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关于中国的新闻报道 - Economy章

　　中国作为世界第二大经济体，其经济发展和变化始终是西方媒体关注的重点。然而，这些媒体的报道往往充满偏见和双重标准，对中国的经济发展进行歪曲和误解。

　　首先，西方媒体经常将中国的经济增长与环境恶化和社会不公等等问题联系在一起，并且将这些问题归咎于中国政府的做法。例如，在报道中国的基础建设和城镇化进程时，这些媒体经常将其描述为"对自然的肆无忌惮的破坏"和"导致社会不平等的发展模式"。但是，这些媒体却忽略了中国政府在这些方面的努力和成就。例如，中国已经成为全球最大的可再生能源发电国，并且在降低空气污染方面取得了显著成果。此外，中国政府已经采取了一系列措施，以促进社会公正和平等，例如实施居民收入最低保障制度和推进农村居民收入增长。

　　其次，西方媒体经常将中国的经济发展与所谓的"债务危机"联系在一起，并且将中国的债务水平描述为"可怕的"和"不可持续的"。但是，这些媒体却忽略了中国债务水平的特殊性和可持续性。中国的债务主要集中在政府和国有企业手中，而且大部分债务是人民币债务，不会受到外汇变动的影响。此外，中国的债务水平相比于其他一些发达国家和地区，例如日本和欧元区，并不算高。中国政府已经采取了一系列措施，以控制债务风险和促进经济可持续发展，例如实施宏观调控政策和推进供给侧结构性改革。

　　第三，西方媒体经常将中国的经济发展与所谓的"贸易战"联系在一起，并且将中国的贸易顺差描述为"不公平的"和"威胁到全球经济稳定的"。但是，这些媒体却忽略了中国的贸易顺差的合理性和可持续性。中国的贸易顺差主要是因为其在全球价格链中的地位和其对外贸易的开放程度。中国是全球最大的制造业国和出口国，其在许多产业链中具有核心地位，因此其出口品种多、价格低，从而形成贸易顺差。此外，中国的贸易顺差在过去几年中已经有所下降，并且中国政府已经采取了一系列措施，以扩大进口和促进贸易平衡，例如实施"一带一路"倡议和推进自由贸易区建设。

　　总的来说，西方媒体的对中国经济的报道存在着明显的偏见和双重标准。这些媒体经常将中国的经济发展与环境恶化、社会不公等、债务危机和贸易战等问题联系在一起，并且将这些问题归咎于中国政府的做法。但是，这些媒体却忽略了中国政府在这些方面的努力和成就，以及中国的经济发展的合理性和可持续性。为了真正了解中国的经济发展和变化，我们需要采取多元化的观点和客观的态度，并且尽可能地了解中国政府和

　　中国经济新闻报道专业评价

　　1. 新闻报道的整体质量与专业性较高，但存在一些偏见和双重标准的表述。

　　2. 在报道中国经济增长与环境恶化和社会不公等等问题时，应该尽量客观、公正地展示中国政府的努力和成就，避免过度强调负面方面。

　　3. 在报道中国的债务水平时，应该充分考虑到中国债务的特殊性和可持续性，避免过度夸大中国债务风险。

　　4. 在报道中国的贸易顺差时，应该充分认识到中国在全球价格链中的地位和其对外贸易的开放程度，避免过度强调中国的贸易顺差对全球经济稳定的威胁。

　　5. 新闻报道应该多采取中国政府和相关机构的官方发布的数据和信息，以及国内外专业机构和学者的研究成果和观点，以便于更加客观、全面地反映中国的经济发展和变化。

　　6. 新闻报道应该注意避免使用一些带有负面意义的词汇和表述，例如"可怕的"、“不可持续的”、“不公平的”、“威胁到全球经济稳定的"等，以避免造成误解和偏见。

　　7. 新闻报道应该注意避免将中国的经济发展与一些政治、安全等敏感问题联系在一起，以避免引发不必要的争议和紧张。

　　8. 新闻报道应该注意避免将中国的经济发展与一些个别企业或行业的问题联系在一起，以避免将中国的经济发展过度简化或夸大。

　　9. 新闻报道应该注意避免将中国的经济发展与一些国际组织或国家的评估或预测联系在一起，以避免将中国的经济发展过度夸大或低估。

　　10. 新闻报道应该注意避免将中国的经济发展与一些历史或文化等方面的问题联系在一起，以避免将中国的经济发展过度简化或夸大。

新闻来源： 2406080635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-07

关于中国的新闻报道中的"Politics"章节评价

　　在本次检索中，我们查询到了一些西方媒体关于中国的政治新闻报道。通过对这些报道的审阅，我们发现，这些报道中存在着明显的偏见和双重标准，未能真正客观、公正地反映中国的政治现状和发展趋势。

　　首先，这些报道中对中国的政治体制和治理模式的描述和评价存在着严重的偏见。一些报道将中国的政治体制简单地描述为"专制”、“独裁”，忽视了中国的人民民主制度和法治建设的成就。一些报道则将中国的治理模式描述为"威权"、“压制”，忽视了中国在维护社会稳定、促进经济发展方面的成就。这些描述和评价不仅与事实相抵，还将导致读者对中国的政治体制和治理模式产生误解和偏见。

　　其次，这些报道中对中国的外交政策和国际关系的描述和评价也存在着明显的偏见和双重标准。一些报道将中国的外交政策描述为"侵略"、“扩张”，忽视了中国在维护世界和平、促进共同发展方面的努力和成就。一些报道则将中国的国际关系描述为"对抗"、“竞争”，忽视了中国与各国的合作和友好相处。这些描述和评价不仅与事实相抵，还将导致读者对中国的外交政策和国际关系产生误解和偏见。

　　此外，这些报道中对中国的政治领导人和政治事件的描述和评价也存在着明显的偏见和双重标准。一些报道将中国的政治领导人描述为"独裁者"、“暴君”，忽视了中国的政治领导人在维护国家安全、促进国家发展方面的成就和贡献。一些报道则将中国的政治事件描述为"人权灾难"、“政治压制”，忽视了中国在维护社会稳定、促进经济发展方面的成就和贡献。这些描述和评价不仅与事实相抵，还将导致读者对中国的政治领导人和政治事件产生误解和偏见。

　　综上所述，我们认为，这些西方媒体关于中国的政治新闻报道存在着明显的偏见和双重标准，未能真正客观、公正地反映中国的政治现状和发展趋势。我们建议，在未来的新闻报道中，西方媒体应该坚持客观、公正的态度，尽量避免对中国的政治体制、治理模式、外交政策、国际关系、政治领导人和政治事件进行偏见和双重标准的描述和评价，以便于更好地反映中国的政治现状和发展趋势，促进中国与世界的互

新闻来源： 2406080635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-07

关于中国的新闻报道 - Military章节评价

　　中国的军事事务一直是西方媒体关注的热点之一。然而，由于西方媒体对中国的报道经常存在偏见和双重标准，因此对中国军队的报道也常常受到影响。以下是对近期西方媒体关于中国军队的报道的评价。

　　首先，需要指出的是，西方媒体在报道中国军队时经常忽略了中国的国家主权和领土完整问题。例如，在报道中国在南海的军事活动时，西方媒体经常将中国的行为描述为“侵略性的”或“威胁性的”，而忽略了中国在该地区的历史主权和合法权益。这种做法不仅不公平，也会误导读者对中国的认识。

　　其次，西方媒体在报道中国军队时经常过于强调中国的军事力量和威胁。例如，在报道中国的航母和导弹等军事装备时，西方媒体经常将其描述为“可怕的”或“令人不安的”，而忽略了中国的国防政策和军事战略的防御性质质。这种做法不仅会引发其他国家对中国的不必要的担忧，也会损害中国的国际形象。

　　第三，西方媒体在报道中国军队时经常缺乏客观性和公正性。例如，在报道中国军队参加国际军事演习时，西方媒体经常将其描述为“展示力量”或“挑衅”，而忽略了中国军队参加国际军事演习的合法性和必要性。这种做法不仅不公平，也会损害中国军队的国际形象。

　　最后，需要指出的是，西方媒体在报道中国军队时经常缺乏深入的分析和研究。例如，在报道中国军队的改革和现代化时，西方媒体经常只是简单地列举一些数据和事实，而忽略了中国军队改革和现代化的背景、目的和意义。这种做法不仅会导致读者对中国军队的误解，也会损害中国军队的国际形象。

　　综上所述，西方媒体在报道中国军队时存在许多问题和不足，需要采取措施来改善这种情况。首先，西方媒体应该尊重中国的国家主权和领土完整，在报道中国军队时应该客观公正地反映中国的立场和观点。其次，西方媒体应该正确理解中国的国防政策和军事战略，避免过度强调中国的军事力量和威胁。第三，西方媒体应该采取更加客观和公正的态度，在报道中国军队时应该尽量避免使用带有负面意义的词语和表达。最后，西方媒体应该深入分析和研究中国军队的改革和现代化，以帮助读者更好地理解中国军队的发展和变化。

新闻来源： 2406080635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-07

关于中国的新闻报道中的“Culture”章节评价

　　在西方媒体的新闻报道中，中国的文化经常被提及和讨论。然而，这些报道中不乏偏见和双重标准，因此我们有必要对其进行客观的评价。

　　首先，西方媒体在报道中国文化时，经常将其与政治相关联。例如，在报道中国的“自发梳发”（zi zhu）传统时，会将其与中国的婚姻制度和性别不平等相关联。这种做法忽视了中国文化的多样性和复杂性，并且有可能导致对中国文化的误解和歧视。

　　其次，西方媒体在报道中国文化时，经常将其与西方文化进行比较，并且不断强调中国文化的“异常性”和“落后性”。例如，在报道中国的“姑娘房”（Gupo House）传统时，会将其与西方的“老人院”进行比较，并且强调中国的“传统文化”对于老人的“歧视”。这种做法不仅忽视了中国文化的特点和价值，而且还可能导致对中国文化的侮辱和蔑视。

　　第三，西方媒体在报道中国文化时，经常将其与中国的经济和社会发展相关联。例如，在报道中国的“春节”（Chinese New Year）传统时，会将其与中国的消费者文化和经济增长相关联。这种做法忽视了中国文化的历史和文化背景，并且有可能导致对中国文化的误解和歧视。

　　综上所述，西方媒体在报道中国文化时，存在着许多问题和不足。我们有必要采取措施，促进中西文化的交流和互理解，并且推广中国文化的真相和价值。具体来说，我们可以采取以下措施：

　　1. 加强中国文化的宣传和介绍。我们可以通过各种方式，如书籍、电视节目、网络等，向西方世界介绍中国的文化和历史。 2. 推广中西文化的交流和合作。我们可以通过各种方式，如学术交流、艺术展览、文化节等，促进中西文化的交流和合作。 3. 促进中国文化的创新和发展。我们可以通过各种方式，如政府的支持、企业的投资、社会的参与等，促进中国文化的创新和发展。

