China wins men's 4x100m medley relay gold at Paris Olympics

In the vibrant atmosphere of the Paris Olympics, while the spotlight shines on the athletes, a group of unsung heroes works tirelessly behind the scenes--the Olympic volunteers. 

This year, out of 300,000 applicants, around 45,000 were chosen as volunteers, with 20 percent hailing from approximately 150 countries.

Donning bright green uniforms, these volunteers are easy to spot amid the purple venues. They offer assistance to spectators and media alike, making them a vital part of the Olympic experience.

On my first day at the press center, I encountered a technical glitch with my media system account. Thankfully, Chinese volunteer Guo Xiaofan came to my aid. 

"I hope to improve my language, communication skills, and problem-solving methods through this event," said 24-year-old Guo from Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, who is studying wireless communication at the Paris Institute of Digital Technology. 

As a former national-level swimmer, Guo saw this as her chance to participate in the Olympics, albeit in a different role.

Another Chinese volunteer, surnamed Yang, faced challenges in balancing her work with volunteer duties. Despite sacrificing her holidays, she felt immense pride in contributing to the event, especially with her parents in attendance.

Volunteers are visible everywhere—from bus stops to competition venues—offering directions and assistance with a smile. When large crowds leave the venues after the events, causing congestion, some volunteers sit on high chairs with loudspeakers, providing directions to the exits in both English and French with a smile.

One of my most memorable encounters was with a French volunteer at the International Broadcasting Center. When I needed help finding the visitor center, a young man on a scooter appeared, like a sort of "Monkey King riding a cloud," and offered to take me there. His enthusiasm for the Olympics was contagious, and after helping me, he eagerly asked for a Beijing Winter Olympics badge, expressing his admiration for the event and his desire to visit China.

These dedicated volunteers, with their energy and commitment, truly embody the spirit of the Olympics, making both the event and the city of Paris shine brighter. 

In December 2023, Hongyan Park, Hangzhou's 100 percent zero-carbon Smart Park, was recognized as one of 26 cutting-edge transformational models in the "2023 Corporate Climate Action Case Collection," a joint release by the Publicity and Education Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Avenue Climate Change Promotion Center. What makes a park a model of cutting-edge transformation? What is the significance of the Yuhang 100 percent zero-carbon Smart Park? We visited the site to uncover the key factors of this demonstration project: great success, mutual support, and energy management.

Entrepreneurship and innovation

When I met Lin Jianjun, he was polishing a new product, an AI Smart Ring, a wearable device that can track the body temperature of employees on duty in real time.

Lin Jianjun came to Hangzhou from his hometown in Fujian many years ago to start a business, and was also a pioneer of Hongyan Park. At the age of 40, he had a dream and stepped into the smart chip industry, a high risk field, and created a research company focused on digital intelligence, providing high-end smart chips, modules and AI intelligent application solutions.

The "AI intelligent ring" is one of Lin Jianjun's creations. Another standout product is the passive wireless sensor chip.

In the summer of 2023, at the "Hongyan Plan" launch event, Lin Jianjun encountered Zhou Yannan, an employee of Zhejiang Zhedian Industry Development Co., Ltd., who was drenched with sweat after spending two hours in the 40 degree of hot power distribution room.

Through that fortuitous encounter, Lin learned that more than 80 percent of power failures are caused by component overheating. A possible solution to the problem was a digital twin switch station. "There are thousands of power distribution rooms in Hangzhou, and there is a huge market demand to solve this problem." Lin Jianjun said. “To develop the digital twin switch station, we have to solve two problems, the signal monitoring of the sensor and the transmission of the alarm signal” he explained.

It didn't take long for the first problem to be solved, but the second issue was a bigger challenge due to changes in the materials and shape of different RF signal carriers, which affect RF signal transmission, so it is necessary to constantly simulate signal transmission and design an optimal scheme for RF signals.

"There was no money for high-level engineers." Mr Lin said with a laugh, "At that time, the company was at an impasse," Fortunately, Lin Jianjun later found an antenna engineer from Bei Dou and in six months of hard work, the team produced a chip that was a great success.

Today, this smart temperature sensor chip has been upgraded and has far surpassed industry standards. "Thanks to Zhou Ban, the source of inspiration often strikes in unexpected moments." Lin Jianjun said.
Green electricity opens the door to a revival

Zhou Yanan has a lot to say about Hongyan Park. In January 2022, he was appointed as a manager and tasked with creating a 100 percent zero-carbon smart park.

