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• Only Chinese wines should be served at National Day celebrations in Hong Kong, ex-leader says
• China puts private sector policy on the front burner after July data disappoints
• Vietnam’s To Lam touches down in China on first overseas trip as new leader
• In China, visiting Russian diplomat pushes for ‘peace and security’ amid Ukraine incursion
• Chinese sports bodies add support to police crackdown on illegal toxic fan ‘rumours’
• Why China tensions and Donald Trump could test next Japanese leader’s foreign policy prowess
• Meet Russian ‘fairy queen’ Anastasia Bliznyuk who leads China to Olympic gymnastics glory
• Why some China primary schools require pupils to return empty milk cartons for their welfare
• China warns data leaks from wind towers could threaten national security
• Ticket sales to start Thursday for Hong Kong events welcoming mainland Chinese Olympians
• Chinese and Kenyan researchers find Stone Age ‘production line’ for tools in Rift Valley
• Chinese nationals linked to foreign crime rings behind wave of burglaries in Singapore
• Why China is looking to vocational training to build bridges with the Global South
• How to achieve Olympic success? China offers some answers
• Chinese scientists planning rotating launch system on the moon
• China ride-hailing ‘hitchiker’ takes 1,400km trip costing US$390 then flees without paying
• China’s post-Gaza war ambitions will have to include Israel eventually: experts

Only Chinese wines should be served at National Day celebrations in Hong Kong, ex-leader says

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3274951/only-chinese-wines-should-be-served-national-day-celebrations-hong-kong-ex-leader-says?utm_source=rss_feed

Only Chinese wines should be served at Hong Kong celebrations for National Day on October 1, former city leader Leung Chun-ying has said.

Leung said his call was based on the improved quality of domestic alcohol and its reasonable prices.

“I urge that consuming Chinese wines be made mandatory for all celebrations hosted by the government and the public, unless alcohol is not consumed,” he wrote on his Facebook account on Sunday.

“It is inexcusable and unjustifiable not to drink Chinese wines on National Day.”

The Post has reached out to the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and Chief Executive’s Office for comment.

Leung, a vice-chairman of the country’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, led Hong Kong from 2012 to 2017.

In recent years, he has been promoting wines produced by cellars in Ningxia, an autonomous region in north-central mainland China.

Ningxia wine was served by Chinese President Xi Jinping to French leader Emmanuel Macron last year when they met in Beijing.

Xi visited Ningxia in 2016 and 2020 and has said its grape wine had excellent market potential, urging better promotion to create a well-known brand.

Jacky Cheung Yiu-shing, president of the Wine Association of Hong Kong, said serving Chinese alcohol at National Day celebrations would be a great opportunity to promote the products.

He said the market share of Chinese wine stood at less than 10 per cent in the city.

“China only started systematic and large-scale wine production about three decades ago. The wine quality has gradually increased in recent years, but it might not be comparable yet with the products from the century-old vineyards,” he said.

“It also takes time to build a brand and for a product to be widely accepted in a new market.”

Cheung said Chinese wine was relatively more popular on the mainland due to the tax imposed on imported wine.

A downturn in the bar and catering business following the pandemic, coupled with a trend of residents heading north to spend, had also made it harder to promote Chinese wine in Hong Kong, he said.

Shuai Zekun, a veteran connoisseur with the online site of American critic James Suckling, said the quality of Chinese wine had improved significantly in the past decade, but the export volume was low and although brands had lowered their prices, it remained relatively unaffordable.

Chinese offerings only accounted for 500 out of 40,000 wines tasted by his company each year, he added.

He said that while Hong Kong had long been the mainland’s window to the international market, he found Leung’s call for making Chinese wine mandatory at October 1 events a bit extreme.

“Agricultural products like wine are strongly linked to their origin,” he said. “It’s natural to support and feel proud of them, which is not necessarily driven by nationalist attitudes.”

China puts private sector policy on the front burner after July data disappoints

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3274944/china-puts-private-sector-policy-front-burner-after-july-data-disappoints?utm_source=rss_feed

Beijing has pledged greater support for the beleaguered private sector and vowed to “resolutely” achieve this year’s growth targets after weaker-than-expected July data added to concerns about the economy.

At a plenary meeting of the State Council on Friday, Premier Li Qiang told cabinet members to put greater effort into “consolidating the economic recovery”.

“We must take more powerful measures to boost domestic demand,” state news agency Xinhua quoted Li as saying.

“Boosting consumption is the key. We must adopt targeted measures to smooth economic circulation.”

Plenary meetings are often convened to signal the central government’s policy intentions and enforce key strategies. They are attended by all members of the cabinet while the more frequent executive meetings are usually attended by senior officials involved in a specific agenda.

Friday’s gathering was the first plenary meeting since March’s goal-setting conference and signalled that the top economic officials had returned from the annual two-week Beidaihe summer retreat.

In addition to Li, those attending the meeting included vice-premiers Ding Xuexiang, He Lifeng, Zhang Guoqing and Liu Guozhong, all of the state councillors as well as ministers such as National Development and Reform Commission chairman Zheng Shanjie.

Two days earlier, data from the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that government incentives to spur domestic spending through equipment and home appliance upgrades had not yielded desired results.

By some analysts’ estimates, the economy grew by about 4 per cent year on year in July, short of the 5 per cent annual target and the pace that was maintained in the first half.

The country also continues to be in the grip of a property slump and various external challenges, such as trade barriers on Chinese companies by the United States and its allies.

Li said his cabinet would have to tailor policies to “give full play to tapping potential consumption”, and China must explore new areas to boost foreign trade growth such as “green trade” and cross-border e-commerce.

To encourage private investment, the authorities will broaden the use of local government special bonds in project funding, cut red tape preventing private players from taking part in government-led infrastructure projects, and “create a better business environment” in general.

“We must hear the appeals of businesses and take action to address their difficulties,” he was quoted as saying.

Beijing also pledged to stop abuse at the local level of business inspections and fines on companies, vowing to promote innovation and development of all market entities.

Also on Friday, the NDRC, the top economic planning agency, said it would work with three other government agencies to speed up land approvals, financing and environmental assessment procedures to help private investors.

Private investment in the January-July period was flat compared with a year earlier, according to government data. In the property sector, an area dominated by private players, investment in the first seven months fell 10.2 per cent year on year.

China’s receipt of foreign direct investment also dropped 29.1 per cent in yuan terms in the first half.

“We must take greater action to use foreign investment and improve services for them,” the State Council said.

The soft July macroeconomic data and the subsequent downside risks have fuelled expectations among analysts of more monetary easing and fiscal support.

“Policymakers are likely to rush to provide more stimulus, such as accelerating special bond issuance and the purchase of housing inventory from developers,” Larry Hu, chief China economist of Macquarie Capital, wrote in a note on Saturday.

“It seems that policymakers can’t miss the growth target, but they don’t want to over-deliver either.”

Despite Beijing’s focus on consumption, Julian Evans-Pritchard, Capital Economics’ head of China research, said he remained sceptical about the prospect of consumer handouts for households.

He said the private sector would eventually start to cut down on its borrowing if the economy continued down its present path.

He also said the home market remained a weak spot despite the government’s rescue package and demand-side easing measures.

Research analysts with Gavekal said Beijing could issue more government bonds to fund infrastructure construction in the months ahead, but there was a higher risk now that exports could falter and start to drag on economic growth.

“Policymakers will probably ramp up stimulus if the export risk materialises,” they added.