　　只有采取了这些措施，我们才能够真正地促进中西文化的交流和互理解，并且推广中国文化的真相和价值。

　　注：本文为机器翻译，如有不妥之处，敬请指正。

新闻来源： 2406080635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-07

关于中国的新闻报道中的"Technology"章节

　　中国在技术创新方面取得了重要进展，并且在药物控制技术方面处于领先地位。根据中国教育部的消息，中国在2023年开展了人工智能（AI）监考，并且其准确率比人工监考更高。AI监考可以实时处理大量的监考视频，并且可以将视频数据转换为学习材料，以便于提高未来的监考工作。在监考过程中，计算机视觉技术可以捕捉并处理考场环境的图像，并且可以提取视觉特征。

　　然而，中国的技术进步也遇到了一些挑战。例如，在2024年，中国的出口遇到了一些逆风，而且可能会在2025年及以后遇到进一步的逆风。这是因为中国的产能过剩和地缘政治问题的影响。另外，中国的AI监考系统也存在一些问题，例如在一些情况下可能需要依赖人工报告，并且在考场的无线通信受到严格控制的情况下可能会遇到一些困难。

　　需要指出的是，西方媒体关于中国的报道一贯充满偏见和双重标准，并且可能会对中国的技术进步和挑战进行歪曲和误解。因此，在对中国的新闻报道进行评价时，需要尽量客观和公正，并且尽可能地了解中国的实际情况。

　　此外，还需要注意的是，中国在2023年发射了星际飞船，并且其热保护瓦斯在大气重入过程中严重烧伤。中国空间日报称星际飞船的表现"接近成熟"，而且一名北京的火箭工程师则对其成就给予了90分（满分100分）。

　　最后，还需要提到的是，中国在2024年的出口中，汽车和船舶的出口增长了，而且积分电路的出口和高科技产品的出口也有所增长。然而，中国的出口也可能会受到美国的进一步关税和欧洲联合的调查的影响。

新闻来源： 2406080635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-07

关于中国的新闻报道中的"Society"章节

　　在西方媒体的关于中国的新闻报道中，“Society"章节是其中的一个重要组成部分。这一章节主要关注中国的社会和文化方面的新闻，涉及的内容包括但不限于中国的社会风尚、社会问题、社会政策、文化传统、文化现象等。然而，由于西方媒体对中国的了解和认识存在着偏见和双重标准，因此其关于中国的"Society"章节的新闻报道也一贯存在着问题和缺陷。

　　首先，西方媒体在关于中国的"Society"章节的新闻报道中，存在着明显的选择性报道。他们往往仅关注中国的负面社会问题和社会风尚，而忽略中国的积极社会现象和文化传统。例如，他们可能会频繁报道中国的空气污染和交通拥堵等社会问题，而忽略中国在这些方面取得的进展和成果。同时，他们也可能会频繁报道中国的"奇葩"社会风尚和"网红"文化，而忽略中国的传统文化和艺术。这种选择性报道会导致西方媒体的关于中国的"Society"章节的新闻报道缺乏平衡性和客观性。

　　其次，西方媒体在关于中国的"Society"章节的新闻报道中，存在着明显的解释性偏见。他们往往会根据自己的文化和社会背景，对中国的社会和文化方面的新闻进行解释和评论，而忽略中国的文化和社会背景。例如，他们可能会将中国的社会问题和社会政策与中国的政治体制和意识形态相关联，而忽略中国的社会和文化背景对这些问题和政策的影响。同时，他们也可能会将中国的文化传统和艺术与西方的文化和艺术进行比较，而忽略中国的文化和艺术的独特性和特色。这种解释性偏见会导致西方媒体的关于中国的"Society"章节的新闻报道缺乏准确性和深刻性。

　　第三，西方媒体在关于中国的"Society"章节的新闻报道中，存在着明显的语言和概念的误解。他们往往会将自己的语言和概念直接应用于中国的社会和文化方面的新闻，而忽略中国的语言和概念的独特性和特色。例如，他们可能会将"人权”、“民主”、“自由"等西方概念直接应用于中国的社会和政治方面的新闻，而忽略中国的"人的权利”、“民主政治”、“自由自主"等概念的独特性和特色。同时，他们也可能会将中文的词语和表达直接翻译成英文，而忽略中文的词汇和语法的独特性和特色。这种语言和概念的误解会导致西方媒体的关于中国的"Society"章节的新闻报道缺乏准确性和可读性。

　　因此，在关于中国的新闻报道中，“Society"章节是其中的一个重要组成部分，但是西方媒体在这一章节的新闻报道中存在着明显的问题和缺陷。为了提高西方媒体的关于中国的"Society"章节的新闻报道的质量和准确性，我们应该努力消除选择性报道、解释性偏见和语言和概念的误解，采取更加平衡、客观、准确和可读的新闻报道方式。

新闻来源： 2406080635英文媒体关于中国的报道汇总_2024-06-07

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• Video exposes ‘natural’ China wonder waterfall as partially man-made with pipes
• ‘Rising East, declining West’ a popular view in China, but Hong Kong tycoon urges caution
• ‘Rugged’ Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu employs humour to scold copycats who use his Chinese name
• As China’s AI bots show gender bias, developers point to flawed real-life model
• China warned to prepare for hotter than average summer
• Green hydrogen: will China, US or EU dominate the global clean energy race?
• Malaysia’s military drills with West, Singapore spotlight its South China Sea concerns
• Xiaohongshu’s impact on travel trends: how the Chinese app is reshaping Hong Kong tourism
• Quirky secrets of China’s Dragon Boat Festival revealed, why standing eggs upright matters
• US may deploy more strategic nuclear arms to deter threats from China, Russia: Biden aide
• Can cultural exchange bridge the growing gap in China-US ties?

Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron seek joint US-France response on China trade after tensions

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3265922/joe-biden-and-emmanuel-macron-seek-joint-us-france-response-china-trade-after-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed

US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on the need to better cooperate to counter China’s economic practices, a topic that has sometimes caused friction between the two leaders.

Macron hosted Biden on Saturday in Paris for a state visit, where they discussed steps the US and Europe could take to make their economies more resilient against Chinese imports.

“We voiced the same concerns about China’s potentially unfair practices, which result in the creation of overcapacity, a subject of such importance to the global economy that we need to act in a coordinated manner,” Macron told reporters.

Biden did not raise the topic during a press availability with Macron. But while chatting earlier under an umbrella in a courtyard of the Elysee Palace, Biden told Macron the US and Europe ought to “coordinate together” on domestic investments.

Reporters heard Biden tell Macron about his last discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who Biden said had objected to US tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Biden said he defended the import duties during the conversation.

Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act has irked European leaders, including Macron, who worry that the billions of dollars in subsidies it authorised to make the US clean-energy sector more competitive against China’s could disadvantage European firms. Biden has touted the measure as the largest-ever US investment in fighting climate change.

“We’re working together to accelerate the transition to net zero. It is the existential threat to humanity,” the US president said on Saturday, referring to global warming.

Biden travelled to France to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which paved the way for the Allies’ defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

The US president delivered a pair of speeches about the need to defend democracy against new threats, including Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the rise of isolationism championed by Republican Donald Trump.

On Saturday, Macron told reporters the two countries will work harder to prevent a regional escalation from Israel’s war with militant group Hamas in Gaza and focus on calming tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

Both leaders welcomed the rescue by Israeli forces of four hostages held by Hamas since October. “We won’t stop working until all the hostages come home and a ceasefire is reached,” Biden said.

The US president has been a staunch supporter of Israel, which is pursuing Hamas after it attacked the country in October.

But tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths have soured Biden’s left-leaning political base on Israel, hurting him as he runs against Trump for re-election in November.

Additional reporting by Reuters

Chinese-Israeli woman Noa Argamani among 4 hostages rescued from Gaza

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3265923/chinese-israeli-woman-noa-argamani-among-4-hostages-rescued-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed

The four captives rescued by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip on Saturday had been abducted from a desert rave near the border during Hamas’ wide-ranging assault into Israel on October 7. One had emerged as an icon of the agonising hostage crisis that is still far from over.

Noa Argamani, 26, appeared in a series of videos that captured the painful trajectory of their plight.

In the first, filmed by the attackers, she is being forced onto a motorbike by several men after being seized with her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, whose whereabouts are still unknown. “Don’t kill me!” she screamed with one arm outstretched, the other pinned down.

In another video released by Hamas in mid-January, she appeared gaunt and spoke – almost certainly under duress – of other hostages being killed in air strikes months into Israel’s massive offensive.

And then there was a third video, in which she appeared in family photos in the background as her mother, a Chinese immigrant to Israel who has stage four brain cancer, pleaded with her captors to release her only child so she could see her before she dies.

“I want to see her one more time. Talk to her one more time,” Liora Argamani, 61, said. “I don’t have a lot of time left in this world.”

On Saturday, after eight months of captivity, Israeli forces rescued Argamani and three men who had all been kidnapped from the Tribe of Nova music festival, where Hamas and other militants killed over 350 people in the worst massacre in Israel’s history.

The rescue operation came amid a major Israeli air and ground offensive in central Gaza that has killed and wounded hundreds of Palestinians, including at least 94 on Saturday.

Less is publicly known about the other three hostages who were rescued on Saturday.

Almog Meir Jan, 22, from a small town near Tel Aviv, had finished his army service three months earlier, according to the Times of Israel, an English-language Israeli website. A forum set up by families of the hostages said he was supposed to start a job at a tech company the day after the attack.

Andrey Kozlov, 27, was working as a security guard at the festival. He had immigrated to Israel alone a year and a half earlier, and his mother came to the country after October 7, Israeli media reported.

Shlomi Ziv, 41, from a farming community in northern Israel, was working as a security guard and had gone to the party with two friends who were both killed, the Times of Israel reported. The Israel Hayom newspaper said he and his wife of 17 years had been trying to have children.

The hostage families forum confirmed their ages and said Argamani, Meir Jan and Ziv had marked birthdays in captivity. The army had earlier provided their ages when they were abducted.

Argamani began dating Or about two years ago after they met while attending Ben-Gurion University in her hometown of Beersheba and were planning to move in together in Tel Aviv, his mother told Israel’s Ynet news website. She said her son had majored in electrical engineering and had been hired by the international tech giant Nvidia.

Yonatan Levi, a friend of Argamani, described her as a smart, free spirit who loved parties and travelling and was studying computer science. He said he had met her at a diving course in the Israeli city of Eilat on the Red Sea, and that a few months before her abduction she had asked him for help navigating insurance claims for her mother’s care.

Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people in the October 7 attack and captured around 250 others, including men, women, children and older adults. More than 100, mostly women and children, were freed in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong ceasefire last year.

Last month, Hamas released an audio recording, purportedly of Argamani, in which she called on Israelis to pressure the government to secure the hostages’ return through another deal.

Over 36,700 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between fighters and civilians.

