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China on Thursday unveiled a conceptual plan outlining its first mission to defend against a near-Earth asteroid, and called for multi-level and comprehensive international cooperation regarding asteroid defense, showcasing its commitment as a responsible space power in addressing threats posed by near-Earth asteroids to the safety of humanity.

The country's first near-Earth asteroid defense mission is expected to observe an asteroid closely before impacting it to alter its orbit around 2030, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

The blueprint for the country's asteroid defense involves two spacecraft - an impactor and an observer - launched into space with one rocket, Xinhua quoted Tang Yuhua, deputy chief designer of Chang'e-7 Mission, as saying.

The observer will first move around the small asteroid to be targeted, for the purposes of detection, before guiding the impactor from afar to strike it. After the kinetic impact, the observer will further have an accompanying flight with the very asteroid that changes its orbit, according to Tang.

The plan was released by China's Deep Space Exploration Lab on the 2nd International Deep Space Exploration Conference (Tiandu Forum) held in Huangshan, East China's Anhui Province. 

According to the CCTV report, there are over 35,000 near-Earth asteroids in the solar system. While the likelihood of highly destructive collision events is extremely low, their potential consequences can be significant if they occur. 

The severity of an impact is directly related to the size of an asteroid. An asteroid the size of a soccer field could cause catastrophic consequences in a regional area on Earth, whereas an asteroid the size of a town could trigger a global disaster, leading to mass extinction of species, CCTV said.

As a responsible space power, China recognizes the significant threat posed by near-Earth asteroids to the safety of both the Earth and humanity, and is therefore planning its inaugural near-Earth asteroid defense mission, actively contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to the global endeavor of asteroid defense, according to the report.

Tang also expressed earnest desire for multi-level and comprehensive collaboration with the international community in areas such as joint research and development, joint observation, and data sharing, in efforts to jointly safeguard shared future through concerted efforts in asteroid defense.

After China and Nigeria elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Uba Sani, the governor of Nigeria's Kaduna State, said he is thrilled to see his state partner with China in a "smart city" project, which aligns with the country's industrialization.

Kaduna State lies at the southern end of Nigeria's northern plateau, and 80 percent of its 5 million population work in agriculture, according to media reports. 

The smart city project will be built under cooperation with Chinese tech giant Huawei - "a very reliable partner," Sani told the Global Times. 

The project will enhance public security, efficiency and transparency in public service, and help his state to establish an e-government, make education, healthcare and talent cultivation "smart," and boost the use of renewable energy, the governor said. 

Sani hopes to form a joint committee between Kaduna government and Huawei "in one or two weeks." 

The smart city project is one of several broader deals between China and Nigeria that have been inked during the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu held talks on Tuesday and announced the elevation of China-Nigeria ties. They also witnessed the signing of cooperation documents including the application of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, peanut exports to China and news media cooperation.

Sani said that China plays a significant role in Nigeria's industrialization, and he is "more hopeful and confident that [after] this time [at the FOCAC], we will see more fruits."

Kaduna State has Nigeria's first modernized railroad, the Abuja-Kaduna Railway. It is the first railway in Africa built based on Chinese technical standards. 

Sani revealed that two months ago his state partnered with North China's Hebei Province to construct an industrial park. Hopefully, more investors from China will be attracted to Nigeria, he said.

China's focus on fostering and enhancing the big data ecosystem will greatly drive the high-quality growth of its digital economy and promote international cooperation, experts and industry insiders from home and abroad said at the China International Big Data Industry Expo 2024.

This year's expo, which kicked off on Wednesday in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, showcases the latest applications of big data technology and digital transformation. It also highlights China's efforts to strengthen international digital cooperation, especially in data flows, the Global Times learned.

Analysts said that cross-border data flows are critical for global socioeconomic interactions and underpin international business operations, logistics, supply chains and communication. 

"There are significant opportunities for global cooperation in the big data-related sectors," Atul Athavale, a Germany-based cloud AI architect who is working with Huawei's research institute in Europe, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Athavale noted that Germany remains open to cooperation, indicating a positive trend in China-Europe business relations. 

"While the geopolitical landscape may present challenges, there will always be opportunities for businesses to connect and collaborate," said Athavale.

Right before the expo, China and the EU established a mechanism for cross-border data flow communications on Tuesday to enhance two-way data flows.

This mechanism aims to facilitate the secure and efficient transfer of data between China and the EU, promoting economic growth and innovation.

Apart from China-EU cooperation in the digital field, China is advancing global cooperation, with Chinese companies having contributed to the global process of digitalization and big data cooperation.