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Vietnam’s To Lam touches down in China on first overseas trip as new leader

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274949/vietnams-lam-touches-down-china-first-overseas-trip-new-leader?utm_source=rss_feed

Vietnamese Communist Party chief To Lam arrived in Beijing on Sunday afternoon on his first overseas trip as his country’s leader, pointing to China’s continued importance in Hanoi even as Vietnam strengthens ties with the United States.

Lam, who is also Vietnamese president, will meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on the three-day trip, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Lam was confirmed as party general secretary, the country’s top political position, two weeks ago. He succeeded Nguyen Phu Trong, who died last month after 13 years as leader.

Before heading to Beijing, Lam stopped in Guangzhou on Sunday morning, retracing the “red footsteps” of former Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, according to the CCTV report.

Ho established his Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League in Guangzhou in 1925, the Marxist organisation is widely seen as a pioneer of the Vietnamese communist movement.

Lam said he looked back at “the friendly exchanges between the older generation of leaders of Vietnam and China”.

He also said Vietnam highly valued the “traditional friendship between the two brother countries and always regards the development of relations with China as a top priority”.

Vietnam’s economy is highly dependent on China, its biggest trading partner.

Last year trade between the two countries amounted to US$171.9 billion, according to state-owned Vietnam News Agency. Chinese customs data put the volume at US$229.8 billion.

However, like most other Southeast Asian countries, bilateral trade is heavily one-way, with Vietnamese exports to China amounting to roughly half of its imports from the country.

Vietnam hopes to improve the flow of goods and people between the two countries with a high-speed rail project connecting China with Hanoi, and another one connecting China with Haiphong and Quang Ninh, two port cities in the north that are close to China.

But tensions remain over their overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

Both countries claim the Paracel and Spratly islands and Hanoi has become more vocal about the disputes, drawing closer to Washington and its allies.

Nevertheless, the two communist regimes remain in close contact at a high level.

In 2022, Trong visited Beijing and met Xi just a week after the 20th party congress secured Xi a third term as China’s leader. And Xi visited Hanoi last year, just a few months after US President Joe Biden made a trip.

The two countries agreed to build a “Vietnam-China community with a shared future” and strengthen its political, economic, trade, and security cooperation.

Vietnam also upgraded its ties with the United States and Japan last year to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the country’s highest designation for a diplomatic relationship. Relations with China and India also have been given the same status.

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In China, visiting Russian diplomat pushes for ‘peace and security’ amid Ukraine incursion

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274936/china-visiting-russian-diplomat-pushes-peace-and-security-amid-ukraine-incursion?utm_source=rss_feed

A senior Russian diplomat vowed to promote “global peace and security” during a visit to China as Ukraine continues its incursion into Russia and Beijing pushes for more engagement with both Moscow and Kyiv.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov met his Chinese counterpart Ma Zhaoxu in Beijing on Friday, a month after the leaders of the two countries met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kazakhstan.

“The two sides said that they will take the important consensus of the two heads of state as a fundamental guideline, deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation, and contribute to strengthening global strategic stability and promoting world peace and security,” according to China’s foreign ministry.

The two diplomats also mentioned Brics – a bloc of emerging economies that includes China – whose next leaders’ summit will be held in Kazan, Russia in October.

“The two sides emphasised that Brics is an important platform for solidarity and cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries and that China and Russia will continue to closely communicate and collaborate to jointly promote the success of the Brics leaders’ meeting in Kazan,” the ministry added.

Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng will visit Moscow from Monday to Tuesday for a regular meeting and hold a talk with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Chernyshenko, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.

Beijing has shown greater interest in intervening in the Ukraine war in recent months, and especially in increasing its engagement with Kyiv.

On August 6, the Ukrainian army crossed the border into the Russian territory of Kursk Oblast, marking a new phase of the war with Ukraine on the offensive.

Amid the escalation, China’s special peace envoy Li Hui called his Vatican counterpart Cardinal Matteo Zuppi earlier this week – a surprising move as Beijing and the Holy See do not have diplomatic relations.

Last month, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited China and met his counterpart Wang Yi. Their meeting in China’s southern economic hub Guangzhou marked Kuleba’s first official visit to China since the war in Ukraine broke out in February 2022.

Wang said China would continue to promote a peaceful solution between Russia and Ukraine and send humanitarian aid to the latter.

In early July, Chinese President Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Astana, Kazakhstan during the SCO summit.

Xi said the two countries should continuously “nurture the unique value of China-Russia relations and explore the endogenous dynamics of cooperation”.

Meanwhile, Putin said ties between the two nations had reached “a golden age”.

“We have stated that Russian-Chinese relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation are in the best period of their history,” Putin said.

The war in Ukraine has killed at least 11,520 civilians and injured at least 23,640, according to a July report from the United Nations. Military personnel casualties number in the tens of thousands for both Ukraine and Russia.

In June, China decided not to attend a peace conference in Switzerland in which Russia and Ukraine took part, casting doubts on China’s willingness to help resolve the conflict with Western nations.

Chinese sports bodies add support to police crackdown on illegal toxic fan ‘rumours’

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3274939/chinese-sports-bodies-add-support-police-crackdown-illegal-toxic-fan-rumours?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s gymnastics and table tennis associations have condemned abusive and defamatory remarks by toxic fans about members of the country’s Paris Olympics team, amid a police campaign against “illegal” social media comments.

The Chinese Gymnastics Association said on Saturday that some fans had “created and spreading false rumours” among followers of the team, “stirring up negative emotions online, and insulting or slandering athletes, coaches, and officials”.

The behaviour inflicted “serious harm” to the work, lives, and families of those targeted and “disrupted and damaged the Chinese gymnastics team’s tradition of unity and patriotism”, the association said.

It did not say who the posts were aimed at or give details of the content.

The Chinese Table Tennis Association made a similar statement, saying some comments had had “extremely negative effects” on the athletes, coaches and society.

“The chaos in ‘fan circles’ has severely disrupted the normal training and competition of the Chinese table tennis team,” it said, again without saying what content it was referring to.

“Our association will collect evidence and hold accountable any organisations or individuals who insult, slander, or maliciously attack the Chinese table tennis team or its members online or in public places.”

The warnings come after China amassed its biggest gold medal haul at a Summer Olympics away from home.

The Chinese team tied with the United States in Paris, with 40 gold, ahead of Japan on 20 and Australia on 18.

The games, which ended a week ago, also unleashed some “illegal” fan behaviour, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The ministry said that in two cases fans posted “negative information about table tennis players and coaches on social media” during the Olympics.

It said the behaviour caused “a harmful impact on society” and it was enforcing criminal case procedures against those involved.

Three other people were given “administrative penalties” for posting material questioning an unspecified Chinese Olympic champion and “publicly insulting gymnasts” on social media.

The ministry did not say what laws had been broken but revisions to the criminal law which came into effect in 2021 stipulate that it is a crime to damage the reputation and honour of heroes and martyrs.

Earlier in the week, Olympic champion and new 100m freestyle world-record holder Pan Zhanle took his own stand against fandom when he disbanded his only official fan group on microblogging site Weibo.

Pan’s record-setting performance in Paris along with his instrumental role in ending the United States’ 64-year domination of the men’s 4x100m medley relay, earned him a huge following online.

But Pan said he wanted he wanted to enjoy “a low profile and some peace and quiet”, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The moves aligns with Beijing’s campaign in recent years to “clean up” online content and curb online fan communities, particularly relating to celebrities.