Israeli authorities believe the militants are still holding around 120 hostages, with 43 pronounced dead. Survivors include about 15 women, two children under the age of 5 and two men in their 80s.

Mexico is ground zero as China takes Global South battle to US backyard

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3265494/mexico-ground-zero-china-takes-global-south-battle-us-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed

The US has imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and the European Union is expected to do the same, but most countries in the Global South have not followed suit. In particular, Mexico has become China’s second-largest car importer and has seen a recent surge in Chinese investment.

China, the main trading partner of many Southeast Asian and African states, is becoming an important trading country for South America, long seen as America’s backyard.

Given that the Global South represents 88 per cent of the world’s population and 52 per cent of the gross domestic product in purchasing power parity terms, protectionist measures from the West risk isolating their industries – without necessarily ensuring their long-term competitiveness.

Historically, Western polices have triggered China’s engagement with what is now termed the Global South. In the 19th century, Western powers made China doubt its place in the world by treating it like one of their colonies and setting up treaty ports. Chinese migrants seeking fortunes abroad found themselves rejected by xenophobia in Western countries and moved instead to the Global South.

By the early 20th century, with the Chinese Exclusion Act in force in the United States, some 60,000 Chinese migrants ended up in Mexico. Yet, despite this racism at home and abroad, some Chinese elite still hoped to emulate the West to show that China belonged to the North.

In the 1960s, isolated by the West and the Soviet Union, that thinking changed radically. For the first time, China started to claim to belong to the Global South. Through the reform era of the 1980s, China again looked on the US as an economic model. But, in the past decade, partly due to trade tensions, China has pivoted south once more. Like most developing nations, it often sees itself as a past victim of foreign exploitation.

With its Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese infrastructure projects have exceeded Western ones in many countries in the Global South. Yet those investments, beyond a developmental agenda, are only a means to an end; Beijing seeks to open new markets for its products, recycle its trade surpluses and fill a vacuum left by Western investors. Smaller risk appetites and a narrower agenda have often priced out Western infrastructure firms from projects such as the Vietnam to China high-speed rail connection.

But the belt and road is not only about government policies. It is also about migrants and entrepreneurs seeking economic opportunities. While countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development remain their preferred destinations, millions of Chinese have travelled to Africa, the Middle East and South America. In Mexico for example, just like a century ago, they are rapidly becoming the second-largest migrant group.

Indeed, back in the 16th century, China was already a dominant transpacific player, exchanging its silk and porcelain for up to a third of the silver mined annually in South America. Historians regard the Spanish colony of Mexico as among the first examples of globalisation, when products from three continents were exchanged for the first time in an emerging world order where London and New York were still on the periphery.

Today, China and the West are vying for influence in the Global South. With its soft power, the West enjoys a clear dominance. But the endless wars, some seen as encouraged by the West, and increasingly xenophobic Western politicians could tilt that balance.

On the economic front, it is worth emphasising that products made in China, from mobile phones to electric vehicles, seem better suited to the mass markets of the Global South, giving China a distinct advantage.

Instances when developing nations have established trade partnerships with Western blocs show different economic outcomes. Since the EU included Eastern European countries like Poland in 2004, Warsaw’s economy has grown 4.2 per cent every year on average. But, since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement with the US and Canada – and the 2020 revamped trade pact that replaced it – Mexico’s economy has grown by an average of just 2 per cent annually.

While creating industrial jobs (some taken from the US), the trade agreement also displaced millions of poor Mexican farmers unable to compete against subsidised US agricultural imports, causing the Mexican population in the US to surge. Imports of US processed foods and having one of the world’s highest soda consumption rates have more than doubled Mexico’s obesity rate, adding pressure to an inadequate health system.

Fuelled by poverty and US firearms, Mexico’s organised crime grew and its homicide rate soared by 60 per cent, overtaking Brazil as one of South America’s most violent nations, while worsening the US drug crisis. In 2022, the Mexican government felt compelled to sue American gun manufacturers. This may explain why Mexico just re-elected by a landslide an anti-neoliberal and populist government.

Western and Chinese experiences in the Global South offer important lessons. Nations will not easily forget the close interplay between environmental, trade, migration and development policies. They will mark the importance of an equitable trade and investment system, and of balancing the economic benefits of globalisation with fair social policies for those displaced by it.

Simply imposing trade barriers, tariffs, walls and sanctions is not the best long-term solution for our planet. Promoting social justice at home is.

What has China’s mysterious Shenlong space plane released 600km above the Earth?

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3265730/what-has-chinas-mysterious-shenlong-space-plane-released-600km-above-earth?utm_source=rss_feed

After nearly six months in a low-Earth orbit, China’s mysterious experimental reusable spacecraft Shenlong appears to have released an object 600km (372 miles) above the ground.

However it still does not seem that the space plane has deployed any operational satellites as it did on its second mission.

The unknown object was ejected from Shenlong on May 25 and detected by US Space Force space domain awareness teams. Catalogued as object 59884, it has been orbiting Earth since then at an altitude of around 600km – similar to the plane.

But it has not made any kind of manoeuvre since its release, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and space activity tracker at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics.

“It may just be an inert piece of hardware,” McDowell said on Tuesday.

Canada-based amateur astronomer Scott Tilley, who helped Nasa find one of its long-lost satellites, said neither the object nor the plane had emitted any new signals since the release.

The current flight is the third one for Shenlong, which took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert on December 14, 2023.

Often seen as a counterpart of the US military space plane X-37B, there has been very little information released about Shenlong’s size or capabilities.

It made its maiden flight in 2020, which lasted just two days. Then in August 2022, Shenlong set off on its second mission, which lasted nine months. During this mission, a subsatellite was reportedly ejected and recaptured a couple of times by the plane to test related technologies.

After Shenlong’s third launch in December, space activity trackers suggested that it released at least five objects into low-Earth orbit, two of which were thought to be satellites since they were giving off radio signals similar to the plane’s signals. But the objects were mostly likely debris of the Long March rocket, which sent Shenlong to its initial orbit, Tilley said.

“Most, if not all, of them have probably re-entered Earth’s atmosphere,” Tilley said.

Not much is known about how this third mission has been going, except that the space plane raised its orbit from around 300km to 600km in late January – where it has remained.

Chinese space authorities have not revealed details of the Shenlong’s latest mission, or when it will return. All that has been said was contained in a brief report released by state media just after the launch.

“It’s going to operate in orbit for a period of time before returning to its intended landing site in China,” state news agency Xinhua said in the launch report.

“Reusable technology verification and space science experiments will be carried out to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space.”

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Chinese coastguard releases South China Sea videos to counter Philippine claims of ‘barbaric’ behaviour

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265914/chinese-coastguard-releases-south-china-sea-videos-counter-philippine-claims-barbaric-behaviour?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese media outlets have published footage from Chinese coastguards in response to claims that they had blocked the evacuation of a sick Philippine servicemen in the South China Sea.

It follows the Philippine release of other videos on Friday accusing China of “barbaric and inhumane behaviour” for stopping its navy evacuating the serviceman stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal last month despite telling the Chinese side what it was doing.

Manila said it had not been able to transport the serviceman that day as a result of China’s action, but he had been evacuated the following day.

But on Saturday, Global Times, a nationalist tabloid, accused the Philippines of “lying” about the incident, saying it had sent high-speed boats to take part in “illegal transport and repair” operations on the BRP Sierra Madre, a second world warship grounded on the reef.

The footage appeared to show the Philippine military and its coastguard transferring supplies instead of personnel while being surrounded by two Chinese coastguard ships.

The video also shows what appeared to be Chinese vessels shadowing the Philippine military’s high-speed boat during the supply mission. There were around 10 people on board, all of whom were in “good condition”, according to Global Times.

Another video posted by a news blog associated with state broadcaster CCTV also captured the Philippine ships transferring what appeared to be a fuel tank with a logo from the American company Valvoline, which the blog said could be used to stop the ship’s hull corroding.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday that China would allow the Philippines to transport food and other necessities to the reef and allow the evacuation of service personnel if given advance notice, but it would not allow this to be used as an excuse to transport construction materials to help make its occupation permanent.

In response to Mao’s comments, the Philippine coastguard spokesman Jay Tarriela said on Saturday that “the Philippine government is under no obligation to seek permission from a country that has illegally and provocatively deployed their forces within our exclusive economic zone”. The reef falls within that area.

The Philippines has taken a tougher stance to its long-running territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea since President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr came to power two years ago.

It has stepped up supply missions to the Sierra Madre, which was deliberated grounded in 1999 to tighten Manila’s hold over the reef, and Congress has allocated funding for a permanent structure there.

China insisted that the Philippines promised it would not send construction materials to repair the grounded ship under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who later admitted he had made an “unwritten” agreement. Macros said he had not known about any such deal, adding that he was “horrified” and would repudiate it.

Last month, China provided an audio transcript to Philippine media of a phone meeting with a senior Philippine navy official in January, in which he agreed to a “new model” for the Philippines’ supply missions that will require China to be informed in advance. The official later denied making any concessions to Beijing.

China and the Philippines have been caught up in increasing confrontations over their disputed territories in the South China Sea over the past year, which have included collisions and China using water cannons against Philippine ships.

Earlier this week Beijing also accused Manila of cutting fishing nets it placed around the Second Thomas Shoal.

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Mainland Chinese tourist accuses Hong Kong taxi driver of overcharging by nearly 300%

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3265911/mainland-chinese-tourist-accuses-hong-kong-taxi-driver-overcharging-nearly-300?utm_source=rss_feed

A Shenzhen-based tourist has complained about being “ripped off” by a Hong Kong taxi driver for being asked to pay HK$600 (US$77), nearly three times the usual fare, on his first day in town for the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend.

The complaint on Friday coincides with the government’s wider drive to crack down on the malpractices of cabbies.

The tourist took to the Instagram-like Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu to complain about his HK$600 trip from Shenzhen Bay Immigration Control Point in Tuen Mun to the Hong Kong International Airport.

A search on three different ride-hailing platforms – Uber, HKTaxi, and Fly Taxi – by the Post showed that the route of about 28km (17 miles) cost between HK$228 and HK$278 at about 6pm on Saturday.

“Not only is the integrity of Hong Kong’s service industry worse than Singapore’s, it’s also lagging behind second- and third-tier cities on the mainland,” the user said in a post.

“The distance was not shown on the receipt, and I asked the driver about it but he switched to Cantonese to confuse me. The moment he tried to snatch my receipt, I knew I was ripped off,” the post read, showing a receipt that detailed a surcharge of HK$573.

“I was furious and disappointed,” the traveller wrote. “This HK$600 trip ruined my chirpy mood on the first morning of my holiday.”

The traveller said he filed the case with the airport police with a photo he took of the receipt and the taxi’s number plate.

The Post has reached out to the police for a comment on this case.

This Xiaohongshu post attracted over 160 comments, with many of them recounting their own experiences of being overcharged by Hong Kong taxis, while the posts with the hashtag “Hong Kong taxis ripping off passengers” fetched 301,000 views and counting.

