Showcasing the creations of over 100 artists from across the country, an exhibition titled Origin and Innovation - (China) Western Art Biennale kicked off on Friday in North China's Tianjin Municipality.

Hosted by the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, the exhibition is being held at three major venues: the Tianjin Art Museum, Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts Museum, and Tianmei Art District. It brings together works by more than 100 artists from cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Xi'an, Hohhot and Shenzhen, covering a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, installation art, technological art, and animation.

According to the organizers, the exhibition closely connects the rich cultural heritage of China's western regions with the artistic ecosystems of eastern and coastal areas. During the exhibition, a series of academic forums are also being held. Experts and scholars will discuss topics such as urban cultural development, the current state of contemporary art and social aesthetic education.

"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods" is an ancient Chinese idiom that can be seen in students' textbooks. China's Ministry of Education has published an action plan to further promote reading among students across the nation. With new and diverse book recommendations, the reading scene is expected to be revived not only at schools, but also across society. To contribute to this endeavor, the Global Times launched "My Reading Life" essay contest for middle school students.

Please pick up a pen and share your stories with us at reading@globaltimes.com.cn

Participants will be rewarded once the article has been selected.

Throughout my life, reading has been an integral part of my personal and intellectual development. It has bestowed upon me infinite pleasure while expanding my horizons and amplifying my lexical resources. In this essay, I aim to discuss the impact of reading on my life, the multiple forms of literature I enjoy, and the reasons why I firmly believe that reading is an indispensable component of everyone's life.

First and foremost, reading has brought me much happiness. I have always loved delving into the magical realms that exist between a book's pages. I feel proud and fulfilled after finishing a book and understanding it completely.

When I was younger, I enjoyed reading comics, adventure novels, and fairy tales. These stories captivated my attention and gave me an opportunity to temporarily escape the strain of everyday life, which are too great for a child to handle. I developed an appreciation for more complex literature as I got older, including novels, poems, and essays. I tried to feel what the characters are feeling and to sympathize with them. These pieces continue to intellectually and emotionally challenge me even now.

Reading has made it possible for me to understand and sympathize with the hardships and victories of people from a variety of backgrounds. For example, I was able to understand the inequality that prevailed in the US in the 1930s after reading Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

Through the character development in this novel, I gained a deep understanding of the discrimination and oppression faced by African Americans in the society during that time. This work made me aware of the importance of racial equality and justice, and sparked my reflection on social fairness and equality.

Reading has enhanced my vocabulary repository and linguistic competencies, which enables me to cultivate a comprehensive understanding of various contexts, fostering my analytical abilities.

As I encountered new words and phrases in my reading materials, I learned their meanings and applications in my writing and conversations which has yielded a tremendously advantageous impact, particularly in relation to my academic endeavors and the preparation for various kinds of English exams.

By incorporating those newly learned vocabulary and phrases into my writing and oral communication, the quality of my expression had been elevated, and the recognition from my mentor was gained. Additionally, reading has opened up numerous personal and academic opportunities for me by improving my language skills.

Moreover, reading has shaped my values and worldview. Through the wisdom and insights of prominent thinkers, I have gained a deeper understanding of ethics, philosophy, and social issues. Reading has equipped me with encyclopedic knowledge and unwavering motivation that aren't accessible through other means, endowing me with the competence and fortitude to navigate social life and contribute meaningfully to the world.

In conclusion, reading has had a transformative force in my life. It has brought me joy, expanded my vocabulary, enhanced my global outlook.

I firmly believe that reading is essential for everyone, as it has the power to offer individuals inspiration and a pleasurable psychological experience. In today's fast-paced world, where technology and social media dominate our lives, reading remains a timeless and invaluable pursuit. It is my will that more people will embrace the joys of reading and discover the immense benefits it offers.

The author is a student at the Experimental High School attached to Beijing Normal University

The launch ceremony for the nationwide tour of the original Broadway musical Chicago was held on Friday at the Century Theater in Beijing. The two female leads, dressed in iconic black outfits, performed two of the most representative songs and dances from the show, instantly immersing the audience in the rich jazz flavor of Broadway.    

At the event, the actors first performed the song "My Own Best Friend." Afterward, they showcased Chicago's most famous duet, "Hot Honey Rag."

Starting in October, the musical will tour at least 11 cities across China, and bring 74 performances to audiences. From November 14 to 24, the show will come to Beijing's Century Theater for a 14-performance run. 

Since its Broadway debut in 1975, Chicago has enjoyed nearly 50 years of continuous performances. The musical has won six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, and one Grammy Award.

China's National Medical Products Administration has given market entry approval to a monkeypox virus nucleic acid test kit developed by a medical diagnostics company in South China's Guangdong Province, marking the first approval of its kind in China, according to a statement published by medical products administration in Guangdong on Thursday.