In 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet watchdog, detailed 10 areas for rectification among fan communities.

The CAC told local authorities to cancel all forms of celebrity rankings and tighten oversight of celebrity marketing agencies.

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Why China tensions and Donald Trump could test next Japanese leader’s foreign policy prowess

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274910/why-china-tensions-and-donald-trump-could-test-next-japanese-leaders-foreign-policy-prowess?utm_source=rss_feed

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s surprising decision to step down is expected to throw the future of Sino-Japanese relations into deeper uncertainty, with experts predicting that Japan will continue its strategic coordination with the US to counter China.

No matter who succeeds Kishida, observers said Japan’s next prime minister would face two pressing challenges abroad: rising geopolitical tensions with China, and Donald Trump’s potential return as president of the United States, Tokyo’s only treaty ally.

The diplomatic experts were not optimistic about a significant improvement in Sino-Japanese relations, though they said the two sides would continue their economic engagement, and they expected Tokyo to double down on its alliance with Washington and its allies to counter Beijing.

“The US and Japan perceive China as the major strategic challenge in their respective national security and defence strategies,” said Ryosuke Hanada, a security expert at Sydney’s Macquarie University, who noted that the perceived threat was deeply ingrained, extending beyond the views of individual leaders to reflect broader institutional and societal bases.

Despite political scandals at home, Kishida made some breakthroughs in Japan’s foreign policy during his three years in office.

He worked closely with US President Joe Biden to push for a stronger security alliance as a counterweight to China.

In one major step to bolster their security ties, the two sides agreed to upgrade the US military command structure in Japan into a joint force headquarters, a move that is expected to better coordinate the two militaries in case of a regional conflict in the Taiwan Strait or the East and South China seas.

Under Kishida, Japan has significantly strengthened ties with other US allies in the region, joining the US in three-way meetings with South Korea, the Philippines and Australia.

Notably, at the Camp David summit last August, Kishida joined Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and launched landmark initiatives to push back against China and North Korea, including a data-sharing mechanism for missiles and annual trilateral military drills across multiple domains.

Beijing has been cautious about Washington’s growing partnerships in the region, which the Chinese foreign ministry said were an attempt to provoke division, confrontation and revive the Cold War in the Asia-Pacific through various “small cliques”.

With an eye on China, the Kishida government has also adopted the far-reaching Economic Security Promotion Act to diversify supply chains and reduce economic vulnerabilities. It also enacted stringent controls on the export of sensitive technologies such as semiconductors, following in the footsteps of the US and the Netherlands.

Zheng Zhihua, research associate professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Centre for Japanese Studies, said Japan’s next leader was likely to continue tough policies against China.

“A new leader might introduce some differences and variations on policy issues, but any substantial adjustments in Japan’s stance towards China will be unlikely.”

Stephen Nagy, a visiting fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), said that both the ruling Liberation Democratic Party and Japan’s minority parties harboured deep scepticism about Beijing’s regional ambitions and its track record of economic coercion.

He added that Japan would “further deepen relations with the US and like-minded countries to enhance its deterrence capabilities and prevent China from dominating the region”.

Even if economic engagement between China and Japan was expected to persist, the incoming leader would have to “build resilience into bilateral relations under the umbrella term economic security”, Nagy said.

He added that this would protect Japan from economic coercion, the monopolisation of resources, and the risk of severe economic downturns that could arise from military conflicts in pivotal regions such as the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea.

However, Nagy noted that Tokyo might step up cooperation with Beijing in areas such as academic exchanges and collaboration on environmental issues.

The prospect of a second Trump presidency also looms over Tokyo and other US allies.

A week after Trump won the 2016 US presidential election, former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe flew to Washington, becoming the first foreign leader to meet the US president-elect.

Nagy said a fundamental change was unlikely in US-Japan ties, given the multilayered nature of the bilateral relationship, which covers educational exchanges, military interactions, joint training, and collaborative technological development.

“Whether it is President [Kamala] Harris or President Trump, this will continue to be the case as the US needs a strong forward-leaning partner to balance and compete with China in the Indo-Pacific region,” Nagy said.

Following Kishida’s announcement on Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing was eager to promote a “strategic and mutually beneficial relationship” between the two countries as well as build “constructive and stable relations” with Tokyo.

Zheng in Shanghai noted that Beijing had a relatively weak influence and was in a passive position in shaping how it was perceived by Japan or the US.

“When both nations position Beijing as a hypothetical adversary, [China] essentially struggled to explain or clarify its role within the security architecture of East Asia. It is crucial for China to consider how it could strengthen its ability to shape Japanese or American policy towards it,” he added.

Zhu Zhiqun, a professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, said the leadership transition might offer good timing for Japan to recalibrate its foreign policy approach towards China and to work to maintain some balance between Washington and Beijing.

“After all, Japan and China are neighbours with tremendous economic and cultural connections. Having a hostile bilateral relationship does not serve the interests of either nation.”

Ryo Sahashi, an associate professor of international politics at the University of Tokyo, said the top priority for the next Japanese prime minister would be how to navigate the uncertainties of a possible return by Trump. During his term, Trump lamented the expenses and downplayed the benefits of US alliances.

“The most critical issue for Japan remains how to deal with a potential Trump administration, which could pose a tougher challenge regardless of who becomes Japan’s next prime minister,” he said.

Among the contenders for the LDP leadership, Shigeru Ishiba, a former defence minister who values equality in the US-Japan relationship, would likely take a firm stance against Trump, according to Sahashi.

On the other hand, Sanae Takaichi, the current economic minister, and Toshimitsu Motegi, the LDP’s secretary general, may favour negotiations to ease pressures from the US, he added.

Meet Russian ‘fairy queen’ Anastasia Bliznyuk who leads China to Olympic gymnastics glory

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3274929/meet-russian-fairy-queen-anastasia-bliznyuk-who-leads-china-olympic-gymnastics-glory?utm_source=rss_feed

Champion Russian gymnast Anastasia Bliznyuk guided the Chinese team to a historic gold medal in group rhythmic gymnastics at the Paris Olympics, earning widespread attention online.

China is the first non-European country to win a gold medal in this group event that has for decades been dominated by Eastern European countries, mainly Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

Recently, a photo of Bliznyuk looking at the young Chinese athletes she coached with an expression of pride has been circulating on Weibo.

“She looks like a fairy queen watching over the young human girls,” said one netizen.

The 30-year-old, who is 173 cm tall and has striking blonde hair and blue eyes, is a legendary rhythmic gymnast.

Bliznyuk joined the Russian national team in 2009, was a two-time group all-around champion at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and silver medallist at the 2020 Olympics.

Later, Russia was banned from taking part in international sports events due to state-sponsored doping and the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Bliznyuk then decided to take her sports career elsewhere.

She accepted an invitation from the Chinese rhythmic gymnastics team to become a technique coach in 2022, working alongside gymnast Sun Dan to coach the team.

Mainland reports indicate that she learned Chinese within three months and is able to communicate with the athletes fluently.

“Anastasia always demonstrates every move herself. Her graceful posture and precise control have become a model for our girls,” Sun said.

The star athlete has also fused the essence of Russian rhythmic gymnastics with traditional Chinese culture, such as using tai chi to help the athletes improve body control.

“She brought new techniques and ideas that allowed us to achieve historical breakthroughs,” team member Wang Lanjing, 19, told Urban Express.