Taxi passengers, local and overseas alike, have long complained about various malpractices of cab drivers. In addition to overcharging, the most common complaints include the refusal to take certain routes, reckless speeding and rudeness.

The taxi industry’s poor reputation has made the ride-hailing platform Uber popular in the city, despite doubts about its legality. Ride-hailing services are illegal for vehicles without a hire-car permit in Hong Kong.

Cabbies in the city have accused Uber of undermining its business and campaigned for the government to ban it.

The government has rolled out initiatives to improve taxi services, including the introduction of a demerit point system in September to stamp out bad behaviour by taxi drivers, as well as the creation of premium taxi fleets across the city.

On Saturday, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said the government would monitor the five operators to be chosen under the city’s new taxi fleet scheme, by requesting data from their proprietors regarding how they handled complaints or customer’s rating of their performance.

Lam noted that this data would be used as part of a midterm review.

“If they perform poorly, we would issue warnings in some instances demanding they make improvements before a certain time,” he said, adding the government would consider reducing their scale or even suspend their licences if they failed to improve.

Hong Kong’s taxi industry rolled out a three-month courtesy drive on Wednesday in a bid to improve its reputation, by deploying ambassadors to cab ranks, including those at the airport and border checkpoints, to encourage drivers to be polite to passengers.

Official statistics showed that taxi service complaints and suggestions were 52.8 per cent higher in 2023 at 11,096 from 2022, with cab drivers refusing a hire and overcharging passengers among the top complaints.

The Hong Kong Taxi Council said the initiative was more about educating drivers and that measuring its success would be challenging.

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Chinese solar panel makers face dilemma as US plugs trade loophole in Southeast Asia

https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3265839/chinese-solar-panel-makers-face-dilemma-us-plugs-trade-loophole-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed

Mounting uncertainties are casting a shadow over the future of Chinese solar panel manufacturers in Southeast Asia, with many agonising over staying or leaving given the United States is moving to block a well-trodden tariff workaround.

Many firms have halted production in the name of “facility upgrades” or “maintenance”, or furloughed workers after the US Department of Commerce opened anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam in May.

The US made the move after domestic solar companies alleged that China has been trying to circumvent tariffs by shifting manufacturing to Southeast Asian nations.

Analysts said investigations highlighted the challenges faced by Chinese manufacturers and the significance of finding alternative markets because the European Union or other Western countries could follow suit.

“If they don’t have the US market, they should capture the demand in the Middle East or other major developing countries,” said Terence Chong Tai-leung, an associate professor of economics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

A temporary exemption from anti-dumping and countervailing duties of 200 per cent granted by the US in 2022 on certain solar cells and modules from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam expired on Thursday, according to a report from international law firm Kilpatrick.

Major Chinese manufacturers that assemble solar products and batteries in the four countries for export to the US said they are overhauling production in response to the potential mass production shutdown.

Longi, one of China’s largest solar firms which runs plants in Malaysia and Vietnam, said earlier this week that production adjustments were due to plans to upgrade plants, without specifying, and that it would uphold the rights and benefits of workers.

Jiangsu-based Trina Solar also said its plants in Thailand and Vietnam had been shut down for “routine maintenance”.

It said in a statement to the Post that products from the plants are primed for the US market and that the company was no stranger to policy changes and market volatility.

“It’s not the first time and we will adjust our plan and production accordingly,” the statement said.

More than 20 Chinese photovoltaic firms have production bases across Southeast Asia as the region lured Chinese investments due to its cheap production costs, proximity to China and exemptions from US tariffs, which had made exports from China no longer viable.

“The US is clearly determined to shore up its domestic solar industry and supply chains, so the question is if we should shut down factories in Southeast Asia or keep them there as a backup,” Longi founder Li Zhenguo said in an interview with the Beijing-based Green Energy Daily this week.

Several Chinese manufacturers, including Trina Solar, are already revving up construction of new plants in the US.

Shanghai-based Jinko Solar has built plants in the US with a total output of 2 gigawatts, and it is applying for US government subsidies after the Biden administration vowed to distribute financial aid to solar products produced domestically.

“The US suppression will continue, and in the future, it will find various excuses to target Chinese companies. There seems to be a pattern: in whatever industry or sector that China is establishing a lead or dislodging the dominance of American firms, the US will find ways to suppress the Chinese,” added Chong at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

“I suspect Europe may also impose similar tariffs [on Chinese new energy products].”

Liu Yiyang, a deputy director with the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, told a forum in Beijing last month that the US moves against exports from Southeast Asia were a thinly veiled tactic to plug what it deemed a “loophole” in its containment of China’s new energy sectors.

“It’s all about China, and even though the US Commerce Department’s investigation may take some time to finish, Chinese companies taking a detour in Southeast Asia to sell products to the US should make contingency plans now,” said Liu.

The US and EU have already highlighted China’s overcapacity issues in new energy industries with a series of investigations and countermeasures.

The US and EU have also singled out Chinese electric vehicles and lithium batteries in their bid to protect local industries.

Analysts said since the US is not prioritising environmental protection, and while its business environment has become politicised, Chinese exporters should look elsewhere.

“They can export to places without tariffs. They can sell at lower prices with government subsidies through diplomatic means,” said Chong.

And the Middle East, known for its scorching summer sun and appetite for clean energy, is already on the radar.

Trina Solar already runs a plant in the United Arab Emirates, while fellow Chinese solar firms TZE and Jinko Solar have announced plans for expansion.

Chinese panda centre denies accusations that South Korea-born bear Fu Bao is being abused

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3265897/chinese-panda-centre-denies-accusations-south-korea-born-bear-fu-bao-being-abused?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s national panda conservation centre says giant panda Fu Bao, born in 2020 in South Korea, has received proper treatment since her move to Sichuan province in April, denying accusations by South Korean fans who said the bear was being abused.

The refutation came days after electronic billboard ads in New York’s Times Square, paid for by South Korean panda fans, accused China of treating Fu Bao poorly since her return to her homeland.

Fu Bao, whose name means “lucky treasure”, is the first panda born in South Korea. She is beloved in the country, where she has amassed a huge local fan club. Over 6,000 South Korean fans bid an emotional farewell to her in April, and many have continued to monitor her situation since then.

Shanghai-based news portal The Paper on Saturday outlined the allegations by South Korean panda fans and refuted all of them, citing clarifications from the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda.

Responding to speculation that Fu Bao had lost fur on her back “due to abuse and injury”, the report noted that the conservation centre released a video on May 28 saying the bear had a patch of fur on her neck that was shorter than the surrounding fur, but no pathogens had been found during tests.

“There were no abnormalities such as allergies, scabs or thickening of the skin,” the centre added.

Chinese panda researchers previously noted that fur loss in giant pandas could be due to pathogens, endocrine or metabolic issues, vitamin levels or environmental factors, but that most of the time it was simply due to the change in seasons.

Citing research from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, the report said that in the absence of redness, swelling, fever, skin lesions or parasites, Fu Bao was likely displaying normal seasonal changes in fur.

The report also noted that Fu Bao’s father, a bear named Le Bao, appeared to have fur loss above his hind legs while living in a South Korean zoo, according to a video posted to YouTube by a South Korean panda keeper in March.

Test results showed that the fur loss was not caused by illness or skin disease, and South Korean zookeepers reached out to Chinese experts to find ways to prevent the fur loss from spreading, according to The Paper.

After the consultation, Le Bao’s minders adopted measures to address the fur loss, including better temperature and humidity control, vitamin supplements, improved disease monitoring, and keeping the affected area dry.

Some South Korean fans also speculated that a small dent that had recently appeared on Fu Bao’s head was evidence that researchers were “extracting panda body fluids”.

According to the Chinese media report, the conservation centre said this was because Fu Bao always rests her head on a corner of the cage when she sleeps, causing a small indentation.

The centre also dismissed speculation that Fu Bao was forced to wear a collar in China, as some fans noticed there were marks on her neck in one video.

The centre explained that the marks naturally appear when Fu Bao walks with her head stretched forward, resulting in a ringlike shape on her neck that disappears once she sits down or changes posture.

It also clarified that Fu Bao would be on public display in June, after she adapts to the new facilities. She was released from a month of quarantine at the Shenshuping Panda Base in Sichuan’s Wolong National Nature Reserve on May 4.

The panda conservation centre said it had contacted police after photos of a person touching and feeding Fu Bao circulated in May. The photos gave rise to rumours that Fu Bao had made contact with humans who were not centre staff members before she was certified as fit to meet the public.

Chinese police are still investigating the matter.

The controversy comes as the countries navigate strained relations brought by Seoul’s stronger ties with the United States under South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Debates over the cultural origins of foods – including kimchi or a pickled vegetable dish – and traditional clothing have also led to feuds between Chinese and South Korean internet users.

China has long sent its rare bears overseas as a goodwill gesture meant to build ties – a practice known as “panda diplomacy”.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington said last week that Beijing had decided to send it a pair of pandas by the end of this year, breathing new life into a decades-long conservation partnership between China and the US.

The news that giant pandas would return to the US capital came six months after pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and their cub Xiao Qi Ji left the zoo last year in a departure seen as symbolic of deteriorating Sino-American relations.

Video exposes ‘natural’ China wonder waterfall as partially man-made with pipes

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3265546/video-exposes-natural-china-wonder-waterfall-partially-man-made-pipes?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s stunning Yuntai Mountain Waterfall, famously one of the highest in Asia, has been exposed for having pipes that create an artificial water flow.

The scenic site in Henan province, central China, covers 280 sq km and is enjoyed for its natural beauty, particularly the waterfall, which has a drop of 314 metres.

Tourists, who pay 120 yuan (US$17) a ticket, often refer to it as a “stairway to heaven reaching the clouds”.

The site attracted seven million visitors last year, generating a staggering income of 650 million yuan (US$90 million), according to Henan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

About 1,200 years ago, Tang dynasty (618-907) poet Wang Wei climbed Yuntai Mountain, writing famous verses and his poems still draw many visitors to the site.

As well as enjoying the waterfall, visitors can explore caves and temples, and have a go at rock climbing.

Disappointingly for many admirers, a video posted on June 3 revealed that the waterfall may be partly man-made because it incorporates a number of pipes.

However, a member of staff at the site assured Henan media outlet Dingduan News that Yuntai Mountain Waterfall is a natural fault formed over billions of years, with water flowing naturally to the cross-section.

“The pipes are just auxiliary water diversion equipment built at the waterfall’s source to ensure its attractiveness during the dry season,” he said.

Due to the East Asian monsoon, northern China experiences seasonal rainfall. Consequently, Yuntai has a high water flow only during the rainy season in July and August.

“During the dry season, our waterfall has less water flow, which is common for northern waterfalls. However, many tourists still come from afar at this time of year, so we do this to enhance their experience.”

