China's Li crowned in weightlifting men's 61kg at Paris 2024

As the Paris Olympics came to an end, the Chinese sports delegation has set a new record for its best-ever performance in an overseas Olympics, securing 40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze medals. Since China's return to the Olympic Games in 1984, the nation has garnered a total of 303 gold medals, with 322 athletes achieving Olympic champion status. Here is China's Olympic gold medal map.

Recent data reveal that these Olympic champions hail from 26 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across China. Leading the way is Northeast China's Liaoning Province with 38 Olympic champions, followed by East China's Jiangsu, Central China's Hubei, East China's Shandong and Zhejiang, and South China's Guangdong each boasting over 20 champions, according to a report by the National Business Daily.

Liaoning: hometown of Olympic champions

Since shooter Li Yuwei claimed Liaoning's first Olympic gold in 1984, the province has produced 38 Olympic champions, more than any other region in China. In the Paris Games, Ma Long, a table tennis player from Anshan, Liaoning, secured his sixth Olympic gold, making history as China's first six-time Olympic champion. Ma's achievement adds to Liaoning's reputation for producing table tennis champions, including former stars like Wang Nan, Ma Lin, Guo Yue, Li Xiaoxia and Liu Shiwen.

Anshan, in particular, has been recognized as a "City of Olympic Champions" by the Chinese Olympic Committee, having contributed 16 Olympic gold medals. 

Beyond table tennis, Liaoning has also produced nine volleyball champions, four top athletes in judo, three gold medalists in badminton and another three top performers in weightlifting.

Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai: dominating the pool

The Paris Olympics saw Pan Zhanle from Wenzhou, Zhejiang, set a new world record in the men's 100-meter freestyle, adding another gold to China's tally. He also contributed to the team's victory in the men's 4x100-meter medley relay, reinforcing the dominance of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region.

Since swimmer Qian Hong from Hebei won China's first Olympic gold in the women's 100-meter butterfly in 1992, the country has produced 18 Olympic swimming champions. Eleven of these athletes are from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai - with Zhejiang contributing six, Shanghai three, and Jiangsu two - accounting for about one-fifth of the region's total Olympic champions.

Diving: a legacy of champions from Guangdong and Hubei

China has secured gold in diving at every Olympic Games since Seoul 1988. Guangdong and Hubei have played important roles, contributing over half of China's diving champions. 

Guangdong, with 10 champions, is considered the pioneer of Chinese diving. The province has produced stars like Quan Hongchan, the youngest three-time Olympic gold medalist, who hails from the city of Zhanjiang.

Since the 1950s and 1960s, nearly all national diving champions in China have been from Guangdong. The first national diving training team was also primarily composed of Guangdong athletes. Currently, Guangdong has 13 diving talent training bases located in cities including Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, Dongguan, Zhongshan and Shantou.

Hubei, home to eight diving champions, made its mark with Zhou Jihong's gold in the women's 10-meter platform at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the first for China in diving. Hubei has since developed a robust training system that has produced champions like Chang Yani and Wang Zongyuan.

China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) warned the public on Friday to be vigilant against overseas espionage intelligence agencies using professional networking apps for recruitment and espionage activities, which pose a threat to national security.

Compared to traditional social networking apps, professional ones allow the creation of user profiles. When registering for these apps, users usually use their real information, including name, contact information, and work experience.

Additionally, these apps establish communities based on user information to help users expand their professional network, such as colleagues, classmates, and industry peers. Overseas espionage intelligence agencies target professional networking apps because the apps make it easy to identify specific industry professionals and infiltrate such communities to gather information, with the goal of recruiting talents in key sectors, said the MSS.

Overseas intelligence agencies use professionals in specific industries as cover to approach individuals in key industries such as in the science and energy sectors, to gain access to even classified information under the excuse of "discussing industry policies," "scientific research," or "consulting on projects," the MSS said.

The spies create a professional image on networking apps to attract the target, build a relationship through industry discussions, emotional manipulation, and benefits, and eventually solicit sensitive information for espionage activities, according to the MSS.

The MSS reminded the public that when using professional networking apps, individuals should remain vigilant against recruitment tactics, protect personal privacy and sensitive industry data, and avoid disclosing sensitive information.

China's Counter-espionage Law stipulates that state organs, people's organizations, enterprises, public institutions, and other social organizations bear entity responsibility for that unit's efforts on counter-espionage security precautions. They should implement anti-espionage security measures, educate their personnel on safeguarding national security, and mobilize and organize their personnel to prevent and stop espionage activities.

In recent days, admission letters from Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT) have been making waves online for being made from special high-tech materials and having unique features - they are fireproof, anti-scald, and the envelop can even be used to cut vegetables. 

