get out of the rain, after they had just finished a visit to the Jade Buddha Temple nearby.
Bhujel is not a professional travel vlogger but works in the insurance industry. His 13-minute YouTube vlog about their visit to the memorial, not elaborately edited though, shows the pictures and video clips of almost every corner of the memorial in detail.
Many of his audiences left comments thanking him for sharing. "Super beautiful," wrote a YouTube user. "Vanguard of the people…Long live CPC," wrote another.
Bhujel said he made and shared this vlog online because he himself supports the communist mentality. "I wanted to show this to others," he told the Global Times. "I felt proud to be a supporter of the communist ideology. In Nepal, Chairman Mao is very well respected." Amazing achievements
However, for many Western tourists like Kamyabi, what is showcased at the memorial is quite unfamiliar to them.
"I don't know anything about it myself. We're not taught about this history where I'm from in Canada," Kamyabi says in his vlog.
He noted that, a lot of Chinese history is not really taught to young Canadians, "because they have their own history to show, and other histories they choose to teach and what not to."
In this 19-minute vlog, Kamyabi invites the audience to "learn along the way" together with him, to know about "the founding days and founding fathers of the CPC."
He focuses his camera on almost every section of the memorial's exhibition hall showing the CPC's history, from the unequal treaties between the old feudal Chinese government and the West, the early spread of Marxism in China, and the representative pioneers of the CPC, to the numerous efforts and fights by the Party did for the peace, the stability of the country, and the prosperity of its people.
"I love the fact that there was a museum there for me to learn about what went on, and all that stuff was very interesting to me. To see where China was, [and] where it is now," Kamyabi said to the Global Times. "It's a big improvement. It's an amazing achievement."
More overseas tourists are actively adding "red tourism" sites like the memorial to their China travel lists. YouTuber Jack and Paige, for instance, spent time at the memorial and its souvenir shop while on tour at the surrounding historical blocks of Xintiandi.
For many visitors, the "birthplace" of the CPC is never the political propaganda site that some may have assumed it to be, but is an interesting place to learn more about the history and spirit of one of the world's largest ruling parties in a friendly and relaxed way.
The number of foreign visitors to the memorial has seen a significant increase in recent years, particularly this year, said a member of staff at the memorial surnamed Chen.
The memorial once conducted a survey on its foreign visitors, asking what part of the memorial impressed them the most. "Through the statistics, we found that they were mostly impressed by the [patriotism-themed] paintings and sculptures at the memorial, and a video presenting the First National Congress of the CPC with live-action and the naked eye 3D technologies was very impressive as well," said Chen.
The memorial is making more efforts to better serve its international visitors.
According to Chen, all the exhibits on display have English translations, and most of the videos being broadcast at the memorial have English subtitles. The memorial also has more than 160 audio guide equipment pieces that support seven foreign languages: English, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, German, and Japanese.
"This year, with the growing number of foreign visitors, we released the English version of the memorial's guide brochure," Chen said. "We also improved payment services at our souvenir shop and the memorial-branded cafe."
Remarkable narratives
Under Kamyabi's travel vlog about the memorial, many YouTube users recommended that he visit more "red tourism" destinations across China feature the country's histories of revolution and fighting against Japanese aggression, such as the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, and the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.
In recent months, videos about visiting destinations that share modern and contemporary Chinese history, especially the memorials that reflect the dark history of fascist Japan's invasion of China, are increasing.
In these videos, international tourists visit the memorials from the first-person perspective, showing global audiences a period of resistance against Japanese invaders full of blood and tears.
Earlier this year, 35-year-old Ryan Shane Palmer from New Zealand visited the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province.
Palmer made a video of this visit and uploaded it to YouTube, sharing the photos in the memorial hall that unveil the extremely cruel and inhumane behaviors of Japanese invaders during the appalling massacre.
"I can imagine immense terror and fear," Palmer says to the camera. Palmer told the Global Times that during his time at the university, he focused on Japanese imperialism and its devastating impact on China and Southeast Asia. He was interested in learning more about the massacre in Nanjing, and the operations of Unit 731 in Harbin in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin in 1935, which did numerous notorious human experiments on Chinese people during the war.
Palmer has also been to the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army on a snowy day. "Experiments conducted here were perhaps the worst, or at least among the worst, in human history," he commented in a video he uploaded to YouTube about this visit.
Some Chinese users commented under the video, expressing their thanks to Palmer for showing fascist Japan's war crimes. "Thank you for making this video about Unit 731," one user wrote. "Most of [the foreigners] don't know what [the] Japanese did in China during WWII because their history books didn't cover this part," wrote another.
Visiting destinations like these is sort of exploring the darker aspects of history, said Palmer.
"However, as demonstrated by the resilience, strength, and camaraderie of the Chinese people during this period, these events also highlight the remarkable beauty of the human spirit in the face of extreme adversity," he told the Global Times.
"The narratives of love and compassion demonstrated by the Chinese people during one of the country's darkest periods are truly remarkable," he added.
The anti-terror body under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Friday outlined practical cooperation for the next steps in fighting the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism in Beijing. The result was part of the 42nd regular meeting of the Council of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) hosted by China and held in Beijing on Friday.
In addition, the meeting also conducted research on the implementation of the relevant resolutions from the SCO Astana Summit regarding the improvement of mechanisms to address security threats and challenges.
It approved the annual work plan of the RATS Executive Committee and related special cooperation plans, the Global Times learnt from China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS).
The outline of future cooperation within the anti-terror body of the SCO will enhance the member states' capabilities and interoperability in joint anti-terrorism operations, Cui Heng, a lecturer at the training base for the China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times.
Terrorist threats in recent years have seen a resurgence, with a concert hall terrorist attack in Moscow in March and terror attacks in Iran being two recent prominent events, Cui said.
Terrorist activities often spill over to other countries and flow around the globe. As the SCO expands, enhanced capabilities in tackling more threats from terrorism are needed, the expert said.
Representatives from the authorities of the SCO member states attended the meeting, along with the Director of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Executive Committee, Ruslan Mirzaev. The SCO-RATS is headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Cui told the Global Times that the meeting was held against the backdrop of the reform of the SCO-RATS, which has been a priority task since China took over the rotating presidency of the SCO.
Representatives of SCO-RATS praised China's recent efforts in organizing a series of counter-terrorism activities during its chairmanship of the SCO, the Global Times learned. It helps consolidate the SCO's law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism, enhance the level of practical cooperation, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperative relationships, they said.
The SCO member states recently conducted the Anti-terrorism Interaction-2024 joint exercise in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Photos released showed soldiers and police officers fully armed with assault rifles, pistols and riot shields launching an assault, some via armored and all-terrain vehicles and some via helicopter, with aerial drones and robot dogs also deployed in the exercise.
Cyber counter-terrorism training courses that were held in China have touched on sharing experiences in smart counter-terrorism, security maintenance in open crowded places and large-scale events, telecom network fraud, cross-border gambling, as well as cybersecurity, the Global Times learnt from sources.
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.
