Around 9:30 am on a blisteringly cold Sunday morning in China's "ice city" Harbin, people were lining up quietly in long queues in front of a museum, which is about an 80-minute subway ride from the city's center. No one complained about waiting in the cold for more than half an hour.

The capital of China's northernmost province of Heilongjiang, Harbin has emerged as one of the top tourist destinations this winter. During the three-day New Year holiday alone, the city welcomed nearly 3.05 million visitors, raking in 5.91 billion yuan (about $832.39 million) in tourism revenue. The enthusiasm of visitors from across the country toward Harbin has remained unabated.

Far from the hustle and bustle at these hot tourist spots in the city, the Museum of Evidence of War Crimes by the Japanese Army Unit 731 is located in Pingfang District. Yet, many visitors came here, and a lot of them were tourists from other parts of the country, dragging their luggage behind them, apparently to catch a train or flight afterward. Some were holding bouquets of white or yellow chrysanthemums, which are traditional Chinese symbols for mourning.

"Welcome to Harbin. Welcome to visit the museum," a local resident handed out small stick flags of China's national flags, greeted every visitor with a genuine smile, his face turned red from standing too long in the cold. To keep visitors warm, some local residents also set up stalls to give hot ginger tea and heating pads. The museum told the Global Times that they weren't volunteers with the museums. "They were just warm-hearted residents who live nearby and offered to help."

Unit 731 was a top-secret biological and chemical warfare research base established in Harbin in 1935 as the center of Japan's biological warfare in China and Southeast Asia during the war. In August 1945, the retreating Japanese invaders destroyed most of the facilities that produced germ weapons, which reportedly included bubonic plague, typhoid, anthrax, and cholera.

In the 1980s, an exhibition hall was established to strengthen the protection and investigation of the evidence of war crimes, such as their notorious human experiments in the development of germ warfare by the Japanese Army Unit 731. In 2015, a new museum at the site was opened to the public. The new museum is divided into six exhibition rooms, displaying relics excavated from the remains of Unit 731's headquarters.

"Local schools or companies organize student visits to the museum regularly. I just live right across the street from the museum. But I have never seen so many people waiting in lines, not even during the New Year holiday just passed," a taxi driver told the Global Times.

During the tourism boom, some tourists visited the museum and shared their experiences on social media. A Douyin (China's Tiktok) user with the handle xiaoshiya, who traveled from East China's Zhejiang Province, chose the museum as her last stop for her two-day visit to Harbin based on recommendations from netizens in Harbin.

She noted that she didn't know there was a biological warfare committed by the Japanese Army Unit 731 in Ningbo (a city in Zhejiang Province). "The excruciatingly painful memory shouldn't solely be carried by our brothers and sisters in the Northeast. It's a history that should be known and remembered by all of us," she wrote in the video, tearing up. The video has received 1.79 million likes, more than 56,000 comments, and has been shared over 182,000 times.

The museum announced on Saturday to carry out a strict reservation system, starting from Sunday, to maintain its daily maximum reception to 12,000 visitors. "Since the New Year holiday this year, the number of visitors to the museum has surged significantly," said the announcement.

"Visitors will be admitted to the museum during their reserved time slot upon presenting their ticket code. Visitors who have not made a reservation can enter our museum's lecture hall under the guidance of staff to watch the documentary on the Japanese Army Unit 731 (each session not exceeding 200 people) or visit the core area of the site. They may enter the museum to visit only after all reserved visitors have been admitted."

Inside the museum, there was a pillar-shaped installation with names of victims on the top and some running numbers below. "The numbers are increasing one by one, standing for the loss of one life of our people," the museum introduced. In silence, visitors laid down China's national flags in memory of the victims who lost their lives to the atrocities committed by the Japanese Army Unit 731.

Many visitors shared videos of them walking inside a long, dark tunnel towards the end of the exhibition on social media, with a caption that went viral online. "Don't look back. Keep walking. At the other end of the tunnel, there's light, the simple beauty of life, the prosperity of our country and the peaceful life of our people. Yet don't forget the journey we weathered through to get here."

