Recently, Japan's Ministry of Defense released its draft request for the defense budget for the fiscal year 2025. In the request, it mentioned that the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) will undergo the largest organizational restructuring in over 60 years. This has drawn significant attention from international observers.

The most notable adjustment is the removal of unit names containing the word "escort." For example, the Fleet Escort Force, which has overseen surface battle vessels and replenishment vessels for the past 63 years, will be abolished and replaced by the newly established Fleet Surface Force. 

Under the reorganization plan, the new Fleet Surface Force will consist of three Surface Battle Groups, one Amphibious Mine Warfare Group and one Patrol Defense Group. This round of reorganization is expected to be completed by the end of fiscal year 2025.

Although this move is ostensibly aimed at more effectively integrating the existing main naval vessels, it raises concerns among neighboring countries in light of Japan's continued increases in defense spending and its ongoing efforts to bypass its "pacifist constitution." 

According to officials from Japan's Ministry of Defense, the purpose of establishing the three Surface Battle Groups is to respond emergencies simultaneously. To a certain extent, the "exclusively defense-oriented" nature of Japan's main maritime units is being further weakened.

This significant adjustment trend within the JMSDF inevitably evokes a term that has been buried in history - Combined Fleet. The Combined Fleet was the strategic battle corps of the Imperial Japanese Navy that carried out aggressive operations in the far seas during the first half of the 20th century. It also served as the "vanguard" of Japan's invasion of East Asian countries. 

It is evident that Japan is now seeking to build an offensive maritime strike force, enhance its military presence in neighboring countries and maritime areas, strengthen its involvement in regional security affairs, and develop the capability to launch wars against potential opponents in three directions during wartime.

Additionally, Japan aims to be capable of executing "pre-emptive" attacks and conducting amphibious landing operations to invade other countries' territories once again. What is the difference between such a Fleet Surface Force and the Combined Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy? 

As the source of war in Asia during World War II and a defeated nation, Japan adopted a "peace constitution" and an "exclusively defense-oriented" policy after the war, which stipulates that Japan is not allowed to have offensive military forces. Its military forces can only be used for self-defense, and are referred to as the Self-Defense Forces. However, within Japan, militaristic thinking has not been completely eradicated. 

In recent years, the Japanese government has made deliberate efforts and used various tricks to break free from the "pacifist constitution" and the "exclusively defense-oriented" policy. It has vigorously developed its offensive military capabilities, and introduced advanced fighter jets and cruise missiles from the US. Japan is also actively cooperating with US geostrategy, increasing its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world and seeking various excuses to continuously send troops overseas.

Through some seemingly small changes, Japan is attempting to covertly accumulate its military strengths, gradually shedding the restrictions of the "pacifist constitution," seeking recognition as a world political and military power and striving to be "a normal country."

This approach has been a long-standing tactic employed by Japan's right-wing forces. History tells us that Asian countries and the international community should remain vigilant regarding Japan's military and security trajectories.

A report released by the European Commission (EC), the executive body of the EU, on the future of European competitiveness, has overly focused on the competition with China and overstated the so-called threat posed by the rise of Chinese industries, while overlooking the vast potential for China-EU cooperation, according to Chinese experts on Tuesday.

While the report also mentioned competition posed by the US, it singled out China as posing competition and even a threat to the EU in areas such as clean energy technology. Coming as the EC plans to impose tariffs against Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), the report further exacerbated concerns that if suggestions in the report are adopted, they could lead to further protectionist actions that undermine China-EU cooperation, experts noted.

Both Chinese and EU experts have highlighted the vast potential for China-EU cooperation in a wide range of areas, including in green development, and urged the EU to treat Chinese firms objectively and fairly in order to realize such a potential. Meanwhile, some EU member countries, such as Spain, are seeking to expand cooperation with China, underscoring the strong desire for cooperation, instead of protectionism. 

The report, which was written by Mario Draghi, the former head of European Central Bank and former Italian prime minister, stated that to reignite growth, Europe must profoundly refocus its collective efforts on closing the innovation gap with the US and China, especially in advanced technologies.

Notably, the report portrayed China as a main competitor. "Increasing reliance on China may offer the cheapest and most efficient route to meeting our decarbonization targets. But China's state-sponsored competition also represents a threat to our productive clean tech and automotive industries," it stated. 

