When my foreign friends asked, "Have you felt any discrimination in Xinjiang," I recognized how misinformation from Western reports affected people's impressions of Xinjiang. Such false narratives not only lead to some people from Western countries believing that Xinjiang is still full of ethnic conflict, but also create an air of mystery and suspicion among people yet to visit the region. 

This partly explains why Xinjiang has to stick to opening-up. Besides considering the national strategy, for the region itself, it is also time to step out of the shadow of Western political and media-driven propaganda to confidently show a real Xinjiang to the whole world. 

Forget the so-called genocide, forget the so-called re-education camps - Xinjiang is far more vast, far more beautiful, and has a far richer history and culture heritage than you can read in any biased and maliciously skewed reports.   

What is Xinjiang really like? 

It is a wonderful land comprised of three mountain ranges and two basins, a place where lush pastures stretch out as far as the eyes can see and is complete with four seasons from the south to the north. 

It is also characterized by the smiling Uygur concierge in the hotel waiting for you at midnight, extending services with the phrase "please come to me whenever you need any help." It is the talented young Kazakh men proficient in five languages conversing with guests from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Iran like old friends. It is also the Han resident who would simply and directly tell you: "Our Xinjiang is the best."   

It is a paradise of fruits, from figs and various kinds of grapes to pomegranates. It is known as the home of succulent lamb and beef. As the locals say, "when we eat lamb, we are receiving nutrients from nature as what our sheep eat is all the grass and herbs naturally grown on the land."

Xinjiang's beauty beats the limited imagination of some. In the past, Xinjiang has been unable to effectively protect itself against politically-motivated mudslinging. For its admirers, both in China and in the rest of the world, simply taking in its beauty through images available online is an overwhelming experience, but some have embraced the adventure it holds and visited the region of themselves. 

But as 2023 has witnessed historical opening-up efforts, it is certain that the region will shake off the haze of the malicious campaigns against it and firmly move forward on its own track of development, playing a better role in serving as the country's bridgehead in its westward opening-up.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has arrived in Shanghai, to preside the launch of a new flagship Apple store in downtown Shanghai on Thursday, local media reported. He last visited China in October 2023.

Observers said that Cook was in Shanghai to inaugurate the new Apple store and attend a series of activities to boost Apple's business in China.

According to Cook's post on Chinese social media account Sina Weibo, he spent Wednesday morning walking the Bund with Chinese movie star Zheng Kai, and had a classic Shanghai breakfast. On Tuesday, he also posted, offering his congratulation to the opening of the new store at Shanghai's Jing'an district.

Sina Weibo user named "Keneng Youdian Xie" commented that Cook might be the most frequent visiting US CEO to China. Other netizens said they were looking forward to meeting Cook at the opening of the new Shanghai store.

Apple Jing'an store is the highest-standard Apple store in the Chinese mainland. According to media reports, the store covers an area of 3,835 square meters, with a total investment of 83.4 million yuan ($11.61 million). Only the Apple store on New York City's Fifth Avenue costs more.

Apple is expected to bring high-quality devices and services to Chinese consumers, as the company faces increasingly fierce competition from a slew of Chinese local brands, industry insiders said.

Apple iPhones have struggled in the Chinese mainland market over the first six weeks this year, with sales plunging by 24 percent year-on-year, a report by market research organization Counterpoint Research said on March 5, noting that the US tech giant's market share has been squeezed by aggressive pricing from OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi.

Experts said that Apple's move is understandable since China remains its second largest market after the US, underscoring the company's confidence in exploring the massive Chinese market, while adding that Apple needs to ramp up investment in research and development to make new technological breakthroughs and regain lost market share in one of the world's most important markets.

Tianshui spicy hot pot, based in Northwest China's Gansu Province, has been trending on China's social media recently, attracting troves of tourists for this delicious and mouth-watering delicacy.

Driven by social media buzz and local marketing promotions, tourists and foodies alike have flocked to Tianshui.

Searches for travel to the medium-size city Tianshui have surged. Data from Chinese travel giant, Tongcheng Travel, revealed that, as of Thursday, searches for travel to the city surged by 186 percent during last week, which have kept on growing up. Bookings in Tianshui for hotels and attractions were up 40 percent year-over-year during the past month, another online tourism site Trip.com reported on Tuesday.

