The opening ceremony of the "ACE! Australian Comics Exhibition" hosted by the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai, IllustrateYourLife studio, and Sinan Mansions, was held in downtown Shanghai on August 23. The Australian Consul-General in Shanghai John Williams mentioned the comic traditions of both Australia and Shanghai, saying the purpose of this exhibition is to promote cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Australia.
"The role of this exhibition goes beyond just the artistic; it also connects Australian art with the younger generation in China," hoping that the event would create opportunities for educational cooperation, he added.
"Through this opportunity, I have gained a deeper understanding of Chinese comics and also made friends with Chinese artists," said Australian cartoonist Ben Mitchell, the designer of the exhibition's mascot, Casey, in his speech.
Open until September 16, the exhibition features the works of 20 outstanding Australian cartoonists, drawing the attention of numerous comic enthusiasts and professionals.
Cartooning had a long tradition in Australia, dating well back into the 19th century. The Australian Cartoonists Association is one of the world's oldest cartoon organizations.
Shanghai, as the birthplace of modern comics in China, has also nurtured outstanding cartoonists like Feng Zikai, and important publications in the history of modern Chinese comics like the Shanghai Sketch.
"The ACE! exhibition series showcases the outstanding and original comic art from Australia. Australia's comic industry is booming, with the continuous rise of the global interest in 'graphic novels', and diverse comic themes and creators," said Williams, the consul general of Australia in Shanghai, at the opening ceremony.
The 2024 Norway Film Festival will be launched on August 30 across various cities in China and run until September 8. Featuring eight movies and 16 screenings, the festival is expected to showcase Norway's cultural history The films to be screened are Songs of Earth, Titina (2022), Pathfinder, a-ha: The Movie (2021), The King's Choice, Out Stealing Horses (2019), Gunda (2020), and Utøya 22. juli (2018).
In Songs of Earth, the audience can follow the journey of a father to experience four seasons of a year with the mountainous landscapes of Norway providing a captivating backdrop for cinematic nature. A magnificent, existential journey with the filmmaker's parents as its human yardstick, and with the primordial forces of the earth looming in the bedrock. Titina (2022) tells the story of two nobles and a lap dog on a dangerous quest to the North Pole. Pathfinder is the first film in the world to be directed and starred in by the Sámi, an indigenous group from the Arctic. The movie will take the audience back to the folklore of Finnmark 1,000 years ago. a-ha: The Movie (2021) showcases three friends who want to conquer the world with their music, which their mega-hit "Take on Me" actually did. Even today the most successful band in Norway's history, a-ha, still plays worldwide.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Sunday blasted US sanctions on Chinese companies over their alleged involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a typical example of long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions, vowing "necessary measures" to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.
On Friday (US time), the US imposed sanctions on more than 400 entities and individuals for allegedly supporting Russia in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including Chinese companies, Reuters reported, citing the US State Department.
It said the Biden administration's sanctions include measures against companies in China allegedly involved in shipping machine tools and microelectronics to Russia. The US also added 42 companies in China to its Entity List, forcing suppliers to obtain licenses before shipping to targeted companies, according to the report.
China firmly opposes the sanctions, a MOFCOM spokesperson said in a statement published on the ministry's website.
The practice is a typical example of long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions, which disrupt international trade norms and rules, impedes normal trade between countries, and affects the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, said the spokesperson.
"We urge the US to immediately halt these misguided actions, and China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," the spokesperson said.
China's position on the Ukraine issue has been consistent and clear. The Chinese government is always neutral on the Ukraine issue and has never supplied weapons to either party, He Weiwen, senior fellow from the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Sunday.
"The US may continue to sanction Chinese companies and add more Chinese firms to its Entity List citing various excuses, for which we should be fully prepared and firmly oppose," He stressed.
The latest US move against Chinese companies comes as US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will visit China from Tuesday to Thursday, the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
While continuously carrying out suppression targeting Chinese companies, especially in the high-tech sector, the US continues to enhance cooperation with China, He said. China-US economic and trade relations are showing a stable trend, as the value of bilateral trade so far in 2024 has slightly increased.
"As two large countries, it's difficult for China and the US to maintain sound relations but it's also hard for them to break up. The two will likely maintain cooperation despite competition," Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.