On social media platforms, several students showed their admission letters of BUCT by cutting watermelons, meat, and other items, testing the durability of the letters and sharing videos online, which has caught the attention of netizens. Many have exclaimed, "This academic qualification is 'tough'!"

The admission letters are made of carbon fiber composite material, with a thickness of only 0.2 millimeters. They are said to have the characteristics of being "as thin as a hair, as light as a feather, as strong as steel, and as precious as gold." Carbon fiber is known as the industrial "black gold" and is widely used in aerospace, military, and maritime fields due to its high heat and corrosion resistance.

According to Chinese media outlet Guangming Daily, the admission letter represents the successful transformation of domestic carbon fiber composite materials from "high-end" products to "popular" products, which is a vivid practice of the school's research achievements transformation.

This year, admission letters are no longer just proof of enrollment. They are gradually becoming a unique window to showcase university culture and innovation spirit. 

Many other universities have all showcased their creativity in the design of admission letters, attracting public attention like never before.

The design of the admission letter from Beijing Film Academy is inspired by film slates. When opened, it feels like the beginning of a movie, filled with artistic and dreamy vibes. 

The admission letter from Zhejiang A&F University is made from bamboo, using the school's independently developed bamboo slicing technology. The thin bamboo fibers form a vivid "forest," full of ecological and technological appeal.

These creatively designed admission letters cleverly incorporate traditional Chinese elements, exuding a sense of Chinese romance and fully showcasing Chinese aesthetics.

Many students eagerly shared their special admission letters to the public. Various styles and creative admission letters are being shared on platforms like Weibo and Douyin, creating new trending topics.

Graduates, on the other hand, envy current students while humorously expressing their longing for their own letters.

The Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday unanimously dismissed the appeals to overturn the convictions of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and six other anti-China disruptors for taking part in an unauthorized assembly in August 2019.

Along with Lai, the other six appellants were Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, Albert Ho Chun-yan, Martin Lee Chu-ming, Leung Kwok-hung, Lee Cheuk-yan and Cyd Ho Sau-lan.

In 2021, the seven anti-China disruptors were found guilty of organizing and participating in an unauthorized assembly in 2019. Observers noted that the verdict demonstrated the HKSAR judiciary's independence and ability to make decisions based on laws.

The trial began in February 2021 and the case was heard in the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts. During the trial, all seven defendants, including Lai, denied the charges.

While a court in HKSAR later acquitted them of organizing the assembly, it upheld their participation convictions, according to media reports.

The seven defendants argued that the court should "apply the principle of operational proportionality" assessment to determine whether a conviction would be a proportionate restriction of their fundamental rights, Kennedy Wong Ying-ho, solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong, told the Global Times on Monday.

The judges in the court on Monday rejected the defendants' argument that each of a defendant's arrest, prosecution, conviction and sentence must be separately justified as proportionate, said Wong.

"The defendants' convictions and consequent sentences do not stand alone. They are the result of the judge applying the law to the evidence and being satisfied of their guilt," said the ruling, according to RTHK.

"The courts of the HKSAR shall adjudicate cases in accordance with the laws applicable in the Region as prescribed in Article 18 of this Law and may refer to precedents of other common law jurisdictions," the Basic Law of the HKSAR states.

The judges stated that the two British legal precedents referenced by the appellants should not be followed in HKSAR due to the distinct constitutional differences between the two jurisdictions, Wong said.

Military personnel of a Belarusian air defense unit will take part in a live-fire exercise on the territory of Russia, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Russia and Belarus are closely cooperating in the military domain under various frameworks, including the CSTO and the Union State.

"Military personnel of one of the military units of the air defense forces are loading equipment onto railway trains. The personnel of the military unit will take part in a live-fire exercise on the territory of the Russian Federation," the ministry said on Telegram.

The main actions will be carried out at the Ashuluk training ground, the ministry said, adding that it plans to carry out combat training missions with anti-aircraft missile forces, radio engineering troops and fighter aircraft.

US sprinter Erriyon Knighton, embroiled in a doping controversy, finished fourth in the men's 200-meter final at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. However, his abrupt departure from the media zone without taking interviews has fueled further suspicion regarding his eligibility to compete.

Knighton tested positive for the banned steroid trenbolone during an out-of-competition test on March 26. However, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) opted not to impose a suspension, attributing the positive result to contaminated meat. This decision allowed Knighton to compete in the Paris Olympics qualifiers, a move that sparked widespread concern.

The China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) released two statements on Thursday, one calling for strengthened testing of US athletes, and the other calling for an independent investigation into the actions of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) following latest revelations about the USADA's misconduct and double standards.