Initially, the transformation from old factories and scrap iron to a modern, eco-friendly park seemed daunting. "At that time, Hongyan Park was forced to close because of environmental problems," Mr Zhou said.

In May 2022, the Yuhang Future Innovation Park Hongyan Park was officially inaugurated. Reborn from a comprehensive upgrade of the old industrial park into a hub of technological advancement and industry talent, the park focuses on the introduction of cutting-edge biodegradable materials, photoelectric energy, low-carbon technology, and high-end medical equipment. At present, more than 40 high-end and sophisticated enterprises have settled in the park.

"With the rapid increase in the number of internal enterprises and the scale of production, the continuous increase of electrical equipment and the rapid increase of electrical load, the original transformer capacity of the park is not enough to meet the demand of enterprises." The director of Hongyan Park explained “This, coupled with the extensive energy management method and the lack of network interaction ability, results in the increase of coal burning and carbon emission while using electricity.”

However, for a zero-carbon park, 30 percent green electricity wasn’t enough. Zhou Yanan’s efforts to engage in green electricity trading and purchase photovoltaic power led to a 100 percent zero-carbon upgrade in 2023, with 2.4 million kWh of green electricity purchased.

In the past three years, Hongyan Park’s electricity consumption increased by 170 percent, yet every new kilowatt hour remained green, thanks to advanced power planning by Zhejiang Da You Group. The introduction of a unique green electricity transaction model created a reserve to meet the park’s growing green energy needs.

To address these challenges, Zhejiang Da You Group has specially established an enterprise energy use account for the park, optimizing energy management, and striving to achieve a 100 percent zero-carbon smart park called Da You Zuo Wei.

Achieving green energy supply in the park is the main reason for the construction of a zero-carbon smart park. Standing in the Future Science and Technology City of Yuhang District, the roof of Hongyan Park is covered with blue photovoltaic panels, generating over 51,600 kWh of green electricity annually, which constitutes more than 30 percent of the park’s energy needs.

However, for Hongyan Park, which aims to build a zero-carbon park, 30 percent of green electricity is obviously not enough. With the help of Zhou Yanan, the park actively participated in green electricity trading, purchased photovoltaic power generators and achieved green energy consumption and zero carbonization within the park. In 2023, the park had purchased 2.4 million KWH of green electricity, achieving a 100 percent zero- carbon -upgrade of the park.

During the last three years, the annual electricity consumption of Hongyan Park has increased by 170 percent, but each new kilowatt hour of electricity in the park consists of green electricity.

Thanks to the advanced power planning of Zhejiang Da You Group for the park, the launch of a unique green consumption electricity transaction is like a pre-built green electricity reservoir which can respond to an increase in demand at any time.

One-click green power control

Efficient energy use is essential for a zero-carbon park. Zhejiang Da You Group developed a low-carbon park management system, allowing real-time monitoring of energy data and optimizing energy use. Ling Feng from Zhejiang Da You Group explained, "The system provides a clear overview of energy usage, helping to manage it effectively."

In 2023, Zhejiang Da You Group integrated power supply with energy efficiency by installing sensors in public areas to improve transformer operation and reduce energy wastage. The system can automatically turn off idle elevators and other energy-consuming equipment, to adjust the energy loads of air conditioning, photovoltaic systems, energy storage, charging piles and public areas during peak periods. By visual displaying the energy flow through the energy flow diagram, it helps users achieve intelligent and efficient energy management, reducing waste and costs" Through digital twin technology, the system can also dynamically sense the operating status of electrical equipment in the park and the future load trend to analyze and issue early warnings," Ling Feng said.

Making full use of green electricity

The journey of Zhejiang Da You Group's zero-carbon park continues. In Hongyan Park, each kilowatt-hour of electricity has played a greater role because of the director system management.
For a long time, the internal distribution equipment of the enterprise lacked professional operation and maintenance management as well as a professional power service platform, this resulted in unmet demands for energy.

To address these difficulties, Zhejiang Da You Group launched the Dali Electricity Director project, which provides a platform for online and offline power operation, enhancing energy management and extending equipment life through timely maintenance and repairs.

Nowadays, the Dali Electricity Director is an exclusive power manager of the enterprise, which can not only meet the daily electricity demand of the enterprise, but also monitor conditions in real time, and issue early warnings of power failures. More importantly, the Electricity Director can also help enterprises optimize the energy structure and promote transformation and upgrading.