In the Paris Olympics rhythmic gymnastics group all-around final on August 10, the Chinese team captured gold by showcasing Chinese traditional Han and Tang dynasty aesthetics with ribbons and balls.

“In the flips of these Chinese girls, I could see echoes of the former gymnastics queen, Anastasia,” an online observer said on Weibo.

Bliznyuk is strict during training but warm and gentle in daily life, and the athletes regard her as a close friend, according to Xinmin Weekly.

“When I was an athlete myself, I wished for a coach who could identify with me. So I strive to be someone who is both a friend and a coach, mother, and big sister to these Chinese girls, “Bliznyuk said.

She added that she admires Chinese athletes for their diligence, humility, gratitude, and respect for their coaches, and has grown very fond of her team.

Bliznyuk has also explored many cities in China, including Chongqing, the hotpot capital in the country’s southwest, where she developed a passion for the dish and spicy food.

The talented and charming Russian coach has received widespread praise on mainland social media.

“Thank you for your contribution to the Chinese team. Looking forward to more exciting sparks between the Chinese and Russian gymnastics culture,” one Weibo user wrote.

“Anastasia has demonstrated what true sportsmanship and internationalism are,” said another.

Why some China primary schools require pupils to return empty milk cartons for their welfare

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/social-welfare/article/3274927/why-some-china-primary-schools-require-pupils-return-empty-milk-cartons-their-welfare?utm_source=rss_feed

A move by some primary schools in China which requires pupils to hand in empty milk cartons has created a thriving second-hand market in the containers.

People are selling their own empty Tetra Pak milk boxes for around 0.3 yuan (4 US cents) each on China’s second-hand e-commerce platform Xianyu, run by Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post.

The behaviour initially sparked curiosity until some parents revealed that the market was created by their children’s primary schools, which require pupils to submit empty milk boxes as homework.

They said the homework was aimed at cultivating an awareness about environmental protection among students.

A primary school in eastern China’s Zhejiang province even set up a competition, giving those who submit the most milk boxes a free tour of a recycling factory.

On the mainland social media platform Xiaohongshu, some people also said they had to “crazily drink milk” to finish their children’s unusual homework.

A 24-year-old woman from eastern China’s Zhejiang province recalled that when she was young her school had a milk carton return scheme by which the empty containers would be sold by the school and the money made was used to help poor children.

A mother, surnamed He, told Beijing Youth Daily she needed to submit 60 milk boxes for her two children every month. The second-hand market was a “relief” for her before she started the business herself.

She said she collected empty milk boxes from cleaners in her residential area and could sell up to 20,000 a month during the summer holidays. Her customers are based in big cities across China.

Some criticised the schools for taking an across-the-board approach to their schemes which did not take into account the circumstances of individual pupils.

However, others raised a different scenario.

Some schools that distribute free packs of milk to students daily require the cartons to be handed in on the same day as a way of helping make sure the beverage is actually consumed by the pupil.

In poor areas where milk is distributed to the students of families who cannot afford it, pupils are asked to give back the empty boxes to make sure their parents do not give their milk to their male siblings, a person said on social media platform Douban.

On Xianyu, another recycled product has also been popular among students – empty pen cartridges.

They cost 0.2 to 0.3 yuan (4 US cents) each. Buyers are mostly secondary school students, who are asked by their schools to hand in empty pen cartridges to prove how hard-working they are.

A man, surnamed Du, said he was asked to submit one empty pen cartridge every three days when he was in secondary school in central China’s Shanxi province.

He recalled the teacher lecturing them: “How is a hard-working student not able to finish even one pen in three days?”

Du tried doodling to waste ink, and buying beverages to replace the plastic refill part of the pen with the straw. He then discovered the second-hand market and was finally freed from such tasks.

A secondary school student in an under-developed region in southern China’s Guangdong province said she was also asked to hand in empty pen cartridges.

“When the quality of education is lacking, policies are one of the few ways that schools like mine can ensure student motivation,” she said.

Competition for higher education is increasingly fierce in China.

A record number of 13.42 million students took the gaokao national college exams this year.

According to the 2023 educational development report published by the Ministry of Education, only 4.8 million candidates went to universities, while another 5.5 million attended colleges.

China warns data leaks from wind towers could threaten national security

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3274922/china-warns-data-leaks-wind-towers-could-threaten-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed

China’s state security ministry has warned of data leak risks from wind measurement towers – tall structures that measure meteorological data such as wind speed, direction, temperature and air pressure – as part of the country’s sweeping national security drive.

On Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV shared cases obtained from China’s Ministry of State Security, reporting that “a few companies” with ties to foreign spy agencies had “secretly infiltrated areas” around the country’s classified locations under the guise of building wind measurement towers.

“They have illegally collected sensitive data and transmitted it abroad, posing a threat to national security,” CCTV said.

A resident of a coastal city reported to national security authorities that a company had illegally built a wind tower near a sensitive location, and the resident suspected the tower might be used to collect sensitive data, according to the report.

The state security ministry investigated and found that the wind tower had the ability to analyse and send data, CCTV said, adding that “if this data is leaked abroad, it could pose a risk to national security”.

Authorities have stopped the data from being leaked abroad, according to the broadcaster.

The report did not give details about the resident’s identity, the location of the wind tower or which coastal city it was in, who operated the tower or any criminal penalties arising from the case.

In another case described only in vague terms, a wind measurement tower near a scientific research base came under suspicion out of fears it may have illegally collected and sent data abroad, according to the report.

The report said that after investigation, it turned out that the tower was not legally registered and that its data transmission methods were “complex, posing significant security risks”. The tower was later taken down, CCTV said.

The warning came after Communist Party leaders highlighted the country’s national security drive during the pivotal third plenum in July.

It also comes amid intensifying strategic competition between China and the US-led West in all domains, including technology and trade.

State Security Minister Chen Yixin said last year that the country must “proactively defend” against foreign spies to strengthen national security and the Communist Party’s leadership.

Beijing enacted a new counter-espionage law last year, which has expanded both the definition of spying and the investigative powers of national security agencies.

In 2022, the China Meteorological Administration, Ministry of State Security and the National Administration of State Secret Protection revised a regulation on “foreign-related” meteorological detection and data, which stipulates conditions that may lead to criminal charges.

According to the regulation, meteorological stations with overseas ties must not be built in sensitive areas, and meteorological data must not be provided to foreign entities without approval.

Ticket sales to start Thursday for Hong Kong events welcoming mainland Chinese Olympians

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3274925/ticket-sales-start-thursday-hong-kong-events-welcoming-mainland-chinese-olympians?utm_source=rss_feed

Tickets will go on sale on Thursday for three public events in Hong Kong set to be attended by mainland Chinese athletes who competed in the Paris Olympics.

The delegation will visit the city from August 29 to 31 and is scheduled to attend a gala show on August 30, before holding two demonstrations on the morning of the next day.

The athletes would be split into two groups to showcase their skills in badminton, gymnastics and table tennis at Queen Elizabeth Stadium and hold diving and swimming displays at Victoria Park Swimming Pool, the city government said on Sunday.

But authorities stopped short of revealing which athletes would be joining the delegation.

The government said ticket sales for the events would launch at 10am on Thursday and would be available to buy online or by phone under a real-name registration system.

Each person can buy a maximum of two tickets per session, priced at HK$20 (US$2.56) each.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also expressed his gratitude to the central government and the relevant departments for showing how much they cared for Hong Kong.