"USADA has long ignored its own anti-doping shortcomings while attempting to impose double standards on other countries, exposing its hypocritical and inconsistent approach to anti-doping enforcement," CHINADA said in a statement sent to the Global Times.

When asked about Knighton's whereabouts, a US team staff member informed reporters that Knighton had already left and did not stop for interviews, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Fellow journalists reported that Knighton hurried past American TV reporters without saying a word.

"Why are the usually vocal American athletes silent this time?" Many netizens raised the question on social media.

"Knighton's silence is particularly striking given the ongoing scrutiny of doping practices," commented one pundit.

Tsung-Dao Lee, Chinese-born American Nobel Prize winner in Physics, renowned for his contributions to high-energy physics and his role in advancing China’s science education, passed away in the US early Monday morning at the age of 97. 

The Tsung-Dao Lee Institute and Tsung-Dao Lee Library at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and China Center for Advanced Science and Technology jointly issued an obituary to mourn with deep sorrow the passing of Lee at his home in San Francisco, California. 

Born in Shanghai on November 24, 1926, Lee developed interest in physics at an early age. In 1957, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics with Chen-Ning Yang, another renowned Chinese physicist, for advancing parity nonconservation in weak interactions, overturning what had been considered a fundamental law of nature that particles are always symmetrical.

Lee served as a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, the lifelong director of the China Center of Advanced Science and Technology, an honorary professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and an honorary director of the university’s Tsung-Dao Lee Institute.

Throughout his more than 60-year academic career, Lee pursued rigorous scholarship, seeking breakthroughs and continually reaching new scientific heights in various fields such as quantum field theory, fundamental particle theory, nuclear physics, statistical mechanics, fluid mechanics and astrophysics. He made enduring and significant contributions to the development of physics, the obituary reads.

In addition to his cutting-edge research outcomes, Lee was deeply respected for his efforts in cultivating Chinese science talents and contributing to the development of the study of physics in China. 

He vigorously promoted the development of high-energy physics in China through China’s first physics collider, the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider. 

He facilitated the establishment of the “Special Class for the Gifted Young,” an educational model created at the University of Science and Technology of China. 

He also initiated the China-US Physics Examination and Application (CUSPEA) program for selecting physics postgraduate students, and advocated for the establishment of systems such as postdoctoral positions and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. 

On hearing the news about Lee’s passing away, many scientists in China expressed their condolences. 

Yan Ning, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and founding president of the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, said on Monday afternoon on her social media account that the death of Lee is “the fall of a giant star.”

Tang Chao, an academician of the CAS and head of the National Natural Science Foundation of China's interdisciplinary science department, said that the CUSPEA program initiated by Lee more than four decades ago had trailed a blaze in sending Chinese students to study in the US. 

This forward-looking, groundbreaking initiative opened the door to “going global,” marking a significant historical achievement and bearing great historical significance, Tang wrote in a statement, noting that the program also changed people’s destiny. 

The Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization, recently adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, has made an important commitment to developing a financial system for scientific and technological innovation to provide greater support for major national science and technology programs and sci-tech small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The sci-tech innovation board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, also known as the STAR Market, celebrated its fifth anniversary in June. 

Over the past five years, as a testing ground for China's capital market reforms, the STAR Market has continuously improved in areas such as registration-based IPO, market trading, supporting systems, delisting mechanisms, and the protection of rights and interests. It has successfully completed the task of implementing comprehensive registration-based IPO reforms, effectively played the role of market-price discovery, and provided successful experiences for other market players to learn from.

The positioning of the STAR Market is clear, focusing on high-tech innovative enterprises that serve the national strategic direction, support the development of a large number of major technology frontier enterprises, and providing capital support for the development of the real economy and the transformation of economic structure. 

In the continuous adjustment and improvement of the guiding system for the sector, the positioning of the STAR Market to support the development of core innovations is becoming increasingly clear.

Currently, the STAR Market has completed approximately 570 IPOs, generating a total market value of about 4.9 trillion yuan ($686 billion). The market is operating smoothly, liquidity is gradually increasing, and it continues to provide financing support for high-tech innovative companies.

The STAR Market has attracted a large number of enterprises belonging to a new generation of information technology, bio-medicine, and advanced equipment manufacturing sectors, continuously opening up more convenient financing channels and more mature trading mechanisms for technology innovation enterprises at the institutional level. This enhances investment convenience and international openness, continuously providing capital support for listed companies. 

The reform of the STAR Market covering various aspects such as IPOs, listing, trading, mergers and acquisitions, and delisting is all gradually maturing. 