Chen Xuannian, a manager at Chinasie, a Guangzhou-based information technology firm, told the Global Times that the company helps enterprises complete their digital intelligence transformations and is actively offering digital services to about 200 Chinese companies operating overseas.

Data has become a new factor of production and serves as the key element of the digital economy, a representative of iFlytek told the Global Times. The company is rolling out numerous AI-driven applications for global users.

In recent years, China's data industry has grown, and preliminary calculations have indicated that the industry will maintain an annual growth of more than 20 percent over the coming years, Liu Liehong, head of the National Data Administration, said on Tuesday at a sideline event at the Big Data Expo 2024.

China has formed a relatively complete data industry chain, covering the entire life cycle of acquisition, storage, calculation, management and use, the official said, noting that the administration will work on a four-part approach to nurture the development of the data industry, and improve the quality of the digital economy.

Hong Kong will create better environment for expanding yuan usage, offering more yuan products and risk management tools to enable international investors to use yuan for trade and investment, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Thursday.

Chan made the remarks at the Bund Summit, jointly organized by China Finance 40 Forum and China Center for International Economic Exchanges in Shanghai.

Hong Kong will also continue to support the central, provincial, and municipal authorities of the Chinese mainland to issue the yuan-denominated bonds in Hong Kong, Chan said.

He said mBridge - a platform jointly developed by the People's Bank of China, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and other central banks to facilitate faster cross-border settlements using the respective currencies - has reached its minimum viable product stage and begun serving corporate transactions in June.

Over the long-term, the project will lower trade transaction costs and facilitate multilateral capital flows, while supporting the internationalization of the yuan, Chan noted.

The Chinese yuan retained its place as the 4th most active currency for global payments by value in July for the ninth straight month, with its share rising to 4.74 percent, according to data provided by SWIFT. This marks steady internationalization of the currency amid the country's resilient economic growth and firm commitment to reform and opening-up.

As an international financial center, Hong Kong can play a unique and vital role in advancing the high-level opening-up of the Chinese mainland's financial sector, Chan said.

He said that Hong Kong is the preferred conduit to access the Chinese mainland's financial market.

"On the back of the One Country, Two Systems framework, we practice common law, with a highly regarded rule of law culture, and ensure the free flow of capital, talent, and information," Chan said.

International financial institutions maintain a strong presence in Hong Kong, with over 70 of the world's top 100 banks, and 7 out of the top 10 global insurance companies now operating in the city, data showed.

For the past four decades, Hong Kong has acted as a "testing ground" for the mainland's financial market reform and opening-up, beginning with the introduction of H-shares for mainland-based enterprises on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in the 1990s, Chan said.

With the staunch support of the central government, the "Connect Schemes" between the mainland and Hong Kong are expanding. In April this year, the China Securities Regulatory Commission announced further measures to enhance the system's scope and depth, one of which is the inclusion of the yuan counter in the Stock Connect.

China's technological development in tunnel boring machines (TBMs) has greatly advanced, from scratch to cutting-edge over the past decade, exemplifying the country's progress in high-tech manufacturing. 

Currently, seven out of every 10 TBMs used worldwide come from China, while 95 percent of the TBMs operating in the country were manufactured domestically, according to media reports. 

In a recent development, China’s largest-diameter underwater shield tunnel began the tunneling process on Sunday for Huanggang Road in Jinan city, East China’s Shandong Province, using the “Shanhe” TBM with a diameter of 17.5 meters, China Media Group reported on Monday.

TBMs can excavate tunnels using a circular cross-section that drills through soil and rock strata, seamlessly laying concrete segments to construct tunnels, subway tubes and sewer lines.

The “Shanhe” TBM is 163 meters in length, 5,200 tons in weight, and the diameter is equivalent to the height of a 6-storey building, which will operate through 3,290 meters in the tunnel that has a total length of 5,755 meters. 

The length of the “Shanhe” TBM is equivalent to 16 connected buses with a weight equivalent to 520 adult elephants, making it the largest among the TBMs used in construction projects globally, said Huang Lu, a project manager in charge of the TBM. 

The “Shanhe” TBM is equipped with advanced equipment, including dedicated telescopic cameras. The relatively larger TBM requires a more complex manufacturing process and poses construction difficulties, with higher risks compared with traditional models, according to CMG.

In recent years, the diameter of TBMs produced in China has been increasing, enabling their use in a wider range of applications and significantly improving the efficiency of construction projects. The use of TBMs has also been extending from traditional fields such as the construction of urban rail transportation to more sectors including railway construction, mining, and other industries, offering a new growth point for economic development. 

China’s continuous industrial upgrading and transformation will further spur high-quality economic development, while the rapid development of emerging industries including the high-tech manufacturing will become an important engine driving up the economy, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow from the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. 