“Hong Kong people will be able to share the national team’s joy and triumphs, thereby strengthening their patriotic passion and national spirit, especially among the youngsters,” he said.

The Paris Games marked the best performance from mainland athletes at an overseas Olympics, with the team tying with the United States for gold medals after bagging 40 of them.

The mainland team finished the Games with 91 medals overall.

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Chinese and Kenyan researchers find Stone Age ‘production line’ for tools in Rift Valley

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3274815/chinese-and-kenyan-researchers-find-stone-age-production-line-tools-rift-valley?utm_source=rss_feed

A team of Chinese and Kenyan archaeologists have uncovered a Stone Age “production line” that used sophisticated techniques to produce “standardised” tools.

The findings could fill in the gaps in our knowledge about how the technique spread and the history of early humans.

The researchers from the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the National Museums of Kenya unearthed 750 stone tools alongside various animal fossils in the Rift Valley in western Kenya last year.

They said the tools had mainly been produced using the Levallois method, a distinctive technique for shaping and sharpening stone tools that was developed between 300,000 and 250,000 years ago.

The technique – named after the suburb of Paris where it was first identified – is known to have been used by hominids in Africa, Europe and West Asia and continued until around 40,000 years ago.

The technique provides much greater control over the size and shape of the final stone flake, which can then be employed as a scraper or knife.

“As a typical representative of stone tool technology in the Middle Palaeolithic, the method is a landmark invention in the history of human evolution,” said Zhao Qingpo, the Chinese site leader of the project and a researcher at the Henan institute.

The findings from the Lake Bogoria site in the heart of the Rift Valley were announced at a joint seminar in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, at the end of July.

The Chinese-funded dig involving archaeologists from both countries excavated two sites covering 87 square metres in the area last October and November.

The items they uncovered include pointed tools and stone flakes created using the Levallois technique, which Zhao likened to the “standardised industrial production line” of the period.

“The findings not only enrich our understanding of the level of technology in the Middle Palaeolithic, but also provide important clues for studying major scientific issues such as the origin and spread of Levallois technology and the origin of modern humans,” he added.

The find was the only foreign archaeological discovery made last year to be singled out for special recognition by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences along with six domestic finds.

Kenya could hold the key to understanding the origins of our species and is where some of the earliest human fossils – as well as some of the oldest stone tools – have been uncovered.

In 2017, the Henan archaeology authority and the National Museums of Kenya signed a deal to undertake joint archaeological surveys, excavations and research into ancient humans and Palaeolithic artefacts in the Baringo region.

Although these efforts were interrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic, the international team has conducted four rounds of archaeological work there to date and identified 63 Palaeolithic sites.

In an article published in the official People’s Daily newspaper in mid-July, Zhao wrote: “These discoveries have enriched Kenya’s cultural heritage, deepened our understanding of early human life and behaviour patterns, and provided new clues for the study of modern human origins and migration.”

Chinese nationals linked to foreign crime rings behind wave of burglaries in Singapore

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3274914/chinese-nationals-linked-foreign-crime-rings-behind-wave-burglaries-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed

The recent spate of housebreaking cases in Singapore’s private residential estates appears to be linked to foreign syndicates involving Chinese nationals, the police said on Saturday.

Three people have been arrested and charged in court so far, while the police are trying to locate another 14 who are currently out of Singapore.

“The police are engaging the assistance of the Chinese authorities to obtain more information and locate them. Any members of the public with information on them are encouraged to provide this information to the police,” they said.

Based on preliminary investigations, the syndicates are believed to operate in small groups and would break into residences by scaling the perimeter walls or fences.

The suspects are believed to be transient travellers who had entered Singapore as Social Visit Pass holders, usually one to two days before committing the offence, the police said.

After committing the crime, they would leave the scene and attempt to depart the country as soon as possible to avoid detection.

Most of their targets were observed to be near park connectors or forested areas, which provided cover for their activities. The loot was also sometimes concealed in the nearby forested areas and later retrieved by accomplices.

Before the recent cases, housebreaking crimes were on a downward trend, the police said. Fifty-nine cases were reported in the first half of this year, compared with 70 in the same period last year.

However, 10 cases were reported between June 1 and August 4 this year, most of them taking place in private residential estates around the Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Road.

The stolen items in the 10 cases were valued at S$3.85 million (US$2.92 million), of which about S$1.36 million worth of items have been recovered.

Three suspects have since been arrested and charged in court. Long Zhihua, 38, and Luo Changchang, 43, were charged on June 28, while Wu Jinxing was charged on July 29.

Wu, 27, was arrested on Jul 27 at the forested area at the Rail Corridor, and then charged with dishonestly retaining stolen property worth more than S$180,000.

Cash and items seized from him include an orange Hermes Birkin bag valued at S$75,000, about S$68,800 in Singapore dollars and foreign currencies amounting to S$78,800, as well as three luxury watches including a S$30,000 Jaeger-LeCoultre watch, a Hublot watch and an Omega timepiece.

The police have stepped up their patrols and presence in private residential estates around the affected area, in response to the spate of cases.

Drones fitted with blinkers, cameras and thermal sensors will complement patrols by officers on the ground, the police said.

These will be deployed at key locations within the estates to enhance visibility and to detect suspicious activities.

The drones also support search operations, in response to suspected cases of housebreaking or sightings of suspicious individuals in the area.

Mobile cameras, known as Mobicams, have also been set up at strategic locations in the estates, such as major junctions and the main entry and exit points. They have self-sustainable power supplies, and can be set up quickly outdoors when needed.

The Singapore Police Force said its officers have spoken to residents of landed properties across the island and distributed crime prevention advisories to those living near park connectors and forested areas.

Crime alert signs have also been put up in crime-prone areas.

With the increased publicity and outreach, the police said they have received several calls on suspicious sightings, although they turned out to be false alarms.

Residents are also involved in the Citizens on Patrol scheme, where members undergo one-and-a-half days of training before patrolling neighbourhoods in groups of at least four.

Daniel Lin, who has lived in the Mount Sinai estate for 30 years, has been in the Citizens on Patrol scheme for about three years.

“Residents have given feedback that they are very concerned about the recent spread of break-ins, especially some residents with elderly at home, or they are gone for the school holidays then no one is at home, and also the young children,” said Lin, who is in his 40s and works in the logistics sector.

He said the residents first noticed that their community was being targeted after sharing information on group chats.

“We began to see the frequency of the break-ins, and we tried to geolocate the certain areas, and we realised that our neighbourhood is being targeted by this spate of break-ins,” said Lin.

“So what happens is that we try to engage the community a little bit more, remind our neighbours to keep their valuables [that are] outside, lock their cars, make sure that everyone’s alerted to any strangers or unfamiliar faces that come within our community.”

Speaking to the media in Chong Pang on Saturday evening, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said that while there is “relatively low crime” within Singapore now, people from abroad are coming in and targeting Singaporeans with different modus operandi.

“Actually, if you look at Singapore, crimes like housebreaking are not common at all. If you look at the past 10 years, there has been a decline in housebreaking cases,” he said.

The emergence of foreigners coming into Singapore to target houses and working in teams “is a threat that we now have to deal with”, he added.

“We have to ask all Singaporeans to be vigilant, come forward if they see anything suspicious in their neighbourhoods. We would also like to thank all those who have made police reports about these suspicious sightings,” Shanmugam said.

Residents in private residential estates should ensure that the perimeters of their homes are well-lit and secured with sturdy fencing, walls and gates to deter unauthorised access, police said.

