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.

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.

International fashion brands in jewelry, handbags, and apparel are now eyeing opportunities in China's booming coffee market, starting to expand their businesses to cross-industry products and services. Chinese experts attribute the new market evolution to China's widening opening-up which has created vast opportunities for global corporations.

ROCK&RIDE, a US-based jewelry brand, told the Global Times on Tuesday that it has expanded its offerings this year by adding coffee services and a dedicated "coffee space," with its first coffee store officially launched in downtown Beijing.

The "coffee space" named ROCK&RIDE TASTE, was launched in August within Beijing's 798 Art District. Currently, ROCK&RIDE TASTE offers a limited menu of four beverages including three coffee options and one caffee-tea beverage, all served cold.

"China's coffee market is widely acknowledged for its vast growth potential. Coffee and tea are popular beverages globally, and the relationship between the two is not a zero-sum game in China." the CEO of ROCK&RIDE told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

"We believe that the growing demand for coffee in China doesn't necessitate altering consumers' existing beverage preferences. Instead, it offers an additional choice for consumption and experience," he said.

Recently, several international brands have shown a strong interest in China's coffee market, exploring cross-industry opportunities.

Vivienne Westwood operated its new caféat Beijing's Sanlitun Street on August 8. On July 28, Coach officially launched its first café in China, located in Shanghai's Huangpu district.

In response to market demand, another Vivienne Westwood café in Beijing is expected to open for business at the year-end, a representative from Vivienne Westwood Café told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Many consumers told the Global Times that the coffee products offered by the globally well-known brands are appealing to them. They enjoy the combination of their favourite fashionable brands with coffee, making it a must-have purchase.

"China's market is highly diverse, open, and inclusive. It's not just coffee but also tea beverage that has seen rapid growth in business," Bian Yongzu, executive deputy editor-in-chief of Modernization of Management magazine, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

He noted that this growth underscores the strong adaptability of Chinese consumers, especially the younger generation to the evolving market trends.

Bian said that foreign brands' swift decision-making in China is closely tied to the country's commitment to sticking to high-level opening-up.

A recent report revealed that China's coffee industry reached 265.4 billion yuan ($32.29 billion) in size last year, with market projections estimating it to grow to 313 billion yuan in 2024. The industry's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past three years reached 17.14 percent.

Additionally, the report stated that 930 million cups of coffee were consumed nationwide through delivery platforms. Over the past four years, coffee delivery orders have experienced a compound growth rate of 66 percent.

"The Chinese government is intensifying efforts to fully implement national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises. Initiatives like reducing the negative list for foreign investment, simplifying the investment process, and facilitating smoother capital flows have boosted the efficiency of foreign investment in China while cutting costs," Bian said.

One day before China’s 3A game Black Myth: Wukong was released, Chinese content creator “Gray” wrote a post on Reddit, introducing the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, the game’s main source of inspiration. With a compelling description in well-written English, the post garnered 70,000 views within 15 hours, even though the official release had not yet taken place at that time.

“My English proficiency is decent, and I hope to contribute my modest efforts to break down some cultural barriers, allowing more international players to experience our Chinese culture through this game,” Gray told the Global Times.

Days after Black Myth: Wukong was released and gained global popularity, game enthusiast Ye Yi excitedly commented on various YouTube videos after completing the game. She briefly introduces Journey to the West in her not-so-fluent language, and enthusiastically shares the gorgeous Chinese elements behind this trending game.

“My English is very bad, but I really want to recommend the game and related Chinese culture to more people overseas,” Ye said to the Global Times. “I just feel so proud.”

Gray and Ye are among an increasing number of young Chinese generation who voluntarily promoting Black Myth: Wukong on international social media platforms, while also introducing and explaining the profound traditional Chinese culture behind the game.