Related topics about Gansu Tianshui spicy hot pot have also appeared on Sina Weibo's trending list, garnering at least more than 94 million views as of press time on Sunday.

The Gansu-style spicy hot pot, with features fragrant splashed chili oil and distinctive and wide noodles, has recently been popular, attracting foodies from all over China. It is a tongue-numbing spicy dish loved for its satisfying flavor and the richness of colors.

Different from Sichuan cuisine, another place in Southwest China famous for its hot pot, the secrets for tickling the taste buds come from local specialty ingredients in Tianshui - Maiji peppercorns and Gangu chili peppers. Both belong to local specialty agricultural industries.

"I never thought that Tianshui would one day become an 'online celebrity' in the catering and tourism industry for the spicy hot pot, considering the city was once known as an important route of the ancient 'Silk Road' and blessed with a rich history, cultural heritage destination in northwestern China," Wang Kaixuan, a 23-year-old University student from Tianshui told the Global Times on Sunday.

While some say Tianshui's hot pot sensation is aimed at emulating the success of Harbin in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and Zibo in East China's Shandong Province, two phenomenal travel hits thanks to social media promotion, hospitality of local people and the high level of services provided to vast tourists.

Wang said he plans to invite his friends to come for a visit to Tianshui and enjoy the local hot pot during the Qingming Festival in April. "I definitely hope my hometown to become the next Harbin, as my city is well prepared and is grasping the chance and welcoming tourists with sincerity and well-equipped facilities."

Domestic tourists made nearly 4.9 billion trips in 2023, with total tourism expenditure approaching 5 trillion yuan, Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia Research Institute told the Global Times on Sunday. "With such a tourism boom in domestic market, we have every reason to believe that in 2024, more internet celebrity tourism spots will emerge in China. And with favorable policy support from the authorities, China will see more robust recovery, and vigorous growth in cultural, tourism industries as well, Zhang noted.
Nowadays, a Tianshui spicy hot pot restaurant is a must-go visit in the city. To better allow tourist enjoyment of the delicious food, the local government not only provides special bus commute but also prepares agricultural specialties, boutique cultural tourism routes, and exquisite local products, allowing tourists to experience the charm of local culture while savoring the delicacies.

Meanwhile, local tourism authorities are capitalizing on the city's newfound fame to stimulate the local economy. Starting from Saturday, the local authorities launched a food festival to showcase a variety of Tianshui cuisine. The week-long event is expected to attract dozens of local businesses and hundreds and thousands of tourists from all over the country to join in the spicy hot pot "carnival".

The popularity of Tianshui's spicy hot pot has had a significant impact on local cultural tourism, consumption and boosted local service sector growth.

Meanwhile, the popularity of Tianshui spicy hot pot fuels stock market surge as well. On Friday, shares related to spicy hot pot, such as Junsun Fungi Co and Yatai Holding Group Co surged. Other food companies' stocks, including Lanzhou Huanghe Enterprise Co and Lanzhou Zhuangyuan Pasture Co have also made gains.

The Chinese economy has fared quite well and has showed strong resilience under the huge combined pressure over the past years. We still believe that China was, is, and will remain the factory of the world thanks to the improved productivity levels, broad and deep industrial clusters, and well-established infrastructure, Denis Depoux, Global Managing Director at Roland Berger, told the Global Times in an interview on Thursday.

"The combination of a broad local market and the strong legacy export base make China difficult to replace," Depoux said, noting that China's fundamentals will be solid in the long run amid continuous transformation of new growth drivers.

China is no longer a cheap labor market, neither is it environmentally permissive. Fixed-asset investments are shifting from infrastructure and real estate to industrial modernization, the energy transition, as the new engines of the Chinese economy. Global geopolitical tensions, supply chain reconfiguration and a slower global economy have accelerated this trend. Domestic consumption should top these new engines, he said.

During the ongoing two sessions - annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference - Chinese policymakers set an annual GDP growth target of around 5 percent for 2024, showing their confidence of maintaining high-quality growth despite uncertainties and challenges at home and abroad.
Achieving the target "is not a low-hanging fruit," Depoux noted, adding that ensuring economic stability continues to be an important task for the Chinese government in 2024.