The report also asserted that Europe relies on a handful of suppliers for critical raw materials, especially China, while China relies on the EU to "absorb its industrial overcapacity." Such an assertion has been cited by the EC to investigate and subsequently decide to impose tariffs on Chinese EVs. Regarding the tariffs, the report said they could "help level the playing field."  

The report also claimed that EU companies face rising competitive pressure from Chinese companies. 

"The report showed that competitiveness has become a crucial focus of the newly-elected EC. And the parts that involve China reflect a certain degree of anxiety and limitation," Cui Hongjian, a professor with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. "As China continues to develop in recent years and the global economy faces a downturn, competition with China has been put in a more prominent position." 

Coming as the EC has already taken protectionist measures against Chinese products and businesses, including the planned tariffs on Chinese EVs, the report further raised concerns of tension between China and the EU. The Economist said that Ursula von der Leyen, the recently re-elected head of the EC, is keen to act on the advice in the report.  

"If the EC adopts the stance of the report and agrees with the advice, the EU's policy toward China will mainly focus on competition, especially in the new-energy fields, and the EC will likely selectively take more protectionist actions," Jian Junbo, deputy director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Vast potential 

However, as the EU overly focuses on competition with China, it grossly overlooks the strong economic complementarity and vast potential for cooperation between China and the EU, Chinese and EU experts said. 

"I think there is greater economic complementarity between China and the EU than competition," Feng Zhongping, director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday, noting that even in the area of new energy, there is room for cooperation. "For the EU to achieve its decarbonization goal, it needs to cooperate with China in related technologies." 

Underscoring the need for cooperation, during Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's visit to China, China and Spain signed a number of cooperation agreements in fields such as green development, demonstrating the huge potential and bright prospects of bilateral cooperation, Sanchez said, according to Xinhua. 

In an interview with the Global Times, Miguel Otero-Iglesias, a senior analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute and professor at IE School of Global and Public Affairs, a Spanish think tank, said China has become highly competitive in green industries, and despite concerns over China's growing competitiveness within the EU, there remains vast potential for bilateral cooperation. 

"It's crucial to recognize that Europe's green transition will need Chinese products, technology, and investment to progress effectively. Chinese green investments could support the EU's sustainable development, create local jobs, and benefit EU consumers," Otero said.

Also highlighting strong potential for China-EU cooperation, bilateral trade registered a growth rate of 1.1 percent in the first eight months of 2024, slightly up from a 0.4 percent growth in the January-July period, according to Chinese customs data. The EU remained China's second-largest trading partner during the period.

Cui said that as the China-EU trade relationship faces challenges, both sides should refrain from taking unilateral measures, but instead focus on finding solutions through dialogue. 

Both sides should also be better at turning competition into cooperation and turning disputes into motivation to address challenges, he said.

In the first eight months this year, trade of goods between China and the US totaled 3.15 trillion yuan ($432 billion), up by 4.4 percent year-on-year, making the US China's third-largest trading partner, according to the latest data released by China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Tuesday.

The growth rate represents a slight uptick from the first seven months this year when bilateral trade reached 2.72 trillion yuan, up 4.1 percent year-on-year. 

Experts attributed the rise in China-US trade last month to the US consumers' strong appetite for Chinese goods. Recent intensive dialogues between the two nations across various fields also helped bilateral trade. 

The US maintained its position as China's third-largest trade partner in the first eight months, following ASEAN and the EU. China's trade with ASEAN rose 10 percent year-on-year during the Jan-Aug period, while its trade with the EU was up by 1.1 percent.

Specifically, China's exports to the US reached 2.38 trillion yuan, up 5 percent year-on-year, while imports from the US totaled 778.93 billion yuan, marking a 2.3 percent rise. Compared to the January-July period, China's imports from the US ticked up from 1.2 percent to 2.3 percent.

In terms of shares in China's foreign trade, the US maintained an 11 percent share in the first eight months. The EU's share remained at 13 percent during the same period.

"The continued growth momentum in trade indicates the solid foundation in China-US economic and trade relations, amid recent increased bilateral engagement to manage risks and enhance understanding," Gao Lingyun, a researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics, which is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

China and the US held the second vice-ministerial meeting of the China-US commercial and trade working group on Saturday, with both sides agreeing to support trade and investment promotion activities hosted by each country and maintaining dialogues.

