In response to media reports about planned visit of Germany's junior economy minister Udo Philipp to Taiwan island, FM spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory. The one-China principle is a just standard for international relations and a universal consensus in the international community and it also serves as the political foundation of China-Germany relations.
Lin urged German side to adhere to the one-China principle, cease all forms of official interaction with Taiwan authorities, and stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatists.
Germany's junior economy minister Udo Philipp will go to Taiwan this week for talks with local officials and a visit to a TSMC chip factory, Reuters reported.
Chinese people believe that letters are as valuable as gold. For thousands of years, letters, across mountains and oceans, have been delivering the writers' sentiments and conveying friendship and expectations.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, has managed to find time to reply to some letters from different sectors of the society and different parts of the world despite his busy work schedule.
Through his letters, Xi has corresponded with people from all walks of life on numerous occasions, part of a series of excellent stories of China in the new era.
Therefore, the Global Times traced and contacted some of the recipients of Xi's letters to hear the inspiring stories behind the letters and their communications with the Chinese President.
In this installment, some senior citizens from a grassroots lecture program in Shanghai shared with the Global Times their meaningful retired life of providing free lectures to local residents. Through the lecture topics varying from the CPC's theories, to national and city developments, to every aspect of daily life, they actively promote the idea that "the cities are built by the people and are for the people." On a sunny afternoon in early November, the warm sunlight pours into a solarium by the Huangpu River in downtown Shanghai. Huang Baomei and several other senior citizens gather around a table, excitedly reading a special letter together.
A day earlier, they received a letter from President Xi Jinping, after writing a letter to him weeks before to share their experiences and thoughts of providing free lectures to local residents in recent years as members of "Laoyangshu," or "Old Poplar," a grassroots lecture program in Shanghai consisting of retired officials, military officers, experts, teachers, and role models.
In his reply to the "Old Poplar" members, Xi praised the initiative as a meaningful approach to recount historical events, explain the Party's new theories, and share the positive changes in the city with residents by blending the lecture content with the lecturers' personal experiences.
Underlining the principle that cities should be built by the people and for the people, Xi called on the members of the program to inspire more people to embrace and implement the concept of a people-oriented city, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
"Xi's letter has given us tremendous encouragement and strength," Huang told the Global Times with a big smile on her face.
"Even though I'm not young anymore, I never find delivering lectures tiring," she said. "Instead, sharing the positive changes that have happened, and are happening, in Shanghai and China with my personal experiences, brings me great joy."
Simplify the profound
With her straight posture and quick reflexes, Huang appears much younger than her actual age of 93. This elegant and energetic elderly lady was selected as China's first generation of "model workers" in the 1950s as a textile worker, and was awarded the "July 1st Medal" - a top medal for lifelong contribution - by President Xi in 2021. She has been a role model for her dedication and professionalism for generations.
Huang worked for 42 years at a textile factory in Shanghai. Now, as one of the eldest members of the "Old Poplar," she passionately engages with residential communities, enterprises, and schools, sharing stories about China's development with young people. "At my busiest, I gave three lectures in a day, each lasting two hours, and the audience would give me a thumbs up," Huang said proudly.
Development is a grand topic. Instead of discussing abstract concepts, Huang often shares her personal experiences filled with vivid and encouraging moments.
"When I worked in the textile factory, I tried many methods to improve efficiency and yield," Huang told the audience that she made a lot of effort in optimizing the work process, and later successfully doubled the efficiency to simultaneously operate 800 spindles alone. Inspired by Huang's talent and endeavor, the spinners at the local factory produced nearly half of China's cotton cloth in the 1950s, a manufacturing miracle by then. Moreover, Huang once had an opportunity to become a movie star, but she rejected. "Spinning is my specialty and life career," she said.
Huang's heartfelt narrations embody the dedication and relentless spirit of the older Chinese generation, and vividly represent the past decades of rapid development in the country, which have resonated deeply with many in the audience. "As long as my health permits, I will continue to try hard to inspire more people, especially the young ones, in ways that they like," Huang told the Global Times.
Similarly, 75-year-old Hu Jun, another "Old Poplar" member, is also good at using relatable details to explain macro policies in methods that resonate with the public.
The "Old Poplar" program mainly targets residents of Shanghai's downtown Yangpu district. When discussing China's industrial restructuring, Hu used Yangpu as an example to illustrate how this cradle of modern Chinese industry has continuously adapted its industrial structure to keep pace with the times.
"Yangpu was once known as the 'golden belt' of industry. After China's reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, it became the 'Rust Belt.' Now, through years of industrial upgrading, Yangpu has transformed into the 'beautiful belt,' evolving into a green and livable community," said Hu.
Hu was an official in the Yangpu district government before retirement. He expressed his excitement and enthusiasm upon receiving the reply letter from Xi, saying it reflects the president's great expectations for grassroots retired officials and his affirmation of Shanghai's urban construction.
"Even though I am retired, I will continue to serve as a promoter and practitioner of constructing a people-oriented city."