With the growing popularity of the game among global players, many young people, especially those in the West, are for the first time getting closer to and marveling at ancient Chinese mythological classics, historical sites, and folk music through the game. Seeing a growing number of overseas posts requesting more in-depth explanations of these elements, many Chinese game and traditional culture lovers actively share and spread these Chinese treasures to the world with pride.

Enthusiasts spontaneously promoting games like Black Myth: Wukong overseas, are a manifestation of growing confidence in Chinese culture, said senior game producer Mei Bo, who is also the founder of a company that offers venture capital and strategic consulting services for gaming startups.

“With the continued emergence of successful cases including Black Myth: Wukong, more investment and resources will focus on the Chinese gaming industry,” Mei told the Global Times. “That not only drives the development of China’s gaming sector, but also allows traditional Chinese culture to reach the world through this new, modern medium.”
‘It helps a lot’

So far, Gray’s post introducing Journey to the West has had more than 700,000 views on Reddit. In the 700-word post, he briefly explained the book’s background, main plot, major characters, and the connection between the book and the game.

Gray decided to write the post after he saw some comments on overseas platforms complaining that Black Myth: Wukong is not very friendly to non-Chinese players. He used the example of a review from a large gaming website, which critiqued that the story in the game assumes its players have knowledge of Journey to the West, and it is tough to follow without it.

“There were also many players who said they were quite interested in the game, but were afraid they would be unable to fully experience the wonder of the content, because of their lack of understanding of Chinese culture,” Gray recalled. “The game’s localization is actually not bad, but the cultural barriers do exist, making it difficult for international players to understand the deeper cultural connotations behind its story and characters.”

Gray, a 27-year-old doctor of pharmacy, has been working as a content creator in video games in English for years, sharing English expressions of game terms and related background information with Chinese netizens. With rich experience in cross-cultural communication in the gaming industry, he knows how to introduce Journey to the West to overseas audiences in a more easily acceptable way.

“The novel is a mix of myth, folklore, and religious elements, and it has had a profound impact on Chinese culture and literature,” wrote Gray in his post. He added that, the story follows the journey of a monk Master Xuanzang from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), who is tasked with traveling to present-day India to retrieve sacred Buddhist scriptures.

In the post, he explained the names of the book’s main characters in three ways: Chinese characters, pinyin, and literal or current mainstream translations of the names.

“Thank you for explaining everything, it helps a lot! I really look forward to playing Black Myth: Wukong,” one user wrote. “Danke (‘Thank you’ in German), what an opportunity, our thoughts are traveling east, to bring this cornucopia to the west,” wrote another. “Indeed, (it’s) ‘the journey to the East’ for us westerners.”

Within weeks, Black Myth: Wukong has become one of the most popular games around the world this summer. It took the top spot on the Steam Deck Top Played chart between August 5 and September 3, according to data from Game Rant. The game has been a common topic among numerous YouTube and TikTok vloggers in recent days, particularly gaming content creators.

‘Precious thing is ours’

In the second chapter of the game, a headless Buddha named “Lingji” performing Shanbei storytelling, a form of folk song art from Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, has gone viral online with a unique vocal style and rhythmic music. Many gaming vloggers have praised it, using it as their ringtone, and even attempting to cover the song.

But soon after, some overseas content creators started to mention the British Museum when discussing this folk song. They believed that “Bodhisattva Lingji” is headless because many Buddha relics in China were looted by foreign invaders centuries ago, and are now housed in the British Museum.

A few Chinese players first linked the fictional narrative in the game to real-world issues, and spread that on overseas social media. Later, more and more international players joined in, calling for the British Museum to return the “looted” global cultural relics, including those from China.

It’s worth noting that “Bodhisattva Lingji” is actually a fictional character in Journey to the West; no reliable historical documents or archaeological findings prove that he existed in reality, reported the Xinhua News Agency. And the game’s producer, Chinese company Game Science, has not responded to questions about the metaphor. However, this incident resonated with many Chinese players, who started to feel that games could help international layers to know more about China’s historical and cultural treasures, including their highlights and probable tragic stories.