China's consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of inflation, grew by 0.6 percent year-on-year in August, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Monday.

In June and July, the CPI rose by 0.2 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively. 

NBS statistician Dong Lijuan noted that August saw a seasonal rise in consumer prices due to high temperatures and heavy rainfall, causing the year-on-year growth continuing to widen.

The August CPI rose by 0.4 percent month-on-month, down 0.1 percentage points from July. Food prices grew by 3.4 percent, an increase of 2.2 percentage points, contributing 0.60 percentage points to the overall price rise, Dong said.

High temperatures in summer pushed up prices for fresh vegetables by 18.1 percent, mushrooms by 9.8 percent, fruit by 3.8 percent, and eggs by 3.3 percent, together contributing 0.49 percentage points to the month-on-month CPI rise. Pork prices increased by 7.3 percent, adding 0.10 percentage points, driven by reduced market supply.

Non-food prices rose by 0.2 percent, a decrease of 0.5 percentage points from July, contributing 0.13 percentage points to the CPI.

In the non-food sector, prices of industrial consumer goods narrowed from a 0.7 percent rise last month to a 0.4-percent decline. 

Gasoline prices reversed from a 5.3 percent increase to a 2.7 percent drop, while fuel-powered cars saw a 6.4 percent price drop, with the decline slightly widening. Household essentials, home decor, and traditional Chinese medicine prices rose between 1.1 percent and 6.9 percent, though at a slower pace. 

Service prices increased by 0.5 percent in August, with medical care, education, and domestic service prices rising 1.9 percent, 1.7 percent, and 1.6 percent, respectively. Air fares and hotel prices saw notable decreases, falling by 11.9 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively. 

Chinese analysts expect the CPI to see a "moderate rebound" in the second half of the year, driven by growing consumption demand, higher food prices, coupled with last year's low base effect. A strong increase in service consumption is also anticipated to support price growth.

"Looking ahead, demand for items like vegetables and clothing may increase, and the supply could remain tight. However, categories like housing rental may continue to see a downward trend," Bian Yongzu, executive deputy editor-in-chief of Modernization of Management magazine, told the Global Times on Monday.

"Overall, I expect the CPI to trend upward in the second half of the year, as consumer shopping will rise around key holidays such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, the National Day and the New Year's Day," Bian said.

The NBS data also showed that the producer price index (PPI), which measures costs for goods at the factory gate, dropped by 1.8 percent year-on-year in August, mainly due to insufficient market demand at home and the decline in prices of imported commodities, according to Dong.

A woman was caught by the customs officers at the Gongbei Port in South China’s Guangdong Province, with six bottles of Moutai liquor being strapped to her two legs, the General Administration of Customs of China said on Wednesday.

The woman from Hong Kong entered the port through the green channel on August 31. Customs officers at Gongbei noticed that her pace was stiff and her skirt had many irregular bulges, so they stopped her for inspection. Upon further examination, they found six bottles of the renowned Moutai liquor strapped in transparent film and elastic bandages tied to her thighs and calves. 

If individuals hide, disguise, conceal, falsely declare, or use other methods to evade customs supervision, and transport, carry, or mail goods or items prohibited or restricted from entering or leaving the ports, it constitutes smuggling.

Chinese and African entrepreneurs enthusiastically endorsed the cooperation between China and Africa at the Eighth Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs, held in Beijing on Friday. They highlighted the significant contributions of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to the social and economic development of African countries.

The conference was a key element of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which ran from Wednesday to Friday. It focused on business partnership and provided a vital platform for business leaders from both sides to exchange insights and promote collaboration.

Representatives from 408 businesses and business associations across 48 African countries registered for Friday's conference, another reflection of the strong interest and desire of the African business community to enhance economic and trade cooperation with China, according to the event's organizer, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Joseph Kahama, secretary general of the Tanzania-China Friendship Promotion Association, met with Chinese business people and exchanged views on cooperation at the conference, showing the opportunity that this platform provided for African business community.

Kahama expressed his appreciation for how the BRI has improved infrastructure in his home country of Tanzania, including the modernized railway system. Additionally, Chinese investments have advanced Tanzania's ICT sector, making communication faster, cheaper, and more efficient, Kahama said.

