The Austrian Cultural Forum at the Embassy of the Republic of Austria and its cultural center in Beijing launched a double solo exhibition of Austrian artists Stefan Pani & Stefan Reiterer, from September 14 to October 6, 2024, in Simulacra, a gallery in Beijing.
Stefan Pani, who lives and works in Vienna, graduated from the University of the Arts Vienna in 2009. His work is a construction of so-called subversive situations, a cultural mechanism in a dissecting mirror: Without innovation, he attempts to subvert the new perspective of "absolution."
Born in 1988 in Waidhofen an der Thaya, Austria, Stefan Reiterer reflects on the existence of digital images and the conversion process from analog to digital through painting. He uses both computer animation and classical painting.
A number of high-quality Chinese TV series have been rolled out by younger directors who have made a name for themselves in recent years with creative production ideas. One such work, Escape from the Trilateral Slopes, a newly released thriller generating buzz on Chinese social media, exemplifies its director's exploration of creative expression.
The 21-episode Escape from the Trilateral Slopes, centers around the journey of Shen Xing, played by actor Guo Qilin, who finds himself in a remote border town while on a quest to locate his missing uncle. Along the way, he encounters Uncle Cai, a mysterious figure portrayed by veteran actor Francis Ng, who introduces unexpected twists and challenges to Shen's journey, creating a thrilling narrative filled with intrigue and moral dilemmas.
The series airing on streaming platform Youku has an 8.2/10 rating on China's major review platform Douban. Many netizens, at home and abroad, have commented that they saw humanity in the show.
What sets Escape from the Trilateral Slopes apart is its capacity to weave together multiple genres. While it features elements of mystery and suspense, the series also explores profound themes related to human nature, morality, and the struggle for survival. Directed by Mu Xincen, a fresh voice among the new generation of Chinese directors, the series' narrative is intricately layered, particularly through the perspective of Shen Xing, who copes with the challenges faced by young people as they navigate the complexities of modern life.
The launching ceremony for the Lao edition of Chinese President Xi Jinping's book on poverty relief "Up and Out of Poverty" is held in Vientiane, capital of Laos, on Sept. 4, 2024.
More than 150 officials, media representatives, think tank members, and other representatives from China and Laos attended on Wednesday here the launching ceremony and a subsequent seminar on state governance.
A total of 61 professional soccer players have been given disciplinary sanctions, including 43 of them being banned from soccer for life, as China's sports and public security authorities jointly issued sanctions on Tuesday in the aftermath of a series of corruption cases in the sport since November 2022.
Among the names in the 43-player lifetime ban list, the most high-profile ones are former Shandong Luneng player and ex-China international Jin Jingdao and Shandong's South Korean player Son Jun-ho. The two "engaged in improper transactions, manipulated soccer matches, and obtained illegal gains in pursuit of unjust benefits," the Chinese Football Association (CFA) said.
It remains unclear if Son will serve his ban in South Korea as he has been playing for Suwon FC in the South Korean top-tier league in 2024. The CFA said the cases will be submitted to international soccer governing bodies AFC and FIFA.
Among the 17 individuals who received a five-year suspension, the emergence of 40-year-old Wang Song, a veteran soccer player, has stunned many fans and commentators. Wang was previously hailed as an "evergreen soccer player" in China as he has scored in 23 consecutive seasons.
Song Kai, head of the CFA, indicated that soccer clubs involved in corruption also face penalties.
"Whether it's players or clubs involved in such activities, we will handle the cases strictly according to the laws and regulations and impose industry sanctions without leniency," Song told a press conference on Tuesday.
Zhang Xiaopeng, a senior official from China's Ministry of Public Security, said the goal of the investigation is to act as a high-pressure deterrent and genuinely purify the soccer industry.
"Ongoing investigations focus on illegal gambling and bribery as entry points to uncover and thoroughly investigate illegal activities such as match manipulation by players, coaches, referees, and club officials," Zhang said.
Zhang Xin, chief of the Sports Competition under the General Administration of Sport of China, said that issues such as match-fixing, gambling, and organized crime in soccer are a "cancer" eroding the healthy development of soccer and a major obstacle to the sport's revitalization.
"Building a positive soccer culture is essential," said Zhang Xin. "By promoting integrity and transparency, we aim to foster an environment conducive to the healthy development of soccer in China."
According to figures released at the press conference, criminal charges have been brought against a total of 83 individuals since 2022, meaning there is a second list of people in the soccer industry who will face sanctions.
