The 23rd "Chinese Bridge" global finals for university students officially commenced in Nanping, East China's Fujian Province, on Friday. Featuring contests and immersive cultural experiences, the competition will span 21 days.

A total of 147 contestants from 130 countries and regions are participating in the competition, which has three phases: the Bridge Round, the Advancement Round, and the Grand Final. 

The Grand Final will take place in early September in Pingtan, where the global champion, continental champions, and winners of the first, second, and third prizes will be selected. Individual awards will also be presented.

The first Bridge Round featured a written exam consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions covering topics such as China's national conditions, geography, history, economy, and culture.

Preliminary rounds were held earlier this year, from February to June. Winners of these rounds, vetted by the organizing committee, have traveled to China to represent their respective regions in the global finals. 

Since its inception in 2002, the "Chinese Bridge" competition has attracted over 1.6 million participants from more than 160 countries and regions, with over 7,000 foreign students invited to China for the global finals, drawing a global viewership of hundreds of millions each year.

It aims to provide a platform for Chinese language learners from around the world to showcase their proficiency, exchange learning experiences, and assess their progress, while building bridges of friendship among participants.

After a concert Monday night at Shanghai Cultural Square theater, renowned Welsh musical theater actor and singer John Owen-Jones met his Chinese fans at the “More than Music” event hosted by the British Consulate-General in Shanghai on Tuesday to share his career experience, and celebrate the rich cultural exchanges between the UK and China.

John Owen-Jones, also known as JOJ, is most famous for his portrayals of Jean Valjean in Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg's Les Misérables and the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera.

Shanghai is the second leg of his China tour covering Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Changsha after a four-year hiatus. Tickets for the one-night Shanghai show sold out in less than seven minutes.

The Global Times reporter witnessed about 2,000 Shanghai audience members actively interacted with JOJ throughout the entire performance, immersing themselves in more than 25 classic musical theater scenes, including Nature Boy, Thunderball, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, This Is the Moment, Proud Lady and Love Changes Everything. 

Besides his long-time partner John Quirk, special guest Chinese soprano Pan Hangwei also performed on stage with JOJ.

“This year I was very much concentrating on using local musicians and local talents, so whenever I travel to a new country, I much prefer to work with local artists because it brings a different dimension to my performance… And I thought it would be a great idea to put together Chinese instruments into the recording, and in that way, we celebrate the two musical cultures and the differences and combine them and make one unique thing,” JOJ told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Speaking of blending Western and Chinese instruments and making a very unique version of the Phantom of the Opera, which they performed during the China tour, JOJ said, “It's always one of the most exciting parts of the show for me because I get to see how the audience reacts to that, because cultural exchange is such a rich tapestry of different things all over the world that we can all learn from each other and make better art and make better music. And that's what's so exciting about being here in China. I think I'd like to explore more, so I definitely would like to integrate, explore more cultural opportunities between where I'm from, where you are from.”

JOJ’s remarks were echoed by the British Consul General in Shanghai Matt Burney. The consul general told the session that “Regardless of where we come from, music is this universal language, and it reminds us of that shared humanity and the things that bind us together emotionally and spiritually. Music really does have the ability to transcend all of the challenges that life presents us. It can take us back to the past, and it can also give us optimism.”

The consul general went on to introduce the “More than Music” campaign. “We wanted to use the media of music and through this project to bring people closer to the UK. We're bringing you a really exciting, UK music campaign that I really do hope that you will engage in and hope that through this campaign you can understand more about British music and British musicians.”

Global financial markets experienced a significant surge on Friday, as stocks, gold, and oil all rallied following US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's clear indication that lower interest rates in the US are imminent.

A long-awaited rate cut by the Fed is expected to reduce the interest rate gap between China and the US, and China's central bank will have greater flexibility in implementing monetary policy, giving more opportunities for Chinese economy, according to experts.

"The time has come for policy to adjust," Powell said in a keynote speech at an annual gathering of central bankers and economists in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. "We will do everything we can to support a strong labor market as we make further progress toward price stability."

This was seen as his firmest declaration yet that the Fed has finally seen enough reasons to change its stance by cutting rates at their September 17 to 18 meeting.

