爱上海后花园论坛

The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held on Thursday. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote address titled "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a Community with a Shared Future." President Xi proposed that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations, and that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. The Summit adopted the Beijing Declaration on Jointly Building an All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era and the Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027) of FOCAC. China-Africa cooperation has opened a new chapter in the history of jointly advancing modernization. 

President Xi stressed that China and Africa account for one-third of the world population. Without our modernization, there will be no global modernization. In the next three years, China will work with Africa to take the following 10 partnership actions for modernization to deepen China-Africa cooperation and spearhead the Global South modernization. By closely connecting the future of China and Africa through the theme of modernization, the development momentum will be generated. The global vision embodied in this blueprint, and the vast creativity and potential it contains serves as a model and source of inspiration for the Global South as well as the entire world. The momentum is boundless.

In the 10 partnership actions, Xi announced that China has decided to give all least developed countries (LDCs) having diplomatic relations with China, including 33 countries in Africa, zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines. This is a proactive, unilateral move by China to expand its market access. China is the first developing country and major global economy to implement such an initiative, demonstrating that in promoting development with the world, China is creating opportunities and achieving win-win outcomes without any hidden agenda, any geopolitical self-interest, or any conditions attached. If China-Africa cooperation is like a mirror, what people see in it is not only enormous development opportunities, but also China's genuine goodwill and global vision.

And this is just an epitome of China-Africa cooperation. The 10 partnership actions cover a wide range of areas, from mutual learning, trade prosperity, and infrastructure development to healthcare, agricultural collaboration, people-to-people exchanges, green development, and common security. For example, it highlights that China will provide 60,000 training opportunities to Africa, mainly for women and youths, which is aimed at addressing the career development concerns of African youths and cultivating a new generation of talent for Africa. 

China will also send 500 agricultural experts, and establish a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance, addressing issues of food security and self-sufficiency in Africa in the context of global climate change. The 10 partnership actions are concrete, aimed at providing feasible solutions to specific problems.
China is serious and responsible in fulfilling its commitment to Africa. It is not difficult to see from the 10 partnership actions that China has been committed to helping African countries achieve political stability and social stability. On the foundation of stability, China helps African countries seek long-term sustainable development, focusing not only on solving the longstanding issues that hinder Africa's development but also on new pathways that advance Africa's future progress. This indicates that the China-Africa community with a shared future is by no means a temporary plan; rather, it transcends specific moments and events, genuinely focusing on the overall development of Africa. This is why it possesses a vigorous and inexhaustible driving force and demonstrates strong resilience.

The exploration of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future holds significant global and contemporary importance. Developing countries face a variety of real challenges and are easily affected by the complex and changing international situation, which can disrupt or even hinder the achievement of established goals. If China-Africa cooperation can carve out a new path for South-South cooperation, it would be a tremendous encouragement for countries in the Global South. This would provide a fresh perspective on addressing global development issues and has positive implications for demonstration and promotion.

China has a population of over 1.4 billion, and Africa also has a population of over 1.4 billion. Such a huge modernization process is unprecedented in the history of human civilization. China has a firm determination that "on the path to modernization, no one, and no country, should be left behind." This vision as a major country will write a new chapter in the history of human development, making the future of modernization in the Global South promising, and it will also promote a bright prospect for the world toward peace, security, prosperity and progress.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with President of Madagascar Andry Nirina Rajoelina, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Scheduled visits to Taiwan Island by two academic delegations from Xiamen University on the Chinese mainland were blocked by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for "technical reasons," Taiwan-based media udn.com said on Friday.

Taiwan authorities have postponed the trips on the eve of the visits, saying the application review had not been passed, claiming that it will be postponed to October, udn.com said. The "mainland affairs council" on the island said the cases are currently being examined and handled by the relevant authorities according to procedures. 

Zhang Wensheng, deputy dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, confirmed the planned visits and the DPP authorities' decision to block them to the Global Times on Friday, saying that it still remains doubtful whether the trip can be made in October. 