Zhang Bin, a Beijing-based sports commentator, said the first round of sanctions is just a starter and the "main courses" will be served at a later time.
"The banned players are just a starter for the long-awaiting punishment of those who ruined a decade of China's soccer progress," Zhang Bin told the Global Times.
"We do not see the names like [former national team coach] Li Tie and [former Shandong coach] Hao Wei as well as several senior CFA officials who had been prosecuted. That means there has to be a second and even a third batch of people who will be banned from the soccer industry."
In early September, in order to continuously optimize the power business environment, State Grid Taizhou Electric Power Supply Company actively cooperated with the government's "Efficient Completion of One Task" initiative, which includes a series of services such as joint application, joint site inspection, joint inspection, joint activation, and joint transfer of accounts.
Over the past year, State Grid Taizhou Electric Power Supply Company has actively implemented the "Efficient Completion of One Task" by integrating water, electricity, gas, and internet service resources, establishing a new "Five Ones" joint application service model for water, electricity, gas, and internet services, which includes "one application form, one-window acceptance, one site inspection, one construction process, and one simultaneous activation".
In March of this year, the service connotation of "Efficient Completion of One Task" for power supply services continued to expand. By integrating business processes such as account transfer, name change, account cancellation, category change, capacity increase, refund, and VAT change, strongly related power business "individual tasks" were integrated into "one task" from the perspective of enterprises and residents. For low-voltage and high-voltage groups, six power supply joint service scenarios such as "account transfer + category change + refund + VAT change", "account cancellation + refund", and "name change + VAT change" were launched. At the same time, a dedicated service section was launched on the State Grid Mobile App, enabling full-service online joint processing with internal transfers but no external transfers.
Since the launch of the service, more than 160 enterprises and individuals in Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province have benefited, with over 20 pieces of business documentation streamlined and a significant reduction in the time required for business processing, resulting in a notable improvement in the electricity service experience for the public.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed that the environment concerns the well-being of people in all countries. During his many inspections, Xi has always emphasized the importance of ecosystems, spanning from cities to rural areas, and from enterprises to communities.
Under President Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization, China has been advancing the green transition of its economy over the last decade. Regions across the country are actively promoting the construction of an ecological civilization and advancing Chinese modernization featuring harmony between humanity and nature. These efforts go toward creating a "Beautiful China."
The coming five years will be critical to the building of a "Beautiful China." The Global Times is launching a series of stories to explore the progress of ecological civilization projects inspired by Xi's words, delving into the positive environmental changes occurring now, and offering valuable insights and references for both national and global efforts.
Through this prism, we can see how Xi's thoughts on ecological civilization is being put into practice and further inspiring public action.
The Global Times recently visited the largest hydropower station in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to witness the advanced power and technology achievements of China's clean energy projects in remote areas. The visit also included a trip to an ethnic minority community village that was relocated due to the project's construction. Our reporter witnessed significant improvements in the quality of their life after relocation.
This shows how China's green energy development integrates resources, drives the process of modernization, and sets a scientific example for many developing countries worldwide. In the past, the Yarkand River in Xinjiang would flood annually during the rainy season, causing destruction to infrastructure, submerging farmland, and engulfing homes and villages. Bubishare, a Uygur resident who grew up in a village upstream of the river, still vividly recalls the cries of helplessness from those affected by the devastating floods before the construction of the Aratax water conservation project. Thanks to the project, these nightmares are now a thing of the past for local residents.
Located in the Karakorum Mountain Valley, the Aratax water conservation project, known as the "Xinjiang's Three Gorges" project for its grandeur and construction challenges, was constructed to control the Yarkant River. The 1,289-km-long Yarkant River in the Tarim Basin is Xinjiang's most flood-prone river, and the towering dam can withstand the turbulent floodwaters in a reservoir with a storage capacity of 2.2 billion cubic meters.
Today, this dam is gushing with clean water sources, stable power, and also gushing with hope for the minority groups on the desert.
In August 2023, President Xi Jinping urged firmly grasping the strategic positioning of Xinjiang in the overall national situation and better building a beautiful Xinjiang in the process of pursuing Chinese modernization, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, demanded thorough, meticulous, concrete and sustained efforts to develop a beautiful Xinjiang that is united, harmonious, prosperous, and culturally advanced, with healthy ecosystems and people living and working in contentment, in the process of pursuing Chinese modernization.
