Sam Hou Fai was elected by an overwhelming majority as the sixth-term chief executive designate of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Sunday. 

He won the election with 394 votes in favor out of 398 valid ballots. Song Man Lei, president of the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Chief Executive Election, announced Sam the winner.

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council congratulated Sam on his election, stating that this successful outcome fully reflects the heartfelt support of Macao society for the policy of "one country, two systems," as well as the firm confidence in the development path and achievements of the SAR over the past 25 years. It also demonstrates the widespread recognition of Sam, and the earnest expectations of Macao society for new progress and development under the new leadership, said the office in a statement on Sunday. 

The election process and outcome further fostered a sense of unity and collective progress within Macao's society and gathered collective efforts for "upholding integrity and innovation," which is crucial in fully implementing the principle of "patriots administering Macao" and continually advancing the successful practice of "one country, two systems" with Macao characteristics, the statement said. 

"We believe that the newly elected chief executive of the Macao SAR will unite and lead Macao's society in fostering unity, driving innovation, and creating a brighter future for Macao, making a significant contribution to advancing Chinese modernization, the development of a strong nation and the cause of national rejuvenation," the statement said. 

According to Macao's Chief Executive Election Law, an election is valid if two-thirds of the 400-member election committee are present to vote. To be elected, a candidate must receive support from more than half of the committee's members, which is at least 200 votes, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

As prescribed by the Basic Law of the Macao SAR, the chief executive is elected by a broadly representative Chief Executive Election Committee and is then appointed by the Central People's Government. The chief executive serves a five-year term and may be re-elected once. The sixth-term chief executive is expected to take office on December 20. 

Born in Zhongshan, South China's Guangdong Province, 62-year-old Sam was enrolled in Peking University Law School in 1981. He also studied Portuguese language and culture, and law at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. He once practiced as a lawyer on the Chinese mainland, according to Macao Radio. 

In 1997, he was appointed as a judge to the Court of First Instance in Macao. On the day following Macao's return to the motherland in 1999, he was appointed by Ho Hau Wah, first chief executive of the Macao SAR, as president of the Court of Final Appeal, a position he has held for nearly 25 years. During his tenure, he served as the presiding judge for many major cases, including the corruption case involving Macao's former chief prosecutor Ho Chio Meng, according to Hong Kong Economic Journal. 

After Song announced the election result, warm applause was heard in the hall.

In his speech upon election, Sam expressed his gratitude to the committee members.

He highlighted his commitment to faithfully fulfilling his political platform and manifesto, with the primary goal of meeting people's expectations for a better life. His highest principles will be fully, accurately, and steadfastly implementing the "one country, two systems" policy and safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, he said.

The smooth election reflects the consensus built during the process, bringing people's hearts together, Li Xiaobing, a Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan affairs expert from Nankai University, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

Sam's educational background at Peking University in the mainland and his following public service experience in Macao contributed to his deft handling of many cases as he served as president of the Court of Final Appeal in Macao. His past experiences showed that he is a person of foresight, with a deep understanding of the Basic Law of the Macao SAR and the essence of the "one country, two systems" principle.

According to Li, "patriots administering Macao" has become a social consensus and the mainstream value in the Macao SAR, as well as a successful practice of the "one country, two systems" principle. Sam's election with such a high number of votes is, in fact, a reflection of the implementation of this principle, Li said.

China on Thursday sent a new high-orbit internet services satellite into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the country's southwestern Sichuan Province.

The satellite was launched at 9:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket and then entered its preset orbit. It is the third member of an internet delivery high-orbit satellite group.

The launch was the 538th mission of the Long March carrier rocket series, the launch center said.

Riding along Beijing's iconic Chang'an Street to the city's west, cycling enthusiasts have the chance to sip a cup of iced coffee and enjoy the grand view of steel furnaces at Shougang Park, a recreation destination that has been transformed from an area known for steel mills.

Echoing China's high-quality development drive, Shougang Park, where the Beijing Winter Olympic venue Big Air Shougang is located, is striving to act as a model of industrial zone revival, through the integration of industrial upgrading and green development.

RELOCATION, INNOVATION & TRANSFORMATION

Shougang Group, a leading heavyweight steelmaker in China founded in 1919, once posted an annual output record of 10 million tonnes.

As part of Beijing's economic restructuring and pollution control initiatives, Shougang Group started relocating its production base to the neighboring Hebei Province in 2005, where the steel conglomerate has managed to build high-end and eco-friendly iron and steel production lines.

Its steel-making operations in Beijing were halted in 2010, which left a large stretch of industrial heritage in the area. Deserted repair workshops, coking plants and shaft furnaces were renovated into a high-end industrial comprehensive service area integrating business, science and technology, sports, culture and tourism.