China and the US have recently engaged in a series of interactions across various levels, including inter-party and military exchanges. This extensive communication between the world's two largest economies signifies China's genuine efforts to stabilize relations, especially during a year when bilateral ties are expected to face challenges.

Experts pointed out that through these interactions, the Chinese side also expressed the necessity to the US to maintain a consistent and stable China policy during US presidential election year; as US inconsistent policy will not only harm the bilateral relationship but will also impact the whole world.

Chinese officials have also strongly cautioned the US against interfering in the Taiwan question during the exchanges, said the experts. It is important for the US to understand China's strong message against colluding with Taiwan secessionists, particularly in the lead-up to Taiwan's regional leader election. If these secessionist forces push their agenda too far, they will face harsh measures from Chinese mainland, and the US will also be put in dilemma, the experts said.

On Tuesday, Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the US, delivered a speech at the Carter Center Forum commemorating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations.

Xie said China has recently taken a series of positive measures to further open up and facilitate China-US exchanges and cooperation. "We have authorized Mastercard NUCC to conduct bank card clearing operations in China, and approved Broadcom's acquisition of VMware. All Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in China are back in service."

The ambassador noted that it is hoped that the US side will also take real actions in the same spirit to address China's concerns. It is important to start with small steps which can go a long way, pursue reciprocity and mutual benefit, both give and take, fully utilize the restored and new mechanisms in foreign policy, economy, finance, commerce, agriculture and other fields, expand the list of cooperation and shorten the negative list, and solve rather than create problems.

China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday that the 17th China-US Defense Policy Coordination Talks were held in Washington DC from January 8th to 9th. The meeting was co-chaired by deputy chief of the Office for International Military Cooperation of China's Central Military Commission and deputy assistant secretary of defense of the US Department of Defense. 

The Chinese side expressed that China is willing to develop a sound and stable military-to-military relationship with the US side on the basis of equality and respect and work together to follow through the important consensus on mil-mil engagement reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in San Francisco, according to a read out issued by the ministry. 

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, also visited the US this week. 

In a speech delivered at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in the US on Tuesday, Liu said China does not seek to change the current international order, instead, China is one of the builders of the existing world order and benefits from it. As the world enters a period of turbulence and change, people from all countries hope that China and the US can take the lead in solving more global issues, he noted.

The recent slew of interactions between the two countries shows that China is willing to enhance communication with the US at various levels and also demonstrates China's sincerity in trying to stabilize bilateral relations, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. China also hopes these exchanges can help prevent negative factors within the US from becoming overwhelming forces before the upcoming US presidential election, when anti-China rhetoric will be amplified, he added.  

Liu Weidong, a research fellow at the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China has made significant efforts to enhance bilateral relations, the onus is on the US for further progress. The incumbent US President, Joe Biden, is acutely aware that strained China-US relations could will not benefit him in the upcoming election. However, he also faces pressure to avoid appearing too soft on China, as he fears potential attacks from Republican candidates. Liu believed that the China-US relationship may encounter significant turbulence this year. 

According to experts, China aims to use recent interactions with the US as a reminder for Washington to maintain continuity and stability as a superpower. They argue that inconsistent policies of the US not only affect China-US relations but also affect the entire world.

While it may be unrealistic to expect China and the US to agree on everything, it does not imply that the two nations are in an antagonistic state. Experts argue that beyond the polarizing extremes, there exists ample room for both countries to coexist. The focus now lies in finding a peaceful way to co-exist for China and the US in this space.

Sensitive question

Both Xie and Liu Jianchao sent clear message to the US side over the seriousness of the Taiwan question.

Xie said that the Taiwan question is the most important and sensitive question in China-US relations. When it comes to "Taiwan independence" separatists who betray their motherland and refuse to identify themselves as Chinese, the Chinese government simply has no room for compromise, Xie said. 