The Xiamen University delegations have completed the preparations in terms of formalities and materials, but related "security authorities" in Taiwan have put a "a technical hold" in place while they carry out a review, Zhang said. 

The General Administration of Customs has decided to resume the import of Wendan pomelo from Taiwan starting September 2. In addition, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said on August 30 that the mainland will soon resume allowing residents in East China's Fujian Province to travel to Taiwan's Kinmen county.

As the mainland continues to show goodwill, it seems that the DPP authorities are not willing to reciprocate with the same goodwill, Zhang said. 

"In the aftermath of COVID-19, the mainland has adopted an open attitude toward cross-Straits exchanges, with many scholars from Taiwan region being able to come to the mainland to attend seminars smoothly," Zhang said, "many Taiwan scholars also hope that the DPP authorities will open up exchange channels, but its restrictive measures have only been disappointing."

The unique climatic conditions have made Turpan grapes, Hami melons and other fruits famous at home and abroad. At present, it is the picking season for more than 630,000 mu of grapes in Turpan. 

Recently, employees of Sanbao Township Power Supply Station of State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company came to the ten-thousand-mu high-standard grape planting base in Sanbao township, Gaochang district to assist customers in inspecting power supply lines and electrical equipment.

Turpan is located in the hinterland of the Eurasian continent. The extreme high temperature can reach 50 C every year. The annual average precipitation is 16 millimeters and the evaporation is 3,200 millimeters. The annual sunshine hours are 3,200 hours. It is known as Huozhou. High temperature and heat generate abundant light and heat resources. 

In recent years, Turpan has used "thermal resources" to vigorously develop industries such as characteristic agriculture, sand therapy and health preservation, and dry heat tests for automobiles, promoting high-quality development of the local economy. State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company starts from three aspects: building "one network," devoting "one piece of heart," and laying out "one side of green," and provides high-quality services to promote the booming development of Huozhou's "hot economy."

Thanks to the hot and dry climate conditions, the fruits in Turpan accumulate thick and dense sweetness. The air is filled with the sweet aroma of various fruits. Turpan is surrounded by "sweetness" throughout the summer.

In recent years, Turpan has fully utilized the advantage of high temperature to vigorously develop the grape planting industry. By promoting water-saving irrigation, integrated water and fertilizer technology, and etc., it provides scientific planting technical services for grape growers.

Since 2024, State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company has invested more than 300 million yuan to carry out multiple rounds of renovation and upgrading of rural power grid lines. A total of 156.53 kilometers of 10-kilovolt lines and 411 distribution transformers have been newly built and renovated. The power supply quality and reliability have been further improved, injecting strong electric energy into the development of the local traditional "hot economy" industry.

Every summer, as the temperature continues to rise, sand therapy and health care in Turpan also become "hot." In recent years, based on regional characteristics and ethnic customs, Turpan city has been working hard to create a "sand therapy+" development model and build a comprehensive sand therapy industry development complex with "medicine, health care, and tourism" as the core.

In view of the small, scattered and numerous sand therapy industries, the State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company regularly organizes the Party member service team to give full play to the "grid-based" service advantage, regularly carry out electricity safety inspections, and provide "one-on-one" on-site services with the person in charge of the resort to solve customers' electricity problems at any time, accurately provide power supply services for characteristic industries, and help the "sand therapy tourism" continue to heat up.

In July, the Party member service team of State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company assisted sand therapy resorts in rectifying 10 potential safety hazards in electricity use, carried out 7 sessions of safety electricity use knowledge lectures, and distributed more than 300 copies of publicity brochures on safe electricity use and power facility protection.

On July 18, in the national high-temperature dry heat test base located in Turpan, Xinjiang, new models from more than 50 enterprises were exposed to the sun and undergoing high-temperature dry heat tests.