The market scale of China’s TBMs reached 27.6 billion yuan ($3.87 billion), achieving year-on-year growth of 14.05 percent in 2022, which is expected to reach 40 billion yuan in 2024, according to data from the China Construction Machinery Association. 

Profits generated by Chinese industrial enterprises above the designated size increased by 3.6 percent year-on-year in the first seven months, up 0.1 percentage points from the first half year, the National Bureau of Statistics said in August. High-tech manufacturing led the way, with the sector's profits soaring 12.8 percent year-on-year from January to July. The improvement boosted overall industrial profit growth rate by 2.1 percentage points. 

From the stunning portrayal of Chinese modernization to the inspiring tales of self-improvement and perseverance demonstrated in the nation's technological advancements, from the unwavering sportsmanship and profound patriotism exhibited by Olympic athletes to the unique emphasis on the rule of law in education, Chinese primary and high school students embraced the start of their new school year by attending exceptional "first lessons," setting out on a path to becoming a resilient, patriotic and self-assured generation.

At the opening ceremony of the new semester at Beijing No.4 High School on Sunday, Ying Yong, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, delivered the first rule of law class to the students. He explained the importance of respecting and abiding by the law.

Ying delivered the "first lesson" as the school's vice principal for rule of law, whose responsibility includes not only carrying out legal education for minors, but also assisting schools in establishing a comprehensive mechanism for preventing sexual abuse, sexual harassment, campus bullying, and integrating judicial protection into school protection.

Officially taking effect in 2022, the policy of vice principals for rule of law in primary and secondary schools plays an important role in promoting the thorough implementation of education laws and juvenile delinquency prevention laws. It is of great significance for effectively protecting the legitimate rights and interests of young people and promoting their healthy growth, analysts said.

The problem of school bullying nowadays is partially attributed to a lack of sufficient education on the rule of law. Therefore, emphasizing such education is conducive to strengthening the protection of minors, Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, told the Global Times on Monday.

In addition, the "first lesson" of the new school year broadcast by China Central Television on Sunday evening also offered students a great chance to appreciate a "lovely China" by inviting guests such as historians, wildlife rescuers, Olympic athletes, military transport aircraft captains, and AI and aerospace technology experts to share their stories of unremitting self-improvement. 

A wide range of images such as the oracle bone pits in the Yin Ruins, the cross-sea bridge spanning the Lingding Channel, and the landing of the Chang'e-6 probe on the far side of the moon also allowed students to witness the stunning landscapes of China and experience the rapid progress it has made over the years.

The series of inspirational, motivational lessons inspired students' interest in scientific exploration and promoted their spirit of patriotism, innovation, and hard work.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a welcome ceremony here on Monday for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is on a state visit to China.

Three dock workers have been sentenced to prison after being convicted of stealing cultural relics from exposed Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD25) tombs in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, according to a report by The Paper on Saturday.
The three men, identified as Liu and two other accomplices, were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from three years and 10 months to four years and six months, and each was fined 30,000 yuan ($4,190).

In 2011, Liu and his co-defendants discovered exposed tombs when the water level in the Three Gorges Reservoir receded. The trio excavated the site and found 20 items, including Western Han Dynasty bronze drinking and ritual vessels. They later gave up to the police and confessed their crimes in March 2024.

China has a large number of buried cultural relics, especially in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. As early as 2 million years ago, the famous Wushan Man lived in this area. The region is also known for the Bachu culture as well as cultural relics.

With the box office of the film Decoded surpassing 300 million yuan ($42 million), it has become a standout work in the 2024 summer movie season. The film, adapted from the novel of the same name by Mao Dun Literature Prize winner Mai Jia, showcases a blend of cinema and literature.

Mai expressed his high regard for the film in an interview with the Global Times, calling it "the ultimate in artistic beauty." Mai said that Decoded is not only a faithful adaptation that adheres to the spirit of literature but also a bold exploration and attempt at artistic pursuit in Chinese cinema.

"I believe that whether it's a novel or a film, to reach the world, it first needs to be technically proficient. If the technical aspects are not addressed, it's difficult to move people," Mai noted.

Decoded demonstrates rare courage and determination in technical innovation. The film team boldly employs cutting-edge techniques such as IMAX photography, high-frame-rate shooting, and virtual reality pre-visualization to elevate the visual and auditory experience to a new level.

The film presents a series of spectacular scenes, including golden reeds, a shining Ferris wheel, giant walruses, deep-sea whirlpools, and enormous computers, all of which provide viewers with a visual feast. Many audiences regard ­Decoded as a visual effects blockbuster.