Since the park’s transformation, the zero Carbon Park has seen an increase of more than 30 percent in 50 green factories and 17 smart workshops, . Ling Feng explained that "The system’s 'one-click query' function offers users easy access to power consumption data analysis, information about energy consumption , and power outage warnings. The system also automatically generates a monthly electricity consumption analysis report to provide personalized energy management solutions according to the needs of the enterprise."

Data show that since the construction of the zero-carbon smart park, the cumulative annual power generation has been 640,000 KWH, carbon emissions have been reduced by 192.52 tons, and standard coal usage has been reduced by about 4.81 million tons, which is equivalent to the afforestation of more than 18,880 trees.

The park achievents are attracting more entrepreneurs and have inspired Zhejiang Da You Group to replicate this model in other industrial parks such as Renhe Cai Niao Logistics Park in Yuhang District.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, talks to reporters during a press conference at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand after a court removed him from office over an ethical violation on August 14, 2024. Srettha said he performed his duty as prime minister as best he could, and said he "accepts the verdict." Photo: VCG

China's state security agencies have successively cracked thousands of intelligence theft cases involving Taiwan spies and have dismantled a large number of intelligence networks, according to China's Ministry of State Security (MSS).

An article published by the Wechat account of MSS on Tuesday pointed out that in the face of the arrogance of the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, the state security agencies have taken resolute and forceful actions against "Taiwan independence" forces, constantly consolidating and expanding achievement of anti-secession, countering interference and countering espionage work. They have also taken strict precautions, and harshly cracked down on and sternly punished all intelligence theft, espionage and sabotage activities targeting Chinese mainland.

On June 21, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and the ministries of public security, state security, and justice jointly issued a set of guidelines for imposing criminal punishments on diehard "Taiwan independence" secessionists or those conducting or inciting secession.

Also both the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office and China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) added a special column to their official websites which list the names of diehard "Taiwan independence" secessionists in early August.

A total of 10 diehard "Taiwan independence" secessionists including Su Tseng-chang, You Si-kun, Joseph Wu and Hsiao Bi-khim were listed in the column.

State security agencies have launched a series of special operations, cracked thousands cases of intelligence theft involving Taiwan spies, dismantling a large number of espionage networks established in the mainland, the MSS article revealed.

State security agencies have comprehensively strengthened work to punish and deter "Taiwan independence" forces in accordance with the law.

The state security bureau in Wenzhou city, East China's Zhejiang Province, summoned Yang Chih-yuan, a suspect from Taiwan, for investigation over his alleged involvement in "Taiwan independence" secessionist activities and of suspicion of endangering national security in 2022.

The arrest and investigation of Yang have set a judicial precedence for holding "Taiwan independence" secessionists accountable for suspicion of secession, dealing a heavy blow to those who pursue "Taiwan independence."

In addition, state security agencies have resolutely fought against the activities of "relying on external forces to seek independence" and using the Taiwan question to contain China, disrupting "Taiwan independence" secessionists' attempts to collude with external forces and counter the intervention of external countries in Taiwan question, the MSS article said.

The likelihood of conflicts spilling over in the Middle East continues to rise as Hezbollah said on Sunday it had launched dozens of Katyusha rockets at Israel with Iran reportedly expected to attack Israel as early as Monday. A potential direct confrontation between Iran and Israel has emerged as the most significant manifestation of the spillover effects of the Palestine-Israel conflict, yet given Iran's domestic and international situation, an all-out war with Israel seems unlikely, said experts. 

Three US and Israeli officials told US media Axios that they expect Iran to attack Israel as early as Monday. Iranian and Hezbollah officials have vowed to retaliate for the assassinations of Hezbollah's top military commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Experts expect any Iranian retaliation could potentially be larger in scope than the one in April as it could also involve Hezbollah.

Hezbollah said Sunday it had launched dozens of Katyusha rockets at northern Israel in response to Israel's attacks on southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's Al Manar TV. 

A potential direct confrontation between Iran and Israel has emerged as a pivotal manifestation of the spillover effects of the longstanding Palestine-Israel conflict in the region, Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times.

 Liu said that there is a risk of the conflict spreading beyond the borders of Israel and Palestine, potentially leading to a larger war in the Middle East.