The US side should abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués with practical actions, and implement the statements of US leaders not supporting "Taiwan independence" and not using the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China. 

Liu Jianchao said that China takes the US' commitments of not supporting "Taiwan independence" seriously and hopes that the US will abide by these commitments.

During the just concluded China-US Defense Policy Coordination Talks, the Chinese side emphasized that China will not make any concession or compromise on the Taiwan question and demanded that the US side abide by the one-China principle, honor relevant commitments, stop arming Taiwan, and not support Taiwan independence. 

Washington however has not shunned from sending wrong signals to Taiwan secessionists before the Taiwan regional leader election this weekend. In the latest move, island of Taiwan's representative in the US Alexander Yui met with US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday. 

China firmly opposes the US having any form of official contact with the Taiwan region, Mao Ning, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a Wednesday conference. She noted that the US should prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related issues, stop official contact with the Taiwan region, stop sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and refrain from interfering in elections in the Taiwan region in any form.

Experts have stated that the outcome of the Taiwan regional leader election won't affect the reunification process. Instead, China's strong message sent during recent interactions with the US is rather a reminder for Washington not to collude with Taiwan secessionists. "If these secessionists were to win the election and push for Taiwan independence, it could potentially lead to ultimate measures from the Chinese mainland. This situation would also put the US in an awkward position, as that would mean an inevitable conflict between China and the US," according to Liu Weidong.

According to Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice (BMBJ), a local forensic institute has cracked the transmission principle of AirDrop function of Apple devices, which enables mobile phone number and email address of the AirDrop content sender to be extracted from content receivers, while authorities have received more complaints from public over receiving offensive and inappropriate messages from other anonymous Apple devices.

This technical breakthrough has successfully helped the public security authorities identify a number of criminal suspects, who use the AirDrop function to spread illegal content, BMBJ said through a releases posted on its website on Monday. 

According to the BMBJ, the Beijing police have received reports from the public that their iPhones received videos with "anonymous inappropriate messages" in subway in Beijing. Following investigation, the police found that the suspects took advantage of the AirDrop function to anonymously spread these inappropriate messages including pictures, videos, audio and other files, in crowded public spaces like transport hubs, bus stops or shopping malls. 

As AirDrop function allows anonymous transmission without an internet connection, it is almost impossible to effectively regulate this behavior through conventional network monitoring means, which has become a challenge for public security organs to crack these cases, and some internet users have started to imitate this behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly identify the source of the sender and determine their identity in order to avoid negative consequences, according to the release. 

A local forensic institute named "Wangshen Dongjian" was commissioned to analyze iPhone device logs. A rainbow table correlating phone numbers and email accounts was created during investigation, and has "effectively assisted the police in identifying several suspects" involved in such cases.

The breakthrough of AirDrop's anonymous traceability technology has improved the efficiency and accuracy of case detection, and prevented the further spread of inappropriate information and its potential adverse effects, the BMBJ said. 

Apple has limited the use of the AirDrop wireless file sharing function on devices in Chinese mainland in November 2022, after some anti-China forces used the function to spread inappropriate digital leaflets, according to media reports. After the updates, users can only opt in to receive files from non-contacts during a 10-minute window before it automatically shuts off.

Concerns over the AirDrop feature are global. Western nations like US, UK, and Australia also noticed the rising of "cyber flashing," where explicit and abusive images are anonymously sent to strangers through iPhones.

On May 10, 2023, the Metro branch of the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau issued a notice saying that a female passenger received an explicit picture through AirDrop on Hangzhou subway from a stranger," triggered huge amount of public attention. 

China's financial regulator on Friday disclosed fines of 10 million yuan on three banks - China Construction Bank, Bank of China and China CITIC Bank. It was also the first group of fines issued by the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) in 2024.