All completed buildings in this park satisfy the green building standard, and many sports events were held here.

Zheng Kai, a veteran who has been serving at Shougang Group since 2005, was deeply impressed by the stunning transformation of Shougang Park.

"When I go back to the park where I used to sweat to work, I realize that the rapid changes there are beyond my imagination," he said.

It is not only the original site of the steel giant that has undergone a transformation, but also its new factories in Hebei Province. These new factories feature production methods achieving both energy conservation and carbon reduction, setting up another model of green and low-carbon development.

The group has achieved 10 million tonnes of low-carbon steel production via a process of high-ratio pellet smelting, which transforms powdered iron ore into pellets in blast furnaces, thereby reducing carbon emissions.

"Energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions during the iron and steel making process are major carbon contributors throughout the whole steel industry," said Teng Zhaojie, a senior researcher of the Shougang Group.

"It is a difficult mission for such a long process of steel and iron production to achieve carbon reduction," Huang Wenbin, an official with the Shougang Group, said. From 2016 to 2018, they carried out eight industrial experiments before finally achieving their goal of mastering high-ratio pellet smelting technology.

The proportion of pelletizing in super-large blast furnaces has reached more than 55 percent in the Shougang Group -- cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent per tonne of iron and lowering pollutant emissions by 53 percent.

In addition, Shougang uses efficient dust removal, desulfurization and denitrification technologies to reduce the emission of air pollutants. It will also complete a heat test in its zero-carbon furnace in Hebei this month.

"The green transformation of the group in terms of carbon trading, digital intelligence, ultra-low emission, energy saving and clean production was remarkable," Zheng said.
CARBON CAPTURE

Like those of the Shougang Group, many other traditional coal-fired factories in China are undergoing a green transition by upgrading carbon reduction technologies.

During the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing last month, Longyuan Environmental Protection Co., Ltd. under CHN Energy shared details of efficient recycling and carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technology used in its power plants.

A CCUS project went operational at a power plant in Taizhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, in 2023. It was designed to capture approximately 500,000 tonnes of carbon each year.

China has nearly 100 CCUS projects in operation or under construction, with over half already operational, according to incomplete statistics. These projects have a combined annual carbon capture capacity of 4 million tonnes.

Efficient use of carbon capture technology can produce high value-added chemical products, reduce regional carbon emissions, increase social and economic benefits, and encourage a more harmonious relationship between power plants and cities, according to CHN Energy.

China has made historic breakthroughs in green and low-carbon development over the past decade, amid its quest for a sustainable future, a white paper issued in August stated. The country had reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 3 billion tonnes during the period from 2013 to 2023.

China has also worked to enhance the clean energy percentage of its total energy use, while the share of coal in its energy consumption dropped by 12.1 percentage points during the past decade.

Such progress comes as China continues its efforts to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

During the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in July, China pledged to "prioritize ecological protection, conserve resources and use them efficiently, and pursue green and low-carbon development."

China's anti-dumping measure against EU brandy completely complies with the WTO rules, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Wednesday, in a response to media reports that the EU will launch a challenge at the WTO.

China legitimately launched the anti-dumping investigation into brandy imported from the EU following a request from the domestic industry, and then decided to implement a justified trade remedy, the MOFCOM spokesperson said in a statement posted on the ministry's website on Wednesday.

The MOFCOM said on Tuesday that it would impose temporary anti-dumping measures on European brandy, as preliminary findings indicate that the product is being unfairly dumped into the Chinese market.

However, the EU, without a request from European companies, unilaterally initiated an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles (EVs) imported from China. In fact, various EU member states and industry stakeholders have voiced their objections against the EU move. The EU's relevant measure lacks factual and legal basis, clearly violates WTO rules and is essentially protectionism disguised as a trade remedy, the ministry spokesperson said.

To strongly protect the legitimate development right of China's EV industry, China has lodged strong representations at the WTO and will file a formal complaint with the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism against the EU's tariffs, the spokesperson noted.

"China always opposes the abuse of trade remedy measures and urges the EU to immediately correct its wrongdoing, to jointly preserve the overall China-EU economic and trade relationship," the spokesperson said.

The EU held a vote on whether to impose a five-year countervailing duty on Chinese EVs on Friday local time.

A statement released by the European Commission showed that the commission's proposal to impose definitive countervailing duties on imports of battery-powered electric vehicles from China "has received the necessary support from EU Member States for the adoption of tariffs."

US President Joe Biden has sent a message of congratulations to Chinese President Xi Jinping on the occasion of the 75th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC), a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Saturday.