Chinese and African leaders will meet in Beijing in early September for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) - the largest diplomatic event to be hosted by China in recent years with the highest attendance of foreign leaders. The event will showcase the sincere friendship and achievements from decades of China-Africa collaboration and set the new direction for future cooperation, said analysts from China and African countries, stressing that the gathering is also expected to set an example for Global South cooperation and contribute to global development and stability.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend FOCAC's opening ceremony on September 5 and deliver a keynote speech. During the summit, President Xi will host a welcoming banquet and related bilateral events for the leaders of FOCAC's African members and representatives of related African regional organizations and international organizations invited to the summit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Friday.
The 2024 FOCAC will be held in Beijing from September 4 to 6. Chinese and African leaders will discuss the theme of "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future," focusing on friendship, cooperation, and future prospects, Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong said at a briefing on Friday.
Chen explained that during the summit, four high-level meetings will be held in parallel, covering the topics of governance, industrialization and agricultural modernization, peace and security, and high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The summit marks another grand gathering of the China-Africa big family. It is also the largest diplomatic event China has hosted in recent years, with the highest attendance of foreign leaders. Leaders of many African countries and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission will lead delegations. The UN Secretary-General will be a special guest and relevant international and regional organizations will also attend the summit as observers, said Chen.
Analysts said the summit will boost China-Africa relations, advance modernization, and foster a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, ushering in a new chapter for Global South cooperation and offering new hope for global peace and development.
The summit is to be held as the global community seeks a vital dialogue amid rising anti-globalization trends such as isolationism, populism, protectionism, political instability, and retreating democracies, Dennis Munene Mwaniki, Executive Director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute, told the Global Times.
FOCAC has elevated China-Africa development cooperation to new heights, boosting investment and financing in Africa. Moreover, it has introduced tariff-free measures for more African products and supported Africa's economic diversification, industrialization, and processing industry development. FOCAC has also enhanced political dialogue and high-level exchanges, allowing China to share its governance experience with African countries, Mwaniki told the Global Times.
New tech fuels cooperation
Many African scholars expressed hope for more cooperation in high-tech fields between China and Africa.
A significant number of the telecommunications infrastructure on the continent today was built by China, financed by China or implemented by China, in less than 30 years. We are hoping these companies that have already landed in China will bring more digital technology in Africa, Mwangi Wachira, advisor to the government of Kenya and former economist at the World Bank, told the Global Times on Friday. With regard to Chinese new-energy vehicles, Wachira said that in terms of attracting foreign direct investment, the new energy sector is the fastest growing on the continent, and is led by Chinese companies.
Under the current wave of global sci-tech revolution and industrial change, technological cooperation and innovation are of great significance in promoting the transformation and upgrading of China-Africa industries, according to a report released by the China-Africa Business Council on Friday.
Currently, Africa's digital economy stands at $115 billion. In its report, Endeavor, a global network of entrepreneurs, predicts that by 2050, the continent's digital economy will reach $712 billion, representing significant potential for growth. This means that Chinese companies will share more digital tech achievements to promote the connectivity of digital infrastructure construction, according to the report.
Innovations in financial cooperation including promoting the internationalization of the yuan and helping African countries develop inclusive financing are also on the way, the report said.
"China-Africa cooperation is important, as the world needs more than one point of view. The world needs to be truly multilateral. We want a multipolar world. The collaboration between Africa and China does help to create that multipolar world. It is a world that gives Africa all the hope that their voices will be heard," said Wachira.
"Through this summit, the profound friendship between China and Africa will be further deepened, and a more active voice will be raised in the global governance arena under the Global South to strive for more development opportunities for developing countries," Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times.
Shaolin kung fu can involve agile movements, resilient spirit, elegant motions or powerful strikes. Regardless of age, race, gender, or body type, every Shaolin disciple shares a common belief.
This belief is not only a pursuit of martial arts skills, but also a way of life and a spiritual realm.
Over the last weekend, a total of 144 martial art masters from 47 countries and regions competed in the finals of the 2024 Shaolin Games hosted at the Shaolin Temple in Central China's Henan Province, contending for the title of "2024 World Shaolin Kung Fu Star." Along with them were hundreds of kung fu lovers who gathered to show their skills, share their personal journeys and meet their peers.
After two days of fierce competition, 10 contestants from China, the US, Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Zambia, Peru and other countries were crowned as the "2024 World Shaolin Kung Fu Stars."
Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin told the Global Times that "there are many people practicing Shaolin kung fu around the world. Different people have different affinities, and their understanding and gains from the culture vary. Everyone has their own story."