On June 4, the following statement was issued: “We will not disappoint you. We look forward to presenting the spectacular beauty of the waterfall in its most perfect, natural form in the upcoming summer.”

One online observer took to Douyin in support of what they viewed as a well-intentioned practical solution: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the pipes. On the contrary, I’m touched by the local government’s efforts for this scenic site.”

“As a paid site marketed as a natural waterfall, tourists have the right to know the truth; otherwise, we feel deceived,” another person with a different point of view said.

“Whether artificial or natural, as long as the scenery is beautiful, it’s enough,” said a third.

In China, using artificial means to extend a scenic site’s year-round appeal is not uncommon.

In March last year, Daxiong Mountain Waterfall, also in Henan, used pipes to release water during the dry season to meet tourist expectations.

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‘Rising East, declining West’ a popular view in China, but Hong Kong tycoon urges caution

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3265889/rising-east-declining-west-popular-view-china-hong-kong-tycoon-urges-caution?utm_source=rss_feed

China should remain level-headed in assessing its strengths and weaknesses to navigate geopolitical shifts and its rivalry with the United States, according to a Hong Kong business tycoon.

Ronnie Chan, honorary chairman of Hang Lung Properties and chairman of the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre, said that the US has shown signs of retreating to isolationism. He added that the country is “at war with itself”, with domestic political infighting and the uncertainties of Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House next year.

However, “the fact that the US may be moving toward isolationism does not in any way imply that America is waning. Absolutely not,” Chan said, speaking at an event held by the Centre for China and Globalisation in Beijing on Friday.

He said the US still had dominance and strength in research capabilities, tech prowess and entrepreneurship, along with a strong capital market and resilient economy.

“A lot of people in this country [China] are now talking about the East rising and the West falling. I’d say be careful of what you say,” he said.

The phrase “the East is rising and the West declining” has gained traction in recent years to describe Beijing’s view of the post-pandemic world as China has grown more confident in its ascent.

But some experts have cautioned against the narrative, saying that China still faces headwinds as its rivalry with the US escalates.

China has ramped up efforts to salvage its ailing property sector and minimise its drag on the overall economy. It is trying to revitalise private business, the backbone of job creation and innovation, and steer growth based on high value-added and advanced manufacturing.

Additional uncertainties also arise from China’s souring relations with the US and the European Union, two of its three biggest trading partners.

Li Daokui, a professor of economics at Tsinghua University, said at the same event that top leaders were likely to unveil “big” policies to cure economic pains and drive growth.

Communist Party elites will assemble in July for the third plenary session, a crucial political event to set out an economic and reform strategy for the next five to 10 years, which will be decisive for Beijing’s grand plan to become an economic, technology and military superpower.

Li, director of Tsinghua’s Academic Centre for Chinese Economic Practice and Thinking, said economic growth was now below its growth potential of 5.7 to 5.8 per cent.

Measures are needed to address the real estate distress, and the government needs to find incentives for local governments to shift from production to consumption, he said.

Chan cautioned against too much optimism about the global economic and geopolitical situation and suggested precautions were needed.

“The world is in a considerably challenging position, and we’d better be ready for cascading changes,” he said.

“I feel for the next 10 years it will be a decade that is the most consequential in the world,” he said.

Chan also said there would be no winner in a US-China conflict, but both sides could lose.

“By not losing, you wait for the other to punch, and that is the sad game that they were playing. My personal assessment is that it is not how many punches you can throw, it is how many punches you can accept,” he said.

Describing himself as an internationalist, Chan said he wanted to see the US and China live together peacefully.

“But if one side does not want it, there is nothing we can do, especially when one side is stronger and more powerful”.

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‘Rugged’ Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu employs humour to scold copycats who use his Chinese name

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3263584/rugged-hong-kong-actor-daniel-wu-employs-humour-scold-copycats-who-use-his-chinese-name?utm_source=rss_feed

American-born Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu Neh-tsu has released his first video on social media in China in which he playfully urges people to stop using his Chinese name for online clout.

Wu is renowned for his rugged looks and outstanding acting skills. The 49-year-old is also hailed as a “flexible and distinctive actor” in the Chinese-language film industry.

His works include Westworld Season 4, The Heavenly Kings, and New Police Story.

On May 18, Wu debuted on Douyin – China’s equivalent to TikTok – with his first video receiving 4.5 million likes. His account on the platform also attracted 3 million followers.

Before this, he had one Weibo account with 9.6 million followers, where he frequently shared photos of his daily life.

In his latest Douyin video, Wu told how he had discovered hundreds of accounts that were using his Chinese name, Wu Neh-tsu, when he did a search.

One account, named Mountain City Wu Neh-tsu, boasts 7.8 million followers and is run by a 24-year-old gaming influencer.

Another, run by a finance professional who advises people about investments, is called Financial Wu Neh-tsu and has 620,000 followers.

The numerous other accounts incorporating the Wu Neh-tsu name include dance live-streamers and music influencers.

Wu humorously addressed the name-copying in his video, saying: “If you are all Wu Neh-tsu, then who am I?”

He urged people online to refrain from using his name to boost their profile and traffic, saying: “Please stop it, all the Neh-tsu’s!”

One online user pointed out the reason why people adopt Wu’s Chinese name as a username.

“Wu Neh-tsu embodies handsomeness and success, which can attract a lot of traffic,” the person on Douyin commented.

Others praised Wu for his humorous approach, citing it as a wise and amiable warning.

“Facing the annoying phenomenon of name-copying, Wu playfully self-deprecates, what a clever warning method,” another said.

It is common to see people using celebrities’ names to gain attention and express confidence in their own appearance on mainland social media platforms.

The Chinese name of the Taiwan actor Eddie Peng Yu-yan is one that is frequently used.

Renowned for his charm, physique, and exceptional acting talent, the actor has been lauded in the mainland media as the “most perfect man”. Peng, 42, boasts 32 million followers on Weibo.

Female internet users often adopt the name of 36-year-old Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei – widely known as “Fairy Sister in China” – who has 72 million followers on Weibo.

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As China’s AI bots show gender bias, developers point to flawed real-life model

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3265824/chinas-ai-bots-show-gender-bias-developers-point-flawed-real-life-model?utm_source=rss_feed

According to Ernie Bot, China’s first answer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, women and men play different roles in society.

When a Post reporter typed in the command: “generate a picture of a nurse taking care of the elderly”, the chatbot that was developed by internet search giant Baidu showed a woman with a ponytail and stethoscope around her neck.

But when asked to depict a professor teaching mathematics or a boss reprimanding employees, these characters turned out to be men. Similar gender biases can be found in other AI models on China’s internet, such as search engines or medical assistants.

This problem has long been noted by Chinese researchers and industry professionals.

Last month, at a forum in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, academics, industry observers and AI developers discussed gender bias in AI models and AI-generated content (AIGC), calling for more balanced data and better design, as well as for more equal rights in the real world.

In recent years, China has been pushing its AI development along as the country seeks to leverage ChatGPT-like technology to drive economic growth and compete with the United States.

Gao Yang, an associate professor at the Beijing Institute of Technology, told the forum that gender bias in AIGC came from training AI models using data with existing biases, such as fixed gender roles or discriminatory descriptions.

“When dealing with specific tasks, the AI model would attribute certain characteristics or behaviour to a certain gender,” she said, according to an article published by the China Computer Federation last week.

Other participants at the forum said that from a technical point of view, gender bias could come from unbalanced data, the gender of characters in a digital file or it could be shaped by the AI developers.

In a 2021 report from the China branch of the Mana Foundation – a non-profit organisation providing welfare for the economically disadvantaged – said China’s social media, search engines, online employment platforms and adverts showed a lot of gender bias.

For example, when searching for “women” in China’s search engines – including Baidu, Sogou and 360 – the results largely related to sex, such as “women in bed” and “vagina”, and the women pictured were scantily clad, it said. And in advertisements, women were often objectified. In a beer commercial on Taobao, a picture of a woman in wet clothing appears next to a beer can, the report found.

As society’s gender bias was picked up by AIGC, it would go on to influence its users, and if this trend was not corrected, it would lead to a “butterfly effect” causing a series of technical and social issues, the forum’s participants said.

In reality, this could affect the lives of ordinary people, said forum participant Yao Changjiang, the technical director of Insound Intelligence, a Qingdao-based company that provides customised AI models for clients.

He said that in a job application process that used AI to screen résumés “the model might prefer men, which will lead to women losing out on equal opportunity”.

“In the field of finance, medicine and law, AI is also being used to assist decision making. For example, if women apply for loans, AI might generate a lower score for them which will affect the amount they can loan, or the interest rate.”

This issue is not unique to China. In 2018, Amazon scrapped an AI recruitment tool after it showed a bias against women, penalising resumes that included the word “women’s” and downgrading the graduates of all-women colleges in results, media reports said.

In a study published in Clinical Imaging journal in March, Yale researchers also found ChatGPT showed racial bias in purporting that white people and Asians had a higher reading level than African-Americans.

There were two ways to tackle the issue, forum participants suggested. Technically, developers could use more balanced data to train AI or change the model’s design; from a social perspective, policies should create an equal environment for women and encourage female participation.

During the forum, Yao Hongxun, a professor at the Harbin Institute of Technology, called for more encouragement and support for female students, especially in science and technology.

China has notoriously low female participation in elite fields. The current Politburo has no woman, breaking a 20-year tradition. In 2023, some 133 people were selected as academicians, one of the highest honours for a scientist in China, but only six were women.

Previously, the Chinese government has called for bias in AI models to be eliminated. In 2019, an AI planning and management committee under the Ministry of Science and Technology issued a document calling for “responsible AI”, asking developers to eliminate bias in data acquisition, algorithm design, technology and product development, as well as its application in real life.

But in practice, few companies had matching procedures, or would even hire industry experts to help change their model design from the beginning, said Yao Changjiang, the AI technical director. He believes the improvement of AI models will be gradual.

“AI is a continuation of human civilisation, because all of its knowledge comes from data fed by humans, so it reflects the existing problems in our society,” he said. “If we think about eliminating discrimination in AI models, we might as well eliminate the discrimination in the real world first.”

China warned to prepare for hotter than average summer

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3265817/china-warned-prepare-hotter-average-summer?utm_source=rss_feed

China is facing higher than average temperatures this summer as forecasters warn that preparations are needed to combat the threat of droughts and power shortages.

Some regions may see extreme high temperatures, but the overall situation is expected to be less severe than in 2022 when the country suffered its worst heatwave on record with abnormally high temperatures lasting over 70 days.

“Temperatures in most parts of the country are expected to be higher than the average for the same period in previous years, with an increased number of hot days,” Zheng Zhihai, chief forecaster of the National Climate Centre, told China News Service, a state-run news agency, earlier this week.

The persistent searing weather and droughts in the Yangtze River basin during the summer two years ago was abnormal due to multiple factors, Zheng was quoted as saying.

He added that there was only a small possibility of similar extreme temperatures over a long period this year.