In the short term, government stimulus should remain targeted and limited to support the country's long-term and major strategic planning and construction of key areas. Meanwhile, the central and local governments can activate more structural policy levers, with reforms that in some cases already have started, he said.

"2024 is an important year to transform. It provides an important opportunity for Chinese companies to push the transformation," Depoux said, urging companies to end their "wait-and-see" approach, face the changes and start to take concrete actions to implement the transformation to prepare themselves to better fit into the future and support the economy.

After decades of development, China's old engines of growth are gradually being phased out, but the powerhouse lives on, Depoux said. He said there are three key drivers that will structure China's future development, namely industrial modernization, energy transition and decarbonization, and transformation of domestic consumption.

We have seen China leapfrogging others in some new areas such as electric vehicles, energy storage, and more will be expected in healthcare, space, new materials and artificial intelligence, Depoux.

"In the area of decarbonization, technology is not everything, and services, activating specialized know how, are at least as important - a strong potential for foreign companies to strive in China," he said.

In recent years, China has been putting in effort to re-boost the confidence of foreign business and restated that foreign business would continue to play an important role in China's future economy, Depoux said.

This year's Government Work Report pledged that the country will pursue higher-standard opening-up and promoting mutual benefits in 2024. It stressed that all market access restrictions on foreign investment in manufacturing will be abolished, and market access restrictions in services sectors, such as telecommunications and healthcare, will be reduced.

"Given China's economic prospects, we expect our strategy and operations consulting business to continue to grow," Depoux said.

China will strive to modernize the industrial system and develop new quality productive forces at a faster pace, according to the Government Work Report submitted to the second session of the 14th National People's Congress on Tuesday, as part of the major tasks for the economic and social development of the world second largest economy in 2024.

The report listed several tasks, including industry and supply chain improvement and upgrading, and the cultivation of emerging sectors and future-oriented industries such as hydrogen power and new materials. Innovative development of the digital economy will be promoted, with an AI-Plus initiative to be launched, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Experts said that the moves showed the determination of the Chinese government in deepening reform and further opening-up while achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, which is the core for the nation's development of new quality productive forces.

Technological innovation will maintain the competitiveness of China's industry and supply chains, particularly in high-end and booming industries such as new energy and the digital sector, while making breakthroughs in some key areas like manufacturing of advanced chips amid the technology crackdown by the US, experts said.

The Chinese government will vigorously advance new industrialization, make more breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, promote coordination between innovation chains and industry chains, and drive forward industrial innovation through technological innovation, according to a report submitted by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the top economic planner, on Tuesday to the national legislature for deliberation.

New growth drivers and new strengths will be fostered and expanded to keep raising productivity, the NDRC's report said.

In order to do that, a score of major tasks need to be conducted. Among these are improving the nation's capacity for scientific and technological innovation; accelerating the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries; fostering emerging and future industries; promoting the further integration of the digital and real economies; spurring the development of modern services, and speeding up the building of a modern infrastructure system, according to the NDRC's report.

As part of this effort, the central government has pledged to allocate 370.8 billion yuan ($51.51 billion) for science and technology in 2024, an increase of 10 percent, with a focus on basic research, applied basic research, and national strategic tasks in science and technology, it says in a separate report on budgets submitted by the Ministry of Finance.

The government reports also reviewed key achievements made in 2023, which have provided a solid foundation to facilitate development of new quality productive forces.

In 2023, the government vigorously pursued innovation-driven development, and China's self-reliance and strength in science and technology improved markedly, the NDRC's report said.

Spending on research and development (R&D) reached 3.32782trillion yuan, an increase of 8.1 percent, accounting for 2.64 percent of China's GDP, the NDRC's report said. 

Experts said that the government reports submitted on Tuesday demonstrates the government's commitment and determination to achieve high-quality development, while the promotion of scientific and technological innovation serves as a crucial means to achieve this goal.

As China enters a new stage of development, attention is increasingly focused on new quality productive forces that can support high-quality growth, which is reflected in the government reports today, Zhou Hongchun, a professor with the Development Research Center of the State Council, the cabinet, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

China is undergoing industrial transformation, which fundamentally involves shifting from traditional production factors to new drivers, the expert said.