The approved monkeypox test kit, developed by Daan Gene, will be mainly used in vitro qualitative detection of the monkeypox F3L gene in suspected cases, skin lesion samples of other individuals requiring monkeypox virus infection diagnosis or differential diagnosis, and throat swab samples, said the statement.

According to the statement, many listed companies are actively preparing for monkeypox test kits and other related products. To respond to the needs of overseas markets, many products developed by these companies have received the European Union's certification, exported to a number of overseas countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on August 14 declared the monkeypox surge a public health emergency of international concern -its highest alert level and urged manufacturers to ramp up vaccine production to rein in the spread of a more dangerous strain of the virus.

China's General Administration of Customs also announced that it would begin screening people and goods entering the country for monkeypox over the next six months. People arriving from countries where outbreaks have occurred, who have been in contact with monkeypox cases, or display symptoms will be required to declare this information to customs authorities when entering the country, adding that vehicles, containers, and items from areas with monkeypox cases should be sanitized.

As of July, a total of 99,176 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox, including 208 deaths, have been reported to the United Nations health agency from 116 countries in all WHO regions, according to the UN News.

WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris urged manufacturers to scale up monkeypox vaccine production, according to a report from Agence France-Presse (AFP) on August 17. 

The WHO also called for countries with monkeypox vaccine stockpiles to donate them to countries with ongoing outbreaks, according to the AFP.

Meanwhile, the replication-deficient monkeypox vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention passed the clinical trial application phase in July of 2023, making it the earliest domestically developed monkeypox vaccine to enter the clinical research stage in China.

China's Pang Runzhi, 17, won the Singapore Ladies Masters by a single shot over compatriot Cai Danlin, becoming the first Chinese female golfer to win in Singapore. This was also the only tournament in China's premier women's golf circuit held outside the country in the 2024 season.

The Singapore Ladies Masters, supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, is a significant event on the China Ladies Professional Golfers' Association (CLPGA) calendar. The tournament was held outside China to provide a platform for top female golfers from the region  to compete.

Pang's victory came after weather disruptions forced her to play 33 holes on the final day. She made four consecutive birdies in the morning and held steady in the final round to clinch the title. 

"I played 33 holes today and it was mentally and physically exhausting. But I took it all in stride and I'm really happy I managed to get my breakthrough in just my fourth start in the CLPGA," said the 17-year-old.

Cai Danlin finished second. Leading in the first and second rounds, Cai lost a chance to force overtime after missing an 8-foot birdie putt.

"I could not hit my shots as far as I wanted to toward the end of the round as it was a very long and tiring day. But congratulations to Pang for being a worthy champion," said Cai.

 India's Hitaashee Bakshi secured third place. Other notable performances included those from Malaysia's Jocelyn Chee and Thai golfers Chonlada Chayanun, Patcharajutar Kongkraphan, and Kultida Pramphun, who tied for fourth.

On Saturday, the Philippines sent a civilian ship to deliver daily necessities to its warship grounded at Ren'ai Jiao in accordance with a temporary arrangement reached with China. The China Coast Guard (CCG) supervised the operation throughout, said Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the CCG.

China had been notified of the resupply before it was carried out, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Saturday. After confirming on-the-scene that the Philippine vessel carried only humanitarian living necessities, the Chinese side let the Philippine vessel through, said the spokesperson.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the arrangement was reached based on the three-point principled position of China on managing the situation at Ren’ai Jiao. China’s position on the Ren’ai Jiao issue has not changed. China has sovereignty over Ren’ai Jiao, the rest of Nansha Qundao (Nansha Islands) and their adjacent waters. China will continue to properly deal with relevant territorial issues and disputes over maritime rights with the Philippines through dialogue and consultation.

It is hoped that the Philippines will keep their promise, work together with China, and jointly manage the situation at sea, Gan said, noting that the CCG will continue to carry out law enforcement activities to safeguard rights in the South China Sea, including Ren'ai Jiao, also known as Ren'ai Reef.

China and the Philippines reached an understanding on managing the situation at Ren’ai Jiao, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on July 22.

This is mainly related to the principles and practices which the Philippines needs to abide by when providing essential supplies to the personnel on the warship illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao for an extended period . It demonstrated that Beijing's comprehensive countermeasures against Manila's provocations in the region for more than a year are working in a sustained manner, resulting in the Philippines returning to direct negotiations and consultations, observers noted.

The signing of the new agreement can be seen as a litmus test, and so far it appears to be effective, Ding Duo, a deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Saturday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo in Vientiane, Laos on Friday and reaffirmed China’s position over Ren’ai Jiao, which is being viewed as playing a positive role in ensuring the successful implementation of the bilateral deal on Ren’ai Jiao.