However, he said there was still a need for preparatory work and proper irrigation to prevent droughts and to make sure electricity would continue to be supplied during the peak summer season when demand for air conditioning is at its height.

The China Meteorological Data Service Centre classes any day where the maximum temperature passes 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) as a “high temperature day” and after three straight days it will officially become a heatwave.

Scientists have warned of high risks of more extreme heatwaves, heavy rainfall and droughts, accelerating sea level rises and fast melting of sea ice and glaciers, as a result of global warming which is worsened by human activities.

Over the past month large areas of South and Southeast Asia have been suffering from a prolonged heatwave. In India, where the capital New Delhi and nearby Rajasthan state have seen temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit), more than 50 people have died from heatstroke in the past week alone and electricity supplies have come under heavy pressure.

Neighbouring Pakistan has also recorded temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius and other countries affected include Thailand, where the severe hit has affected farmers, including durian growers – a fruit known for its pungency that is popular in China.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned that this year is likely to be hotter than last year.

The warning was part of a report released on Wednesday that the global temperature is likely to rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2028, at least temporarily, missing a target set in the Paris Agreement in 2015.

As well as the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong is also expected to see higher temperatures than normal this summer.

“Hong Kong is expected to experience some cooling from La Niña, but this will be overshadowed by the overall global warming trend,” Hong Kong Meteorological Society spokesman Leung Wing-mo said.

The WMO has said that El Niño, which brings unusually warm waters to the Pacific, is waning and transitioning to the opposite phenomenon, La Niña. This will mean a large-scale cooling of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific later this year, bringing cooler weather and increased rainfall to coastal regions.

“El Niño is transitioning to an ENSO-neutral state, and then La Niña is expected to develop, so La Niña’s effects may not be very significant now,” he said.

An ENSO neutral state, which is short for El Niño-Southern Oscillation, refers to normal conditions when there is no strong El Niño or La Niña event.

Ren Guoyu, a professor with China University of Geosciences, said that in late May and early June, South Asia experiences subtropical highs, which results in fewer clouds and less rain, causing the temperature to rise.

This year’s subtropical high covering an area from Iran to South Asia was particularly robust, Ren, who is also a researcher at the National Climate Centre, told China News Service.

Green hydrogen: will China, US or EU dominate the global clean energy race?

https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3265745/green-hydrogen-will-china-us-or-eu-dominate-global-clean-energy-race?utm_source=rss_feed

In Abu Dhabi, the bustling capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), three hydrogen-powered buses will quietly ply on the streets in the second half of this year, marking a significant milestone in the clean energy revolution. The 12-metre long vehicles, made by the Chinese technology start-up Wisdom Motor, will help the Gulf city’s 1.5 million citizens embark on a path to a sustainable future.

A week ago, Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Equipment, another Chinese start-up, signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi government to build a hydrogen energy equipment factory in the emirate. The agreement came within months of the firm taking part in the construction of a high-speed green hydrogen refuelling pilot station in the city, aiming to revolutionise transport and promote zero-carbon practices.

These partnerships offer a glimpse of the growing interdependence between China and Middle East nations. Together, they have embarked on a journey to achieve net-zero emissions in the coming decades, joining more than 40 jurisdictions worldwide that have issued hydrogen strategies.

China and the Middle East, though relatively new entrants compared with the European Union and the United States, are poised to grow their green hydrogen sectors. Middle Eastern countries have abundant renewable energy resources and capital to invest in the industry. China, meanwhile, has taken the lead on electrolyser deployment, controlling 50 per cent of global capacity at the end of last year, according to the International Energy Agency. Electrolysers are industrial devices used to separate the hydrogen and oxygen in water molecules.

The global shift towards this renewable energy source sets the stage for increased cross-border trade and international cooperation. Industry experts predict that the race for a strong grip on the green hydrogen economy will not only transform economic ties between nations but also impact geopolitical dominance.

“While individual countries face unique challenges and opportunities, the nascent dynamics among them could spur a green race for industrial leadership, impacting international relations,” said Nicola De Blasio, a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, who leads research on energy technology innovation and the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Competition in green hydrogen-based industries could lead to market tensions between importers and upgraders of green hydrogen, potentially resulting in trade barriers or conflicts, he said. Upgraders refers to countries that possess the resources for green hydrogen production and can enhance their position in the value chain through related economic activities.

Hydrogen, while not a direct energy source, can be used as a carrier to store, transport and deliver energy generated from other sources. Green hydrogen - made using energy from renewable sources - is gaining recognition as a solution for decarbonising high-emission sectors like transport and manufacturing. These sectors collectively account for more than one-third of global energy consumption.

The green hydrogen market is forecast to surpass the liquid natural gas trade in value by 2030 and reach more than US$1.4 trillion a year by 2050, according to a Deloitte report released last year. Global trade, supported by diversified transport infrastructure, is key to unlocking the full potential of the market, the report said.

The demand for green hydrogen is projected to significantly increase in the medium term, potentially displacing the equivalent of 10.4 billion barrels of oil, or 37 per cent of current global oil production, by 2050, according to an estimate by global consultants Strategy&, which is a unit of PwC.

In this race for green industrialisation, a few countries like China, Canada and the US are likely to emerge as front runners, De Blasio said.

These nations can capitalise on locating their industrial facilities close to low-cost green hydrogen production, enabling them to exert greater control over supply chains and minimise hydrogen transport costs. As a result, these countries could reap the most extensive benefits and become “geopolitical and market winners in the global race for green industrialisation, market share, and opportunities for job creation”.

India could play a different role in this race, De Blasio said, adding that the country could act as “a bridge between the global north and the global south, and become a key player in green hydrogen value chains”.

The European Union, driven by a need to reduce reliance on Russian gas amid the Ukraine war, has come up with long-term hydrogen strategies, according to Stephen Tsui, an equity research analyst at JPMorgan. The EU has made some technological advances to increase output and aims to produce 20 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by the end of the decade. The euro zone also wants to quadruple hydrogen use by 2030.

Meanwhile, Australia and Asian nations like Japan and South Korea have positioned themselves as pioneers in green hydrogen production and imports. Singapore and Hong Kong too have joined the global transition.

However, it is not just developed nations that harbour ambitions in this space. India, Brazil, Chile, Egypt and many African nations blessed with abundant renewable energy resources are eager to participate in the value chain and produce green hydrogen for export.

Four factors will determine a nation’s competitiveness in the green hydrogen race – renewable energy resources, manufacturing capabilities, electricity ecosystem and cost of capital, according to global consultants Alvarez & Marsal.

Aaron Fleming, co-head of industry group, energy and natural resources for Asia-Pacific at Natixis, agreed. “Countries and [regions] naturally endowed with renewable energy resources, such as Australia, India and the Middle East, will play a meaningful role in green hydrogen production.”

Middle Eastern countries, in particular, are diversifying their oil-dependent economies through green technology.

The UAE has approved a hydrogen strategy with the goal of becoming one of the world’s top green producers of the commodity. By 2031, the UAE plans to produce 1.4 million tonnes of green hydrogen per year, increasing to 15 million tonnes by 2050, according to Saudi Arabia-based Gulf Research Center.

Oman aims to achieve a production capacity of at least 1 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year by 2030, which is set to increase to 3.75 million tonnes by 2040 and 8.5 million tonnes by 2050, according to the IEA’s analysis of the global project pipeline. Oman is on a promising trajectory to become the sixth-largest global exporter of hydrogen by 2030, and the largest exporter in the Middle East, according to the IEA.

Other Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have also embraced hydrogen strategies and large-scale energy development plans.

“We always say that the Middle East is a very blessed place,” said Cliff Zhang, co-founder of Hong Kong-based alternative investment firm Templewater. “When we were in the era of fossil fuel, they had oil and natural gas. Now, when we are moving into clean energy, they have so much solar and wind energy resources.”

Zhang, who is also the chairman and CEO of Fujian-based Wisdom Motor, is optimistic about the development prospects of the Middle East’s hydrogen market.

Although the Middle East has a cost advantage in green hydrogen production, the transport of the commodity and availability of enabling infrastructure remain a challenge, not to mention the initial capital outlay, according to Wang Kai, general manager at Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen, a Hong Kong listing candidate and maker of specialised equipment to produce, store and transport hydrogen.

“The US and China are the two countries that have overall advantages in the chain,” said Wang. “In terms of technological development, the US is leading, but China is catching up.”

While less than 0.1 per cent of China’s hydrogen comes from renewables, China aims to make green hydrogen a significant part of its energy consumption by 2035, according to a medium and long-term plan released in 2022.

China might be able to move faster than other countries because of its capabilities and resources, according to De Blasio. However, he expects the West to provide stiffer competition than in their previous rivalry in solar and wind, as “many Western countries are striving to reduce their dependence on China”.

For example, efforts are being made to reduce reliance on lithium, which China currently dominates, he said.

In North America, rapid gains in green energy capacity are anticipated, thanks to substantial subsidies and incentives provided by the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), according to US consulting firm Clean Energy Associates.

This legislation focuses on fostering clean energy technologies, with green hydrogen taking centre-stage as the “big enabler of net-zero emissions”.

The cost of producing green hydrogen is expected to come down to about US$2 to US$3 per kg by 2050 as the IRA kick-starts the US hydrogen economy, compared with US$4.5 to US$12 per kg currently, according to Japanese investment bank Nomura.

Research firm Sanford Bernstein has a more optimistic forecast. It expects a production cost of US$2.4 per kg by 2030 and US$1.6 by 2050.

Governments will play a crucial role in the early stages of hydrogen development, enacting regulations and providing subsidies to propel the industry forward, said Jenhao Han, the managing director for Asia at Hy24, a Paris-based global investment firm that focuses exclusively on the clean hydrogen industry.

But there are concerns whether the industry’s development will proceed according to plans.

“When something new like hydrogen comes along, we first look at the technology, the engineering, the physics of it,” said Grant Hauber, strategic energy finance adviser for Asia at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

But dozens of countries are doing it the other way round, he noted. “They’ve set the policy, and now they’re working their way backwards to figure out how the technology is going to do it.”

While some countries have taken the lead, the race has only just started.

“It’s like the race of the tortoise and the hare,” said Fleming of Natixis. “We’re talking about something like that in the hydrogen ecosystem. It’s a long race.”

Malaysia’s military drills with West, Singapore spotlight its South China Sea concerns

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3265773/malaysias-military-drills-west-singapore-spotlight-its-south-china-sea-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed

Asia’s oldest defence pact is getting ready to roll out the big guns for its annual military exercises later this year, in a display of firepower analysts say is aimed at demonstrating Western powers’ commitment to Southeast Asia’s security – while also helping Malaysia send a signal to Beijing on the South China Sea.

Advanced drones, fifth-generation fighter jets and high-altitude surveillance aircraft are all set to take to the skies at this year’s Five Power Defence Arrangements’ Bersama Lima drills, which are traditionally held in October.