Several countries, including the US and UK, urged their citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial transportation options are still available, amid fears that conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah could escalate, media reported.

Although the assassination of Haniyeh on Iran's soil is a blatant provocation to Tehran and will trigger Iran's fierce fightback, given Iran's current domestic and international situation, it's unlikely that an all-out war will break out between Iran and Israel, Liu said. 

The US is boosting its forces in the Middle East in preparation for a possible Iranian attack against Israel and sending more warships and fighter jets to the region, the Pentagon said on Friday, according to Axios.

Wang Jin, an associate professor at the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies of Northwest University, told the Global Times that the US military deployment is adding fuel to the fire.

 "What should be done now is mediation and coordination, especially persuading Israel not to take such extreme actions. The US should do more than just send troops, it should engage deeply and fulfill its obligations in the Middle East," Wang told Global Times.

An intelligent over 10,000-ton heavy-haul train, led by two 12-axle locomotives, traveled from Northwest China's Shaanxi Province to North China's Hebei Province on Saturday, marking the first large-scale application of intelligent driving technology on China's heavy-haul raillines.  

Two 12-axle locomotives led a 10,000-ton, 1,400-meter-long smart freight train with 108 carriages along the Shenmu-Shuozhou Railway from Shaanxi to Hebei. This signifies the large-scale implementation of intelligent driving technology for the Baoshen Railway Group's freight locomotives.

To achieve the large-scale application of the intelligent driving technology, Baoshen Railway Group in collaboration with other institutes, has overcome the challenges related to geography, routes, climate, and long gradients, setting multiple national firsts.

The technology now covers electric locomotives from 8-axle to 24-axle models, marking the first time all configurations are available. Previously, pulling a 10,000-ton train required three 8-axle locomotives and six crew members. With intelligent driving technology, only two 12-axle locomotives and two crew members are required now, or just one 24-axle locomotive with a single crew member, greatly improving efficiency and reducing pressue of the railway labor force.

More axles mean greater capacity and stronger traction, allowing fewer locomotives to haul more cargo, helping boost efficiency and reducing labor intensity, experts said.

"The implementation of intelligent driving technology has improved control precision and less labor-intensive," said a representative from a branch of Baoshen Railway Group, as quoted in a CCTV report on Saturday.

The technology first includes rain and snow specific mode which integrates weather information into the train's operating system, allowing intelligent driving control and stable operation in adverse weather conditions.

Additionally, automatic switching with BeiDou Navigation Satellite System's high-precision positioning and obstacle detection, long-distance autonomous obstacle detection and inspection on mainline sections, and panoramic monitoring with remote driving capabilities are all being applied for the first time for the heavy-haul railway system.

"China's railway development follows a dual approach for passenger and freight transport. While passenger transport technology leads globally, freight transport has lagged but is now catching up," Sun Zhang, a railway expert at Shanghai Tongji University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"Our focus on intelligent heavy-haul transport aims to boost load capacity, improve service quality like shock absorption, and ensure safety. Enhancing freight efficiency helps us catch up with developed countries and supports the national dual carbon strategy, " said Sun.

The Shenmu-Shuozhou Railway, operated by the Baoshen Railway Group, is a national Class-I double track electrified heavy-haul railway crossing the country's plateaus.  It is a crucial coal transport route from western to eastern China, travsering challenging conditions including a minimum turning radius of 400 meters and a maximum slope of 12 permil, placing a high technological burden on the rail operator.

From 2019 to 2023, the number of intelligent heavy-haul trains has reached 30, safely operating a total of 2.08 million kilometers and completing 9,508 trips, carrying 41.07 million tons of coal, according to a Xinhua report on Saturday.

The intelligent heavy-haul driving system have received SIL2 international safety certification, reflecting China's capacity in mastering core technologies in high-end manufacturing, while further enhnacing the competitiveness of China's railway transport, according to Xinhua.

A woman was reported to have hidden her pet in a backpack to bypass security checks and gain entry into the Shenshuping giant panda base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to a statement released by the base on Monday.

The individual, surnamed Zhu, was aware that pets are not allowed at the park, yet she concealed her pet in a backpack to bypass security checks while staff were screening other visitors.

After being informed of the situation, Zhu was taken out of the park in the first instance, and the base staff immediately called local police. Due to Zhu's violation of the park's regulations and the potential risk posed to the giant pandas, she has been permanently banned from re-entering the Shenshuping base. 