The abundant light and heat resources in Turpan provide natural and excellent conditions for extreme high-temperature vehicle testing. Turpan undertakes more than 95 percent of the hot zone vehicle testing volume in the country.

To meet the rapidly growing charging demand, State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company continuously simplifies the electricity application procedures and speeds up the power connection. 64 new electric vehicle charging piles have been added near the dry and hot natural environment test base. At present, 955 electric vehicle charging piles have been built and put into use in Turpan, realizing full coverage of public charging facilities in towns and townships across the city.

China and Honduras will implement the early harvest arrangement of free trade agreement (FTA) starting from Sunday, when some imported goods originating in Honduras will be subject to agreed tax rates under the arrangement, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced Friday.

Chinese experts said the implementation of the early harvest arrangement will inject fresh impetus to China-Honduras economic and trade ties, especially that gaining access to the vast China market will benefit the economic development of Honduras.

Experts are optimistic about the prospect of China-Honduras economic and trade cooperation, projecting that more quality Honduran products such as tobacco, coffee and chocolate will enter China.

In line with the early harvest arrangement of the FTA, China will impose zero tariffs on frozen shrimp originating from Honduras, according to a separate statement by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council.

China and Honduras established diplomatic relations in March 2023, launched the first round of bilateral FTA negotiations in July of the same year, and signed an FTA early harvest arrangement in February 2024.

The two countries have held six rounds of FTA negotiations, the latest in July 2024, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

The two countries have conducted comprehensive and in-depth consultations on fields such as trade in goods, trade in services, investment and rules, and have made positive progress, according to the ministry.

"With different resource endowments and economic complementarity, the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries will be conducive to the economic and social development of the Central American country and benefit its people," Dong Jingsheng, deputy director of Peking University's Latin America Research Center, told the Global Times on Friday.

Dong said there is huge potential and broad development prospects for China-Honduras economic and trade cooperation. In addition to trade, bilateral investments are expected to grow rapidly once the FTA is signed and comes into effect, he said.

China and Honduras have seen rapid development of economic and trade cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations. According to data released by Chinse customs, the total trade volume between the two countries reached 8.06 billion ($1.14 billion) in the first seven months of 2024, an increase of 9.2 percent year-on-year. China's imports from Honduras surged by 35.3 percent year-on-year over the same period.

In July, the first batch of 36 tons of whiteleg shrimp from Honduras was exported to China, another important achievement of the pragmatic cooperation between the countries, and a vivid example of how the establishment of diplomatic ties has improved the well-being of the two peoples.

On August 23 local time, the China Honduras Enterprise Trade Matchmaking Conference and Signing Ceremony was held in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras. Chinese and Honduran enterprises signed multiple trade agreements worth $18 million at the meeting, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

China is willing to work with Honduras to complete FTA negotiations as soon as possible, and China will expand high-level opening-up to provide more opportunities for Honduran products to enter the Chinese market, Xinhua quoted Chinese Ambassador to Honduras Yu Bo as saying.

"The early harvest is expected to have a demonstration effect and boost following FTA negotiations between the two countries," Jiang Shixue, a professor at the Center for Latin American Studies at Shanghai University, told the Global Times on Friday.

Jiang said an FTA will help Honduras to take advantage of the vast Chinese market, projecting that more Honduran products such as coffee, seafood and other agricultural products will be exported to China.

The customs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) further extended the scope of service of the Free Trade Agreement Transshipment Facilitation Scheme (FTA Scheme) to cover transshipments from the Chinese mainland to Vietnam and Nicaragua via the HKSAR, and from Serbia via the HKSAR to the mainland, per a statement the customs released on Sunday.

Upon the extension, local traders can apply for a certificate of non-manipulation, which certifies that transshipment cargo has not undergone any further processing during their stay in Hong Kong, to claim a preferential tariff under related FTAs and preferential trade agreements between the Chinese mainland and other countries and regions, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

The scope of service of Hong Kong's FTA Scheme originally covers shipments of 68 economies under 20 trade agreements signed between the mainland and its trading partners to be transshipped northbound via Hong Kong to the mainland, and mainland transshipment cargoes heading southbound via Hong Kong for the island of Taiwan, as well as South Korea, Singapore and Australia under seven trade agreements.