Any overgrown vegetation that could provide cover for potential intruders or block CCTV coverage should also be trimmed.

Installing CCTVs is important as such high-resolution images have proven to be useful in solving cases, police said.

Residents should always close and lock their windows and doors when leaving the house or retiring for the night. Large amounts of cash should not be kept at home, and valuable items, such as jewellery and important documents, should be kept in safe deposit boxes.

Clementi Police Division commander and Assistant Commissioner of Police Serene Chiu highlighted the ongoing efforts by the police to engage residents, step up patrols and deploy mobile cameras and drones in the affected areas.

“We urge residents to remain vigilant and enhance their home security by installing burglar alarms and CCTV cameras,” she said.

“We are heartened to see our Citizens on Patrol members engaging the residents in their neighbourhood to provide crime prevention advice to prevent, deter and detect crime. We hope more residents will sign up to be a COP member.”

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Why China is looking to vocational training to build bridges with the Global South

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274892/why-china-looking-vocational-training-build-bridges-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed

China is building a network of vocational training centres across Africa and Asia as part of its efforts to foster ties with Global South countries and expand its soft power.

There are now 33 Luban workshops – named after a 5th century BC master craftsman and inventor – spread across 29 countries, offering training in fields ranging from advanced manufacturing technologies to Chinese cuisine and medicine.

More than 10,000 students who studied at the centres have gone on to graduate with degrees from affiliated universities, and more than 22,000 have received vocational training there, according to the Chinese Ministry of Education.

It was a scheme that was first launched in Thailand in 2016, with an institute offering training in electromechanics, new energy vehicles and “Internet of Things” engineering, as an initiative of the Tianjin municipal government.

It has since been deemed a national project under the supervision of the Education Ministry, which says it brings the “standards, models, equipment and programmes of Chinese vocational education” to participating countries.

In a sign of the grand ambitions behind the project, China’s main foreign aid agency recently said the Ethiopian Luban Workshop based in Addis Ababa, “has been designated as a high-quality skills training centre for the entire African continent by the African Union headquarters”.

“To date, the workshop has successfully conducted five training programmes, benefiting nearly 200 vocational education talents from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and other countries,” the China International Development Cooperation Agency wrote in a recent Facebook post.

Wallelgn Yonas Akele, one of the teachers at the institute, said: “What we teach at the workshop is very practical and the students here can achieve all-round development both intellectually and in practical skills.”

According to Wallelgn, who has a master’s degree from the Tianjin University of Technology and Education, more than 300 students aged between 20 and 28 are enrolled in various vocational programmes at the workshop in Addis Ababa.

“After graduation, [I am confident] that they can easily find work at technology companies in Ethiopia,” he said.

Mennatallah Ayman Gomaa, an undergraduate at Mansoura University in Egypt, said she had spent an “incredibly valuable” two weeks at the Luban Egypt Centre for Vocational Training in Cairo learning how to operate solar energy kits and wind turbines.

She said the facility based at the faculty of engineering at Ain Shams University had helped her to gain hands-on experience of operating renewable energy systems, which proved essential in her future university studies.

“Equipment there was funded by China, and teachers were told how to use that equipment by Chinese technical guides who funded the workshop,” Gomaa said.

The centre was co-founded by Tianjin Light Industry Vocational Technical College, Tianjin Transportation Technical College and Ain Shams University in late 2020 to provide training in areas ranging from computer numerical control – a technology used for making precision machine tools – to new energy and car maintenance.

A second Luban workshop has since opened in Cairo at the Advanced Technical School for Maintenance Technology, prompting Mohamed Megahed, Egypt’s minister responsible for technical education, to tell Chinese state news agency Xinhua he was “proud” the country had two of the training centres.

Unlike Confucius Institutes, which offer Chinese-language education but have faced intense scrutiny in Western countries for allegedly serving as propaganda tools, the Luban workshops have faced much less challenge.

Peng Binbai, director for vocational education at the Ministry of Education, said last month that more than 200 vocational institutions from China were operating in more than 70 countries and regions.

“Vocational education has inherent advantages in promoting foreign exchanges and cooperation – focusing on skills, reducing sensitivities and promoting employment,” Peng wrote in an article published in the state-run Journal of International Education said.

“It is a vital force enabling us to break through the suppression by the US and the West, serving the strategy of strengthening the country through education, the overall execution of our diplomatic agenda and supporting Chinese enterprises to go abroad.”

Zhao Zhiqun, a specialist in vocational education at Beijing Normal University, said the workshops could “have a positive effect on achieving social equality and economic prosperity in the host countries, as well as on building a positive and responsible image of China as a great power in diplomacy”.

He said there was also an “ideological dimension” to education, especially at the academic level. “International cooperation in [non-vocational] education is deeply influenced by ideological factors, which makes it difficult to carry out in today’s complex international environment,” Zhao said.

He argued that vocational education was “most closely integrated with economic development”.

“In the future, the focus of China’s vocational education should be about serving Chinese enterprises going abroad, by cultivating local vocational talent teams that understand Chinese language and culture,” Zhao said.

How to achieve Olympic success? China offers some answers

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3274583/how-achieve-olympic-success-china-offers-some-answers?utm_source=rss_feed

The Olympic Games mean different things to different people. Which country has done best in the games also depends on how you count the medals. Where gold medals are concerned, China’s performance in the Paris Olympics is doubtless its best since 2008. This year, it tied with the US in gold medals, recording the most golds medals it has ever won at a Summer Olympics away from home.

China maintained its dominant position in table tennis and diving, while also performing well in swimming and tennis, sports traditionally dominated by Western countries. Pan Zhanle’s record-breaking performance in the men’s 100m freestyle competition was met with disbelief from swimming coach Brett Hawke, who commented that the Chinese swimmer’s record-breaking win was not “humanly possible”. That’s despite the fact that Pan had taken doping tests 21 times between May and July.

China’s swimming team only started competing in the Olympic Games in 1988, and won its first gold medal in the women’s 100m freestyle competition in 1992. Since then, China has produced many gold medallists in swimming, with the majority coming from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, as well as Shanghai. How did China pull off this amazing feat and why have most gold medallists come from the coastal areas of the country?

The secret to China’s Olympic success is a combination of economic growth, a large population base and geography. As documented by sociologist Wang Feng at the University of California, Irvine, in his book China’s Age of Abundance: Origins, Ascendance and Aftermath, China’s spectacular economic growth since its reform and opening up enabled Chinese people to become much better fed.

In the early 1970s, China managed to produce less than one egg per person each week. But between 1978 and 1983 there was a 50 per cent increase in consumption of eggs, followed by continuous subsequent increases. As China became richer, its children grew much taller. Wang notes that at age seven, a boy in urban China was 5.2cm taller in 2002 than in 1992 and a girl was 5.7cm taller.

Parts of China’s east coast have a reputation of being the cradle of Olympic gold medallists, and for good reason. China’s east coast has long been its richest region; the people there are more well fed and physically fit than those elsewhere.

Geography is also important. Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces are crisscrossed with lakes and rivers, fostering strong interest in swimming among residents from a young age. Wealthy cities in eastern China are able to build the sporting infrastructure necessary for nurturing young talent.

China’s large population and diversity enables it to source athletes with attributes that meet the requirements of different sports. Elite athletes are extremely disciplined and able to endure extreme hardship during training. But some sports prioritise a slender build and calmness of mind.