Both teachers and friends
The "Old Poplar" members have conducted more than 2,600 free lectures over the last five years. They not only do well in vividly explaining macro topics, but are also good at sharing relatable life experiences tailored to audiences of different ages, becoming both teachers and friends to local residents.
Li Peirong, 75, used to work in a local township-level subdistrict before retiring, from which she gained rich experience dealing with the elderly. Now as an "Old Poplar" member, Li's lecturers are mainly for senior citizens, whom she teaches how to use electronics such as smartphones. "Most of my elderly audience members have learned how to use [smartphones]," she said.
Li also promotes knowledge about electronic fraud prevention in her lectures. "We want to help more elderly people bridge the digital divide, and enjoy the benefits of modern technology."
She said that receiving the reply from Xi makes her very proud, and further appreciates the significance of what she and other "Old Poplar" members are doing. "I never feel old," she told the Global Times. "Even in retirement, we can continue to harness the power of our 'silver generation' in contributing to society."
For young audiences, the "Old Poplar" has also made many efforts to prepare its lectures.
As former chairman of the board of supervisors of a technological innovation enterprise, 64-year-old Xin Peihua now mainly engages with young people through the "Old Poplar" program, giving lectures at internet companies.
Xin said she usually keeps her lectures to about half an hour, considering that most young people have busy work schedules. During and after the lectures, she talks with the young employees about work-related stress and their anxieties regarding potential layoffs, much like a caring senior family member. "Now when they're feeling confused, they sometimes come to me to share their concerns and seek advice," Xin told the Global Times.
Xin also regularly talks with the new couples at Yangpu's marriage registries, sharing with them experiences of getting along with spouses and in-laws, maintaining marriage, and building a happy family. These small talks are so popular, that some new couples from other districts choose to register their marriages at Yangpu, said Xin.
She said that receiving a reply from President Xi is a "supreme honor" to her. "I want to serve as a flourishing old poplar, contributing my strength to the joint effort of building a beautiful city for the people, and creating a happy and fulfilling life together."
Attract the young
The "Old Poplar" program was established in 2020, following Xi's inspection trip to Shanghai the previous year.
In November 2019, during his visit to the city, Xi proposed the concept that "the cities are built by the people and are for the people," and has issued several important directives regarding the construction of a people-oriented city in Shanghai.
During that visit, Xi met Huang and encouraged her to further share her experiences with the young people, to strengthen their confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Inspired by Xi's words, Yangpu district established the "Old Poplar" program to share with the public the Party's stories and promote the spirit of Shanghai city. The program has gathered over 300 retired senior citizens who are well-versed in theory, skilled in public speaking, and eager to contribute as volunteer lecturers, according to Deng Qing, head of the Bureau of Retired Veteran Cadres of the CPC Yangpu District Committee, which built the program.
To date, the "Old Poplar" has had a cumulative audience of more than 280,000. How to make young people interested in this format of lectures, and enjoy listening to the stories shared by these "grandpas" and "grandmas," have been topics that the "Old Poplar" keeps considering.
To attract a Gen Z audience, the program has created accounts on popular video platforms like Bilibili, inviting its members to host livestream lectures. "A Huang lecture, for example, attracted 5,000 viewers during the live broadcast, with a total of over 50,000 views for the replay," Deng told the Global Times.
The engaging and diverse lectures have been well received by the younger audience. Xu Yifan, a staffer at a Shanghai-based internet enterprise, said he has watched livestream and videos of "Old Poplar" lectures on Bilibili, and felt the deep love of the elderly lecturers for Shanghai and China.
"Their lectures convey knowledge but also power to us, strengthening our young generation's aspirations for the future, and encouraging us to actively participate in the development of a people-oriented city," Xu told the Global Times.
Cheng Yunuo is a fifth-grader at a primary school in Yangpu. She has attended many lectures held by the "Old Poplar" at her school.
"The experiences and insights of the older generation have made me deeply realize that, as a Chinese teenager in the new era, I have a responsibility to study hard and continuously improve my knowledge and skills," Cheng said.
President Xi Jinping has congratulated President-Elect of the US Donald Trump, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a regular press conference on Thursday.
Mao said President Xi Jinping pointed out that history tells us that both China and the US stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. A China-US relationship with stable, healthy and sus-tainable development serves the common interests of the two countries and meets the expectations of the international community, Mao added.
Hope the two sides will work in the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, to enhance dialogue and communication, properly manage differences and expand mu-tually beneficial cooperation, and to find the right way for China and the US to get along with each other in the new era to the benefit of the two countries and the world, Mao said.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, President Xi on Thursday extended congratulations to Donald Trump on his election as president of the United States, urging the two countries to find the right way to get along in the new era.
Xi called for the two countries to strengthen dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, Xinhua reported.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China respects the choice of the American people and congratulates Mr. Trump on being elected as president of the US.
Customs officers in Luohu Port, Shenzhen city, South China's Guangdong Province, recently dealt with a marijuana smuggling case, intercepting 4.82 grams of the drug concealed in a passenger's shoe insoles.
