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. 

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.

Experts and government officials from China and the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) shared their research and commitments via a recent forum, bolstering cooperation in the pursuit of climate justice and equitable solutions to the pressing challenges of climate change in the wake of the recently concluded COP28 in Dubai, UAE, where the first global stocktake took place and the Loss and Damage Fund was established.

The "2023 Pacific Island Countries Climate Action Dialogue" was held in Liaocheng, East China's Shandong Province on December 15. Hosted by the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Action Cooperation Center, the dialogue focused on challenges of and actions to address climate change in the Pacific island countries, shared progress of China's South-South cooperation in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative and explored future pathways to jointly promote regional climate cooperation by China and the Pacific island countries.

More than 120 participates, including scholars from the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, National Climate Centre, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ocean University of China, Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University, National University of Samoa, Liaocheng University, and guests from Fiji, Kiribati, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Sri Lanka attended the dialogue.

This dialogue effectively promoted exchanges between China and the island countries in the field of climate change, with a deep understanding on impacts of climate change on Pacific island countries. The dialogue also explored the potential of climate cooperation between China and Pacific island countries, according to a statement sent to the Global Times by China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Action Cooperation Center on Wednesday.

Li Yan, Deputy Director of Department of International Cooperation, the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, shared China's policies and achievements in addressing climate change, pointing out that compared to 2005, China had reduced its carbon emission per unit of GDP by 50 percent, reduced its proportion of coal consumption on energy consumption from 72.4 percent to 56.2 percent, and realized 1.2 billion kilowatt-hours installed capacity of renewable energy power generation from wind, solar, water and biomass, a remarkable achievement in low-carbon development.

Eric Salut, Special Representative of the Director General of the Bureau of Climate Change and Development of Papua New Guinea and Chairman of the organizing committee of the National Climate Summit, pointed out that China's technological, financial and capacity-building support essential collective efforts in building a resilient future for the Pacific. China's dedication to sustainable development and climate action has been evident through various initiatives, partnerships with island countries. The Belt and Road Initiative, in particular, expresses China's vision for fostering global cooperation and resilience, he said.

Li Jianping, Director of the Research Center for Marine Carbon Neutralization at Ocean University of China, voiced that climate change has had a profoundly significant impact on agriculture, fisheries and food systems in the PICs. He emphasized the necessity to intensify climate actions to aid these nations in combating climate change and achieving sustainable development.

During the dialogue, Chinese experts mentioned that China could leverage its technological and human resource strengths to assist the PICs. For instance, adapting to local conditions, China could develop a series of intelligent small-scale photovoltaic systems for seawater/brackish water desalination to meet the water and electricity needs of the island countries.

Shen Lei, a research fellow from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, proposed that there should also be collaborative research on the relationship between cultural heritage resources and climate change with the PICs, utilizing the roles of the National Museum of China and international organizations.

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. 

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.

One Chinese national has been killed and another injured, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand confirmed late Tuesday night after a shooting incident which left two dead and five injured at one of the most popular shopping malls in Thailand on Tuesday afternoon.

The embassy said it activated its emergency response mechanism to verify the situation in the wake of the incident and has confirmed the identities of the victims, adding that the injured individual has received medical treatment and remained in stable condition.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visited the injured Chinese national at the hospital, the embassy confirmed. Both the prime minister and Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, respectively made phone calls to Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Han Zhiqiang to express their condolences to the deceased Chinese national on behalf of the Thai government.

They vowed to quickly deal with the case to ensure a safe and reliable environment for the Chinese nationals in Thailand.

A chaotic scene unfolded at the Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok, Thailand on Tuesday afternoon as gunshots rang out near an upscale retail area. According to National Police Chief Torsak Sukvimol, at least two people were killed and five others injured in the shooting and the police has arrested the suspect, a 14 years old suffering from a mental illness.

On Wednesday, Thai Police filed five charges against the suspect, including intentional homicide, commission of homicide, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm into a public place without authorization, and discharging a firearm in a public place without authorization.

Thai police said the other victim was from Myanmar and the four injured included a Laotian and three Thai people.

According to local media, the 34-year-old Chinese female surnamed Zhao was shot dead when walking through the Siam Paragon building. A Chinese netizen named “Chloe Wan” wrote on China’s Twitter-like social media platform Sina Weibo that the shooter began shooting at the female toilet on the second floor, killing her acquaintance and injuring her mother.

“Aunt Zhao is a nice person. We three families, including Zhao’s husband and twin daughters, travelled to Thailand together. I didn’t know how she was hurt. I only saw her fainted on the ground with blood flowing out of her mouth. Her five-year-old children didn’t know about this. They were staying with their dad,” wrote the netizen, as quoted by Shangyou News.

The hashtags including “A Chinese visitor shot dead in Siam Paragon” had received more than 290 million views and comments on Sina Weibo as of Wednesday morning, and some netizens have expressed safety concerns on travelling to Thailand.

In September, the Thai government announced a temporary tourist visa exemption scheme for Chinese and Kazakh travelers to boost tourism.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has conceded defeat in the country's landmark referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and vowed continued efforts to address disadvantages faced by First Australians.

Speaking in Canberra on Saturday night hours after polls closed, Albanese said it was clear a majority of Australians had voted against changing the constitution to establish an Indigenous advisory body to the federal parliament.

"My fellow Australians, at the outset, I want to say that while tonight's result is not one that I had hoped for, I absolutely respect the decision of the Australian people and the democratic process that has delivered it," he said.

"I never imagined or indeed said that it would be easy. History told us that only eight out of 44 had done so," he said, adding that "and of course, when you do the hard things, when you aim high, sometimes you fall short. And tonight we acknowledge, understand and respect that we have."

In order to be successful, the "yes" vote needed to achieve a double majority, meaning more than 50 percent of Australia's 17.6 million enrolled voters as well as a majority in at least four of the country's six states needed to vote in favor of changing the constitution.

With 60 percent of votes counted by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) as of 10 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) (1100 GMT) on Saturday, 59 percent of Australians had voted "no", including a majority in all six states.

Albanese, an advocate of the Voice since it was first proposed in 2017, said it was time for Australians to come together to address disadvantages faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including lower life expectancy and higher rates of incarceration, disease and suicide than the non-Indigenous population.

"A great nation like ours can and must do better for the First Australians," Albanese said.

"We intend as a government to continue to do what we can to close the gap, to do what we can to advance reconciliation, to do what we can to listen to the First Australians."

Peter Dutton, the leader of the opposition Coalition parties and a leading campaigner for the "no" vote - said the result was "good for our country."

"The Coalition, local Australians, wants to see Indigenous disadvantage addressed. We just disagree on the Voice being the solution," he said in a speech to a campaign event, "and while Yes and No voters may hold differences of opinion, these opinions of difference do not diminish a love for our country or our regard for each other."

Coming amid the third China-Central Eastern European Countries Culture and Arts Carnival, traditional dances from all over Greece, such as ipirotikos, tsamiko, kalamatiano, sirtaki and ikariotiko, were performed on October 22 in Chaoyang Park, Beijing, by the Cultural Association "Peiros" dance troop from the municipality of Western Achaia. 

The performance was aimed at preserving and transmitting cultural traditions and various aspects of Greek cultural heritage from generation to generation.

Along with the performances, videos showcased the beauty of Western Peloponnese, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, and informational materials were made available.

The eight-member dance group of the cultural association "Peiros" performed in Beijing as part of the third China-Central Eastern European Countries Culture and Arts Carnival, hosted by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Chaoyang District People's Government of Beijing Municipality, and organized by the Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchange Center, Chaoyang District Bureau of Culture and Tourism of Beijing Municipality.