"Such arrangements have multiple positive effects on Hong Kong's economy. For starters, they strengthen the logistics and transportation sectors, further reinforcing Hong Kong's role as an international logistics hub," Liang Haiming, chairman of Hong Kong-based China Silk Road iValley Research Institute, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Offering tariff incentives will attract more international transactions through Hong Kong. It makes Hong Kong more competitive in the global trade network by simplifying customs procedures and improving efficiency, Liang said.

China released an on-site investigative report on Friday regarding the ecological system of the coral reefs in the South China Sea's Xianbin Jiao, revealing the coral reef ecosystem in Xianbin Jiao is generally in good health. There was no evidence of widespread coral bleaching, the report found, in response to allegations made by the Philippines this year, which groundlessly accused China of reclaiming an artificial reef around Xianbin Jiao that led to widespread coral bleaching.

Chinese scientists also conducted analyses of sediment samples to determine their source elements around the reef, finding no evidence of terrestrial materials entering the ocean. This again refuted the Philippines' baseless accusations against China's land reclamation and reef construction activities.

More importantly, scientists identified six sandbars in Xianbin Jiao, all of which are exposed at low tide. Experts noted that this discovery supports China's longstanding assertion that Xianbin Jiao falls under the "feature above high water springs in China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands)," affirming China's rights to territorial waters, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelves around the Xianbin Jiao.

Furthermore, the report emphasized the significant impact of frequent human activities in and around Xianbin Jiao on the coral reef ecosystem's health. It highlighted the presence of Philippine vessels and ships illegally mooring in the lagoon, whose anchoring and fishing activities could disrupt the normal coral growth in the area.
China's claims scientifically sound

"China's recent on-site investigation of Xianbin Jiao clearly confirms its status as a 'feature above high water springs in the Nansha Qundao,' supporting China's claim and refuting the Philippines' assertions and the 2016 so-called award on the South China Sea arbitration which defined it a 'low-tide feature' and included it in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone," Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times.

According to the expert, the concept of "feature above high water springs in the Nansha Qundao" aligns with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea's definition of "islands," entitling them to territorial seas, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelves. China's sovereignty over the Nansha Qundao, including Xianbin Jiao, is supported by historical and legal evidence, Chen stressed.

Chen noted that during the so-called South China Sea arbitration of 2016, the tribunal claimed that certain islands and reefs in the region were "low-tide feature" based mainly on outdated and unreliable navigational guides. It is absurd that they used such flimsy evidence to classify Xianbin Jiao as a "low-tide feature," Chen said, calling this recent scientific research "ample and precise evidence to prove China's reasonable claim."

The long-term presence of the Philippines Coast Guard vessel in the Xianbin Jiao's lagoon is a serious encroachment on China's territory, experts stressed.
During this scientific expedition from May to July, Chinese research team composed of multiple research institutes under the Ministry of Natural Resources assessed the coral reef ecosystem of Xianbin Jiao using a combination of on-site investigations, historical data, and satellite images. This survey set up 23 survey stations along the reef edge, conducting surveys on four major categories including coral communities, reef-dwelling organisms, reef habitats, and human activities, totaling 75 elements.

Some coral debris and damaged reef-building corals are found to be distributed within a certain range around the sandbar, which, experts believed, is related to Philippines vessels' illegal gathering, fishing and long-term anchoring.

The Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701), the PCG's largest vessel, has caused wide concerns among experts as its large and long anchor chain has been scraping the lagoon floor since mid-April and may cause significant damage to the coral reefs. This prolonged anchoring may have led to serious coral death over the last four months, experts warned.
Philippines' accusations proven false

It is important to note that a radioactive tracing study was conducted on the sediments of Xianbin Jiao sandbars and its surrounding waters during the investigation. This study focused on the areas where the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela accused China in May of "building an artificial island."