The building of a beautiful Xinjiang extends from a dam to a relocated ethnic minority community. The relocation of villagers to new homes with improved living conditions, as a result of the dam project, has brought green energy, green fields, and a green dream of prosperity to the villagers.
Path to build new hope
After a challenging 6-hour journey along the rugged Tasha Ancient Road, the Global Times reporter finally laid eyes on the Aratax dam nestled in the mountainside deep within the Karakorum Mountain. Without firsthand experience of this journey, it is difficult to fathom the obstacles encountered during the entire process of researching, designing, and constructing the dam - no roads on the ground, barren mountains devoid of trees, transportation primarily by feet, and communication mainly through shouting. Accidents like overturning were frequent due to the rugged environment.
The Xinhua Hydropower Generation Co, Ltd, a subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation, began construction on the water conservation project in 2011, with a total investment of 10.98 billion yuan ($1.5 billion). The Aratax project has played a crucial role in flood control, irrigation, and power generation. The river plain, with a population of 4 million and an irrigated area of over 6.5 million mu (433,333 hectares), is the largest irrigated area in Xinjiang and the fourth-largest in China, benefiting 2.4 million people in the region.
Zhang Yibo, a frontline employee at the developer, told the media, "Over a decade ago, this place was even more desolate and rarely visited, and our water conservancy experts achieved a remarkable feat here." Confronted by the harsh natural surroundings, the builders traversed mountains, camped under the open sky, drank from rivers when thirsty, and rested in tents outdoor, with a firm passion for building a sustainable dam for locals.
From July 18 to August 17, 2021, the Aratax water conservancy project successfully connected four units to the grid in just one month, a rare accomplishment in the history of global hydropower development. This hydropower station significantly alleviated the power shortage in the four southern prefectures in Xinjiang. The project's designed annual power generation is 21.86 billion kilowatt-hours, saving 883,100 tons of standard coal annually while reducing smoke and dust emissions by 175,300 tons, and enabling the residents of southern Xinjiang to access cleaner energy.
The dam's incorporation of advanced technology, such as unmanned compaction technology using the Beidou satellite, improved digital visualization of the construction progress, and magnetic induction devices to assist in fish migration, have been notable features of its intelligent design.
"Following the completion of this project, it has greatly supported our irrigation efforts. Economic crops like sea buckthorn and apples are now extensively cultivated in the desert, leading to significant improvements in both economic and ecological benefits," Fan Kexing, Party secretary of Tong'an township, Kashi, Xinjiang, told the Global Times. "Previously, the area was plagued by strong winds and sandstorms, with sand and gravel striking house windows with a loud thud, but this phenomenon has now been alleviated," Fan noted.
Path to enjoy better life
Over the last six years, the residents of the remote Karakorum Mountains in Xinjiang have experienced incredible changes. Having previously lived in the vast desert with only three mu of arable land per person a decade ago, they had to trek seven kilometers to the mountains for drinking water, which needed to be purified before consumption. Power outages lasting for days at a time were a common occurrence. However, these challenges are now a thing of the past.
Today, the residents have an average annual income exceeding 10,000 yuan, live in beautifully decorated homes with their ethnicity characteristics, and enjoy access to closer schools, more job opportunities, and reliable water and electricity services.
Thanks to the construction of the dam, in August 2018, 4,243 individuals from over 1,000 households in Kusilafu township, Aketao county were resettled in Tong'an township, over 100 kilometers away. This diverse community, made up of Uygurs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and other ethnic groups, have embraced their new beginning.
Zhou Jingfang, an expert at the Xinhua Hydropower Generation Co who led the relocation work, still remembers the days of tirelessly conducting site surveys, clearing land, mobilizing villagers to relocate, planning and designing new sites, building resettlement houses, greening rural areas, reclaiming farmland, introducing livestock, and setting up factories, schools, clinics, and markets.
He told the Global Times that the dedicated team members worked long hours in harsh conditions, and navigated countless checkpoints and roads in the vast desert and rugged mountains without complaint. Nowadays, the villagers are no longer facing the endless desert of despair as they did in the past.
When discussing stories of relocation, 25-year-old Bubishare said, "Our village now has schools, factories, and employment opportunities. The village has supported us to find more diverse ways to make a living."