Investors cheered on the messaging. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 462.3 points on Friday, an increase of 1.14 percent; the Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 1.47 percent; and the S&P 500 Index rose 1.15 percent.

In addition, international oil prices also climbed up collectively, with the October contract for WTI crude oil gaining 2.69 percent to $74.97 per barrel, and the October contract for Brent crude oil rising 2.20 percent to $78.24 per barrel.

The prices of precious metals also increased on Friday as appetite for safe-haven assets strengthened. On COMEX, December gold climbed $32.58, or 1.29 percent, to $2,549.28 an ounce.

As inflation fell fast and US job market added fewer jobs than expected, market expectation for a rate cut has been rising. The US economy created 818,000 fewer jobs than originally reported in the 12-month period through March 2024, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The revision to the nonfarm payroll numbers is the largest since 2009, indicating that the US labor market may not be as strong as expected.

As a result, the probability of a 25 basis-point cut is now 76 percent, while the probability of a 50 basis-point cut is 24 percent, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

The Federal Reserve's monetary policy often determines the direction of global monetary policy, however, this time, the US has clearly shifted from being a leader in global monetary policy to a follower, a securities analyst with the surname Chen told the Global Times on Saturday.

In June, the European Central Bank cut interest rates for the first time since 2019. The Bank of Canada announced two consecutive rate cuts in June and July. The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, also made a rate cut in July. In August, the Bank of England delivered its first interest rate cut in more than four years.

"The Fed has been cautious in signaling a rate cut not only because of the robust performance of US economic data, but also because it hopes to delay capital outflows as much as possible," Chen said, noting that the US economy is grappling with challenges in the manufacturing and industrial sectors, with even the adjustments in the US capital market being influenced by these issues.

But the increasingly strong expectation of rate cuts is already an irreversible trend, as evidenced by the general appreciation of non-dollar currencies, Chen said.

In foreign exchange market, the offshore yuan further appreciated against the US dollar on Friday, up 311 points to 7.1149 yuan per dollar.

Xi Junyang, a professor at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, suggested that the Fed's expected interest rate cut may offer China economic opportunities beyond just currency appreciation.

For instance, once US rates come down, China's central bank will have more flexibility in monetary policy adjustments, when it comes to bank reserve requirement ratio cut and more interest rate cuts, Xi said.

The Fed's rate cutting typically weakens the US dollar, increasing the possibility of capital inflows into yuan-denominated assets. With the relatively weak growth in consumer price index in China, more capital inflows have the potential to drive assets prices and help counter the risks of deflation, he noted.

China and Bhutan held the 14th Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the China-Bhutan Boundary lssues from Tuesday to Thursday in Thimphu, Bhutan, according to a release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

The Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, director-general of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, and the Bhutanese delegation was led by Letho Tobdhen Tangbi, secretary of the International Boundaries of Bhutan, according to the ministry.

The two sides reviewed the progress made in the China-Bhutan boundary negotiations in recent years and held friendly, frank and constructive discussions on issues of common interest, including the implementation of the Three-Step Roadmap.

Boundary negotiations started in 1984 and lasted for nearly 40 years before the two signed a memorandum of understanding on a Three-Step Roadmap in 2021 to help speed up the delayed boundary talks. 

During the EGM, the two sides also discussed the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement on the Responsibilities and Functions of the Joint Technical Team (JTT) on the Delimitation and Demarcation of the China-Bhutan Boundary during the second meeting of the JTT. The JTT was established during the 13th expert group meeting to assist the expert group in the implementation of the memorandum of understanding.

The discussions were held in a warm and friendly atmosphere in keeping with the ties of friendship and cooperation between China and Bhutan.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the 25th Round of the Boundary Talks between China and Bhutan was held in Beijing in October 2023. The two sides held in-depth discussions on the boundary negotiations and noted the progress made through a series of Expert Group Meetings since the 24th Round of Boundary Talks in 2016. 

Chinese tennis ace Zhang Zhizhen will make history as the first man from the Chinese mainland to participate in a Grand Slam tournament as a seeded player when the 137th Wimbledon Championships begin on July 1. 