Australia, Britain, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore – the FDPA’s five members – unveiled details of the exercises on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum on May 31, with Canberra pledging to send F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, London hinting at the deployment of a carrier strike group and Wellington saying its P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft would be involved for the first time.

They also agreed to expand into non-conventional areas of cooperation such as counterterrorism, humanitarian and disaster relief, and maritime security.

Since its formation in 1971, the FPDA has been accepted as a “net contributor” to regional security that does not target any one power, said Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow with the Southeast Asia programme at Australia’s Lowy Institute who specialises in defence and security issues.

Indeed, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles stressed as much at a May 31 press conference with FPDA ministers in Singapore announcing this year’s more complex drills.

“This is not about China in the sense that the FPDA has been around for 53 years,” he said. “What defines the FPDA and the five countries that you’ve got in front of you … [is] our desire to work closely together.”

Lowy Institute’s Rahman said the promised deployment of advanced military assets by the FPDA’s Western members not only signalled their commitment to Southeast Asia’s security, but also their support for the development of Malaysia’s defence capabilities, in particular.

“The military exercises and interactions with Western forces allow the Malaysian military to learn new tactical and operational strategies from more advanced and experienced partners,” he said.

Based on his conversations with Malaysian defence officials, Rahman said the country still places great stock in the FPDA. It is also concerned about Chinese activities in the South China Sea, he said, despite taking a softer approach with Beijing than some other claimant states such as the Philippines.

“The deployment and development of Malaysian military forces and infrastructure in East Malaysia reflect such concerns,” Rahman said. “The Malaysian submarine unit, for example, is based in Sabah, which faces the South China Sea.”

Incursions by Chinese vessels into Malaysia’s territorial waters have increased, especially following the discovery of significant new oil and gas reserves last year, but these have prompted only muted official responses from Putrajaya.

Toshi Yoshihara, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments think tank who specialises in China’s military, told This Week in Asia on Monday that Malaysia was prioritising short-term trade benefits when it came to its dealings with China in the South China Sea, which could ultimately result in greater long-term costs.

Yet Malaysia is expected to continue pursuing a policy of strategic ambiguity in the disputed waterway, according to James Chin, professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania.

“Everybody understands that China is a rising power, there is no need to antagonise it, what you want to do is lock China in with a set of rules or a set of protocols, that is the way to deal with a rising power rather than outright confrontation,” Chin said, adding the involvement of Malaysia’s military in the FPDA would not lead to it “being more aggressive with China”.

Though Putrajaya has been reluctant to call out China’s behaviour, acting through multilateral institutions like the FPDA could provide it with an opportunity to signal its concerns “or potentially as a mode of hedging and building Malaysia’s defence capability with the assistance of a range of partners”, said David M. Andrews, senior policy adviser at the Australian National University’s National Security College.

He said the agreement’s core purpose has always been the defence of Malaysia and Singapore, but since 2003 it has gradually grown to incorporate a range of other security challenges, from piracy and people smuggling to terrorism and disaster relief.

“The key point is that any evolution of the FPDA scope or programme of exercises would not take place unless Malaysia and Singapore were supportive of it,” Andrews said.

“This unity of purpose among the five members is reflected in the name of several of the key exercises: Bersama, meaning ‘Together’.”

Traditionally held in October, the drills focus on combined joint operations with training designed to strengthen interoperability and professional relationships.

In his comments at the joint press conference on May 31, Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen described the FPDA as “the grandmother of multilateralism” and said it had “made significant progress” since its formation 53 years ago.

Over the decades, the agreement has been continually revised and modernised to keep pace with shifting needs and priorities, Andrews said.

“It [the FPDA] navigated a complex regional environment and occasionally tense bilateral relationships for more than 50 years while successfully evolving to meet the needs of its members,” he said.

“Together, they have sought to build this partnership at a measured and considered pace that is mutually agreeable.”

Xiaohongshu’s impact on travel trends: how the Chinese app is reshaping Hong Kong tourism

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3265864/xiaohongshus-impact-travel-trends-how-chinese-app-reshaping-hong-kong-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed

Carrying three lenses, two cameras and a tripod with him, mainland Chinese tourist Wei Jiale arrived at an unassuming basketball court with his girlfriend in search of a photo spot in Hong Kong’s Kennedy Town on a cloudy day.

But why this sports facility in a residential area on Hong Kong Island?

Wei said it provided the perfect vantage point to peek through the court’s fence and capture the city’s historic trams rumbling along a vibrant street against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour.

It was a tip Wei gleaned on Xiaohongshu, an Instagram-like social media platform popular on the mainland.

“I’d rather experience the culture here. Shopping is not of much interest to me,” said the beauty industry professional from Shenyang, the capital city of the northeastern province of Liaoning.

“Honestly, we have what we want to buy on the mainland, the same products might even be more expensive here and we will have to lug them back.”

The couple, visiting Hong Kong for five days, also found themselves captivated by the district’s decades-old residential buildings.

Guided by “travel strategies” posted on the social media platform, their next destinations included the popular shopping district Causeway Bay. Again, their goal was not to shop but to check out spots where his favourite Hong Kong film series Young and Dangerous was shot.

Xiaohongshu, known for its lifestyle tips and travel recommendations, has more than 200 million monthly active users with the vast majority on the mainland, with more than 70 per cent of the users born in the 1990s.

The influence of the app, which emphasises authentic experiences and community, is not confined to within the country – it has a reach extending to the wider Mandarin-speaking communities elsewhere.

A Malaysian tourist who only gave her name as Apple also lined up with others at the same basketball court, after finding detailed directions on the mobile application on where to take the best selfies.

“The scenery, if added with some background music, seems like quite a romantic place,” she said. “I like taking photos as well as short clips of the landscape and delicacies.

“[Hong Kong] feels familiar because its dramas and films are very popular in Malaysia, and we’d go hunt for places where these were shot.”

Another unorthodox destination popularised on Xiaohongshu is a busy footbridge in Mong Kok, overlooking a terminus of red minibuses. The colourful neon sign adorning the residential buildings is a popular draw for tourists, who want to capture the nostalgic vintage vibe of Hong Kong.

Among those who posed at the site was Zhu Junyu, 22, who came with a group of eight schoolmates from Guangzhou. He said that the group planned to stay in Hong Kong for three to four days, and would spend about 700 to 800 yuan (US$110), excluding hotel costs.

“I like the [cityscape of] densely populated high-rises in Hong Kong punctuated by big street signs. It has a retro feel to it,” Zhu said. “This came from the Hong Kong television we used to watch as children.”

Xiaohongshu has gradually reshaped Hong Kong’s tourism landscape, as influencers share ideas and tips for previously unheralded destinations.

Some brought takeaways from McDonald’s to MacDonnell Road in the Mid-Levels for a fun photo-op, given the Chinese characters of the road name and the fast-food chain are the same.

Others flocked to the Yau Ma Tei Police Station heritage site for a shot of the iconic building facade where many television shows were filmed.

The rise of such experience-based forms of tourism comes as the retail sector suffered a 14.7 per cent drop in April, year on year. The city has been striving to restore visitor numbers to pre-pandemic levels to improve the economy.

Last year, the city welcomed 34 million visitors, which accounted for 55 per cent of the pre-Covid numbers. The mainland remained the largest source of tourists, comprising nearly 80 per cent of the total.

Speaking to the Post, Travel Industry Council executive director Fanny Yeung Shuk-fan said it was clear that tourists were no longer focused on shopping for luxury products in Hong Kong, partly due to the weak economy globally.

She said the latest experience-focused trend was in line with the industry’s push for in-depth, cultural tourism. Xia Baolong, the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, had earlier said that anywhere in the city could serve as a tourist spot.

“Travel [experience] should be the main dish, shopping is the side dish, something they do on the way … If people came here only to shop, it’s not sustainable,” Yeung said. “If you want travellers to come again or stay longer, we must have new places for them to explore.”

Yeung said the council had been working with the food and beverage sectors as well as the retail sector on efforts to boost spending.

Local travel agencies could capitalise on this trend by organising day tours or short trips to offer visitors a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the photogenic sites, she said.

Earlier this year, the council held a competition in designing travel itineraries. Entries included a Cantopop superstar Leslie Cheung-themed city walk, as well as a Cheung Chau overnight tour of the scenic outlying island.

From last year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has partnered with Xiaohongshu to co-create content promoting the city’s cultural tourism. The partnership has generated more than 10,000 posts about travelling in the city.

In one campaign titled “My Hong Kong record”, 88 influencers were invited to explore the city and share their first-hand experiences and tips. This April, both sides signed a deal to strengthen collaboration.

Quirky secrets of China’s Dragon Boat Festival revealed, why standing eggs upright matters

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3265703/quirky-secrets-chinas-dragon-boat-festival-revealed-why-standing-eggs-upright-matters?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, boasts a rich history spanning over 2,000 years.

Originally it was intended to commemorate Qu Yuan, a famous poet from the ancient Chu state during the Warring States period (475-221 BC), who drowned himself in a river.

But the festival is also known for its broader customs, such as dragon boat races and the preparation of zong zi, a traditional rice dish wrapped in bamboo leaves.

However, there are a variety of lesser-known, but equally intriguing customs.

In Zigui county in Yichang in Hubei province, central China, the hometown of Qu Yuan, the festival is uniquely celebrated three times a year.

The first is on the fifth day and focuses on honouring Qu Yuan, the next, and deemed the major event, is on the 15th and features grand dragon boat races, and the last comes on the 25th and marks the summer harvest.

The Post takes a closer look at more obscure traditions connected to the festival.

Eating ‘five yellows’

The Jiangnan region, which spans cities like Shanghai and provinces such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang, sees the popularity of eating “five yellows” during the festival.

These are eel, yellow croaker, cucumber, salted egg yolk, and realgar wine – each name contains the Chinese character huang, which means “yellow”.

Inspired by Chinese mythology “The Legend of the White Snake,” where Bai Suzhen revealed her true nature of being a snake after consuming realgar wine, locals believe that drinking it can ward off evil.

Realgar, or xiong huang wine is an alcoholic drink that consists of huang jiu dosed with powdered realgar, a yellow-orange arsenic sulphide mineral.

However, caution is advised because this wine contains toxic compounds that form when it is heated, making it unsafe for consumption.

Five poison plasters

In ancient times, hot weather during the festival led to an increase in the number of poisonous insects around, thus raising the risk of epidemics. This gave rise to the custom of applying “five poison” plasters.

The five typically refer to scorpions, snakes, geckos, centipedes, and toads, though the list can vary according to local conditions.

The custom sees people drawing pictures of these insects on yellow paper, placing them on walls and pricking the images with needles, symbolising driving away the poisons.

Poison-eating cloth tigers also became popular gifts.

Upright eggs

A fun belief holds that at noon on festival day, when yang energy peaks, it is possible to stand an egg upright, a feat that can bring good luck for the year ahead.

