China in Pictures Page 48

Sep 04, 2023 18:00 PM

Gallery: Tony Leung’s Very Own Golden Lion
The Hong Kong movie star bagged one of the most coveted acting prizes in show business, the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement award, at the 80th Venice Film Festival on Saturday. Leung has acted in three films that have clinched the Golden Lion: ‘City of Sadness’ by Hsiao-Hsien Hou, ‘Cyclo’ by Anh Hung Tran and ‘Lust, Caution’ by Ang Lee — ‘finally, I can have it (the prize) for myself,’ Leung joked during a press briefing
Sep 01, 2023 17:41 PM

Gallery: Raimondo Wraps Up China Trip
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo highlighted new high-level trade dialogue channels established with Beijing during her final address at a Boeing facility in Shanghai. During her four-day trip, Raimondo met with top Chinese leaders, including Premier Li Qiang and Vice Premier He Lifeng, to discuss cooperation between the two countries. Raimondo also visited Shanghai Disneyland, the city’s New York University campus and attended a conference held by a women’s business group on her last day in China
Aug 31, 2023 18:35 PM

Gallery: Railway Carves Through Southwest China
The 482-kilometer (299 miles) route linking the southwest and southern regions opened on Thursday morning, following more than five years of construction. The train runs across 199 bridges and through 107 tunnels as it winds around mountainous terrain in areas such as Libo, Guizhou province and Hechi in Guangxi. With a top speed of 350 kph (217 mph), the railway cuts the travel time between Guiyang and Nanning to about three hours, from the previous five-hour trip
Aug 30, 2023 19:14 PM

Gallery: Chinese Basketball Icon Calls It Quits
Star player Yi Jianlian announced his retirement via social media early Wednesday. The power forward began his career at the age of 15. He was picked for the national team in 2004 and joined the NBA in 2007. Over his two-decade career, he led the Guangdong men’s basketball team to seven league championships and secured multiple MVP titles in the CBA. His departure marks the end of an era as all 12 members of the Chinese men’s basketball team that competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, known as the ‘Golden Generation of ‘08,’ have retired
Aug 29, 2023 18:30 PM

Gallery: Heritage and History in Hangzhou
The capital of East China’s Zhejiang province unveiled the Zhejiang Cultural Center on Tuesday. The site houses the Zhejiang Literature Center, the Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, and expanded sections for the provincial museum and library. The comprehensive setup offers visitors an immersive experience to explore the region’s culture and history. The complex was a major part in Zhejiang’s 13th Five-Year Plan, which included a focus on enhancing the province’s cultural infrastructure
Aug 28, 2023 19:25 PM

Gallery: Gina Raimondo’s China Visit
The U.S. Secretary of Commerce met with her Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao in Beijing on Monday, where both sides sought to stabilize trade relations. Raimondo landed Sunday and was welcomed by Lin Feng, general director of the commerce ministry’s American and Oceania department, as well as U.S. Ambassador Nick Burns. The visit is Raimondo’s first to China and the fourth by a U.S. cabinet official from the Biden administration since June. She will also travel to Shanghai during the trip, which is scheduled to conclude Wednesday
Aug 25, 2023 19:07 PM

Gallery: Chinese Panic-Buy Salt Amid Fukushima Flush
Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from the failed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday. The action triggered a ban by Beijing on imports of all Japanese aquatic goods and caused panic-buying of salt products as fears of contamination of sea salt run rampant in China and neighboring countries. Site operator Tokyo Electric Power plans to discharge around 7,800 tons of wastewater over a period of about 17 days, according to local media reports. In total, more than 1 million tons of wastewater will be released over a span of three decades
Aug 24, 2023 18:45 PM

Gallery: Wagner Leader Feared Killed in Crash
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private mercenary group, was reportedly killed in a plane crash Wednesday en route from Moscow to St. Peterburg. The private jet crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in Tver region, northwest of the capital. Ten passengers were on board including Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin. None survived the crash, Russian authorities said. Prigozhin, once a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, staged a revolt in June against Russia’s military establishment despite leading Wagner in support of Russian forces in Ukraine for years
Aug 23, 2023 19:04 PM

Gallery: Cambodia’s New Prime Minister
Lawmakers have elected Hun Manet, the eldest son of longtime ruler Hun Sen, as the country’s new prime minister. Hun Sen announced that his son would succeed him after his ruling Cambodian People’s Party swooped to victory in July, securing 120 out of the National Assembly’s 125 seats. Hun Manet, the first Cambodian to graduate from a U.S. military academy, previously served as commander of the Royal Cambodian Army. The new cabinet comprises Manet’s younger brother, Hun Many, who assumes the role of civil service minister, and cousin, Neth Savoeun, who will be deputy prime minister
Aug 22, 2023 20:34 PM