Explaining this trend, Zhou said that previously, the economy mainly relied on real estate and infrastructure. But now, as major projects are completed nationwide, urban development hinges on heightened productivity and efficiency, underscoring the crucial role of technology innovation.

In recent years, developed countries led by the US have increasingly sought to constrain China's development in technology, highlighted by high-end chips.

In the face of the intensified US moves, China's technological innovation needs to be primarily self-reliant in order to ensure that its industry and supply chains remain globally competitive while curbing disruption by the US, Ma Jihua, a veteran telecom observer, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

In recent years, China has made significant investments in technology, which is reflected by the rising numbers of high-tech talent, contracts and patents in the field. In 2023, there were 950,000 technology contracts signed, with a transaction volume reaching 6.15 trillion yuan, marking a 28.6 percent increase year-on-year, Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun said on Tuesday.

Moreover, the number of authorized invention patents reached 921,000, a rise of 15.3 percent year-on-year.

China's advances in the new-energy vehicle sector provide a good example of productivity in high-quality sectors. With more government support and active business participation in the innovation and application of advanced technologies, the nation's industry will rise to a higher level, boosting the development of new quality productive forces, Ma said.

With the completion of the first trial voyage of China's first domestically built drilling ship, the Mengxiang (Dream in English), the country officially became the third country in the world - following the US and Japan - to possess its own professional ocean drillship, which is dubbed as the aircraft carrier in marine science.

With this ship, Chinese scientists will certainly make great contributions to international deep ocean exploration, Tuo Shouting, director of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP)-China Office, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview. 

On December 27, 2023, the Mengxiang completed its trial voyage in the waters of the Pearl River Estuary in South China's Guangdong Province, marking a step forward for the country's exploration of deep-sea resources. 

The ship sailed 500 nautical miles. The performance and various indicators of its main power and other marine systems all met relevant standards.

With a length of 179.8 meters and a width of 32.8 meters, the Mengxiang can travel 15,000 nautical miles and sustain itself for 120 days without returning to port.

The ship, featuring high stability and structural strength, can operate in unlimited navigational areas worldwide and drill as deep as 11,000 meters in the sea. 

Boasting a world-leading marine drilling capacity, the ship will drill through the Earth's crust and into the upper mantle, contributing to the exploration of marine energy resources, protection of national energy security, and maritime power construction.

The mantle, accounting for four-fifths of the Earth's volume and three-fourths of its mass, is full of scientific mysteries waiting to be explored by scientists.

Construction of the Mengxiang kicked off in November 2021 and is planned to be comprehensively completed in 2024. The ship was officially named Mengxiang on December 18, 2023, when it started its trial voyage.  

"The vessel not only carries the dream of the Chinese people to build a maritime power, but also carries the dream of global scientists to 'penetrate the Moho discontinuity and enter the upper mantle,' and carries the dream of human beings to develop deep Earth resources," Li Jinfa, director of the Geological Survey under the Ministry of Natural Resources, told media when explaining the name of the vessel.  

From participant to leader

China has been a participant in the IODP for a long time. With the completion of the construction of the Mengxiang, China will be able to independently organize expeditions, just like the US, Japan and Europe, Tuo Shouting said. 

He expected that, with the vessel, China can transit from a participant to a leader of the program, playing a more significant role in international deep-sea drilling. 

The IODP is an international marine research collaboration that explores Earth's history and dynamics using ocean-going research platforms to recover data recorded in seafloor sediments and rocks and monitor subseafloor environments. The program now has more than 20 member nations.

China started to participate in the program as an associate member in 1998 and became an official member in 2004. 

Currently, China sends eight to nine scientists every year to attend the voyages of the US drillship Resolution to join global scientists to conduct research.   

According to Tuo, the most prominent achievements of Chinese scientists in previous missions are the four ocean drilling expeditions in the South China Sea, through which Chinese scientists made a series of breakthroughs in the deep parts of the South China Sea, proposed new understandings related to climate change and basin formation, and challenged the traditional Atlantic model theory. 