Due to the withdrawal of world No.26 Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic, Zhang will lead the Chinese charge as a total of 10 Chinese athletes have gained direct entry into the main draw, competing against the world's elite tennis players at the All England Club for the third Grand Slam event of the season.

Thanks to his recent solid performances, the 28-year-old Zhang has reached a career high of No.33 in the latest world rankings, marking a new height for Chinese men's singles players. The top 32 players automatically qualify as seeds, ensuring a direct path to the main draw at Wimbledon.

Liu Yu, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Thursday that Zhang is expected to improve from his first-round defeat in 2023. 

"He has the ability to compete at this level and he has the skills and determination needed to perform well. However, success in a Grand Slam event depends on various factors including form, matchups, and handling the pressure of such a prestigious stage," said Liu. 

When facing the world's elite players, victory often hinges on the details, Liu noted. 

At the All England Club in 2023, Zhang was knocked out by Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in a five-set thriller in the opening round.

Last week, Zhang reached the semifinals at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Germany, after prevailing against Christopher Eubanks of the US, but Zhang's dream of his first grass court tour final was cut short by world No.1 Jannik Sinner of Italy.  

"I need to further improve my first serve percentage on the grass court. Playing on grass emphasizes the importance of net play skills, an area where I also need to continue to make up ground," he said after losing to Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January. 

In 2021, Zhang became the first man from the Chinese mainland during the Open Era to play in the main draw at Wimbledon. 

In the ladies' singles, Zheng Qinwen is one of contenders for the title after her scintillating run in the 2024 Australian Open.

The 21-year-old became the second Chinese woman to reach a Grand Slam singles final after Li Na but fell short of Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the final at Melbourne. 

The world No.8 reached the third round in 2022 but suffered a first-round knockout in 2023.

"Compared to the hard court, Zheng has not been doing well on the grass court. She relies heavily on consistent baseline rallies or heavy topspin, these strategies may be less effective on grass. It also takes a longer time for her to adapt to grass conditions, including footwork, timing, and shot selection," Liu said. 

"Developing specific strategies that capitalize on the grass court's characteristics, such as incorporating slice shots, approaching the net more often, and being aggressive on shorter balls may help her game," Liu added. 

Zheng will be joined by her compatriots such as Wang Xinyu, Zhu Lin, Wang Xiyu and Yuan Yue. 

According to the All England Club, this year's event boasts a total prize money pool of a record 50 million pounds ($63.2 million).

Chinese athlete Cui Chenxi placed fourth in the Women's Street Skateboarding finals at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, setting the best historical performance for the Chinese delegation in this sporting event.

In the finals, despite lower scores in the run section, Cui performed outstandingly in the trick section, securing fourth place with 241.56 points.

Cui expressed her gratitude after her first Olympics experience, saying there were many spectators at the Olympic venue, and almost everyone cheered after she completed her moves. "Hearing them cheer, I was very excited. It was really great to receive so much applause in my first Olympics," Cui said, reported the China News Service.

During the finals, she was once in the top three, but Brazilian skateboarder Rayssa Leal overtook her to win the bronze medal in the last round. Many felt sorry for her as she narrowly missed a medal on her first Olympic stage, but the 14-year-old young girl said, "There aren't too many regrets."

Cui started roller skating at the age of 3 and began skateboarding at the age of 10. 

After more than three years of practice, she gradually showed maturity and determination beyond her age. Last year, at the Hangzhou Asian Games Women's Street Skateboarding finals, Cui emerged as a star, winning the gold medal while becoming the youngest Asian Games champion in Chinese sports history. 

Before the national team selection, Cui suffered from a severe ankle sprain and lost a tooth, but she never complained. "If a trick can't be done, I'll practice another one first and come back to it after a few days. It might work then." She is considered the most stable performer among Chinese skateboarders, with no obvious weaknesses in either the run or the trick section.

Skateboarding made its return at the Paris Olympics, four years after the sport's debut at the Games and, this year, the sport is showcasing some of the games' youngest competitors as well as some celebrated veterans. 

The Chinese skateboarding team expanded its roster with three female athletes for this Olympics, including the other two Chinese athletes, Zhu Yuanling and Zeng Wenhui.