"We have 20,000 acres of farmland, where we not only grow food but also operate cash crops cooperatives. This area is a seabuckthorn forest, and our village recently constructed a seabuckthorn fruit processing plant. Our seabuckthorn beer will soon hit the market. With ample water supply, we are confident in our farming endeavors." Fan shared proudly while standing amid the seabuckthorn forest.
In a local farmer's backyard sheep pen, the Global Times reporter observed over 20 Dolan sheep, known as "living banks." Zhou explained that by raising two Dolan sheep, a farmer can become prosperous within two years due to their high reproductive rate. In Tong'an, many villagers raise Dolan sheep in this manner and enjoy prosperity.
Tong'an township has also collaborated with local businesses to establish factories, providing employment for local women to produce items made from Xinjiang cotton, such as down jackets and socks for overseas export, ensuring female workers earn at least 2,000-3,000 yuan per month. "The factory is conveniently located, allowing women to balance family responsibilities while earning an income," Fan informed the Global Times.
In one factory, a wall in the workshop reads, "Happiness is achieved through hard work." These words have accurately described how local women in Xinjiang have embarked on the path to modernization through their own hands.
Along the Yarkand River, beyond the Karakorum Mountain, the villagers of Tong'an are employing their diligence and unwavering efforts to write their own happy stories in the desert. They have left behind isolation and poverty, embracing hope and prosperity within short years. In this vibrant land, a new life of perseverance and success is blossoming with vibrant hues.
The US House of Representatives' latest bill on electric vehicle (EV) tax credits that aims to bar US carmakers from working with Chinese EV companies is another political maneuver that could hurt US businesses and consumers, a Chinese expert said on Friday.
On Thursday, the US House narrowly voted to pass a bill restricting EV tax credits for vehicles using battery technology licensed from China. The bill has faced opposition from the White House, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.
The new bill has fueled sharp partisan divisions in the US, with Republicans arguing that it challenges China's dominance in the EV sector, and Democrats and labor unions warning of job losses and reduced US competitiveness against Chinese firms, according to media reports.
The legislation is reportedly the last act of "China Week" at the US House, during which US lawmakers push for anti-China bills. With more than 20 bills targeting China on issues such as biotechnology, EVs, drones and agriculture, the "China Week" has also been called by many the "Anti-China Week."
"In the US, there's broad and strong agreement on suppressing China's cutting-edge industries, but it's tangled among intricate partisan and industry interests," Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Friday.
Alongside the EV bill, the "China Week" also saw some other contentious bills, such as the Biosecure Act, which seeks to block US federal agencies from working with certain Chinese companies under the guise of "national security."
Responding to the passage of the US Biosecure Act, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that China firmly opposes the passage of the bill by the US House of Representatives and the discriminatory measures against Chinese companies.
"The US needs to abandon ideological bias, respect the principles of market economy and trade rules, stop advancing that bill, and stop suppressing Chinese companies under various pretexts," Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the ministry, said at a regular press briefing, adding that China will continue working to protect the lawful and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.
China on Thursday said that it will eliminate tariffs on imports from all least-developed countries (LDCs) with which it has diplomatic relations, including 33 African countries, starting from December 1, 2024.
The move underscores China's commitment to continuous opening-up to share development opportunities with the world and support the development of LDCs, experts said.
In a notice posted on the website of the Ministry of Finance, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, China's cabinet, said that the move aims to expand unilateral opening-up to the LDCs and achieve shared development.
The plan, initially announced on September 5 at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, was one of the major outcomes of the critical summit, where Chinese and African participants drew up a blueprint for China-Africa cooperation.
Commenting on the plan at a press briefing on Thursday, He Yongqian, spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, said that the decision makes China the first major developing country and the first major economy to take such a step.
"The measure will play a positive role in allowing the least-developed countries to expand exports to China and share opportunities in China's large market. It will also promote unity and cooperation in the Global South and promote inclusive economic globalization," He said.
Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said that China has always offered preferential tariffs for LDCs, and the latest move marks a significant expansion of the policy.
China has also held trade expos to connect products from LDCs with Chinese consumers. By doing so, "China is expanding imports from relevant countries," Song told the Global Times on Thursday.
When the heads of CIA and MI6 appeared together publicly for the first time in their 77-year intelligence-sharing partnership over the weekend, they warned of an "unprecedented array of threats." Surprise, surprise, China is included. Immediately following that, reports indicate that the US House may vote this week on more than two dozen China-related bills aimed at addressing the alleged national and economic security threats posed by Beijing. The "masters of deception" are once again orchestrating and fueling a new wave of anti-China McCarthyism.