The Bank of China was fined 4.3 million yuan, the highest among the three banks, for nine violations, including failure to report the use and changes of important information system to regulatory authorities, the non-standard production and changes of important information system causing major emergency, poorly identifying and handling of operation risks of information system, and imprudent management of outsourcing information technology.

The China Construction Bank was fined 1.7 million yuan ($239,000) for four violations, inadequate internal audit of consolidated management, inadequate case management of overseas institutions by parent bank, failure to report on the employment of senior managers of overseas subsidiaries in a timely manner, and ineffective rectification of found problems, according to a NFRA notice published on its official website.

The China CITIC Bank was fined 4 million yuan for six violations, which are mostly related to its data center operations and management practices that fall short of regulatory requirements.

The fintech-related fines issued by the NFRA at the beginning of 2024, to a certain extent, reflects regulatory focus on strengthening supervision of information systems in the future, a securities analyst, surnamed Liu, told the Global Times on Saturday.

In November 2023, the NFRA established a new department taking care of technology supervision, covering oversight of cybersecurity, data security and critical information infrastructure.

The "Linyi Trade City  China Aggregation" International Brand Promotion Conference themed on "Gathering and Selling of Quality Goods around the World" was held in Beijing on December 10, 2023. The conference gave a detailed introduction of the achievements of Linyi, East China's Shandong Province in the trade and logistics industry in recent years and the development and deployment of Linyi Trade City's transformation and upgrading, aiming at further enhancing the influence of Linyi Trade City's international brand and helping the investment attraction to a new level. 

Zhang Xiaobin, member of the Standing Committee of CPC Linyi Municipal Committee and head of the city's publicity department presided over the conference. More than 100 foreign envoys, heads of business associations and representatives of trade and logistics enterprises attended the event. 

Linyi is a well-known commercial city in China and the country's logistics capital. And Linyi Trade City is the city's market cluster. Linyi Trade City is a fruitful achievement of more than 40 years of reform and opening-up, and has become a world-renowned bright business card and a source of vitality for Linyi's modernization.

Ren Gang, Secretary of CPC Linyi Municipal Committee, delivered a speech at the conference. He pointed out that in recent years, based on the advantages of trade logistics, Linyi has vigorously implemented the strategy of putting trade logistics first, and cultivated Linyi Trade City, which is "buying and selling goods all over the world."

He said that at present, Linyi is in a critical period of great change. The overlapping empowerment of major policies such as "the Belt and Road Initiative" and achieving green, low-carbon and high-quality development has brought unprecedented opportunities for city's leap-forward development. Linyi will continue to optimize its business environment, actively adapt to the trend of restructuring international economic and trade rules, promote exchanges and cooperation with all partners, and strive to achieve mutual benefit and common development.

Chen Jian, former vice minister of China's Ministry of Commerce, delivered a video speech and put forward three suggestions for the next development of Linyi Trade City: First, drive the city's development to a new level through the "big channel." With the channel to bring logistics, trade and industry, the city will be able to continuously enlarge the opening-up and market advantages of Linyi Trade City; The second is to promote trade growth with digitalization as a new engine. The city will continue to accelerate the innovation of digital technology and carry out high-quality cooperation in cross-border e-commerce and mobile payment. The third is to stimulate new impetus with the construction of an excellent environment to empower the park. Strengthen the creation of an excellent business environment for the park, and make Linyi Trade City a powerful cornerstone for enterprises' development.

Awais Zafar, First Secretary of Pakistani Embassy in China, said that China-Pakistan friendship is profound and long-lasting. The development of Linyi in recent years reflects the vitality and innovation of China's economy. Building a modern commercial and logistics city not only tapped Linyi's own development potential, but also promoted it to become an important participant in the global economic structure. In the face of unprecedented cooperation opportunities, China and Pakistan will be able to further strengthen economic and cultural exchanges and expand new areas of cooperation.