Leaders of many countries and political parties and heads of international organizations have recently sent messages or letters of congratulations to President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on the 75th founding anniversary of the PRC.

The spokesperson confirmed that President Biden was among the leaders congratulating China.

In the message, President Biden noted that "on behalf of the people of the United States, I send our congratulations to you and the people of the People's Republic of China as you celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding. The American people and I convey our best wishes to the people of the People's Republic of China," according to the spokesperson. 

The Unspoken Mastery - Lin Gang's Centenary Art Exhibition opened on Wednesday at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) Art Museum in China's capital Beijing.   

According to CAFA, as Lin, an outstanding professor at CAFA and a prominent figure in China's oil painting community, enters his centennial year in 2024, this large-scale retrospective exhibition is being held to showcase his prolific artistic achievements. 

Having studied in the former Soviet Union, Lin was awarded the Pushkin Medal by the Russian Ministry of Culture in 1999 and was appointed an honorary professor at the Ilya Repin St. Petersburg State Academy of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture in Russia. 

Lin applied his knowledge and insights to teaching, making ­significant contributions to the development of the oil painting education in China.

The exhibition features a vast collection of representative works from various periods of Lin's career, along with a wealth of related documents, creative notes, and other artistic materials. The exhibition will run until October 13.

The public open day event at the Wenyuan Pavilion relic site in the Old Summer Palace, or Yuanmingyuan, in Beijing, invited over 20 students on Sunday, marking the first event since China's National Cultural Heritage Administration released a new guideline on Wednesday to enhance archaeological research and education.

The guidelines emphasized the importance of proper orientation and oversight in content and format, encouraging immersive visits and hands-on learning experiences. It also encourages provincial departments to publish lists of accessible archaeological sites, promoting structured activities at parks, museums, research institutions, and active excavation sites.

Zhang Zhonghua, a deputy director of the Beijing Archaeological Research Institute (BARI), guided visitors through the discoveries made so far. He noted that their excavations have revealed the perimeter walls, cornerstones and remnants of the drainage system, and they have also uncovered traces of rivers and bridges that once connected the pavilion to the surrounding landscape. On the spot, Zhang also noted how the pavilion's distinctive architecture, including its palace gates and inner gardens, reflected the grandeur of imperial China.

"Our goal is to inspire more young people to develop an interest in archaeology. Understanding our past is essential to preserving our culture and history," Zhang told the Global Times. 

"In the future, we would also like to let more citizens and tourists see what our Wenyuan Pavilion looks like and open this site to the public," Zhang said.

The Wenyuan Pavilion, originally built in 1775 during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), was one of the grand libraries that housed the "Siku Quanshu," or the "Complete Library in the Four Branches of Literature," the largest collection of books in ancient China. 

However, the pavilion was destroyed during the raze of Yuanmingyuan by Anglo-French allied forces in 1860. Today, only its ruins remain. According to experts, archaeological work on this significant site began in August 2024, with the current excavation covering an area of 1,000 square meters.

During the event, not only were the structures of the site's walls and the specific drainage systems explained, but the tools and processes needed for archaeological work were also vividly demonstrated to students. Students were introduced to tools such as measuring tapes, compasses, markers, and the Luoyang spade.

Luoyang spade is a Chinese ancient tool used to detect underground ruins. The blade, measuring 20 to 40 centimeters in length and 5 to 20 centimeters in diameter, can penetrate several meters underground. By examining the soil it brings up, one can assess the composition and detect potential ancient tombs or underground features. Visitors, especially students, were fascinated by how archaeologists use this tool to analyze soil layers. 

"The Luoyang spade is an essential tool for us. It can penetrate deep into the ground, and by analyzing the soil it brings up, we can identify what lies below the surface, whether it's a building or a tomb," Zhang explained.

BARI has been promoting public archaeology since 2015 by opening excavation sites like Yuanmingyuan to visitors. Live excavation demonstrations, expert-led tours, and interactive sessions have made archaeology more accessible to the general public, fostering a greater appreciation for China's rich cultural legacy.

As the excavation at Wenyuan Pavilion continues, the site will remain open to the public until the end of October, allowing more visitors to observe the meticulous work of archaeologists and engage with China's imperial history firsthand.

Beeple, the internationally acclaimed digital artist, is set to debut his first-ever solo exhibition, Beeple: Tales From A Synthetic Future, at the Deji Art Museum in Nanjing on November 14, 2024.

The exhibition, the largest of Beeple's career, will feature a comprehensive retrospective of his work. Visitors will explore the multidimensional nature of Beeple's artistic practice through an immersive experience. Key works on display will include Everydays, Human One, S.2122, and new pieces created specifically for the exhibition.