When meeting with Manalo, Wang called on the Philippines to fulfill its commitments and refrain from changing its position as China has recently reached a temporary arrangement with the Southeast Asian country on the transportation and replenishment of humanitarian supplies to Ren'ai Jiao.

Commenting on the Philippines’ resupply mission to Ren’ai Jiao on Saturday, Ding said that moving forward, it will be important to see if the Philippines' willingness to manage differences can continue to translate into concrete actions.

Also, we should wait and see if external factors such as the US will influence the Philippines to deviate from their commitments, and if the Marcos administration can navigate domestic interference and distractions on this issue, according to Ding.

China's stance remains unchanged, and the country have a range of measures to address any negative actions by the Philippines, the expert noted.

Ding called on the Philippines to focus on managing differences, maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, and strengthening positive aspects of the China-Philippines relationship while minimizing negative factors.

The world's first large-scale seismic data processing model with 100 million parameters called "DiTing" has been officially released, a significant advancement for China in key technologies in seismology, according to the Chengdu science and technology bureau in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday.

The model was developed by the National Supercomputing Center in Chengdu in cooperation with the Institute of Geophysics of the China Earthquake Administration and Tsinghua University, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In September 2023, the National Supercomputing Center in Chengdu partnered with the Institute of Geophysics of the China Earthquake Administration to establish the joint laboratory for research into earthquake large-scale model innovation application.

They launched the training of the "DiTing" model with researchers from Tsinghua University and the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to advance artificial intelligence algorithms in seismology and research in earthquake monitoring and forecasting services, said Guo Li, chairman of Chengdu Supercomputing Center Operation Company, according to the supercomputing center on Monday.

The "DiTing" dataset is the first and one of the largest seismic AI training datasets for seismology with the most comprehensive sample types and labeling, said the center.

Researchers have developed a seismic wave model with 100 million parameters in the half-year study in the joint lab, which is now ready for use, and a version with 1 billion parameters is expected to be completed pre-training by August 2024, supporting earthquake prevention and disaster reduction efforts, according to the developers.

In future, the model could be applied in fields such as mine seismic monitoring, shale gas exploitation, urban underground space structure detection, underwater earthquake monitoring and others, according to the developers.

After a period of confusing noise about China's "over-capacity," some Western media are slowly starting to return to reality. The Financial Times recently published an editorial titled "Chinese electric vehicles are more of an opportunity than a threat," stating that the US and Europe should welcome China to produce cost-effective cars in the cheapest segments to help achieve economic decarbonization. Even The Economist, which is often biased against China's economy, acknowledged China's growing role as the world's R&D lab. The magazine also noted that foreign CEOs now see China's brainpower and its innovation-curious regulatory regime are crucial ingredients of their companies' global success.

The recent hype about China's "over-capacity" began with the fear of the so-called China shock 2.0. Unfair subsidies and cheap dumping were the habitual accusations pinned on China's industries. However, these accusations were made too arbitrarily, and even the critics themselves are finding it difficult to explain why industries such as electric vehicles have gained an edge in China, or why China has become the world's R&D lab, as recently noted by The Economist. The deeper we look, the more we find the absurdity of blaming China's industrial development.

In recent years, it has become common for foreign companies to set up R&D centers in China and engage in technological research and product innovation. Apple has R&D centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Suzhou, with its R&D staff in China doubling over the past five years. BMW has established its largest global production base and the largest R&D system outside Germany in China. BASF's innovation campus in Shanghai is the largest in the Asia-Pacific region and the second-largest globally. In February this year, British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced plans to transform its Shanghai operations into a global R&D hub. The choice of China as an R&D hub by many Western companies actually reflects the deeper reasons behind China's outstanding performance in the current global industrial innovation landscape.

China's industrial development ultimately relies on a large pool of high-quality talent, market competition, innovation capability, and the strategic resolve of "sticking to a single blueprint until the end." In terms of talent alone, China produces seven times more engineering degree holders than the US, 2.5 times more top-tier AI researchers at the undergraduate level, and it is projected that by 2025, China will produce almost twice as many science and technology PhD graduates as the US. Of course, China's industrial development and technological innovation advantages haven't been achieved overnight, but are the result of extensive efforts and accumulation. Since 2000, China's R&D expenditure has increased over 30-fold, with last year's R&D investment exceeding 3.3 trillion yuan. Often, the significant cost advantages that Chinese products achieve in the market far surpass their competitors, and this is the result of full-industry chain innovation in a competitive market environment.

It is essential to recognize that China has established a robust technological market and a competitive atmosphere. Leveraging its vast domestic market and industrial base, significant technological markets have emerged in places like Shanghai and Hefei, Anhui Province, achieving notable progress in fields such as intelligent manufacturing and new materials. Whether in terms of market competition or innovation regulation, China's technological market stands out globally. The rapid advancements in cutting-edge technological fields such as autonomous driving and AI in China are closely linked to this conducive environment.