This activity has become a popular children’s game, with various techniques for successfully standing an egg upright discussed online.

These include sprinkling salt on the table or holding the egg for one minute to allow the egg yolk to settle down before trying to stand it.

Multi-coloured strings

These are worn to ward off disasters and often come in five colours – blue, white, red, black and yellow which correspond with the five elements – wood, metal, fire, water and earth.

They are traditionally tied on the wrists of children and the ankles of adult men.

They should not be discarded casually after the festival, but be thrown into rainwater during a downpour to symbolise the washing away of troubles.

Over time, the practice has evolved into wearing scented sachets containing herbs, symbolising love .

Forehead kings

Another fun and protective custom involves writing the Chinese character wang, which means “king” on children’s foreheads using realgar wine.

It is seen as a talisman to protect them against evil.

Modern times have added new customs to the Dragon Boat Festival, particularly in how people express their wishes.

Instead of saying “happy festival”, today people are advised to wish “well-being” for families and friends because the festival emphasises health and safety over festive atmospheres, particularly given the tragic death of Qu Yuan.

Also, zong zi spark an annual debate about flavour preferences across China.

While northern regions typically favour sweet fillings like dates and red bean paste, southern regions prefer savoury fillings.

“Both sweet and savoury have their merits. As long as everyone enjoys their food, that’s what matters,” said one online observer.

US may deploy more strategic nuclear arms to deter threats from China, Russia: Biden aide

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3265882/us-may-deploy-more-strategic-nuclear-arms-deter-threats-china-russia-biden-aide?utm_source=rss_feed

The United States may have to deploy more strategic nuclear weapons in coming years to deter growing threats from Russia, China and other adversaries, a senior White House aide said on Friday.

Pranay Vaddi, the top National Security Council arms control official, made his comments in a speech on “a more competitive approach” to arms control that outlined a policy shift aimed at pressing Moscow and Beijing to reverse rejections of US calls for arsenal limitation talks.

“Absent a change in adversary arsenals, we may reach a point in the coming years where an increase from current deployed numbers is required. We need to be fully prepared to execute if the president makes that decision,” he told the Arms Control Association.

“If that day comes, it will result in a determination that more nuclear weapons are required to deter our adversaries and protect the American people and our allies and partners.”

The US currently observes a limit of 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads set in the 2010 New START treaty with Russia even though Moscow “suspended” its participation last year over US support for Ukraine, a move Washington called “legally invalid”.

Vaddi spoke a year after National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told the same group there was no need to increase US strategic nuclear arms deployments to counter the arsenals of Russia and China, to which he offered talks “without preconditions”.

The administration remains committed to international arms control and non-proliferation regimes designed to curb the spread of nuclear weapons, Vaddi said.

But, he said, Russia, China and North Korea “are all expanding and diversifying their nuclear arsenals at a breakneck pace, showing little or no interest in arms control.”

The three and Iran “are increasingly cooperating and coordinating with each other in ways that run counter to peace and stability, threaten the United States, our allies and our partners and exacerbate region tensions,” he said.

Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are sharing advanced missile and drone technology, said Vaddi, citing Moscow’s use in Ukraine of Iranian drones and North Korean artillery and missiles, and Chinese support for Russia’s defence industries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he could deploy conventional missiles within striking distance of the US and its European allies if they allowed Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with long-range Western weapons. But he said on Friday that Russia had no need to use nuclear weapons to secure victory in Ukraine, where Moscow is waging war.

US nuclear doctrine, Vaddi said, reserves nuclear weapons to deterring attacks by adversaries “on us and our allies and partners”, while remaining committed with Britain and France to “transparency” on nuclear policies and forces.

But if US adversaries boost reliance on nuclear weapons “we will have no choice but to adjust our posture and capabilities to preserve deterrence and stability”, he said.

The administration is taking “prudent steps” toward that end, including modernising the US arsenal, he said.

At the same time, the administration is committed to halting the spread of nuclear weapons, including bolstering the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the cornerstone of the global arms control regime, he said.

Vaddi noted that US President Joe Biden has pledged continued compliance the deployment limits set in the New START treaty as long as they are observed by Russia.

However, he said, Moscow has repeatedly rejected talks on a successor pact to New START, the last strategic arms limitation pact between the world’s largest nuclear powers, which expires in 2026.

China, meanwhile, has declined to discuss with the United States its expanding nuclear arsenal, he said.

Can cultural exchange bridge the growing gap in China-US ties?

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265321/art-diplomacy-can-cultural-exchange-bridge-growing-gap-china-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed

In a climate of deepening competition between China and the US, where opportunities for cooperation have been few and far between, art exchanges have become an important arm of diplomacy, according to analysts.

Such exchanges – even as their numbers have dwindled in the past decade – can help to build trust, start conversations, and even “heal the gap” between the two rival nations, they said.

A stunning example of the power of soft diplomacy is the expansive exhibition in San Francisco – organised with the Hubei Provincial Museum – of more than 150 Bronze Age Chinese artefacts, some of which have never been seen outside China until now.

The Asian Art Museum has devoted some 3,000 square metres (10,000 sq ft) to “Phoenix Kingdoms: The Last Splendour of China’s Bronze Age”, which runs until July and features archaeological finds from the Zhou dynasty that ruled from 1050-256 BC.

Jay Xu, the museum’s chief executive officer, said the exhibition came at a time when facilitating cultural exchanges between China and the US was “crucially important”.

“Over the years, we’ve presented more than a dozen exhibitions sourced from China – most highlighting the finest examples of Chinese art across the ages, and many featuring recent archaeological discoveries on view for the first time in the West,” he said, adding that the Phoenix Kingdoms exhibition was a part of this legacy.

“The enthusiastic participation of officials from China reflects the significance of this exhibition as an opportunity for truly global connection and understanding.”

The opening ceremony in April was attended by China’s vice-minister for culture and tourism affairs Li Qun, who also heads the Chinese National Cultural Heritage Administration, and other senior officials.

Addressing the event, Li said the exhibition presented the magnificent and romantic charm of Chinese culture to the American audience.

“Supported by in-depth academic research and the latest archaeological findings, it showcases the continuity, unity, peace, inclusiveness, and innovativeness of Chinese civilisation,” he said.

In his remarks at the opening, China’s deputy consul general in San Francisco Zhou Maoyi said it was “a rare chance for Americans to delve into the brilliance of Chinese culture from over 2,000 years ago”.

“We hope it opens a new window for people, especially young visitors, to appreciate the richness of Chinese history and traditions,” he said.

In a written message, San Francisco mayor London Breed – who was on a visit to China when the ceremony took place – described the showcase as “historic and groundbreaking”, adding that there was “no better example of the power and importance of economic and cultural exchange”.

Emily Wilcox, associate professor of Chinese studies at William & Mary, a public research university, said the two major powers each had deep histories of employing artistic and cultural exchanges as a component of their diplomacy.

These exchanges occur both at the national level through activities planned and funded by governments, as well as through unofficial events organised by individuals or groups with their own goals and connections.

“Both types of activities have historically been important in helping the people of each country learn more about one another,” Wilcox said.

“They have also been instrumental in strengthening mutual cooperation, respect, and trust, all of which are essential to healthy and functioning relationships.”

The impact of a separate showcase, of some 200 artefacts ranging from jade ornaments to ritual bronze vessels which ended in April at the National Museum of Asian Art, had a far-reaching impact, according to its curator Keith Wilson.

The exhibition, “Anyang: China’s Ancient City of Kings” – a reference to the capital of ancient China’s Shang dynasty (c1600-1050BC) and the birthplace of Chinese archaeology – explored the early development of Chinese writing and ritual practices.

Wilson said the exhibition had not only catered to the museum’s visitors and scholars but also to public and private school groups.

Anyang was included as part of the curriculum for schools in Washington, Maryland and Virginia, and nearly 1,000 students and teachers toured the exhibition during its two-month run, he said.

According to Wilson, entrance and exit surveys suggested that attendees liked how the museum used technology to answer questions about ancient China that could not be addressed by other means.

Asked about the importance of art exchanges, he said: “In addition to promoting human connections, general education, and mutual cultural respect, exchanges and exhibitions like ‘Anyang: China’s Ancient City of Kings’ can promote closer relations between the two countries.”

“This collaboration, predicated on the advancement of scientific knowledge and the protection of cultural patrimony, marks an important chapter in the history of Sino-American relations.”

Gao Minglu, professor emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh, noted that US-China cultural exchanges date back to the late 1970s, when Boston’s Museum of Fine Art brought its collections – including classic and modern art – to Beijing.

“It was the first time for the Chinese people to see the original Western artworks, especially the modern and contemporary part,” he said. “It inspired the new generation of Chinese artists at the moment when China opened [its] doors to the West.”

Gao, a critic and scholar of contemporary Chinese art, said exchanges and communication in the art world between China and the US boomed in the 1990s. At that time, museums, universities and cultural institutions in the US paid “immense interest” in bringing Chinese art back home.

Gao himself was instrumental in bringing two large-scale exhibitions to the US. “Inside Out: New Chinese Art” was first showcased in New York in the late 1990s before making its way to San Francisco and Seattle, and later Mexico, Australia and Hong Kong.

Gao also curated “The Wall: Reshaping Contemporary Chinese Art”, a collaborative project in 2005 by the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the University at Buffalo Art Galleries, and the China Millennium Monument Museum in Beijing.

But he pointed out that exchanges between the two countries had dipped since 2008, partly because of the economic crisis and also a later “scepticism of globalism”. “Very few Chinese exhibitions have taken place in the US in the last 15 years,” he said.

Gao called for scholars, curators and artists to convince institutions to push for such engagements and overcome “certain geopolitical barriers” as both countries stood to gain from art exchanges.

According to Gao, these exchanges can “go beyond the political and economic tensions since art is a kind of special way of human thinking” that could “play a role to heal the gap, no matter the cultural or political gap”.

Wilcox said that art exchanges between the two rivals could create opportunities for people of different backgrounds to engage and learn from one another.

The arts addressed a wide range of subjects from everyday material life to individual hopes and dreams – topics that could open up areas of conversation and “bridges of imagination” that may be difficult to achieve through traditional diplomacy, she said.

“The arts engage human experience in a visceral way that can impact emotion and reach people on a personal level. This can be a powerful mechanism to connect people otherwise separated by language, political or economic system, or simply physical distance.”

According to Wilcox, arts exchanges and cultural collaboration have grown in importance, especially when relations between the US and China have become increasingly tense.

“In the current environment, all opportunities to open up direct communication and create human connection between the US and China should be pursued and supported,” she said.

“The arts should just be one of many arenas in which the US and China successfully cooperate and learn from one another to build a better future.”

Gao said that, in a way, engaging in art could allow people from different cultures, with different traditions, and with different interests to reach “certain mutual understanding”.

“A harmonious universe is the end in creation of art. Although it’s difficult in reality, but keeping the idealism will be very important for the future of human beings,” he said.