Diving, for example. As southern Chinese are generally smaller than those from the north, Zhanjiang, a relatively poor city in the southwestern part of Guangdong province, has the distinction of producing three Olympic gold medallists in diving since 2004.

Seventeen-year old Quan Hongchan comes from a village in Zhanjiang. Only 150cm tall, she’s the perfect example of how the typical southern Chinese physique, tough training and mental strength can combine to achieve Olympic success. She won three gold medals in diving in Tokyo and Paris, earning perfect scores for her phenomenal “water splash disappearing” technique.

Lee Lai-shan, a native of Cheung Chau, won Hong Kong’s first gold medal in windsurfing in 1996. The city would not win any more Olympic golds until 25 years later, when Cheung Ka-long claimed Hong Kong’s first gold medal in fencing. With two golds in fencing at the Paris Olympics, Hong Kong is among the top 20 achievers in terms of Olympic gold medals won on a per capita basis.

Ranked 37th on the Paris Olympics medal table and outperforming other Asian economies with much larger populations, Hong Kong’s stellar performance is attributable not just to the determination and high calibre of its athletes, but also funding support from the government.

In 2024-25, the government has provided HK$5.7 billion in funding for recreational and sports facilities for the community For elite athletes, the government has increased funding for the Elite Athletes Development Fund to HK$941 million, a 40 per cent rise over five years ago.

Since Cheung’s fencing win in 2021, the government and the Hong Kong Jockey Club have jointly established a Sports Science and Research Funding Scheme amounting to HK$300 million to help athletes enhance their performance. When it comes to supporting athletes, the government is unquestionably doing the right thing and spending its money well.

The success of Cheung and Vivian Kong Man-wai has set off a fencing frenzy among children. The continued improved performance of Hong Kong’s athletes across diverse fields, including golf and tennis, has boosted enthusiasm for sports.

Sports Park Sai Sha in the New Territories, the first of its kind to be developed by a private company, will open later this year. Together with Kai Tak Sports Park, it will provide a quantum leap in the number of sports facilities available to both elite athletes and sport enthusiasts in the community.

As some of our top athletes retire, Hong Kong may not repeat the same level of success in the next Olympic Games. But the abundance of facilities, financial support and a heightened enthusiasm for sports should bode well for Hong Kong’s long-term sports development.

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Chinese scientists planning rotating launch system on the moon

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3274828/chinese-scientists-planning-rotating-launch-system-moon?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese scientists have proposed building a magnetic launcher on the moon to provide a cost-effective way of sending resources extracted from the lunar surface back to Earth.

The magnetic levitation facility would work on the same principle as the hammer throw in athletics but rotating at increasing speeds before throwing the launch capsule towards Earth.

By taking advantage of the moon’s unique environment, such as its high vacuum and low gravity, it would be able to eject payloads twice a day at around 10 per cent of the cost of existing transport methods, according to researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering.

“The system’s technical readiness is relatively high. Since it consumes only electricity and does not require any propellant, it will be relatively small in scale and straightforward to implement,” the researchers wrote in the journal Aerospace Shanghai.

“The main goal is to extract and return helium-3 to help address Earth’s energy crisis. The project will also boost the development of space mining technologies, heavy launch vehicles, and artificial intelligence.”

Helium-3, which is a light, stable isotope of the more common helium-4, has been hailed as a clean, safe, and efficient fuel that could generate energy through controllable nuclear fusion.

Just 20 tonnes of the material would meet China’s annual electricity needs, according to the paper.

While the Earth only has around 0.5 tonnes of helium-3, there is an estimated 1 million tonnes in the lunar soil – enough to sustain the world’s energy needs for over a thousand years, the paper said.

It did not say how the helium would be extracted and in what form it would return to Earth.

The proposed launch system would use a 50-metre (165ft) rotating arm and a high-temperature superconducting motor to launch capsules loaded with lunar resources.

After 10 minutes, the rotating arm would reach the moon’s escape velocity of 2.4km per second – about one-sixth of Earth’s escape velocity – to put it on the correct trajectory to return to Earth.

The system would be powered by solar and nuclear energy, with more than 70 per cent of the energy recovered after each launch thanks to a design that would allow kinetic energy to be converted back to electricity during the deceleration phase after the launch.

The ultimate goal is to be able to calculate the correct launch angle to within 0.1 degrees to minimise the need for adjustments later in the mission.

The system is designed to last for at least 20 years, but it will weigh around 80 tonnes and will need to wait for China’s super heavy-lift rocket to start operating before it could be taken to the moon.

The team behind the project have suggested that it could form part of a proposed Russian-Chinese joint project to build a research station on the lunar south pole by 2035.

The launch station would cost around 130 billion yuan (US$18.2 billion) to build, but the paper’s co-author Chu Yingzhi told last year’s meeting of the China Association for Science and Technology that mining three to five tonnes of helium-3 a year could bring in revenues of 100 billion yuan.

He also said the main challenges for the launcher project were installing it on the rugged lunar surface, ensuring the rotating arm stayed stable at high speeds and ensuring it could withstand temperature variations, cosmic radiation and lunar dust.

The team aimed to complete the development of key components by 2030, followed by lunar surface verification and full-scale implementation by 2045, he said.

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China ride-hailing ‘hitchiker’ takes 1,400km trip costing US$390 then flees without paying

https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3274881/china-ride-hailing-hitchiker-takes-1400km-trip-costing-us390-then-flees-without-paying?utm_source=rss_feed

A man in China hired a ride in a car using a hitch-hiking app for a 1,400-kilometre trip that cost 2,800 yuan (US$390) then disappeared without paying when he reached the destination.

A man surnamed Liu and his father planned a road-trip from Beijing to Zhangjiajie in Hunan province, central China in May.

They decided to share the journey with a third party passenger, or “hitchiker”, they found a person through the hitchhiking service Hellobike.

The service allows people to share rides to offset the costs while helping others.

Liu said his journey started at 6pm on May 22 and finished at 7am the following day.

The total fare was 2,263 yuan (US$315) plus more than 600 yuan in tolls, as shown on the app.

However, Liu forgot to confirm that the other passenger had boarded, allowing the stranger to cancel the order via the app upon arrival.

“I hadn’t used the app much and wasn’t familiar with its operations,” Liu said, adding: “When we arrived at the destination, I discovered the order had been cancelled.”

The passenger promised to transfer his share of the fare in cash after his company’s finance department opened.

Trusting the passenger, with whom he had held a good conversation during their journey, Liu agreed and even bought him breakfast.

“The guy said he worked at a major karaoke company and had been out with clients the night before, so he slept through most of the ride. I bought him bread and water on the highway because I think life is tough,” Liu told Houlang Video.

However, after eating, the passenger excused himself to go to the toilet then disappeared. He then blocked Liu on WeChat, giving him no choice but to report the incident to the police.

“The funniest thing is that he ran away using another ride-hailing platform and did not pay that fare either. That driver also reported him to the police,” Liu said.

With the help of the police Liu was able to contact the man but he denied he owed any money.

According to WeChat records Liu provided, the man gave various stalling excuses.

After the incident went viral online, the passenger responded and said: “I’m willing to apologise. I’ll transfer the 2,200 yuan right away.”

However, as of the afternoon of August 12, Liu had still not received the money.

Hellobike told The Beijing News it had suspended the passenger’s account so he would no longer be able to book rides until the outstanding fare had been paid.