Shaolin culture has been passed down for many years without interruption, forming its own cultural system and way of life. This culture is suitable for people of different age groups. From what we see now, the needs of different countries, regions, and cultures are different, he said.
"People are dedicated and serious about Shaolin culture, with a sense of reverence and pilgrimages bringing them together," the abbot stressed.
Luis Mello from Brazil is one such practitioner. Burly and strong with a bushy white curly beard, he wields a monk's spade and wears Buddhist beads around his neck.
He looks just like Lu Zhishen, the Flowery Monk from the classic Chinese novel Water Margin.
Mello has been practicing martial arts since he was a teenager, spanning over 40 years. Throughout his life, he has trained in various martial arts styles and even founded the Instituto Lohan in Brazil, where he has many disciples.
His immersion in Chinese culture doesn't stop there. He also practices qigong, plays traditional Chinese musical instruments, studies various philosophical schools of thought and pursues Chinese traditional arts such as Go.
Amid the cheers of the crowd, Clément Vaudagne from France almost stumbled to the ground. Then, suddenly, he got up and performed a clear and powerful set of combination punches.
This was the famous "Drunken Fist" routine in martial arts, known for its blend of drunken movements and intricate techniques.
Vaudagne, 18, chose to bring his "Drunken Fist" to the Shaolin Temple competition, earning him much applause and cheers.
"Winning the championship is but a fleeting moment, whereas practicing martial arts is a lifelong pursuit," he told the Global Times.
Vaudagne's master, Alexandre Cordaro, also known as Yan Yi in the Shaolin system, is a dedicated Shaolin kung fu practitioner from France. His journey began as a child, inspired by the discipline and philosophy the practice embodies.
Today, at 37 years old, Cordaro owns and operates a small temple in France where he imparts the wisdom of Shaolin to his students and reflects on the life-changing impact it has had on him.
"I built it stone by stone, block by block with my hands," Cordaro told the Global Times, recounting the establishment of his temple: the Centre culturel du temple Shaolin de France.
His understanding of Shaolin is not merely physical, but deeply philosophical, emphasizing the importance of self-control, discipline, and the spiritual aspects inherent in the practice.
Moreover, Cordaro's commitment to Shaolin culture is evident in his annual pilgrimages to the Shaolin Temple, which he considers a vital part of his life's work. His experiences in China have been instrumental in shaping both his personal philosophy and his approach to teaching.
Among the representatives from Africa, 6-year-old Fair Nvirenda stood out and was always positioned in the center during performances.
This boy, more commonly known as Chu San, is an orphan adopted by the Shaolin Temple in Zambia. From a young age, Chu San has shown exceptional martial arts talent and a calm demeanor, making him a little star at the Shaolin Temple in Zambia and a "big brother" to other older martial arts practitioners.
Chu San's master, Max Yollando, better known by his Buddhist name Yan Ming, was originally a psychology student from Cote d'Ivoire. He became fascinated with Chinese culture and Shaolin kung fu when he was a kid, since kung fu movies are popular in Africa.
In 2016, he came to the Shaolin Temple for short-term training and returned in 2017, staying for nearly six years. He even joined the Shaolin Monk Corps, showcasing Shaolin culture across China.
In 2022, Yan Ming was assigned to the Shaolin Temple in Zambia.
"At the Shaolin Cultural Center in Zambia, we have adopted more than 30 orphans from difficult living conditions, teaching them Chinese and kung fu. In the future, they may come to China to continue their studies and bring the best of China back to Africa, helping to build a better Zambia," Yan Ming said.
China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) on Wednesday blasted a report by The New York Times published on Tuesday, which it says distorts and misrepresents facts about two elite Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance in 2022 and were found no wrongdoing in the case.
According to CHINADA, the athletes were provisionally suspended after trace amounts of the anabolic steroid metandienone were found in their tests.
After an extensive investigation, which included testing meat samples and nutritional supplements, the exact source of contamination could not be determined, CHINADA said, as it concluded that the athletes had ingested the steroid unwittingly and cleared them of wrongdoing in late 2023.
The results of such cases, where athletes are found to be without fault or negligence, are not made public to protect the athletes' rights, CHINADA said. This decision allowed the swimmers to resume competition after being provisionally suspended for over a year.
The decision was communicated to WADA and World Aquatics (WA), both of which endorsed CHINADA's findings.