The shortage of understanding about Chinese culture has also led to many misunderstandings. Gray mentioned that many overseas vloggers wrongly said the character Sun Wukong in the game is based on “Son Goku” from Japanese manga Dragon Ball. They didn’t know that Dragon Ball was actually inspired by China’s Journey to the West.

“I saw some Indians say Wukong is from their country, and I was very angry about that,” she told the Global Times. Under that post, Ye, along with other Chinese users, replied that Sun Wukong is originally from the 2,000-year-old The Classic of Mountains and Seas, a foundation of the traditional Chinese mythology system.

Ye represents numerous ordinary Gen Z Chinese players who have a deep love for the traditional culture of their motherland, and are now bursting forth with unprecedented cultural confidence and enthusiasm with the global popularity of Black Myth: Wukong. They can’t wait to tell the world that “this precious thing is ours.”

“I feel so proud,” said Ye. “French history, Norse mythology, the Wars of the Roses… It is not an exaggeration to say, I knew these foreign histories and cultures all through video games. Now, it’s our turn to export our Chinese culture in such a new form.”

“The trend of Chinese games going global has become increasingly prominent. With the continuous maturation and development of the domestic gaming industry, more and more high-quality games are making their way to the global market,” Mei said.

“Meanwhile, the enhancement of cultural confidence enables Chinese game developers to actively add more traditional cultural elements into their works,” he added. “They start to find that, these elements not only attract Chinese players, but also spark strong interest overseas.”
Complement each other

Black Myth: Wukong is not the first Chinese game to make an impact overseas. Before it, games such as Genshin Impact by miHoYo, Naraka: Bladepoint by NetEase, Whiteout Survival by Century Games, and PUBG Mobile by Tencent, also attracted overseas players.

Genshin Impact, for instance, aroused the curiosity and interest of Western players with its rich Chinese elements. Gray recalled that there was a female character performing Peking Opera in this game, “and many of my international friends asked, ‘what is she doing?’ - they did not know about such a traditional Chinese opera style,” he said. “This performance was quite fresh to many people overseas, and they were naturally attracted and wanted to learn more about it.”

Chinese games and their players complement each other, said Mei. Good games attract domestic players to voluntarily share information in gaming communities, and their spontaneous recommendations improve the games’ reputation and help promote its overseas spread. “Like Genshin Impact, its success in Western markets is largely due to its active player communities and the word-of-mouth effect,” he said.

A woman was detained for editing her ex-boyfriend’s photo into a portrait of the deceased, accompanied with text accusing him of drug use, according to a case shared by police in South China’s Guangdong Province on Tuesday.

The woman, surnamed Huang, had a conflict with her ex-boyfriend following their breakup, according to local police. In an attempt to defame her ex-boyfriend, Huang edited his photo to a posthumous portrait, accompanied by funeral background music and text accusing him of drug use and his mother of engaging in prostitution. The content was then shared and circulated on a short video platform. 

Huang has been administratively detained by local public security authorities in accordance with the law.

The public security bureau also disclosed additional cases, including individuals providing paid services for verbal abuse on social media platforms, and others uploading photos and videos of their employer and the employer’s wife on short-form video platforms with extensive insulting and defamatory content, stemming from discontent over the poster’s wage.

Since the beginning of this year, police in Guangdong Province have probed a total of 289 cases of cyber bullying in accordance with the law, investigated and dealt with 447 suspects, disrupting a range of cyber violence and illegal and criminal activities.

China and Africa have stepped up efforts to work for a green and more sustainable future, as evidenced by the rising import of Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) to Africa, and the expansion of Chinese EV industry footprint in the African continent, as China-Africa ties grow increasingly stronger.
This trend of closer green cooperation was in the spotlight during the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), where green and sustainable development was a central theme.