Another young competitor representing China is 13-year-old Zhu Yuanling. On August 6, the youngest member of the Chinese delegation, 11-year-old Zheng Haohao, will also compete in the Women's Park Skateboarding.

"I've already accomplished my goal by making it to the Olympics. My coach told me not to be too nervous and just to show up on the Olympic stage," Zhu said.

A 29-year-old woman surnamed He was detained by police for posting inflammatory as well as defamatory comments about athletes and coaches on Sina Weibo, following the table tennis women's singles final at the Paris Olympics, according to Beijing police on Monday. 

The arrest came after Beijing police received reports from the public about the posts, which were found to be harmful due to their malicious and false nature. He has been placed under criminal detention while the investigation continues.

The arrest of the woman for defamatory comments about athletes at the Paris Games underscores the authorities' efforts to curb the negative impact of toxic fan culture and maintain the integrity of sports.

The arrest was preceded by an official crackdown on over 800 accounts of Chinese social media platforms that had been spreading negativity and fomenting conflict during the table tennis events at the Olympics, with more than 50,000 inappropriate fan posts being removed. 

Chinese paddler Chen Meng defeated her teammate Sun Yingsha 4-2, winning the women's singles gold medal at the Paris Games, but the tantalizing all-Chinese final that deserved celebration turned into a shame when many fans on the stand showed favoritism toward Sun while booing Chen when Chen scored points and triumphed over Sun.  

Both Chen and Sun are the victims of a distorted fan culture that centered on the idolization of a certain public figure, leading to selfish displays and toxic behavior that can harm the sports community and overshadow broader values such as patriotism and sportsmanship.

After China's easing past Egypt 3-0 to reach the quarterfinals of table tennis women's team event on Monday, Chen looked confident and shared her thoughts on the excellent teamwork of her fellow athletes.

"Our mutual trust is so deep that a simple glance can convey our feelings and intentions to each other," Chen said. 

Deng Yaping, China's table tennis legend, advocates for maintaining the integrity and respect inherent in sportsmanship, emphasizing that while it's normal for fans to have their favorites, this shouldn't lead to hostility.

"Everyone has the right to like someone. You just need to show your affection; there is no need to attack other players," Deng said. 

Deng said that the evolving nature of fan support in sports is a normal phenomenon. 

"Traditionally, fans were drawn to table tennis because they loved the sport, and then they developed admiration for the players. However, nowadays, some fans are first attracted to specific athletes and then become interested in the sport itself." 

Critics argue that such behavior should not be considered culture but rather a harmful "tumor" that needs to be rooted out.

Toxic fandom culture has even led to conflicts among fans, disrupting the harmonious atmosphere traditionally associated with sports. Instead of coming to appreciate the game, spectators often engage in aggressive cheering for their favored athletes while attacking competitor players, turning the sports arena into a battlefield, which represents a significant departure from the true spirit of sportsmanship.

The case highlighted the Chinese authorities' ongoing crackdown on inappropriate online behavior, and their efforts to preserve the spirit of sportsmanship and preventing the negative aspects of toxic fan culture from tarnishing the values that sports stand for.

Chinese badminton player He Bingjiao has retired from international badminton, the Badminton World Federation(BWF) announced on Tuesday. The 27-year-old won her career-best Olympic silver in women's singles at Paris2024 on August 5.

BWF has already removed He from women's singles world rankings.

This has garnered worldwide attention as netizens were impressed by the sportsmanship He demostrated by holding up a Spanish flag pin when she was awarded the medal on the podium. He had qualified for the final after Spain's Carolina Martin was forced to retire midway due to injury. Her gesture and her heartfelt wishes for Marin's speedy recovery resonated deeply with viewers.

Netizens left posts wishing her well and expressing gratitude for her efforts. "Thank you, He Bingjiao, for showing true sportsmanship and grace. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors!" wrote an admirer.

He was born in 1997 and started playing badminton at the age of five. In 2014, He defeated Akane Yamaguchi winning the gold medal in women's singles badminton at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.

After joining the national team, He's achievements skyrocketed. In 2015, she won titles at the China Masters, Asian Junior Championships, BWF World Junior Championships, and the Indonesia Masters. In 2016, He claimed a total of five championship titles in both team and individual events.