On Saturday local time, CIA Director Bill Burns and MI6 Chief Richard Moore made an unprecedented joint public appearance at the Financial Times Weekend Festival in London. They stressed that the global order is under threat, and after discussing some regional conflicts, they expressed a continued need to focus their attention on China. On the same day, they also published a jointly authored commentary article, articulating that for both the CIA and MI6, "the rise of China is the principal intelligence and geopolitical challenge of the 21st century."
The CIA and MI6, known for being among the world's largest sources of misinformation and disinformation, clearly will not stop fabricating lies to stir up tensions. The reason is simple: If the world were peaceful and stable, they would be among the first to face job losses. They would lose their grip on a fractured international landscape and miss out on the profits they make from ongoing chaos.
"I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole ... We had entire training courses. It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment." This is a line from a speech by former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in 2019. The intelligence agencies of the US and its allies have long been the hidden hands behind American hegemony, orchestrating wars, coups, and fabricating lies to further their objectives. Now, with China's rise, these agencies have turned their attention to hyping up the "China threat."
How has China's rise become a threat? Even the US cannot provide a credible example to support this claim. The truth is that China is focusing on addressing pressing global challenges, from pursuing green transformation to mediating the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and that in the Middle East, which are being prolonged and exacerbated by Western interventions.
China has consistently stressed that both China and the US can achieve mutual prosperity and peaceful coexistence. However, this idea seems almost inconceivable within the toxic political environment in the US.
Some American politicians are gearing up to pursue "decoupling" to the fullest extent. Take the US House, for example. It is set to kick start "China week" with fast-track approval of a slew of China-related bills, beginning on Monday, "to be aggressive in confronting the threat that China poses."
The bills include The End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles Act; a ban to stop China from purchasing US farmland; DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act. The series of bills are largely rooted in unfounded accusations and baseless fears. In US politics, truth has become irrelevant, and lies have become the norm. Much of US political focus on China is based on falsehoods.
What US lawmakers should be focusing on are domestic issues and approaches for advancing economic development. Hyping disinformation, such as the "China threat," won't fix US' own issues or reinforce American hegemony. Promoting a rational and pragmatic China policy is the option that best serves US long-term interests. A mutually beneficial outcome can only be realized through dialogue and cooperation, rather than confrontation and hostility.
Huawei launched its new product - a triple-fold smartphone - on Tuesday, just hours after the release of Apple's artificial intelligence (AI)-boosted iPhone 16, which sparked wide discussion about the technologies behind the two tech giants.
Analysts said that Huawei's debut of the new phone, following a string of successful smartphone launches, highlights its ability to weather the US sanctions. In recent years, Huawei has not given up innovation in science and technology.
This shows the resilience and determination of Chinese high-tech companies to innovate independently in the face of external pressure. Meanwhile, other Chinese smartphone manufacturers are catching up in technologies and innovations, analysts noted.
Richard Yu, chairman of Huawei's consumer business, said on Tuesday during the launch event that it took Huawei about five years to develop the world's first triple-fold smartphone, which is also the largest and thinnest foldable handset in the world.
As of Tuesday afternoon, pre-orders for Huawei's triple-fold smartphone - Huawei Mate XT - had surpassed 4 million units since it became available online Saturday, showing market confidence and expectations for the new tech device, whose base model starts at 19,999 yuan ($2,814).
Both Huawei and Apple smartphones are due to go on sale on September 20.
"Apple's annual release of new products is always a hot moment in the industry, although the iPhone 16 has made no major technological breakthroughs, whereas Huawei released the world's first ever triple-fold mobile phone, achieving a breakthrough in the industry," Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Beijing-based Information Consumption Alliance, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Apple shares on NASDAQ fell more than 1 percent during the launch event - though ended 0.04 percent higher on Monday US time - reflecting market skepticism about its AI-centric products, which analysts said is Apple's new focus - AI-driven software upgrades instead of hardware modifications.
Such efforts are meant to encourage users to purchase Apple's new devices, industry insiders said.
In the second quarter, Apple was edged out of the top five smartphone vendors in China, as competition from Chinese brands intensified, according to a report released by research firm IDC.
"Apple has occupied a dominant position in the global high-end market, and other domestic brands are also committed to breaking through to the high-end market, but they are still unable to compete with Apple," said Xiang.
Smartphones are anticipated to emerge as a key arena in the new wave of AI competition, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