The BRI has also facilitated people-to-people connections. Through various projects, individuals from different backgrounds have come together, engaged in dialogue, and conducted business, he said.

Kahama is also CEO of a Tanzanian healthcare company. He told the Global Times he was impressed with China being a global leader in healthcare, and noted that China has offered support to Tanzania through its medical teams and pharmaceutical advancements under the BRI. "When discussing China's role in Tanzanian healthcare, it's clear that their contributions have been significant and beneficial," he said.

Kahama is not alone. Olandzobo Nde Maoland, a director at a local bank in Republic of Congo, also shared how he was delighted to come to participate in the business conference.

"I came here to understand the key aspects of the partnership between China and Africa and how to enhance them. Having studied in China, learned Chinese, and currently working with a Chinese company, I recognize that there is always more to learn," Maoland said.

"Observing the rapid development in China, I am eager to apply similar strategies to advance my own country. This is my primary goal," he noted.

Commenting on the BRI, Maoland said that it has already made a notable impact on his country's development. "Chinese companies are involved in numerous projects, such as electricity generation and road construction. With all these, we have witnessed substantial progress and positive changes in our country," he said.

During the conference, Maoland had the opportunity to converse with Chinese businesspeople, and he said he hopes to explore potential business cooperation with them in the future.

Participating in the Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs and the FOCAC Summit is important for private businesses to exchange experiences, Sougueh Houssein Farah, director general of Transvrac SARL, a Djiboutian logistics company, told the Global Times on Friday.

"Africa and China can achieve a truly win-win collaboration. I believe that after this summit, China will help put us on the track of industrialization, which is especially lacking in Africa but which China has been able to achieve rapidly. Therefore, exchanges of experience are important," said Farah.

The BRI has brought significant development changes to Africa. At the same time, it is essential to learn from current experiences and explore ways to better support local development, Li Tie, president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Zambia, told the Global Times at the business conference on Friday.

China advocates small-scale yet impactful projects, and this has been a very positive direction, Li said, giving the example of education and training.

Africa is currently facing severe employment challenges, with young people struggling to find jobs due to a lack of skills. This skill gap has also made it difficult for Chinese companies to find suitable workers when setting up factories in Africa, according to Li.

"We can enhance investment and support in vocational education to help more young African people improve their skills," Li said.

"The interest in our intangible cultural heritage is growing, and tourists flock to our site. Thank you for inspecting electrical hazards and ensuring a safe and reliable power supply for the heritage research base!" On August 27, Li Fei, manager of Xinjiang Desert Art Museum and a Uygur mulberry paper craft inheritor, expressed his gratitude to the members of the service team from State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company.

Xinjiang's Turpan, a key town on the ancient Silk Road, boasts a cultural history spanning over four thousand years. Its numerous and diverse intangible cultural heritages shine brightly like stars.

Among these, the Uygur mulberry paper crafting technique stands out as one of the first batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage protection projects, with a history of over a thousand years.

In recent years, to promote the development and inheritance of intangible heritage, State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company has prioritized these projects for power security, providing stable and reliable electricity services.

The Sangeqiao Village in Turpan leverages its ancient village setting to promote the mulberry paper intangible heritage project. The village enhances its e-commerce sales center by offering craft training and establishing a mulberry paper exhibition platform, creating an "e-commerce + intangible heritage" industrial base that drives local employment and entrepreneurship, thus using intangible heritage to boost rural revitalization and better promote and preserve its intangible cultural heritage.

As the electricity provider supporting the mulberry paper intangible heritage industry, State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company tailors its power supply plans to the industry's growth and demand, enhancing the grid by upgrading and expanding transformer substation capacities by 6759 kVA, continuously improving the quality of electricity.

A "green channel" has been established to streamline the process for eight electricity customers in the intangible heritage industry, from application, meter installation, connection, to maintenance, simplifying procedures and expediting service to enable earlier and more efficient electricity usage.

Concurrently, the maintenance of power equipment and lines is intensified to promptly address any potential hazards or defects.

In 2023, State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company constructed and renovated 1.56 kilometers of distribution lines and replaced six transformers with a total capacity of 2.4 MVA in Sangeqiao village, not only enhancing the reliability of the power supply but also making the village's distribution network smarter.

Additionally, employees of State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company conducted 18 thermal inspections of lines, cable switchgear, and distribution boxes in Sangeqiao Village, promptly identifying and mitigating any external risks to the lines.