Chinese scientists tested for uranium-238 and other isotopes in sediment samples from 33 locations around Xianbin Jiao and its surrounding waters. The results revealed that all sediment samples had similar source elements, and did not contain any terrestrial materials from land sources.

Chen emphasized that this scientific evidence disproves the baseless accusations made by the Philippines that China is transporting materials from land to reclaim land and build artificial reefs.

On the first day after the Paris Olympics' opening ceremony, Chinese shooting pair Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao ignited Chinese social media not only because of the first gold medal they won for Team China in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team match but also because of their personalities and social media usernames.

After defeating their South Korean counterparts Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team match, Huang and Sheng were congratulated by many Chinese netizens. Sheng, whose Weibo user name is "only by eating", quickly sparked widespread attention, as this online nickname paired with the words "duoguan" (win the championship) in Chinese turns into "Winning the championship just by eating."

However, Sheng never expected such a coincidence. He said that this username was something he "came up with casually," and he reassured concerned netizens that he would "take good care of himself." This kind of "Versailles" humor reveals a sense of wit and attracts the audience, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Netizens also discovered that Huang always carries cute plush toys with her, and her social media pictures often feature cute dogs. While Sheng often appears cool, he is known to be rather  playful on occasion and netizens seem to appreciate the transparency, uniqueness and authenticity that perspire through their favorite athletes' online accounts. 

Huang, making her Olympic debut, is only 17 years old, while Sheng, competing in his second Olympics, is just 19 years old. "Young athletes should have their own personalities. I like their relaxed attitude," a netizen remarked.

According to Xinhua, although the two athletes have their own hobbies and interests off the field, they show remarkable calmness and composure during competitions. In the past, they have jointly won world championships, World Cups, and Asian Games titles. Huang was a triple champion at the Hangzhou Asian Games, while Sheng won a silver medal in the men's 10-meter air rifle individuals at the Tokyo Olympics at the age of 17.

After winning the championship at the Paris Olympics, they still appear calm and relaxed. "We achieved this result just by sticking to what we should do," Sheng said when receiving an interview from CCTV. Huang also explained that this championship was just a result of a long processof training and it provided her with a lot of experience to block out external noise and stay determined.

"Shooting is a psychologically driven sport. Compared to other sports, athletes need to maintain focus without becoming overly excited," Bi Xiaoting, a sports psychology expert said to China Youth Daily.

She noted that for athletes that have maintained professional training and possess good psychological qualities, the pressure of winning the first gold medal may not be as great as the outside world imagines. "Especially the younger generation of athletes, who have stronger autonomy and resilience, and who actively use sports psychology to improve their competitive state, often find creative solutions to problems," Bi said.

However, she also warned that external interference could still affect the athletes' long-term growth. While focusing on the first gold medal can increase attention, she hopes that the public will focus more on the athletes' personal charm and hard work, and "notice the uniqueness of each person."

According to China Youth Daily, Wang Lian, deputy director of the Shooting and Archery Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, said that athletes of every generation carry responsibility for their era.

"Our perception of Olympic gold medals has changed significantly from decades ago. The confidence and openness of today's Chinese shooters have also been brought about by the new era," Wang said.

hina's Quan Hongchan defends women's 10m platform diving title at Paris Olympics

Editor's Note:

Team China concluded their Paris Olympics campaign with 40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze medals, marking their best performance at an Olympics held abroad.

In diving and table tennis, the Chinese players achieved a landmark sweep of eight and five gold medals respectively across all categories, a rare achievement for the teams at a single Olympics.