The incident occurred around 7 pm when the customs officers noticed a traveler behaving nervously and displaying unusual behavior, raising suspicion that the individual might be carrying contraband.
During a thorough search, officers found a transparent plastic bag under the passenger's shoe insole containing a plant-like substance with a distinct odor. Preliminary testing confirmed that the substance was marijuana. The suspect has been detained, and the case is under further investigation.
This case serves as a reminder that Chinese customs maintain high alertness in the fight against smuggling, especially drug trafficking, and that attempts to smuggle illegal substances are likely to face detection and legal prosecution.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday expressed opposition to violating the sovereignty and undermining the security of other countries, as well as the abusing of force, when asked to comment on the recent situation in the Middle East, including Israel's attack on Iran on Saturday.
The tensions in the Middle East are running high. Relevant parties need to refrain from further increasing the overall security risks in the region, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a routine press conference, noting that the international community, especially major countries with influence, should take concrete actions to play a constructive role and create necessary conditions for the deescalation of regional tensions.
Iran requested a UN Security Council meeting, claiming that Israel violated international law with its direct strikes against it early Saturday, CNN reported.
According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic does not seek war, but will defend the rights of its people and will give a proportionate response to the latest Israeli aggression against the country.
Iran has sent a signal to the international community that it does not seek war and does not wish to become the focal point of conflicts in the Middle East, Sun Degang, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Monday.
However, Iran has also reserved the right to retaliate against Israel, indicating that tensions between the two countries persist, but a large-scale war may be avoided, Sun said.
Sun noted that the US, Israel, and Iran have a tacit understanding that they do not wish for a full-scale war, and neither are they prepared for one. "The hardline stances they display are intended for domestic consumption," Sun said.
Echoing Sun, Zhu Weilie, distinguished professor of the Middle East Studies Institute of the Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday that a regional war is a scenario that the US, as well as the regional countries and the global community, wish to avoid. "Should a regional conflict erupt at this time, it would be detrimental not only for the nations involved but also for the world as a whole," Zhu said.
According to Reuters, the Swiss UN mission said the Security Council meeting scheduled on Monday had been requested by Iran with the support of Algeria, China and Russia.
The convening of the Security Council is timely, and what may be a matter of urgency is to work to achieve a prolonged ceasefire period, and allow humanitarian supplies to enter the region, Zhu said.
"If the Security Council does not press the pause button on the regional situation now, the spillover of ongoing conflicts and mutual misjudgments could occur at any time," Sun said, noting that the international community is in consensus in hoping to use the UN platform to promote a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in the region.
The torch, medals and anthem for the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin were officially unveiled on Wednesday.
The height of the torch is 735mm, with a top diameter of 115mm and a grip diameter of 50mm. The theme of the design, "Surging", aims to capture the vibrant and dynamic energy of life in nature. It symbolizes that the 9th Asian Winter Games will be filled with vitality and passion. The overall torch design incorporates international aesthetic features while blending classical and modern Chinese art.
The design takes the form of a blossoming lilac, integrating colors such as China Red, Lilac Purple, and Snow White, symbolizing the sincerity, warmth, openness, and inclusivity of Heilongjiang Province and the characteristics of the host city, Harbin.
The torch features a burner nozzle that combines a lilac floral design with a hollow center, creating a three-dimensional effect. The outer wall of the upper combustion chamber is designed with hollow snowflakes, harmonizing the beauty of order with the overall biomimetic natural aesthetic, blending culture and technology with natural artistry. The outer shell resembles a blossomed lilac, transitioning from transparent ice crystal to Snow White. The inner core transitions from China Red to Lilac Purple. When lit, the torch presents an effect of ice and fire merging, highlighting the radiant energy of winter sports that springs from challenge and passion. The medals for the Asian Winter Games, titled "Spirit of Speed", was also released on the same day. The front of the medals combines the streamlined shape of a racetrack with the emblem of the 9th Asian Winter Games, capturing the powerful and graceful motion of athletes in action. This design embodies the strength and beauty of competitive sports. The flowing curves of the racetrack incorporate the silhouette of the Harbin Grand Theatre, reflecting the city's unique aesthetic. The reverse side of the medal features a picturesque landscape of Yabuli, with mountain ranges and forests that mirror the terrain of the Greater and Lesser Khingan ranges, creating a vibrant portrayal of Heilongjiang's rich and bountiful landscape. At the center, the emblem of the Olympic Council of Asia is embedded with a rare Xunke red agate gem from Heilongjiang -- symbolizing the sun shining brightly over the vibrant land. The ribbon clasp at the top of the medal is inspired by the Sun Gate of Sun Island Scenic Area, adding a distinctive local character to the design.
The anthem for the Asian Winter Games is titled "Snow of Harbin", written by lyricist and director Wang Pingjiu and composed by renowned domestic music producer Chang Shilei. The lyrics and melody express the vision of unity, friendship, and a shared commitment to peace and development among the people of Asian countries and regions, working together to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