The achievements have helped China win the international leading position in deep-sea research in the South China Sea and provided important theoretical reference for deep water oil and gas exploration in the region, Tuo said.

Due to the phased end of the IODP in 2024 and the planned retirement of the US vessel Resolution the same year, Europe and Japan are organizing and initiating the next phase of program. Therefore, China is also preparing to launch its own expedition plan and seeking to cooperate with Europe and Japan to jointly lead global ocean drilling, Tuo said. 

He revealed that China has already been compiling an international ocean drilling implementation plan (2025-2035) and the completion of Mengxiang will provide key equipment support for China-led expeditions in the future.

China-initiated ocean drilling will greatly enhance the country's innovation capabilities in deep-sea scientific research, observation and exploration, and development of intelligent equipment, Tuo said. 

Moreover, ocean drilling has long been a "rich man's club" in the developed world, but the waters at the heart of many scientific problems lie within the exclusive economic zones of developing countries. China will actively expand international cooperation partnerships and build a Belt and Road ocean drilling alliance through cooperation with developing countries, especially those associated with the Belt and Road Initiative. This will promote China's platform to carry out expeditions globally and help more developing countries enter the field of deep-sea research, Tuo stressed.

It was close to midnight Beijing time. In Taipan village, a small mountain village in Guizhou Province in Southwest China, a basketball game was underway. Tens of thousands of spectators filled the court, and every time when points were scored, the sidelines rang with cheers and the banging of pots and pans. Incredibly, millions of netizens watched the game on their cell phones.

Starting last summer, a phenomenal basketball tournament was born in this small village of 1,200 people, generating national attention. People call this village basketball tournament "Village BA," and some compare it to the famed Rucker Park, a basketball mecca in New York City.

The 28-year-old Ou Minghui is a Guizhou native. He led his team to win the championship in the previous Village BA tournament and he won the tournament MVP. Ou started playing basketball at the age of 8 and his idol is Kobe Bryant. Although Ou's current job is raising cattle, playing basketball has always been his dream.

In China, amateur basketball players like Ou are called "grassroots players." Most of the participants in the Village BA tournament come from Taipan and its surrounding villages, including farmers, cooks, drivers. Even people who work in nearby provinces, such as Guangdong, take time off to play in the tournament.

"The professional players have their dreams and we have ours," Ou said.

Basketball has a long tradition in Taipan, where the first basketball court, though substandard, was built in 1936. Since then, during summer festivals when the Miao people - one of the 56 ethnic groups in China, and many of the villagers in Taipan are Miao who still retain their own culture and customs - celebrate the harvest, Taipan village has organized basketball tournaments, inviting villagers from the neighboring areas to participate.

For decades, the prizes for contest winners were never paid in cash. In the past, villagers took out their own rice and gave it to the winners of the tournament. Nowadays, the top teams receive prizes such as cows, sheep and piglets, all of which are local specialties.

Whether on or off the court, the Village BA basketball tournament brings people a completely different feeling from professional events. Many spectators stand on hillsides and rooftops, or climb up ladders or treetops just to find the best viewing angle. Once these on-site spectators used their smartphones and social media networks to share their joy, viewers from all over the country were soon attracted to Village BA as well.

Lin Yongping, 55, and her family drove three hours from another city in Guizhou Province to the village of Taipan. It was her first time to see a basketball game live.

"It doesn't matter to me how the match result goes," Lin said. "I don't really know the basketball rules but we cheer for whoever scores."

Basketball is very popular in China and people are well aware of the NBA games. In July, Minnesota Timberwolves player Li Kai'er, formerly known as Kyle Anderson before his naturalization, became a player for the Chinese national team and participated in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

China's basketball legend Yao Ming, who once played for NBA franchise the Houston Rockets, is currently the President of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Speaking about the Village BA, Yao said he was afraid he wouldn't be able to snag a ticket, even though it's free.

There were quite a few NBA elements at the Village BA games. Many spectators wore jerseys of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Tracy McGrady, Jeremy Lin and other stars when watching the games.

Not long ago, the NBA and Village BA established some connections. 