"Recently, the Chinese market has been ­flooded with a lot of popcorn movies, deliberately pandering to audiences without treating film as an art form, or lacking a cinematic dream. However, the dream in Decoded is particularly grand. For example, to achieve an aesthetic effect, the crew used 60 tons of sand to create a red beach," Mai told the Global Times.

One particularly striking scene takes place on this red beach, which was brought to life by the crew constructing a 5,000-square-meter soundstage and a 2,000-square-meter man-made red beach. It took 90 days to finish the entire process, from construction to filming.

Decoded made full use of innovative technology, presenting key scenes like the confrontation on the red beach and the dreamscape under the setting sun with grandeur and meticulous detail.

From the perspective of a literature enthusiast, Mai said that Decoded is a sophisticated film, turning a grand narrative of mainstream themes into something artistic and aesthetically pleasing.

In recent years, China's film industry has made continuous breakthroughs in technical innovation, artistic exploration, and market strategy, and Decoded has made a significant mark in this process. This film not only attracts audiences with its unique narrative style and visual impact but also promotes the upgrading and transformation of China's film industry on multiple levels.

Chinese humor in English has become a powerful tool for fostering global understanding through cultural products. Social media is buzzing with examples where this unique blend of English, infused with Chinese cultural nuances, not only entertains netizens, but also bridges gaps in cross-cultural communication.

A viral example of Chinese humor in English evolving appeal surfaced when a foreign blogger YourKris shared an emotional post on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu about seeing off her boyfriend at the airport.

Her comments quickly were filled with well-meaning but imperfectly translated messages from Chinese netizens, turning phrases like "You pretty, he ugly, u swan, he frog" into a source of both consolation and amusement. 

This exchange highlighted how Chinese-style English, referred to as Chinglish, once seen as an embarrassing mishmash, has become a unique cultural bridge, resonating with humor and warmth across languages and borders.

Originally, Chinglish was often viewed as mistakes to be corrected or even ridiculed, especially in formal English education in China, where accuracy and native-like pronunciation were emphasized. 

However, after the Beijing 2008 Olympics, when English speakers expressed a relaxed attitude toward Chinglish signs in China, this linguistic blend gained recognition, not just as a source of humor, but as a reflection of the cultural exchange and globalization that characterizes modern China.

The shift in perception is reflected in the gaming ­community, particularly in the recent hit video game Black Myth: Wukong, where terms from Chinese mythology, such as yaoguai, are no longer translated as "monster," but kept in their original form. 

Chinese netizens have started explaining key game terms to foreign players to help them better understand the cultural background of the game. This effort fosters a deeper appreciation for the cultural richness of China.

A writing professor in the US told the Global Times on condition of anonymity that Chinglish is increasingly used by teenagers as a tool for better communication, citing phrases like "Long time no see." 

He emphasized that language, as a form of communication, can evolve with cultural exchanges, making it acceptable to use Chinglish phrases in everyday conversation to achieve better understanding.

The story of German scholar Oliver Radtke also illustrates this shift. His curiosity about Chinese society led him to document the various Chinglish signs he encountered during his travels in 2019. 

Initially, Oliver's project was met with criticism from some Chinese netizens who perceived it as mocking. 

However, as he clarified his intentions - to highlight the charm and creativity within Chinglish - more people began to appreciate the unique cultural interplay these translations represent, according to the Chinese Consulate-General in Frankfurt. 

Chinglish has not only captured the interest of individuals like Oliver, but has also entered broader cultural conversations.

The stage play Chinglish, written by David Henry Hwang in 2011, set in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou Province, explores the complexities and humor of cross-cultural communication. 

The play underscores how Chinglish can create both challenges and opportunities for understanding in an increasingly interconnected world.

Moreover, the incorporation of Chinglish into mainstream language resources, such as the Oxford English Dictionary, further solidifies its status as a recognized linguistic form. 

Phrases like "add oil" - a cheer meaning "go for it" are now officially recorded in the dictionary, demonstrating how Chinglish captures uniquely Chinese expressions that resonate globally. 

These entries, often related to Chinese culture and food, highlight the growing influence of Chinglish as a distinct variant of English.

However, the US professor also expressed concern over the potential misuse of Chinglish, emphasizing that while it can be effective in oral communication, it remains unsuitable for formal and academic settings. Learning and using standard English remains important in public and professional contexts.

The spread of Chinglish reflects a broader acceptance of linguistic diversity and the idea that language evolves with cultural exchange. 

The playful mix of languages has become a way for people worldwide to engage with Chinese culture, often leading to moments of cross-cultural understanding and amusement.