CHINADA accused The New York Times of politicizing doping issues and attempting to disrupt the competitive environment of the Paris Olympics.
"The New York Times' insistence on politicizing the doping issue and frequently sensationalizing the global problem of food contamination is aimed at disrupting the order of the Paris Olympics swimming competition and undermining the psychological state and competitive ability of Chinese athletes," CHINADA said in its statement. "This is extremely unfair and unethical."
The organization highlighted that meat contamination with banned substances is a global issue, with similar cases occurring in many countries.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has also reviewed the Chinese athletes' case, which found no evidence to dispute the contamination scenario, it said in a statement released on Tuesday.
WADA acknowledged the complexity of food contamination cases and emphasized the need for ongoing review and investigation into such incidents globally.
It also noted the prevalence of contamination cases worldwide and announced an investigation into the scale and risk of meat contamination with metandienone in China and other countries.
CHINADA highlighted a similar case involving American sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who tested positive for the anabolic steroid trenbolone but was cleared by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to compete at the Paris Olympics, citing meat contamination.
The China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) on Thursday called for an independent investigation into the actions of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), following latest revelations about the USADA's misconduct.
According to a Reuters report published on Wednesday, USADA has been implicated in serious violations of anti-doping regulations, allowing athletes who had doped to compete for years, without ever publishing or sanctioning their rule violations.
The Chinese anti-doping body emphasizes that USADA's actions severely compromised the integrity of sports, as it lacks transparency and operates with double standards.
"USADA has long ignored its own anti-doping shortcomings while attempting to impose double standards on other countries, exposing its hypocritical and inconsistent approach to anti-doping enforcement," CHINADA said in a statement sent to the Global Times.
This is the fifth statement that CHINADA has released since July to demand transparency and justice from the USADA for athletes.
The US hype since April 2024 on a 2021 food contamination case of Chinese swimmers had led to an excessive anti-doping testing scheme against Chinese athletes ahead of and during the Paris 2024 Olympics to prove their cleanness.
"The US' ultimate goal is to prevent China from advancing," Shen Yi, director of the International Research Institute of Global Cyberspace Governance at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
"Before the Paris Olympics, the hype on Chinese swimmers has been used to weaponize the anti-doping system. The aim is no longer to detect doping but to disrupt Chinese athletes' training and competition schedules under the guise of proving China's integrity," Shen said.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said Wednesday that USADA's actions are "in direct contravention of the World Anti-Doping Code and USADA's own rules."
These athletes were allowed to act as "undercover informants" for USADA, which is a practice that WADA instructed USADA to desist in 2021.
"This USADA scheme threatened the integrity of sporting competition, which the Code seeks to protect," WADA said in the statement. "By operating it, USADA was in clear breach of the rules."
International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesperson Mark Adams expressed support for WADA on Thursday, saying the IOC will continue to work with its stakeholders to make sure there are "good and robust" anti-doping systems.
WADA highlighted that since 2011 USADA permitted at least three athletes who tested positive for steroids and erythropoietin (EPO) to continue competing until their retirement.
CHINADA's latest statement also suspects whether USADA's board and the US Congress were aware of these breaches and the associated security risks. It calls for USADA to publicly disclose the details of the implicated cases and respond to public concerns. "We strongly call on the US Congress and the USADA Board of Directors to face up to the grave problem of doping in the US itself and the serious governance flaw in USADA," CHINADA said in the statement. "The US should enhance oversight and regulation of USADA, strengthen domestic anti-doping efforts, and immediately cease the overreach and interference in other countries' anti-doping efforts," CHINADA said.
Earlier on the same day, CHINADA, in a separate statement, called for intensified testing on US athletes to rebuild global trust in fair play, as US Olympic sprinting star Erriyon Knighton tested positive for banned steroid trenbolone during an out-of-competition test in March 2024 but was still allowed to compete in Paris.
Shang Ximeng, a research fellow at the Center for International Sport Communication and Diplomacy Studies at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, said the US has always been an exception in anti-doping efforts. "Despite that Chinese sports authorities did not target American athletes in a similar manner like the US hype did on Chinese athletes, the Chinese delegation still faces a lot of criticism in Paris," Shang told the Global Times. "China has demonstrated its integrity through more frequent testing, but this approach may not be the best way to protect the Chinese athletes' rights."
The doping disputes between China and the US are a microcosm of the broader strategic rivalry between the two countries, Shen Yi said.