As part of his China Tour, Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler came to the village of Taipan. Wearing Miao silver jewelry and carrying Miao embroidery, Butler was applauded and cheered by thousands of fans. When asked about how he felt, Butler repeated the word "incredible" several times in his answer. When he left the village, he asked the staff for pictures and video footages and shared this unforgettable experience on his personal social media account. 

Wu Xiaolong, 31, a villager from Taipan village, was particularly excited by Butler's arrival. "I watch NBA games every year," Wu said. "Now foreign friends also see the games in our hometown, I feel very happy and proud."

US basketball star Stephon Marbury, who has worked for many years in China's top basketball league CBA, also came to the Village BA to train with local young players. Brooklyn Nets player Ben Simmons, on the other hand, donated a basketball court to a town in Guizhou. "I have visited China many times since I was a teenager, and I am deeply touched by the warmth and friendliness of the Chinese people and their love for basketball." Simmons said he hopes to bring the joy of basketball to more people by donating the court. 

An American netizen on Twitter commented that whether it's the NBA or the Village BA, the people of China, like the people of the US and the rest of the world, have the right to enjoy sports and to unite in the pursuit of a better life.

For Village BA spectators and local people, Village BA is more than just a basketball game, it feels like a carnival.

At halftime, there are various cultural performances - people dressed in ethnic minority costumes, audience members singing Cantonese songs from the 1990s, and children break-dancing to the tune of song "I will survive."

Outside the stadium, local villagers have set up stalls selling specialty snacks such as cold noodles, fried yam and ice jelly, most of which sell for less than $1 each. There are also villagers who offer ethnic minority clothing for rent for out-of-town visitors to use for photo shoots and social media posts.

Cen Jianglong, a villager from Taipan village, quit his job outside Guizhou last year and returned home, where he and his wife opened a restaurant near the stadium. The restaurant does very good business during the games in July and August. "The villagers hope that the Village BA will drive everyone to get rich together," Cen said.

Village BA offers opportunities and hope for Chinese villages like Taipan. During the 2022 games, the village welcomed over 400,000 tourists, generating combined tourism revenue of about $3 million.

In Rongjiang county, a few hours away from Taipan village by car, a local soccer tournament has had the same impact as the Village BA. At the recent China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, the English Premier League signed a cooperation agreement with the village soccer tournament, with both sides planning training sessions and content interaction, and considering organizing friendly soccer matches.

This year, the Village BA is being held as a national tournament in villages across the country as part of China's plan to revitalize the countryside. In October, the Village BA finals will return to its birthplace in Taipan, where the game is often played from dawn to dusk. In this area, basketball games are often played from darkness to dawn, known locally as "dawn culture."

"Kobe once said, 'Have you ever seen the scene of Los Angeles at 4 am?'" A fan wrote on social media. "I'd say that you can see Taipan at 4 am through the Village BA."

China's Generation Z skateboarders have rocked the Asian Games like no one had imagined - bagging three of four gold medals of the discipline. It was not only just about the medals, but also about the energy, vitality and the uniqueness they inject into the Games.

On September 27, the youngest member of the Chinese delegation Cui Chenxi, 13, wrote her name in Chinese sports history after becoming the youngest Asian Games champion for her nation. In the same match, 18-year-old Zeng Wenhui bagged silver in women's street.

In the men's park, 15-year-old Chen Ye finished first. In men's street, China's 16-year-old Zhang Jie snatched a gold while his teammate 19-year-old Su Jianjun won a bronze. In the women's park final, Chinese athlete Li Yujuan, 20, won the silver medal, while Mao Jiasi, 15, won the bronze.

No doubt that skateboarding is a young and up-and-coming sport. Throughout the four days of the skateboarding competition, there was a friendly, young and relaxed atmosphere in the arena. In women's street final, seven of the eight contestants are under 18. Women's street final was even attended by the youngest athlete of the Asian Games at the age of nine. These athletes, however, showed the brilliant athleticism just like their role models, passed down from generation to generation. 

No pressure

Speaking with the Global Times, the young medalists displayed a similar  fighting spirit and the adherence to excellence just like the veteran athletes, but they also showed something noticeably different - their relaxed mindset toward pressure, their independence growing up as an athlete, and the unwavering support they received from their parents. 