As the Olympics concluded on Sunday, Global Times reporters Jiang Li, Wu Jie, Li Yuche and Lu Wenao picked up several stories behind the scenes that can help you remember the glory and sportsmanship displayed in Paris.
Among the big contributors to the Chinese delegation's medal haul, the Chinese swim team concluded their campaign at the 2024 Paris Olympics with two golds, three silvers, and seven bronzes. Totaling 12 medals, this marks the highest number ever achieved by the Chinese swim team in Olympic history.

This was a hard-earned result for the team, considering the Chinese swimmers had undergone excessive doping tests ahead of and during the Paris Olympics, which many believe disrupted Chinese swimmers' preparations.

Prior to and during the Games, some US institutions and media stirred controversy over alleged doping issues with Chinese swimmers.

According to the World Aquatics, since January, Chinese swimmers have undergone an average of 21 drug tests per athlete, compared with four for Australian swimmers and six for US swimmers.

Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle's sensational gold medal in the men's 100m freestyle helped the team shrug off anxiety.

On July 28, Pan won gold with a world record setting time of 46.40 seconds. This victory marked the first time a Chinese male swimmer won a gold medal in the 100m freestyle at the Olympics.

"This gold medal is very significant for our country, as it represents a historic breakthrough in a new event for Chinese swimming. It's a very exciting achievement," Pan said after the race.

Notably, Pan had revealed in an interview before heading to Paris that he was already capable of swimming under 46.5 seconds but wanted to avoid exposing his true strength too early.

"Fortunately, at the world championships I swam to 46.80 seconds, so my competitors thought that was my limit - it was a smokescreen," Pan said.

Adding to Pan's gold medal, male backstroke swimmer Xu Jiayu won silver in the men's 100m backstroke with a time of 52.32 seconds and female breaststroker Tang Qianting won silver in the women's 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:05.54 on July 30.

In the mixed 4x100m medley relay final on August 4, the Chinese team, consisting of Xu, Qin Haiyang, Zhang Yufei and Yang Junxuan, won silver with a time of 3:37.55, breaking the Asian record and finishing just 0.12 seconds behind the US team.

In the men's 4x100m medley relay, backstroker Xu, breaststroker Qin, butterflyer Sun Jiajun and freestyle star Pan ended 40 years of US dominance since the 1984 Olympics with a sensational 3:27.46.

"I've lost count of how many tests I've undergone. Often, I'm called for testing as early as 6 am, which has definitely affected the rhythm of our overall preparation," said Qin following the 4x100m medley relay final.

Following the men's relay final, the Chinese women's team, featuring Wan Letian, Tang Qianting, Zhang and Yang, secured a bronze medal in the women's 4x100m medley relay final.

A notable moment occurred during the group photo session after the men's 4x100m medley relay.

When taking a group photo at the award ceremony after the relay, the Chinese team originally planned to sit down, but the US team members took the initiative to signal the champions should stand on top. The US team sat down with the French team, and then all team members shook hands and hugged each other.

It's said that the best way to earn respect is through undeniable performance. The impressive performance of the Chinese swim team not only secured medals but also strongly countered doubts.

Culture-powered breakthroughs

Chinese athletes have made a string of historic achievements at the Paris Olympic Games, marking the country's growing competitiveness in a broader spectrum of sports and leaving a powerful legacy for youths in China.

Zheng Qinwen, 21, made history by becoming the first Asia-born player to win a gold medal in the Olympic tennis singles event. Her victory is especially significant as tennis has traditionally been a sport dominated by Western players. Zheng's ground-breaking victory reflects China's growing prowess in a wider range of sports and is sure to inspire the younger generation of tennis players.
As Zheng withdrew from the tennis mixed doubles event to focus on singles, Wang Xinyu paired up with Zhang Zhizhen right before the mixed doubles event began. In only four days, this interim duo secured a silver medal in China's first attempt in the Olympic mixed doubles.

Deng Yawen, an 18-year-old Chinese BMX prodigy, chalked up a historic victory in the women's BMX freestyle park finals. Her stunning performance, scoring 92.60 points in her best run, not only secured China's first-ever gold medal in this event but also highlighted the rapid development of BMX as a sport in China. Deng's victory is particularly significant given that BMX freestyle is a relatively new discipline in the Olympics, having debuted in Tokyo 2020.