Juan Xinyang, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Linyi Municipal Committee, and Vice Mayor of Linyi, made a promotion of "Linyi Trade City · China Aggregation." He pointed out that Linyi Trade City has adhered to the integrated development of "commerce, warehouses, logistics, parks and exhibitions," accurately served and merged into the construction of "four trade cities" - digital trade city, international trade city, green trade city and chain trade city, and has developed into a pilot area of market procurement trade mode, a national logistics hub of business service, a cross-border e-commerce and a provincial "Belt and Road Initiative" comprehensive experimental area, with obvious advantages of policy superposition. Juan said the city expects domestic and foreign merchants to visit Linyi for sightseeing, negotiation and cooperation, and make new and greater contributions to comprehensively accelerating the pace of transformation and upgrading of Linyi Trade City.

At the promotion conference, Zhou Keren, former deputy minister of China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, delivered a keynote speech entitled "grasping the present situation and trends of international trade development and promoting the foreign trade construction of Linyi Trade City." He pointed out that in the face of the current challenges in global trade, the city needs to respond by strengthening cooperation, promoting innovation and inclusive growth. In this process, Linyi Trade City should exert its efforts in deepening regional economic cooperation, focusing on innovative cooperation in new fields, cultivating new formats and models of digital trade, strengthening international cooperation and exchanges, and increasing the international spread of brands.

Zhu Siqiao, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that the digital economy which brings with it new innovation, strong permeability and wide coverage has become a new economic growth point, a fulcrum for transforming and upgrading traditional industries, and an important engine for building a modern industrial system. Empowering business logistics through digital technology, realizing intelligent warehousing, logistics and other scene applications, and promoting related enterprises to carry out model innovation and product innovation, which can organically link production and consumption, expand the scope of transactions, promote the deepening of division of labor, and improve production efficiency, which is of great significance to promoting the stable development of China's economy.

Yu Xinwen, CEO of Shandong Huafeng Enterprise Group, Guan Zhaojun, CEO of Shandong Lanhua Group, Sun Siyong, Chairman of Linyi Wholesale Market Group, Sun Baoan, President of the Linyi Wholesalers Association, and Li Hui, General Manager of Linyi Xinminghui Safety Technology spoke as enterprise representatives respectively.

The conference was hosted by Linyi Municipal People's Government, and jointly undertaken by Linyi Trade City Management Committee and the government of Lanshan district.

Beijing Subway on Friday issued measures to maintain normal operation of parts of the city's Changping Line including using shuttle buses to ensure normal commuter traffic, with all subway trains on above-ground and elevated lines being operated manually, at reduced speed and increased intervals between trains to ensure the safe operation during extreme weather, after a carriage disengagement incident occurred on Thursday night.

Beijing Subway apologized again on Friday over the incident, which injured more than 30 people, while putting in place measures to reduce the inconvenience to passengers. 

The Changping Line will maintain normal operation from Zhuxinzhuang Station to Changping Xishankou Station, and the section from Xi'erqi Station to Xitucheng Station. Residents can transfer to downtown via Line 8 and Line 13. Shuttle buses will be available for transportation between Xi'erqi Station and Zhuxinzhuang stations. In addition, bus services along the route will be increased to provide transportation options for commuters, according to Beijing Subway.

On Thursday evening, several videos circulating online showed that a Beijing subway Changping Line train split in the middle as carriages disengaged. Beijing Subway said a preliminary finding shows that the incident on the Changping Line was due to a vehicle malfunction.

More than 30 people were injured due to the incident and no one died. The injured are being sent to hospitals for treatment, and the cause of the accident is being investigated, according to an official announcement.

Around 10:30 pm on Thursday, the Beijing transportation authority stated that all people involved at the site had been completely evacuated and that all injured individuals had been transported to hospitals for treatment. There were no fatalities.

The authority also issued a reminder to residents that service between Xi'erqi Station and Life Science Park Station on the Changping Line has been suspended. However, service on other sections of the line is operating normally.

Beijing Subway said there was no power on the contact rails on the section from Xi'erqi station to Life Science Park station on the Changping Line (northbound). Some trains have been temporarily stopped and some have been delayed. The staff are currently organizing rescue operations.