The company said it would help the driver recover the money, and reminded users to avoid conducting transactions outside the platform.

The story sparked heated discussions on mainland social media.

“He took the ride but needed to ‘borrow money’ for the fare? My goodness, what a bizarre excuse,” one person said.

It is not the first time something like this has happened with such services in China.

In July, a woman took a 50-kilometre trip and persuaded the driver to cancel the order on the platform, agreeing instead to pay him 150 yuan (US$21) privately.

However, when they reached her destination, she abruptly demanded 200 yuan from the driver as “hush money”, threatening to report him for engaging in prohibited offline transactions.

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China’s post-Gaza war ambitions will have to include Israel eventually: experts

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3274690/chinas-post-gaza-war-ambitions-will-have-include-israel-eventually-experts?utm_source=rss_feed

With the in its 10th month and the prospect of a widening in the conflict to include Iran, Washington and Beijing have stepped up their diplomatic efforts in recent weeks to exert their influence and achieve a ceasefire.

Israel has welcomed the interventions of the United States, its long-standing ally, promising to send negotiators to ceasefire and hostage release talks backed by the US, Qatar and Egypt.

But Tel Aviv largely gave the cold shoulder to a Beijing-brokered reconciliation deal between rival Palestinian groups including Hamas and Fatah – reached in early July in readiness for a potential agreement on post-war governance.

Chinese diplomats have also largely avoided stops in Israel in their rounds of shuttle diplomacy to find an end to the crisis.

After decades of a balanced approach to Middle East diplomacy, China’s unambiguous support for the Palestinian cause in the Israel-Gaza war has increased Beijing’s leverage with the Arab nations and Iran, but at what cost to its ties with Tel Aviv, now and after the war?

There has been little high-level communication between Tel Aviv and Beijing since the war in Gaza started with the attack on Israel last October by the militant group Hamas, which took hundreds of hostages and left 1,200 Israelis dead.

China has not condemned the Hamas attack – a major concern for Israel – and Beijing’s diplomatic efforts have been largely focused on the Palestinian side and the Arab nations.

There was further strain on the relationship just a week after the reconciliation deal was signed, when Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. The killing, which Iran and its allies blamed on Israel, drew Beijing’s strong condemnation.

Observers pointed out that frosty relations between the two sides were to be expected, given China’s Arab-leaning positions and Israel’s enduring alliance with the US, which is in competition with China on numerous fronts.

The only ministerial-level exchange since the war began was a phone call between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Israeli counterpart on October 23 last year, on the same day as a similar call to the Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister.

As part of Beijing’s efforts to play a mediation role in the conflict, special envoy Zhai Jun was on a tour of the region at the same time. His stops did not include Israel.

Former US defence adviser Jesse Marks, a non-resident fellow with the Stimson Centre’s China programme, said Beijing historically had balanced its ties with both the Israelis and Palestinians.

“However, since October 7, China’s diplomatic engagements have leaned towards a pro-Arab stance, straining relations with Israel,” he said.

“China may still be open to rebuilding ties with Israel if there is constructive dialogue about the future of a Palestinian state. Given the current conditions, significant state-level rapprochement between China and Israel seems unlikely.”

Galia Lavi, deputy director of the Diane and Guilford Glazer Israel-China Policy Centre at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), predicted Tel Aviv’s alignment with Washington would continue, along with its further move away from Beijing.

“Israel looks to secure its standing in the area in terms of security and the economy. China cannot guarantee Israel’s security and may even undermine it by supporting Israel’s enemies. That leaves us with the economy,” she said.

“There is only room for cooperation with China where the economy does not conflict with security.”

Lavi added that the US had proven that it was “Israel’s best friend”, and that “Israel will find it difficult to refuse the Americans’ demands”.

Meanwhile, China has been stepping up its wooing of the Arab nations in the region and has accused Israel of causing a humanitarian crisis.

The growing animosity between Beijing and Tel Aviv has also been evident in recent opinion polls in Israel. An INSS survey in May showed that around 54 per cent of Israelis have started to consider China as an unfriendly or hostile country.

According to Fan Hongda, a professor at Shanghai International Studies University’s Middle East Studies Institute, the souring of China-Israel relations began earlier, when Tel Aviv found itself caught up in the growing rivalry between Beijing and Washington.

“Frankly speaking, China-Israel’s ‘honeymoon phase’ has long gone,” he said, adding that the distrust would last beyond the war, with “no favourable conditions in sight for a significant warmth”.

Ties between China and Israel grew rapidly after they established diplomatic relations in 1991. Trade volumes doubled from 2013 to 2022, catapulting China into second place behind the US, Israel’s biggest trading partner.

Technology played a crucial role in the growing bond between the two countries, as China’s ambitions coincided with Israel’s desire to capitalise on its partnerships with the Chinese tech giants.

But when China-US rivalries ramped up under former president Donald Trump, Israel’s cooperation with China came under ever-closer scrutiny.

In 2019, under pressure from Washington, Israel opened a national security investigation into foreign investment, especially in technology, targeting the growing inflow of Chinese money.

The pressure continued under Joe Biden’s administration. In January 2022, Israel agreed to notify the US of any major deals with China.

Later that year saw the launch of the US-Israel Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology, as the US tightened control over technological cooperation with China and put pressure on its allies to do the same.

John Calabrese, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said Beijing’s outreach to Tel Aviv had been frustrated by Israel’s move to position itself as a trusted partner to the US, “akin to other American allies like the EU and Japan”.

According to Fan, China’s ambition to expand its influence and become an alternative to the US in the Middle East makes it inevitable that Beijing will eventually extend an olive branch to Tel Aviv.

“If China wishes to contribute to the resolution of the Palestinian issue, it must cooperate with Israel. Without Israel’s endorsement, any effort to resolve the Palestinian issue would be futile,” Fan said.

Israel must also not underestimate Beijing’s influence in the region, even though Tel Aviv has largely relied on Washington’s grand plan to achieve normalisation between Israel and the Arab nations.

China’s relations with Iran and Saudi Arabia have continued to grow – from economic ties to defence – since Beijing brokered a peace deal between the two regional powers last year.

Iran – Israel’s strategic enemy – has become reliant on China for its oil trade, giving Beijing some leverage in the relationship.

In the aftermath of Hamas leader Haniyeh’s killing, Wang called his Iranian counterpart Ali Bagheri to offer support and give Beijing’s backing to Iran’s right to defend its sovereignty.

The two foreign ministers exchanged similar phone calls in April after Israel’s assault on Tehran’s embassy in Syria.

Simone Lipkind, a research associate in Middle Eastern studies at the US-based Council on Foreign Relations, said the economy may be key to unlocking strained Israel-China ties.

In an opinion piece for the US-based magazine Time, Lipkind said both had financial incentives to maintain a relationship, given the two countries’ sluggish economic outlook.

“Israel’s war has shrunk its GDP and hurt its credit rating, creating obstacles for Israeli firms looking to raise funds … Meanwhile, Chinese investors are facing a lagging domestic economy and pursuing investment opportunities abroad,” she wrote.

“This dynamic could generate a mutual – albeit reluctant – desire to bolster commercial ties.”

China remains Israel’s second-largest trading partner and is a major investor, adding weight to its sway over the Israeli economy, according to Marks, the former US defence adviser.

“A crucial factor is the economic relationship between Beijing and Tel Aviv. China and Israel have invested billions in science, technology, and research, which provides China with considerable leverage in Israel’s economy,” he said.

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