Her performance continued to improve steadily, and she once reached fifth place in the world rankings. However, during the era dominated by the "Big Four" of women's singles, Tai Tzu Ying, An Se-young, Akane Yamaguchi and Chen Yufei, He found it difficult to break through further. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, He advanced all the way to the finals, ultimately losing to An Se-young and winning the silver medal.

Throughout her career, He has won four World Championship titles. In 2021 and 2023, she helped her team win the Sudirman Cup World Badminton Mixed Team Championship twice. In 2020 and 2024, she also helped her team win the Uber Cup women's team championship twice. In the Olympic singles competition, He finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics and won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics.

China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) has issued a notice that it will tighten surveillance at ports of entry to prevent the spread of mpox in China, after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Wednesday that the mpox outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

People coming from countries and regions affected by mpox outbreak, who have been exposed to mpox or have symptoms such as fever, headache, back pain, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes and rashes, should declare their conditions to customs upon entry. Customs officials will take medical measures and conduct sampling tests according to prescribed procedures, the GAC said.

Transport vehicles, containers, goods, and items from countries or regions affected by the outbreak and potentially contaminated should undergo sanitary treatment according to prescribed procedures, the GAC noted.

The measures took effect immediately upon announcement on Thursday, and will be valid for six months, according to the GAC.

According to the Africa centers for disease control and prevention data on August 9, 13 countries in Africa have reported 17,541 cases of mpox, with 517 deaths.

China has effective capabilities to respond to the potential risks of the spread of mpox, Lu Hongzhou, head of the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, told the Global Times on Friday.

To prevent the spread of mpox, Lu suggested that people should avoid sexual contact with individuals of unknown health status, and stay informed about mpox outbreaks in destination countries and regions when traveling. Lu added that people should avoid coming in contact with animals such as rodents and primates that may carry the virus.

The recent report of 25 tons of radioactive water leaking from Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)'s troubled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant once again exposes TEPCO's internal management chaos. It also highlights the unreliability and risks associated with Japan's moves to dump nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea, analysts said. 

Approximately 25 tons of water containing radioactive materials leaked into the spent fuel cooling pool of Reactor Unit 2 in the Fukushima plant. TEPCO has stopped water injection into the pool and is investigating the cause of the leak. To ascertain the precise location of the leak and its underlying cause, TEPCO plans to deploy robotic equipment for an inspection scheduled for this week, Japanese media NHK reported on Tuesday.  

Although TEPCO claims that there has been no discharge into the outside environment, the report raises concerns about Japan's current practice of dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea given TEPCO's notorious history of cover-ups related to the Fukushima disaster, analysts said. 

This incident exposes TEPCO's internal management chaos and disorganization. Lü Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences said that both TEPCO and the Japanese government bear major responsibility for handling the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater and should be transparent about any incident that has occurred in Fukushima. 

Despite using the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s report as a shield, Japan continues to dump nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean, disregarding objections from neighboring countries and calls for international oversight. If this attitude continues, it could lead to further catastrophic incidents, causing severe and irreversible damage to the ocean and the environment, Lü told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

As of press time on Wednesday, IAEA has not responded to Global Times' inquiries on the incident. 

This is not the first time this has happened in the Fukushima plant. In February, approximately 5.5 tons of wastewater, which may contain 22 billion becquerels of radioactive materials such as cesium and strontium have leaked from equipment at the nuclear power plant. Also, in October, 2023, five workers were accidentally splashed with liquid containing radioactive materials while cleaning at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, according to Japanese media. 

On August 7, despite persistent opposition at home and abroad, Japan started its eighth round of dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. In response, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Japan said in a statement that Japan is irresponsibly shifting potential pollution risks onto the entire world. It is continuously discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean without addressing international concerns about the safety of the discharge, the long-term reliability of the purification equipment and the effectiveness of monitoring arrangements. 

The spokesperson urged Japan to fully cooperate in establishing a comprehensive, independent and effective long-term international monitoring arrangement involving relevant stakeholders, including neighboring countries.