In fact, China has consistently maintained an attitude of open cooperation and mutual benefit in promoting technological innovation in frontier fields and industrial innovation in practical applications. Take new energy as an example: China is the largest contributor to global energy transition investments, accounting for half of the total global investment. China's goal of achieving its own energy transition is resolute, and it also aims to support the global green and low-carbon transition through the development of its new energy industry. Creating artificial political barriers will not suppress China's development and runs counter to the mainstream understanding in the scientific and business communities, harming the interests of the entire world. As the Financial Times stated, at some point, Western leaders will have to choose between their climate goals and their protectionism - and it would be better for everyone if it is protectionism that has to give.

Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developer United Aircraft Group said on Thursday that it has won 100 industrial-level UAV orders at the ongoing Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, the UK, reflecting a rising competitive edge held by Chinese aviation companies. 

It is the first series of orders received by Chinese companies at the show.

The development reflects Chinese enterprises in the commercial aviation field are actively participating in global competition, seeking to forge new market opportunities, Tian Gangyin, founder and CEO of United Aircraft Group, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the manufacturer of the home-made large aircraft C919, brought 1:20 scale C919 and C929 aircraft models to the public at the air show.

COMAC said that it will also carry out special promotion activities to strengthen negotiations and exchanges with customers and partners.

United Aircraft has brought several flagship products at the show, such as the TD550 unmanned helicopter, with a load capacity of 200 kilograms and a maximum endurance of 8 hours, has become an optimal choice for emergency rescue and material transportation. 

The helicopter's performance is particularly outstanding in high-altitude and extreme conditions when carrying out firefighting and emergency supply delivery missions.

After more than a decade of development, United Aircraft has established a mature industrial chain system that covers research and development, production, assembly, and testing and verification. 

The development of UAV industry is in line with the Chinese government's policy agenda, which emphasizes the development of strategic emerging industries such as commercial aerospace and the low-altitude economy. 

The low-altitude economy was defined as a strategic emerging industry at the country's annual central economic work conference in 2023 and written into this year's government work report as a new growth engine.

The size of China's low-altitude economy by 2023 is estimated to surpass 500 billion yuan, with its scale expected to rise to 2 trillion yuan by 2030, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

China's seaborne container shipments to the US jumped 15 percent year-on-year by volume in June, showing resilient supply and demand between the world's two largest economies despite intensified decoupling attempts by the US, industry experts said.

Multiple factors contributed to the growth, including the early preparation and delivery of products for Christmas as well as a seasonal shopping spree that falls in late November.

According to US-based research company Descartes Datamyne, the numbers of 20-foot containers moved from Asia to the US in June increased by 16 percent year-on-year, Nikkei reported on Monday. It was the 10th consecutive month of year-on-year growth.

The Chinese mainland, which accounted for nearly 60 percent of the total volume, rose 15 percent, the Nikkei reported.

All of the top 10 products exceeded the same period last year. The largest increase was in automotive-related products, which grew by 25 percent, followed by textile products, which rose by 24 percent, according to the report.

The figures are in line with data released by China's General Administration of Customs on July 12. In June, China-US trade amounted to 420.94 billion yuan ($57.8 billion), a year-on-year increase of 2.9 percent. China's exports to the US rose by 4.7 percent, maintaining a positive trend.

Chinese experts said that the trend shows that China-US trade relations remain resilient and strong, despite the US government's attempts to decouple from China.

"The resilient state of supply and demand between the two major economies played an important factor in driving the growth," Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Another reason for the rising cargo volume might be that businesses are speculating about possible heavier tariffs, depending on the US presidential election result, so they're ramping up goods production and delivery, Gao said.

But that's unlikely, since it could backfire on American consumers as well, Gao added.

"There is a trend this year - that is, July and August were normally the busiest in terms of the start of the peak season in the US in previous years, but this year it was brought forward from May," Zhong Zhechao, founder of One Shipping, an international logistics service consulting firm, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

There are multiple reasons for this change, including a high demand for Chinese goods.

Businesses are working in full swing to deliver goods for the upcoming Christmas and Black Friday shopping sprees, which are seeing strong demand as the US inflation level is reportedly declining, Zhong said.

Consumers vote with their wallets. The scale of cargo trade shows that China-made goods are still gaining popularity among American consumers as these products offer more value for money, the industry insider noted.

Other driver for the strong trade growth is the speculation about a possible port workers' strike along the US East Coast, after their labor contracts expire in late September, Zhong said.

Zhong said that the strong cargo trend may peak in July and decline after August.

A large US business delegation is visiting China this week, and its members said that the US business community is confident in continuing to deepen cooperation with China and committed to building a strong, balanced bilateral relationship, the Xinhua News Agency reported.