A passenger was quoted as saying in media reports that around 6:50 pm, they heard a loud noise in front of them, and then the train stopped with "a strong sense of impact." There were many passengers in the carriage and many of them fell down.

"I was pinned down, and everyone was shouting in the dark. Fortunately, the people next to me pulled me up," the passenger recalled. "Now everyone is standing."

On-site videos show that the subway was in a suspended state, with dark and crowded carriages. Some passengers were searching for their lost phones on the floor. Many were using their phone lights to gradually walk out of the carriage and wait for rescue. The sound of nearby rescue vehicles could be heard, according to media reports.

A netizen named TY_lizhenwei said via Sina Weibo, "I never expected to experience such an incident in my life. I was near the door where the subway carriage disengaged. I am grateful that I was not injured and thank the private car driver who gave me a ride, ensuring my safe arrival home."

Another netizen expressed a wish that each worker could get home safely and early during the snowy day.

There was currently a power outage in the subway. Passengers called 110, 119 and other emergency numbers, and some rescuers were heading to the site of the incident. Some netizens also saw ambulances and fire trucks parked near the Life Science Park station. Online videos showed that passengers in the train were injured.

The meteorological information shows that on Thursday, there were moderate snow in Changping, a district in Beijing. The highest temperature during the day is -1 C, the lowest temperature at night is -6 C, and the wind is easterly.

Some passengers who were stuck in the train used survival hammers to smash the windows to escape from the train, some online videos showed.

With the highly watched trial of secessionist media tycoon Jimmy Lai taking place on Monday at West Kowloon Court, some Western politicians and media have exploited this occasion to smear the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong and badmouth the rule of law in the city. Officials from both the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong have called these criticisms blatant interference in China's internal affairs, adding that any attempts to slander, disrupt and sabotage the NSL for Hong Kong will never succeed.

Lai, wearing a light gray suit jacket, was escorted into the courtroom on Monday morning. Presided over by three national security law designated judges, the prosecution's first charge was "conspiracy to print, publish, sell, offer for sale, distribute, display, or reproduce seditious publications."

The three judges overseeing Lai's trial are Madam Justices Esther Toh Lye-ping and Susana D'Almada Remedios, and Mr Justice Alex Lee Wan-tang, according to Hong Kong media.

Lai, along with three companies related to Apple Daily and six former senior executives of Apple Daily, are charged with conspiring to collude with foreign or external forces to endanger national security and conspiracy to publish seditious publications. In addition, Lai faces two charges of violating national security laws, including conspiring with individuals such as wanted fugitive Andy Li Yu-hin and others to collude with foreign countries or overseas forces. The trial is expected to last 80 days.

Representatives from the consulates of more than 10 countries, including the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, and the EU, were also seen lining up to wait for tickets to enter the court to observe the trial, some local media said.

At a press conference on Monday, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said Lai is a major mastermind and participant of the anti-China riots in Hong Kong. "He is an agent and pawn of the anti-China forces, and the person behind the riots in Hong Kong. What he did was detrimental to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and the wellbeing of the people in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong law enforcement and judicial authorities have handled and tried the case in accordance with the law."

As for the US' and UK's statements, making such irresponsible comments on an ongoing judicial process is against the principle of the rule of law, the international law and the basic norms governing international relations, Wang said. "This is politically motivated and one hundred percent double standard. China firmly rejects this."

Some legal experts in Hong Kong say that despite of international political and public opinion pressure, the trial will become a classic case in upholding national security in Hong Kong, fully reflecting the independence of the city's judiciary, the spirit of the rule of law, and the professional integrity of its judges.

Evidence is demonstrated in the courtroom, witnesses are subpoenaed and cross-examined by both the prosecutor and the defendants' counsels and the court hearing is open to the public, and thereby a fair and just trial is secured, Chu Kar-kin, a veteran commentator based in the HKSAR and member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Monday.