The diversified and inclusive listing conditions of the STAR Market meet the differentiated financing needs of different types of sci-tech enterprises. The market-oriented pricing mechanism for IPOs and the trading mechanism in the early stage of listing have been implemented. 

At the same time, the STAR Market has carried out targeted innovative explorations in refinancing, mergers and acquisitions, equity incentives, shareholding reduction, information disclosure, and continuously optimized and improved them.

Currently, the average price-to-earnings ratio of companies listed on the STAR Market is significantly higher than that of the two main trading bourses in Shanghai and Shenzhen, and slightly higher than that of the board of growth enterprises - ChiNext Index. However, their liquidity and activity remain below where market observers expect it to be.

The reason behind this is that the STAR Market serves technology innovation companies that meet national strategic requirements, break through key core technologies, and have high market recognition. 

These listed companies have strong development potential, but often require further development and long-term support. In a market with the structure of investors dominated by individuals, the current liquidity is a normal phenomenon. Furthermore, the STAR Market's level of openness is still increasing, and the channel for foreign capital entry will open up further.

In the future, through a series of institutional and structural optimizations, the STAR Market will play a greater role in leading China's high-quality economic development and solving the "bottleneck" problem in sci-tech development. 

These measures could include adhering to information disclosure obligations, guiding companies to gradually move toward market-based pricing for IPOs, reducing market sentiment disturbances; continuously improving trading mechanisms, expanding financial product offerings, guiding long-term funds into the market; increasing institutional openness, introducing international capital, continuously expanding the connectivity mechanism; accelerating the improvement of delisting channels, increasing the delisting rate, ensuring market liquidity, and forming a healthy competition mechanism.

With a potential Cold War-style missile crisis looming, Europe is being drawn into another arms race. Whether to follow the US into the vortex of military confrontation with Russia or to build a defense framework that meets the security interests of all parties, Europe should now make choices.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Sunday that Moscow would resume the production of intermediate-range nuclear weapons and station similar missiles within striking distance of the West if the US deploys long-range missiles in Germany. Earlier this month, during the NATO summit in Washington, the US announced that it would begin deploying long-range missiles in Germany from 2026, prompting concern from the Russian side.

With the US and Russia now talking tough about missile deployment, a Cold War-style missile crisis, as Putin warned, seems imminent. Previously, the existence of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, an important guardrail to limit the escalation of conflict between the two countries, allowed Moscow and Washington to spare the world the fear of missile crises in the post-Cold War era.

However, the decision by both sides to withdraw from the INF Treaty in 2019 has significantly increased the likelihood that the deployment of intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles by the two countries will become a reality. The world is worried: How far are we from hearing "tough words" from the US and Russia to actually witnessing their "tough actions"?

Against this backdrop, it is feared that the biggest potential victim could be Europe. Commenting on Washington's possible deployment of missiles, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently said Russia has enough potential to deter these missiles, but NATO members in Europe are only serving as targets in the standoff, as Washington continues to "profit" from the escalation.

With the Russia-Ukraine war, distrust of Russia in many European countries is driving growing public support for strengthening defenses against the country. However, Washington, which has almost overwhelming influence in Europe, has played a major role in fomenting, promoting, and even leading such efforts on the continent. It is increasingly drawing Europe into its global military confrontation with Moscow.

Europe, a region that has already experienced two world wars and is used to focusing mainly on economic development, is now turning into a continent with intensified military and war preparations and closer integration with the US' war machine NATO. 

If Europe follows Washington's aggressive military security concepts and US deployments, it will only result in serious damage to the European security structure and the possibility of greater insecurity. The deployment of US weapons in Europe will inevitably turn the continent into a battlefield and even the first target of Russia's strikes. In the end, as Peskov put it, the US will benefit while European countries and Russia will suffer.

Under US influence, Europe is falling into a vortex of confrontation with Russia. So far, the region has not considered how to form a future security relationship with Moscow, with many European countries simply excluding Russia from their post-war security structures. Instead of building a more secure defense mechanism, Europe is now moving toward not only a more confrontational structure with military preparations, but also a strategic dilemma of growing insecurity.

A more rational Europe would stay out of engaging in the US-Russia arms race and serving the role of Washington's proxy. If a direct conflict between Russia and Europe breaks out, Europe will suffer severely in various aspects while Washington will benefit from Europe's protracted arms race with Russia. Therefore, the European countries should not accept the US' policy as Europe's policy, but pursue their own independent foreign policy.

At the same time, the international community should also encourage negotiations between the US and Russia on strategic stability and arms control, including a new INF Treaty and New START. After all, a Cold War-style missile crisis threatens the peace and development not only of Europe, but of all mankind.