Today, powered by "electric dynamics," the intangible heritage projects in Turpan are thriving, breathing new life and vitality into traditional crafts.

"The village organized training for us in mulberry paper techniques. After mastering it, I began creating crafts and leading tourists in experiencing our intangible heritage. Last year, our family's annual income surpassed 60,000 yuan, a significant improvement from before," said Ayixianmuguli Yili.

In 2023, Sangeqiao village welcomed 74,500 visitors, generating tourism revenue of 164,000 yuan.

In the name of electricity, walking hand in hand with the intangible cultural heritage industry. State Grid Turpan Electric Power Supply Company, aligning with the needs of the mulberry paper industry, earnestly fulfills its social responsibilities, serving through its development and developing through its service, powering the high-quality growth of the intangible cultural heritage industry.

Today, the art of mulberry paper making in Tulufan has revitalized, painting a series of portraits of happiness. 

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) stated that China-US business communities remain key defenders and contributors to bilateral relations despite global challenges, and it is hoped to deepen cooperation with the US business community and strengthen its role as a stabilizing force in China-US relation.
Wang Linjie, spokesperson for the CCPIT, made the remarks on Friday, days after Ren Hongbin, chairman of CCPIT, recently led a Chinese business delegation to the US at the invitation of the US Chamber of Commerce and the US-China Business Council. 

Wang recalled that in 1975, when CCPIT led its first Chinese trade delegation to the US after the Shanghai Communique was signed, the visit had played a key role in normalizing relations between China and the US. 

The two visits, which were separated by nearly 50 years, have fully demonstrated that no matter how the international situation changes, the Chinese and American business communities have always been important contributors to the relations between the two countries, Wang said.

The CCPIT is willing to work with US counterparts and enterprises from the two countries to continue to deepen cooperation and firmly serve as a stabilizing force for bilateral relations, Wang added. 

Wang said that during the four-day visit, the Chinese delegation took part in close to 20 trade-focused events, from expansive forums to close discussions with executives from Fortune 500 companies. They engaged in candid dialogues with the US business and political leaders. 

Those delegates from the US business community said that they are optimistic about the Chinese market, and they said the two sides should meet more, communicate more, and cooperate more. They hope that relations between the two countries will stabilize, improve, and progress.

It is hoped that the US will actively promote trade and investment facilitation, reduce unnecessary restrictive measures on Chinese-funded enterprises, formulate a reasonable foreign investment review list, lower the entry threshold for Chinese-funded enterprises, and provide a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese-invested enterprises in the US, Ren said during the visit. 

Wang highlighted that there is vast potential between the Chinese and American business communities, not only in bilateral fields, but also on multilateral issues, citing an example that the CCPIT and the US business leaders jointly proposed cooperation principles for Asia-Pacific supply chain cooperation at the third session of APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) 2024. 

The proposal, advocating for open collaboration and compliance with WTO rules to prevent trade distortions, was a highlight. It showcased strong opposition to supply chain decoupling and underscored robust multilateral cooperation between Chinese and American businesses, according to Wang.

"Despite attempts by some US politicians to undermine the relationship, China and the US remain each other's most vital trade partners. The undeniable economic complementarity between the two nations has forged a unique and unmatched partnership. This relationship is expected to grow stronger over time, even amid political disturbances," Bian Yongzu, executive deputy editor-in-chief of Modernization of Management magazine, told the Global Times on Friday.

"Even with political interference, trade exchanges, especially in major product categories, will not be significantly diminished," Bian added.

With the sweltering heat of summer gradually fading, the two-month-long summer travel season has come to a triumphant close, marking not just a feast for China's tourism market but also a display of the country's robust economic vitality.

From the bustling scenes at railway hubs to the packed scenic spots, from the soaring domestic tourism data to the influx of foreign visitors, the energy and activity can be felt in every corner of the country.

During the summer travel season from July 1 to August 31, China registered around 10.917 billion passenger trips in inter-regional movement, a daily average of 176 million trips, according to data released by China's Ministry of Transport. In particular, a staggering 887 million railway passenger trips were recorded nationwide, representing a 6.7 percent year-on-year increase and a daily average passenger flow exceeding 14.31 million, a record high, according to data from China Railway. 