After becoming Team China's youngest ever Asian Games champion, Cui told the Global Times that the title did not add any extra pressure. 

"I made a mistake in my first run, and on the second attempt, my coach wanted me to be steady, but I was eager to try a riskier maneuver on my own, and in the end, it worked out," Cui said.

The champion is always at ease. In the mix zone after the final, Cui instructed all the media reporters to line up and sought their opinions on where she should stand before patiently and frankly giving answers to all the questions. She said that she never actually expected the gold but she really wanted to win. 

"I might be telling some of these stories in Hangzhou to my classmates when I get back," said the middle-school girl. "I think they would be happy for me."

Different from traditional sports, there is no fixed action pattern in skateboarding. It requires skaters to freely use their imagination and creativity, which is challenging and makes the sport popular among fans. Similar to earlier generations, professional skateboards often mention that they started the sport because they found it fun. 

"When I started skateboarding, I felt that it was a very exciting and thrilling sport. I felt very happy after completing each move," Chen said, comparing it to the piano and other hobbies that his father, Chen Wanqin, tried to introduce to him, but which he found boring compared with playing with a skateboard.

When asked about his interest over skateboarding, Zhang Jie, who just won men's street, also shrugged grand expressions, but accredited all to "cool and fun."

Family support

The Gen-Z athletes also share similar positive family atmosphere. Usually training on their own without a professional team, they hailed the support they received from their family. 

After winning the final, Cui put on the Chinese national flag on her back and skated around the venue to a loud cheer. In the audience sat her father, who first introduced Cui to skateboarding and took her training at the age of nine.

For Chen, the training area made by Chen's father became the focus of media attention after his inspirational win. In an interview with the Global Times, Chen expressed his gratitude to his father as the person he most wanted to thank after winning the gold medal.

"I'm grateful to my father for building two bowls for training for me and studying skateboarding skills with me," Chen said. Chen said that he fell in love with skateboarding when he first encountered the sport in a shopping mall at the age of 8.

Once Chen Ye showed his true passion, his father respected him the choice and supported him. In 2019, Chen Ye joined the Guangdong provincial skateboarding team. To help his son's training, Chen Wanqin and his wife rented a warehouse of more than 200 square meters to build a practice bowl for him.  

After finishing second in the men's skateboarding park event at the 2021 National Games of China, Chen Wanqin built a new 900-square-meter skateboard park with a max height of nine meters in 2022 in order to improve his son's performance. Chen Ye said that during that time, his father quit his job and even spent all his savings to support his passion.

The Chinese skateboarding team, composed of athletes born after the year of 2000, continues to make breakthroughs, and the future looks promising. Showered by love, support and confidence, they are never afraid to share their ambition to go to the top. 

"First I will concentrate on getting there, then I can make a big attack," Cui told the Global Times when asked about Paris 2024.

The 19th Chinese American Film Festival (CAFF) and the Chinese American Television Festival (CATF) kicked off on Thursday in Los Angeles, the US, contributing to a close cultural exchange between the world's two largest film markets.

In a video address at the opening ceremony, Yang Guorui, deputy director of China's National Radio and Television Administration, said that over the last 19 years, Chinese-American film and TV festivals have set up a successful platform for China-US exchanges and cooperation in the audiovisual industry, according to Xinhua News Agency.

James Su, chairman of the CAFF and the CATF, told the Global Times on WeChat that the festivals have been eyed as avenues for the promotion of cooperation in the film and television industry between China and the US and enhancement of cultural exchanges and mutual learning. The festivals have built a bridge of friendship through film and television culture for better communication, understanding, and mutual benefit in the two countries.

Outstanding works

With the theme "Better Films, Better World," over 500 film and television works have applied to compete in the Golden Angel Award. Su noted the organizing committee's hopes that the festivals will bring peace, harmony, and love back to the world were based on the theme. 

At the ceremony, all the winners were announced, with The ­Wandering Earth II, the closing film at the ­festivals, crowned the Best Film, and Meg 2: The Trench, the opening film, earning the title of Best China and US Cooperation Film. 

Disney's Avatar: The Way of Water and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Universal Pictures' Fast X, Paramount Pictures' Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Sony Pictures' Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse were all awarded the Most Popular US Films in China.