In addition to showcasing his most prominent works, the exhibition will include a section dedicated to discovering and nurturing emerging digital artists, along with a series of talks and public programs.

As the National Day holidays film season approaches, the spotlight falls on The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death, the second installment of Chinese veteran director Chen Kaige's The Volunteers trilogy. 

Set against the backdrop of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), the film weaves grand war scenes with delicate character portrayals, showcasing the bravery and sacrifice of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (CPVA), as well as their unwavering commitment to peace amid adversity.

Many audiences who attended a pre-screening event told the Global Times that the second installment offers a clearer narrative and story compared with the first, with more nuanced and touching character depictions. 

Chen shared at the pre-screening that filming was akin to being on a battlefield. The entire creative team spent three months filming one main battle. The extensive trenches filled with smoke and the relentless bombardment of war paint a picture of cinematic quality and epic scale. 

Chen emotionally stated, "This film encompasses my respect for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. The spirit of these brave soldiers who fought valiantly will surely be passed down through the generations."

Indeed, many cast members noted that The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death is not just a war film, it is a tribute to the resilience and spirit of the CPVA. It is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made for peace and a testament to the enduring human spirit.

"After filming a scene, when I went back to check the playback, I feel like I was watching a documentary," Chinese actor Zhu Yawen, who plays the role of a military expert, said at the pre-screening. 

His comment was echoed by the other actors in the film, who recalled the realistic and arduous filming conditions that moved them to tears many times. 

They were moved not because of the tough filming conditions, but because they strongly resonated with the stories of the Chinese soldiers who devoted all they had to fight in the front-line under adverse conditions where the equipment and food supply were far inferior to those of the enemy.

The authentic portrayal of war scenes immersed them in the story of the film, allowing them to better understand the fearless spirit of the CPVA soldiers, who sacrificed their lives in the service of their country, and to interpret with sincerity a piece of history that must not be forgotten.

Amid the cruelty of war, soldiers are also human beings, and they also miss their families and yearn to reunite with them after the war. 

In the film, a piece of candy symbolizes the touching story of a CPVA soldier's family uniting and parting during the war. The father gives the candy to his son, and the son later gives it to his younger sister, but he still keeps the sweet wrapper. Before he presses the button that will ignite the explosives, as he prepares to die with the enemy, he opens the wrapper again and licks the candy wrapper with his tongue. At that moment, he smiles, seeming to get a taste of reunion with his beloved family. In such a harsh environment, a piece of candy represents extraordinary sweetness.

Many moviegoers were moved to tears by the story. On each seat in the theater, the cinema prepared a small bag for the audience members that included a handkerchief, a small card to commemorate the CPVA and a piece of candy.

I opened the wrapper of the candy and put it into my mouth. At that moment, I felt an overwhelming sweetness. "This is the sweetest candy that I have ever tasted," I whispered in my heart.

On Sunday, China and Nepal kicked off an anti-terrorism joint army exercise, with a type of ball-shaped reconnaissance drone making its debut.

An opening ceremony was held for the Sagarmatha Friendship-2024 joint army drill at a training base in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Sunday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

It is the fourth edition of the Sagarmatha Friendship series of exercises between the Chinese and Nepali militaries, with the previous drill held five years ago in 2019, Xinhua reported.

Under the theme of joint anti-terrorism operations in urban blocks, the joint training will include light arms shooting, anti-terrorism group tactics, drone operations, emergency rescues and a comprehensive anti-terrorism exercise, with the aim of boosting capabilities in fields such as multidimensional search, mobile infiltration and armed rescue in joint operations, according to Xinhua.

The exercise will last until October 1, the report said.

After the opening ceremony, the Chinese side displayed more than 20 pieces of equipment in three categories, namely light arms, reconnaissance gears for anti-terrorism missions and equipment, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

Intelligent reconnaissance equipment attracted particular attention, including a type of robot dog, a type of through-wall radar and a type of self-propelled ball-shaped reconnaissance drone, the report said.

The gear will provide extra combat capabilities in the joint exercise, CCTV said.

A CCTV clip showed that the ball-shaped reconnaissance drone, equipped with a camera and sensors, can be held with one hand.

After viewing the clip, a Beijing-based military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday that the mini ball-shaped drone can move through urban areas by rolling on the ground with little noise and avoid hostile detections.

The small drone is expected to cost little, but can significantly reduce the risk of personnel exposure under dangerous environments, the expert said.

During the exercise, the two sides will also conduct exchanges on disaster relief operations, tackling natural disasters such as earthquakes, snow damages and debris flow, in addition to a series of cultural exchanges to enhance mutual trust and understandings, Xinhua reported.