Gallery: Xi Lands in South Africa for BRICS Summit
President Xi Jinping arrived in Johannesburg on Monday, joining a number of other heads of state and regional organizations in South Africa for the 15th BRICS summit, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday. Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were both slated to attend in person. Russian President Vladimir Putin was set to participate virtually. This year’s host nation, South Africa, has heightened security for the event, which is the first in-person BRICS gathering of the group’s leaders since the start of the pandemic
Aug 21, 2023 18:13 PM

Gallery: China’s MMA Champ
Zhang Weili successfully defended her UFC strawweight title, defeating Amanda Lemos of Brazil in UFC 292 in Boston. In five rounds of Saturday’s fight, Zhang landed 288 strikes and six takedowns, leaving Lemos trailing with just 21 strikes and no takedowns. The judges’ unanimous scores of 50-43, 50-44, and 49-45 sealed her victory. The win is the second time in a row Zhang has left the octagon sporting the gold belt, after she reclaimed the strawweight championship title in UFC 281 against Carla Esparza in November
Aug 18, 2023 16:47 PM

Gallery: Pet Parade
Animal lovers from around the world converged in Shanghai Wednesday for the five-day annual Pet Fair Asia, an event featuring a wide variety of dogs, cats and exotic animals including meerkats and cockatoos. With 17 exhibition halls, the event is one of the largest industry fairs in the region, showcasing nearly 30,000 brands of pet products. Among the highlights of the event are canine and feline beauty competitions
Aug 17, 2023 18:06 PM

Gallery: It’s a Robot’s World
The best and brightest in robotics descended on Beijing Wednesday for the World Robot Conference 2023. The event showcased nearly 600 products from AI-equipped humanoid robots to high-tech machinery for industries such as manufacturing, health care, education and medicine. Over 140 Chinese and foreign companies as well as research institutions are participating in the event, which runs until Tuesday
Aug 16, 2023 19:17 PM

Gallery: Guangzhou’s E-Bike Plight
The southern metropolis has clamped down on the illegal modification of electric bikes and their use in certain areas, as traffic accidents involving the two-wheelers surged by 63% in the first half of this year from the same period in 2022. While electric bikes have become an integral part of Guangzhou residents’ lives, the local government has long sought ways to regulate the estimated 5 million electric bikes zipping around on its roads
Aug 15, 2023 18:11 PM

Gallery: Kim’s Firepower
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an increase in missile production during a recent military factory tour, coinciding with South Korea and the U.S. preparing for their annual military drills scheduled to begin next week. Undated photos released by North Korea’s state media on Monday showed Kim giving orders while visiting major factories that manufacture tactical missiles, missile launch platforms, armored vehicles and artillery shells. In early August, Kim also tested a new line of firearms during a military factory tour
Aug 14, 2023 19:29 PM

Gallery: Rubble and Ruin
A tornado struck Yancheng, East China’s Jiangsu province, leaving two dead and 15 injured as of Monday afternoon. The twister, which touched down approximately 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, has been classified an EF2-level tornado, one of moderate intensity with wind speeds reaching 86 to 110 mph. More than 280 houses were damaged in the storm. The local government has mobilized rescue teams, and reconstruction efforts are underway
Aug 14, 2023 18:17 PM

Gallery: China’s Youth Seek Fortune’s Favor
Sales of China’s state-run lottery tickets hit 273.9 billion yuan in the first half of this year, up by 50.4% from the same period last year, data released by the Ministry of Finance showed. While lotteries have traditionally been popular among seniors and the middle-aged, instant-win games have garnered much fanfare among young Chinese who are seeking a windfall as economic growth falters
Aug 11, 2023 19:43 PM

Gallery: Staging the Classics
The city of Langfang in Hebei province has opened a new classical literature-themed theater district that has 12 stages. The Unique Dream of Red Mansion Drama Fantasy City is the brainchild of film director Wang Chaoge in collaboration with architect Wang Ge. It was inspired by Cao Xueqin’s epic novel “A Dream of Red Mansion,” which chronicles the rise and fall of a noble family in the 18th century. The site is currently showcasing 12 plays that explore stories from various time periods connected to the book
Aug 10, 2023 22:08 PM

Gallery: Kindergarten for Kids With Special Needs
Qisehua, a preschool in Zhengzhou, is a pioneer in providing inclusive education in Central China’s Henan province, having opened its doors to children with special needs for over two decades. Since 1996, the kindergarten has welcomed over 350 children with disabilities including autism, Down syndrome, and impaired hearing and vision. Over the years, Henan has set up more than 200 pilot kindergartens to promote the integration of special needs children into society, although challenges like teacher shortages remain
Aug 09, 2023 18:24 PM

Gallery: Operation Pet Rescue
Floods in northern China have forced the relocation of several communities, but as residents flee to safer ground, many have tried to ensure their pets are not left behind. Since the heavy rains began on July 29, more than 1.4 million residents in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region have been relocated