The Knockout was recognized as the Best TV Series. Guo Fan and Xu Jizhou were named the Best Directors of CAFF and CATF for their work The Wandering Earth II and The Knockout respectively.

Outstanding Chinese film and television works such as Manifesto, 30,000 Miles from Chang'an, Lost in the Stars, Wild Bloom, and Long River in the World received the Golden Angel Award for the top 10 films and television dramas.

Eleven works including Path Finders, About the Clouds, and Tale of the Night received the China Culture Communication Award, which was established in 2021. 

The purpose of the China Culture Communication Award, according to Su, is to recognize that the organizing committee views film and television art as a cultural conduit, and culture serves as an important bridge for human exchanges and mutual learning. 

"The international spread of Chinese culture contributes to mutual exchanges and learning between Chinese civilization and global civilizations, aiding the modernization and internationalization of Chinese culture," he said.

Over 10 ­Chinese films will be screened during the screening week of the festivals. 

According to Su, this marks the first face-to-face dialogue between leading figures in the Chinese and American film and television industry and experts and scholars since the start of the global pandemic. They assembled in Los Angeles to jointly explore cooperation and the future of the Chinese-American film and television industry.

He mentioned that compared to previous years, this year's festival has seen a more practical and proactive approach from both China and the US. The Los Angeles County Government in the US designated November as "Chinese American Film Festival, TV Festival Month" for the eighth consecutive year, and officials at various levels in the US are actively supporting this year's event.

Comprehensive support

Founded in 2005, the festival is a China-US cultural event recognized by both the US and Chinese governments. The annual event is usually held in November in Los Angeles.

One of the highlights of this year's edition is the introduction of the "investment and innovation unit," which provides comprehensive support for excellent film projects from both China and the US. The unit is dedicated to identifying talented filmmakers from both countries with creative potential and recognizing and supporting ­outstanding projects that have international, artistic, intellectual, and market value. 

The festival will combine the best American culture with Chinese culture in an open and inclusive manner. By discovering and supporting high-quality works, it seeks to further enhance the progress and international reach of film and television culture in the new era, according to Su.

Additionally, a TV program will officially be launched on ICITI TV, a TV station based in Los Angeles, on Friday, to introduce the ancient history and fruitful tourism resource of Southwest China's Guizhou Province. 

Yu Jinlong, a Beijing-based cultural critic, told the Global Times that CAFF and CATF can enhance cultural and artistic exchange between China and the US, allowing US citizens to learn more about China's rich history, culture, and contemporary achievements, thus strengthening people-to-people exchanges and contributing to the stability and development of China-US relations.

Recently, Gavin Newsom, governor of the US state of California, concluded a week-long visit to China after engaging in discussions with Chinese officials, local authorities, and ­business representatives on topics related to cultural exchange, climate change, economic development, and tourism.

Yu pointed out that as high-level exchanges between the two countries intensify, signs of a warming trend in China-US cultural relations are emerging.

The Confucius Institute in Miskolc, northeastern Hungary, marked its 10th anniversary on Monday with a celebration featuring Chinese and Western music.

The event was attended by Hungarian officials, university professors and students, as well as representatives from Chinese enterprises. They enjoyed a display of Chinese and Western musical compositions, including Hungarian melodies.

In his speech, Miskolc Deputy Mayor Lajos Badany emphasized the city's enduring commitment to enhancing economic and cultural relations with Chinese partners. He said the Confucius Institute at the University of Miskolc played a vital role in deepening educational and cultural cooperation with China.

Chinese Ambassador to Hungary Gong Tao sent a congratulatory letter to the ceremony, saying the institute acts as a bridge, connecting young students from both nations.

"It has played a significant role in enhancing educational and cultural cooperation as well as fostering cultural exchanges between the two countries," Gong said.

In her speech, Rector of the University of Miskolc Zita Horvath said: "On my behalf, I can promise that the University will provide every support it can to ensure the institute continues to thrive in the future." The Confucius Institute in Miskolc was jointly established in 2013 by the University of Miskolc, Beijing University of Chemical Industry and the chemical industry company Wanhua-BorsodChem. It was Hungary's third Confucius Institute.