The verdict is determined by law and by facts. An appeal mechanism is available in Hong Kong, and defendants can appeal against convictions and sentencing, Chu said.

"The legal system in Hong Kong is based on the rule of law and so-called 'political prosecution' never exists in this jurisdiction."

"I think the US and the West have double standards, because Hong Kong relies on the rule of law. Since someone has violated the law, they must be punished," former member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Tam Yiu-chung told the Global Times on Monday.

"No matter what his background is, he must be prosecuted according to legal procedures. Other countries should not interfere in this matter and should not affect the work of the law," Tam said.

Lai's case also has a milestone significance, some experts said, as it shows that challenging national security and violating national security laws are absolutely not allowed, and all those who violate the law will be punished.

While the US and the West talk about the rule of law, they are using Lai's case to wreak havoc on Hong Kong's rule of law and judicial independence, a spokesperson from the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong said on Monday.

Their "clever excuses" for criminals have no other use than adding more evidence to Lai's charges of colluding with external forces, the spokesperson said.

Star hurdler Wu Yanni finished her FISU Games campaign with a sensational 12.76 seconds in the women's 100 meters hurdles, winning a silver medal for China. 

At the Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Wu, a Sichuan-born athlete who is now studying at Beijing Sports University, became the top star of the night. 

"I have broken my personal best twice today. I think the main reason lies not in me but the overwhelming support I have received," Wu told the Global Times. 

"Competing at home makes me more relaxed and gives me more impetus rather than pressure."

Wu was born in Zigong, a southern Sichuan city, and started her hurdling career in neighboring city Neijiang.

Wu had renewed a short-lived personal best of 12.86 seconds in the semifinals, 0.01 seconds better than her previous set in 2021, before shaving off another 0.1 seconds in the final.

The result is enough for her to qualify for the Paris Olympics, as the result surpassed the 12.77-second entry requirement. 

"It is my love of the hurdles that allows me to go through all the difficulties," Wu said. 

"I also hope my enthusiasm for the sport can inspire more young people to feel the glamour of Chinese athletics and get out of their own comfort zone."

Wu's teammate Lin Yuwei of East China Normal University finished in fifth place in the final with 13.03 seconds. 

Wu's result of 12.76 seconds in the final has also surpassed the qualifying benchmark for the world athletics championships which will be held from August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary, but the result came too late for the worlds. 

"I always believe that we Chinese female hurdlers are the best," Wu said after the race. 

"I don't mean to say I will win a medal for China at the Asian Games, but I will do my best and progress little by little."

The Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province from September 23 to October 8. 

Taking after China's athletics great Liu Xiang, who won an Olympics 110 meters hurdles gold medal in 2004 in Athens, Wu has set her sights on becoming a female hurdling star.

"I want to become the woman that makes people know about women's 100 meters hurdles," Wu told reporters. "I want Chinese female hurdlers to appear on the international stage more often. It doesn't matter whether it's me or any other female athletes to do so."

Wu points to the sky every time she hits the track, prompting many netizens online to copy her gesture.

"The gesture is cool and fits me well I think. It means I have set my goals for the Paris Olympics," Wu told reporters. 

Wu also spoke about the recent evacuation and rescue efforts in northern China, which has been hit by torrential rains and floods.

"My achievement belongs to every Chinese," Wu told reporters. "I hope people impacted by the floods will come back safe as well as everyone who made efforts to alleviate the disaster."

Viktoria Forster of Slovakia won the gold medal with a personal best of 12.72 seconds. The bronze medal went to Jyothi Yarraji of India who finished in 12.78 seconds. 

Yarraji thanked China for allowing her to qualify for the Paris Olympics. 

"Thank you so much, China. It was a wonderful competition that makes me able to qualify for the Olympics," Yarraji told reporters, before noting she will come back to China for the Asian Games in September. 