CHINADA strongly called on the International Testing Agency (ITA) to intensify testing on the US track and field athletes, and recommended that the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) strengthen anti-doping supervision of the US Track and Field, prevent the doping risks and strictly investigate relevant cases in an endeavor to truly protect the legitimate rights and interests of the clean athletes around the world and to rebuild the trust of global athletes in fair play.
Chinese athletes should be subject to the same doping standards and procedures as their US counterparts, without any double standards, Shen noted.
"The US has turned anti-doping measures into a tool to suppress countries outside the Western sphere, creating an unfair competitive environment for athletes from other nations," Shen told the Global Times. "If the US finds this unacceptable, then the US must adhere to China's standards and practices."
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday exchanged congratulatory messages on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil, with experts saying that the two sides are expected to continue promoting exchanges in all areas underpinned by economic and trade cooperation.
China is ready to work with Brazil to take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties as a new starting point to jointly promote the building of a China-Brazil community with a shared future, Xi said in his congratulatory message to Lula, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.
China and Brazil, both major developing countries and key emerging markets, are like-minded good friends and partners that join hands and move forward together, Xi said.
For his part, Lula said over the past half century, the friendship between Brazil and China has been strengthened, and cooperation has become increasingly diversified, according to Xinhua.
Brazil-China ties are becoming increasingly important for building the multipolar order, as well as a more just and effective global governance, Lula said, adding that bilateral ties play an underpinning role in the stability and predictability of the two countries and the world. He said that for the next 50 years of bilateral relations, the two countries will chart a new course together and create a bright shared future.
Lula said at an event on Wednesday that he will discuss a "long-term strategic partnership" with China later this year, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
The close ties between China and Brazil span many years, and Lula's remarks indicate that Brazil is looking to extend and advance the relationship with China, Dong Jingsheng, deputy director of Peking University's Latin America Research Center, told the Global Times on Thursday.
"The economies of the two sides enjoy considerable complementarity, making it possible to provide favorable conditions to advance the cooperation in other fields of the two countries." Dong noted.
Dong also believed that trade and economic relations serve as the foundation of the relationship between China and Brazil, as well as China's cooperation with other countries in Latin America, which in turn encourages political trust and people-to-people exchanges.
The rapid development of China-Brazil ties contributes not only to the economic and social development of the two countries, but also facilitates the engagement of Global South countries, analysts said, noting that this injects momentum into the transformation of the international system and the reform of the global governance system.
A breach in a dike along a river in Chifeng city, North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, measuring 11 meters long, flooded 9,000 mu (600 hectares) of farmland. Following overnight efforts by local rescue teams, the breach was fully sealed by midday on Wednesday, according to China Central Television.
A total of 821 residents had been relocated with no casualties reported so far, CCTV reported.
According to the local flood control and drought relief headquarters in Chifeng, a breach occurred along a section of the dike alongside the Laoha River in Songshan district on Tuesday, with the depth of the floodwater reaching as deep as 2.5 meters, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.
The city immediately launched an IV-level emergency response for flood control and dispatched rescue forces to evacuate local residents and carry out rescue work. A total of 821 residents from 112 households from two villages were relocated to nearby temporary accommodation, local primary schools or clinics, with no casualties reported, according to Xinhua.
Despite of a round 9,000 mu of farmland was reported as being flooded, the floodwater did not flow into the village.
Following an all-out effort by rescue forces made up of over 700 people from the military, armed police, fire fighter department and other professional rescue forces, the breach was closed by 4.5 meters as of 5:30 am on Wednesday, Xinhua reported on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters dispatched an expert team to Inner Mongolia to assist and guide flood control and disaster relief work. The Ministry of Emergency Management urgently deployed 100 personnel and 35 rescue equipment units from a natural disaster engineering rescue base in Tangshan city, North China’s Hebei Province to the site and coordinated with surrounding state-owned enterprises to mobilize 460 personnel, 56 equipment units, and four helicopters, according to media reports.
The Ministry of Water Resources on Tuesday activated a major flood and drought disaster dispatch and command mechanism, conducting consultations to assess the scope of the flood’s impact. They issued eight targeted emergency response recommendations, including immediately delineating the risk area affected by the breach, ensuring the immediate evacuation of all personnel within the risk area, and closing all reservoirs upstream of the breach. Authorities from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region also dispatched experts to provide on-site guidance, China Central Television reported on Tuesday.