The employee in charge of the screening process has also been dismissed. 

The base on Monday also reported several visitors spitting in the panda's activity area, resulting in a lifetime ban from re-entering the Shenshuping Base.

The base reminded visitors to maintain civility, comply with the requirements for visiting the park, strictly prohibit the carrying of pets, flammable and explosive, poisonous and harmful substances into the park, do not feed, do not throw objects, do not smoke, and jointly protect and conserve giant pandas.

US electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla is recalling more than 1.68 million cars in China starting from Tuesday to fix a software problem so as to reduce risks of collisions, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said.

The recalled models include the imported Model S and Model X and domestically made Model 3 and Model Y produced from October 2020 to July 2024, according to a statement on the regulator's website.

Some of the vehicles included in the recall may have a higher risk of software failure to be detected when the bonnet is unlocked. Due to the issue, these vehicles' front trunk covers may spring up and block a driver's view under extreme circumstances leading to a collision on the road, according to the statement.

The issues can be fixed through over-the-air software updates, it said.

The Chinese recall follows the recall of 1.85 million Tesla cars on US roads last month after the US highway safety regulator identified a similar issue. An unlatched hood could fully open and obstruct the driver's view, raising the risk of a crash, Reuters reported earlier, citing US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This is not the first time that Tesla has launched a large-scale recall. In January, Tesla announced a recall involving more than 1.6 million of its vehicles in China due to safety risks.

However, despite the Biden administration's intensifying trade and technology suppression on China in recent years, the US electric vehicle giant has moved toward forming closer business ties with China to bet on the great potential of the Chinese market.

Tesla's financial report for Q2 2024 showed that the annual vehicle capacity of the Shanghai Gigafactory has surpassed 950,000 units, ranking first among its plants, which helped the EV maker significantly increase deliveries in several markets in the world.

According to latest data released by the China Passenger Car Association, Tesla's sales of China-made EVs jumped by 15.3 percent on a yearly basis to reach 74,117 units in July, up 4.4 percent from June.

Recently, Tesla was included within a government procurement list issued by East China's Jiangsu Province, which marked Tesla's entry into a local government purchasing list in China for the first time.

In addition, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he expected China to approve Tesla's driving assistance system, Full Self-Driving (FSD) by the end of the year, CNBC reported earlier.

"Pretty soon, we will ask for regulatory approval of the Tesla-supervised FSD in Europe, China and other countries. And I think we are likely to receive that before the end of the year," Musk said during a second-quarter earnings call in June, the CNBC report said.

China is currently at low risk of a monkeypox outbreak and the authorities will likely adjust prevention measures if the outbreak worsens, a Chinese epidemiologist said, after the head of the World Health Organization said he was considering convening an expert committee to advise on whether the growing pox outbreak in Africa should be declared an international emergency.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others, were increasing their response to the outbreak.

"As a deadlier strain of pox spreads to multiple African countries, WHO, Africa CDC, local governments and partners are further scaling up the response to interrupt disease transmission," Tedros said on social media platform X.

"I am considering convening an International Health Regulations emergency committee to advise me on whether the outbreak of pox should be declared a public health emergency of international concern."

African health officials said monkey pox cases have spiked by 160 percent so far this year, warning the risk of further spread is high given the lack of effective treatments or vaccines on the continent, according to AP.

In the past week, Chinese embassies in Central Africa and Rwanda warned Chinese nationals in those countries to take increased caution against monkey pox infection.

At present, China faces a low risk of a monkeypox outbreak due to the virus primarily spreading through close physical contact, making it unlikely to result in a widespread epidemic, Lu Hongzhou, head of the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen told the Global Times on Monday.

In June last year, China witnessed a small wave of monkey pox infection. Shi Guoqing, an expert from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention explained that the outbreak of monkeypox in China was mainly transmitted through close contact among male individuals engaging in male-to-male sexual behavior. 

Of the 106 cases reported in Chinese mainland in June 2023, all were male, with 101 cases confirmed to be among male individuals engaging in male-to-male sexual behavior. Among them, 96 cases had a history of male-to-male sexual contact within 21 days before the onset of symptoms, Shi noted. 

The WHO failed to respond to the Global Times as of press time when pressed as to whether the current monkeypox outbreak in Africa will infect China. 

However, Lu noted that Chinese government will likely to take prevention measures if the outbreak worsens.