China's artistic swimming head coach Zhang Xiaohuan said she felt it was "a bit unreal" when China won its first-ever Olympic gold medal in artistic swimming with a fluid acrobatic team routine. Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi also secured China's first Olympic title in artistic swimming's duet free routine. Zhang attributed the milestone triumph to generations of effort.

"We have shed blood, sweat and tears, but in the end, we all held on. This is the result of the collective effort of the team and the relentless pursuit of generations of Chinese synchronized swimmers," said Zhang.

Zhang noted that one of the key reasons for Chinese team's breakthroughs was their commitment to incorporating Chinese cultural elements into their performance. For example, they used movements from the martial art Wing Chun and created a visual representation of the Chinese oracle bone script character for "mountain."

"As a non-English-speaking country, it's incredibly challenging for China to achieve a breakthrough in this sport, which has long been dominated by Western countries. Gaining global recognition is no small feat. We will continue on this path, showcasing more elements of Chinese culture and expressing our cultural confidence to the world," she said.

On Friday, China's women's hockey team took silver after a tense 3-1 shootout defeat to the Netherlands, equaling the team's best Olympic record set during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The Chinese women's rugby team has also achieved their best-ever performance at the Olympics with a 6th place finish.

These achievements are significant as they highlight China's growing competitiveness in global sports beyond their traditional strongholds like table tennis and diving. The success of younger athletes in these diverse disciplines reflects the country's investment in broadening its athletic capabilities and signifies a new era of Chinese sportsmanship on the world stage.
Moments of Olympism

Whether it's Chinese player He Bingjiao displaying a Spain flag pin on the podium or weightlifter Shi Zhiyong competing on-site while injured, Chinese athletes at the Paris Olympic Games have shown the true sportsmanship, making sports a channel to convey the human spirit.

China's two-time Olympic champion Shi created a poignant memory in Paris on Friday. Competing in the men's 73kg category, he failed his three attempts to lift 191 kilograms. Behind his "failure," it turns out the athlete had torn his adductor muscle during the competition.

In a post-match interview, Shi teared up as he said he was "very sorry for the whole team" and that he "did not expect things to end like this." His words and resilience inspired numerous Chinese netizens to flock to social media platform Sina Weibo to express their love. One netizen noted that "his courage weighs a thousand pounds."

Shi failed to win any medals, marking a departure from his previous Olympic successes in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. However, his regrets in Paris highlight the invisible physical toll that athletes endure.

Chinese netizens' attitude of showing understanding toward an athlete's loss has commonly been seen during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Another example was the encouragements sent to Chinese men's gymnastics team, especially to the 24-year-old Su Weide after he fell from the horizontal bar down twice.

"Losing a gold medal in the gymnastics finals is generally unacceptable to us because we are so good at it, but I'll accept Su's mistake because for a true fan like me, I prioritize our athletes than any results," Li Yang, a sport fan, told the Global Times.

Besides Su, sports fans were also much more light-hearted in expressing their support rather than blame after Tokyo Games champion fencer Sun Yiwen was eliminated in the Round of 32 in Paris.

Chinese fans' growing tolerance toward these setbacks reveals the public are more than ever "wanting to be a part of sports" as well as "reflecting more deeply on sports values," cultural sociologist Xu Shuming told the Global Times.

"Friendship" might be one of these "sports values" that Chinese athletes have shown in Paris.

To show her support for Spanish badminton player Carolina Marin, who forfeited her semi-final match due to a knee injury, China's silver medalist He Bingjiao brought a pin with the Spanish flag onto the medal podium.

Although the pin was difficult to see pinched between He's fingers, the Chinese athlete's gesture was timeless and what one netizen called on Sina Weibo "a gesture of the Olympic spirit."