Other achievements of the night came from Sarah Keskitalo, representing Finland but was born in China, setting a personal best of 13.17 seconds in the semifinal. 

Both competing in the last subdivision of the day, the men's team and the women's team of artistic gymnastics of Team China gave their home crowd performances worth waiting, both bagging gold medals. 

On Monday night, an enthusiastic crowd filled the Huanglong Sports Centre Gymnasium and burst into biggest cheers and applaud for the girls of the Chinese team. With a very young squad aged from 15 to 22, the girls snatched a team gold medal despite a few glitches during the beam competitions. 

"Even if there were various degrees of faults during the competition, everybody has worked hard and adjusted out mindset," 15-year-old Zhang Xinyi said to the reporters after the game. "We were able to adapt quickly and get ready for the next events."

Zhang also credited their victory to the team and the crowd. "The audience was very enthusiastic, cheering us on," she said. 

The team compiled the top team scores on each of the four apparatuses. After the match, the team dedicated their victory to team spirit and perseverance.

Japan ranked closely behind China, while North Korea snatched  bronze. 

During the competition, the members of the Chinese team and the members of the Japanese team displayed a warm and friendly attitude to each other, cheering for the other team's athletes when they were switching apparatuses. 

Speaking to the Global Times, Zhang said that they would like to encourage each other even if it was a competition. 

"Whilst in the match, we both cheered each other on. We respect each other," she told the Global Times.

"Even if we're from different countries, we can cheer each other on," Japan's Mikako Serita told the Global Times. "The Chinese gymnasts were waving at us and we felt the friendly vibe."

"To put it simply, I think gymnastics is a great sport," she said.

Earlier on Sunday night, China's men's team also finished with gold, while Japan and Chinese Taipei were silver and bronze medalists. 

"Our preparations were actually very thorough, but we still encountered some difficulties," said Xiao Ruoteng of Team China.

Xiao credited the enthusiastic crowd for inspiring and empowering his team. "We felt the audience cheering us on, and it felt like there was still a strong force behind us pushing us forward," he added.

The artistic gymnastics team finals also served as qualification games for the all-around and apparatus finals. During Monday's competitions, veteran gymnast Oksana Chusovitina also earned the loudest cheers from the crowd. 

The 48-year-old eight-time-Olympian performed well enough to qualify for the vault apparatus final. She blew a kiss and showed a heart-shape with her arms to the supporting Chinese audience. 

"As long as I enjoy gymnastics, I don't know when I will finish," Chusovitina said after the game, expressing her love for the sport.

Amateurs proved prominent during the opening round of the Mitsubishi Electric FA Golf Open in Suzhou, East China’s Jiangsu Province, on Thursday. Hong Kong SAR’s Alexander Yang and Chongqing’s Zhou Yanhan each carded a six-under 66 to share the early lead with veteran Yuan Tian.

Chinese players Jin Daxing, Huang Zijie, Luo Xuewen, Liu Enhua, Sun Yan, and Wu Di were a shot off the pace at the event taking place at Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club.

Zhou, the 15-year-old son of Tour player Zhou Xunshu, turned it on late in his round when he carded five birdies over the last seven holes to grab a share of the lead.

“I didn’t hit it solid for the whole round, but my putter was hot. I made four putts from 15 feet. I missed some putts on the front nine, but I kept my patience,” said the teenager who won last year’s Chongqing Open against a pro field.

Yang, who earlier this year became the first Hong Kong man to play in the US Open, started his round on the back nine, carding three birdies and two bogeys to make the turn at one-under.

“Today was a great start. I think I did most things pretty well,” said Yang, who is currently on leave from Stanford University. “I’m still getting used to the grass here. It’s definitely unique and different from what I’m accustomed to in the US. I made a couple of bogeys and mistakes here and there but otherwise I played really solid.”

Yuan, a 41-year-old veteran who continues to chase his first China Tour win after 18 years as a pro, carded his best round of the year on the strength of seven birdies and a lone bogey in his early morning start that began on the back nine.