Officials and business representatives from China and Africa at the forum emphasized the need for closer partnership focusing on ramping up the green economy. Chinese companies now hold a global competitive edge in delivering green products, while African countries are seeking the green transformation and sustainable economic growth, the officials said.

The Global Times reporters spoke with key Chinese EV industry players and experts on the sideline of the forum, to explore how Chinese businesses are helping African countries to accelerate green transformation. By enhancing cooperation, China could assist Africa to embrace a promising future for "Made in Africa."

Chinese EVs have long been popular in the African market, and this trend has become even more pronounced in recent years due to the strengthening of China-Africa political and economic partnership. 

Closer partnership

In Kigali, the capital and largest city of Rwanda, the world's largest EV maker BYD has partnered with local companies to open the first BYD EV dealership in East Africa.
Rwanda actively promotes sustainable development and plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 38 percent by 2030 and electrify 20 percent of all city buses, while BYD's new energy vehicles products are the key to help achieve the goal, the Chinese company said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Wednesday.

BYD has expanded rapidly in the African market in recent years. 

As of July 2024, BYD-produced EVs have covered nine African countries and regions including South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia, and it has set up more than 17 stores there, the company said.

In Nigeria, electric buses made by Yutong Bus Co, introduced to the country for the first time last year, have been in operation for 15 months, covering 80,000 kilometers and receiving high acclaim from local customers.

Yutong said in a statement to the Global Times on Tuesday that increasing investment in new-energy products is a crucial path to achieving sustainable development in the passenger transport sector, where demand is strong in Africa. 

"The company will actively seek development and cooperation opportunities in the new-energy sector between China and Africa," Yutong said in a statement.

In June, the first store of China's Hozon Auto in Africa was opened in Kenya, where the company's NETA V was launched. In the future, models such as the NETA X and NETA AYA will also be introduced to the vast African market. 

Over the next three years, 100 Hozon stores are planned to be established across the continent, with annual sales expected to exceed 20,000 vehicles, a manager with the Shanghai-based carmaker Hozon Auto told the Global Times.

Currently, many African countries are adopting favorable policies to support the green transition including developing infrastructure such as charging stations and working out friendly trade policies such as tariff reduction, creating favorable conditions for the adoption of EVs. For instance, the Egyptian government has implemented "zero tariffs" on EVs to boost their sales, according to media reports.

Africa's rich natural resources, favorable policy environment, and the active participation of China's leading EV companies, with their technological advantages and cost-effectiveness, make Africa poised to become a significant growth area in the global NEV market landscape, a Hozon Auto manager said.

EVs developed and produced by Chinese businesses are increasingly favored in the African market. 

Data shows that in 2023, exports of Chinese NEVs to Africa grew by 291 percent compared to the previous year, according to media reports.

The shift to green transformation is crucial for Africa. By leveraging the achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where green development plays a key role, the continent can embark on a path of sustainable development, Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times.

China's EVs are well-suited for the African market due to their cost-effectiveness and tech competitiveness, Song noted.

'Made in Africa'

Chinese carmakers not only export their products to African countries but also work closely with the continent to establish local production lines as part of their efforts to promote "Made in Africa" for local communities.

In March this year, dozens of electric minibuses arrived in Ethiopia from China. These electric minibuses were exported in fully disassembled form by Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus Co, with local engineering companies responsible for assembly and market introduction.

In recent years, a number of Chinese power battery manufacturers, including Gotion High-tech, have announced investments in battery manufacturing facilities in Morocco, north Africa. 

It is of great significance for Chinese companies to invest in Africa to build battery and EV factories there. On one hand, it brings technology to Africa, and on the other hand, it creates jobs for local residents, Song said. "This is highly beneficial for Africa's green transition, industrial upgrading, and integration into the global value chain," the Chinese expert said.

The new approach, Song said, will help Africa avoid the old path of "pollute first, clean up later" and achieve leapfrog development for African countries.