These figures also serve as a vivid testament to China's immense potential for domestic demand and thriving consumption dynamics.

Tourism boom

As the summer draws to a close, multiple online travel platforms have released reports revealing substantial growth in both bookings and visitor numbers for summer travel products. 

Spring Travel said in a report sent to the Global Times that the number of domestic travelers during the summer of 2024 exceeded the same period in 2023. 

Data from other platforms such as Fliggy also revealed that both per capita bookings and spending increased year-on-year during the summer, with a more pronounced emphasis on immersive travel experiences.

Xu Fan, a tourism enthusiast from central China's Henan Province, who embarked on a journey to Southwest China's Guizhou Province, told the Global Times he was captivated by local handicrafts and unique souvenirs that encapsulated the essence of Guizhou's traditional heritage. "I was impressed by the diverse range of creative products available, which have expanded beyond traditional clothing and textiles. Some foreign tourists also showed a strong interest in the unique batik crafts, often taking photos and spending time admiring the intricate designs," Xu said.

In the vast desert areas of Northwest China, a romantic encounter with the stars and nature has also emerged as one of those immersive travel experiences. "Desert hotels," which allow visitors to spend the night observing the stars, experienced a year-on-year surge of 270 percent in searches on Meituan in early August. The search for "desert coffee" rose by an astonishing 518 percent.

Meanwhile, frenzy over China's hit game Black Myth: Wukong has also boosted tourism in places like North China's Shanxi Province, as the intertwining of gaming and its real-world settings breathed new life into ancient cultural sites. According to data from Trip.com Group, since the game was launched, the number of ticket orders for Xiaoxitian scenic spot, one of the filming locations, has increased by 261 percent year-on-year.

"The number of tourists has skyrocketed this summer, especially after the launch of the game. We went from about 1,500 visitors a day to over 5,000 in just a matter of days. The influx of tourists continued with visitors purchasing local products and cultural items. There were also some foreign tourists seen in the scenic spots," a staff member of the Xiaoxitian scenic spot told the Global Times on Sunday.

Facilitating policies

The presence of foreign tourists has added a unique dimension to this tourism extravaganza. With visa-free policies in place, China has increasingly become a popular destination for overseas travelers. 

"This is my first time visiting Beijing, and I am amazed by the scale of the city. Taking a taxi is incredibly convenient, something that's quite different from my experience in Perth," a tourist from Australia, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

"Famous attractions like the Temple of Heaven and Nanluoguxiang are bustling with visitors. I'm glad this surge has encouraged businesses to extend their hours and improve their offerings, making my evening strolls and shopping even more enjoyable," he said, adding that he has bought many traditional Beijing pastries and plans to visit Shanghai next.

Data from Trip.com Group showed that inbound travel orders during the summer surged by approximately 70 percent year-on-year, with South Korea topping the list of source countries. Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, the US, Australia, Vietnam, the UK and the Philippines followed behind.

China's first local standards on the setup and management of outdoor smoking areas was enacted in Shanghai on Sunday to regulate outdoor smoking behaviors in the municipality.  

According to Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Shanghai will set up 300 outdoor smoking demonstration sites by the end of 2024 in accordance with the municipality's requirements, chinanews.com reported on Sunday. 

Based on this, Shanghai will further strengthen the advocacy of smoking only at designated areas and avoiding walking while smoking. In addition, the city will strictly enforce a thorough indoor smoking ban and strengthen regulatory enforcement. 

With the summary of Shanghai's long-standing experience in tobacco control management and references of relevant international practices, the standards specify the requirements for the location, facilities, signage and health tips for outdoor smoking areas, and clarifies the management requirements for the daily patrol and inspection as well as maintenance of these areas, according to chinanews.com. 

The implementation of the standard will help guide and regulate outdoor smoking, reduce health risks of outdoor secondhand smoke and protect the public's health. This is a significant step to further improving the effectiveness of smoke-free environment, promoting refined management on urban tobacco control. 

Currently, there are no national standards or regulations on the setup and management of outdoor smoking areas. 

Therefore, according to the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Shanghai has innovatively explored the requirements to provide professional guidance and technical support for the reasonable and standardized setting up and management of outdoor smoking areas. 

Relevant departments also set up health tips about the hazards of tobacco and information on services for giving up smoking at the smoking areas, providing smokers with convenient channels to quit smoking.