At a time when Western media outlets have focused on the potential trade dispute between China and the EU, the attention on how China-France economic and trade relations will gain new momentum for further development has increased significantly.
Behind the complexity of trade relations lies the impact of external factors - such as the uncertainty of the global economic recovery, the escalation of geopolitical conflicts, and most importantly, the US push for a "decoupling" policy toward China - on the economic cooperation between the two countries.
Yet, such complexity is far from derailing the complementarity in bilateral trade relations, which remains an important force for promoting cooperation between the two countries. France was one of the earliest Western countries to invest in and set up joint ventures in China. It was also the first Western country to cooperate with China on civilian nuclear energy, the first Western country to sign an intergovernmental scientific and technological cooperation agreement with China, and the first Western country to open a direct air route with China.
In China-France relations, economic and trade cooperation has always been a crucial stabilizing force. Over the past six decades, bilateral trade has surged by more than 800 times. Now, France is China's third-largest trading partner within the EU, with bilateral trade reaching $78.9 billion in 2023, while China is France's largest trading partner in Asia and the seventh-largest globally.
The fruitful development of bilateral economic and trade relations lies in the solid foundation of cooperation and the highly complementary economic structures of both sides. China has a competitive advantage in manufacturing, electronics, and machinery and equipment, while France excels in aerospace, nuclear energy, high-end consumer goods and agricultural products.
Such economic structures provide both countries with vast trade and investment opportunities.
In particular, with China's economic restructuring in recent years, the upgrading consumption trend has brought new opportunities for France's consumer goods and services industries.
Bilateral agricultural has been on the rise over the past 10 years, according to Chinese media reports. When French President Emmanuel Macron visited China in April 2023, the two countries signed cooperation agreements aimed at strengthening their partnerships in agriculture, food, and technology. French meat, grain, poultry and other industries are actively pursuing opportunities in the Chinese market.
In the first two months of this year, French direct investment in China surged by 585.8 percent year-on-year, according to data from China's Ministry of Commerce. If anything, it reflects the optimistic expectations of French companies for China's economic potential and their recognition of the vitality of the Chinese market.
Practical cooperation will continue to thrive, with opportunities not only in traditional sectors such as aerospace and nuclear energy, but also in emerging areas like the energy transition and green development.
With this promising future, it is essential for both sides to work together to protect their cooperation momentum from potential disruptions caused by the "decoupling" or "de-risking" push.
Continued practical cooperation in bilateral economic ties is not only essential for the relationship between the two countries, but also plays a crucial role in advancing the broader long-term China-Europe relationship.
A think tank report titled "China-EU Cooperation on Environment and Climate: Progress and Prospects" was released on Friday. The report called for the further strengthening of the bilateral green partnership and making contributions to promoting a cleaner and more beautiful world.
China is making efforts to improve the access of foreign companies to the Chinese market, as seen in the shrinking negative list for foreign investment and the improving investment climate.
It is sincerely hoped that France will meet China halfway, fostering greater bilateral trade and investment cooperation through enhanced communication and coordination, ultimately contributing to the stability and prosperity of the global economy.
Total China-US tradeexpanded 1.1 percent year-on-year to 1.47 trillion yuan ($203.42 billion) in yuan-denominated terms in the first four months, reversing a 0.7percent contraction in the first three months, customs data showed on Thursday.
The return of growth underscored the resilience and complementarity of trade relations between the world's two largest economies, which will retain a ballast role in the bilateral relationship, observers said. They predicted that more potential could be released this year if the US can check its urge to relentlessly contain China's development.
The surging trade sent a stern warning to certain US politicians and their decoupling push against Chinese exports, either in the guise of smearing "overcapacity" or hyping "de-risking," analysts said. It shows that those politicians' actions - motivated by geopolitical intentions - severely deviate from the interests of the US business community, and only pragmatic cooperation with the Chinese side would lead to win-win results, they noted.
In the first four months, China's exports to the US grew 2.4 percent year-on-year to 1.08 trillion yuan in yuan-denominated terms, while imports edged down 2.5 percent to 387 billion yuan, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.
The US remained China's third-largest trading partner in the first four months, after ASEAN and the EU, according to the Global Times' calculations.
In the first quarter, China's exports to the US gained 2.1 percent, while imports were down 7.7 percent.
In April alone, bilateral trade reached 400.3 billion yuan, customs statistics showed, compared with 386.8 billion yuan a year earlier.
Observers said that bilateral trade showed a turnaround between March and April, amid animproving and stabilizing trajectory of bilateral relationships. Exchanges of high-level officials have intensified in recent months.
"It also showed that the Chinese and US economic structures are highly complementary andunderscored the win-win nature of bilateral cooperation," Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Timeson Thursday.
The increasing competitiveness of Chinese quality exports to the US consumer market also showed that Chinese manufacturers have helped the US to mitigatepersistent inflation, analysts added.
Gao said that the rebound also reflected a broad recovery in global demand, which bodes well for China's overall foreign trade this year. In the first four months, China's merchandise trade rose 5.7 percent year-on-year to13.81 trillion yuan.
China-US trade is likely to continue the positive momentum in the coming months and exceed last year's level, taking account of the low base effect and the stronger US dollar, Gao said, though the upcoming US presidential election will mean some uncertainty for bilateral relations.
"The US may regain its position as China's second-largest trading partner this year, depending on how China's trade with the EU develops," Gao said.
China's trade with the EU fell by 1.8 percent to 1.75 trillion yuan in the first four months, which observers said was partly due to the sluggishness in the bloc's economy.
The release of thetrade data came as US politicians ramped up a crackdown against Chinese advantageous industries, using "overcapacity" claims to justify more protectionist measures against Chinese exports.
Cong Yi, a professor at the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, told the Global Times on Thursday that the vigorous trade shows that the malicious geopolitical intentions of politicians represent a serious departure from the true interests and trading activities of US businesses.
"The US market did not buy into Washington's decoupling push, and it is eager for more pragmatic cooperation with the Chinese side," Cong noted.
The US reportedly revoked licenses that allowed companies including Intel and Qualcomm to ship chips used for laptops and handsets to Huawei, Reuters reported. Observers said that Chinese companies could have imported more US products if Washington had not imposed so many export restrictions.
The on-going COP28 in Dubai, the UAE, a conference dedicated to green and low-carbon practices, has also showcased Chinese brands' efforts in global environmental conservation.
Since the start of the conference, Chinese brands such as Higer and BYD have provided electric shuttle bus services to ferry attendees, with about 50 electric vehicles from South China's Guangdong Province offering shuttle services in the conference's "Green Zone," which is open to the public.
This is just a microcosm of the vigorous development of China's new-energy industry on display in the UAE.
The UAE Energy Strategy 2050 aims to increase the share of clean energy projects to 50 percent of its overall energy mix by 2050. Moreover, countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt have similar goals and visions.
In September 2020, China proposed its goals to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, with top-down societal involvement.
The development of Chinese industries around new energy, including new-energy vehicle (NEV) and photovoltaic unit manufacture, ranks highly in the world and aligns with the transformational development path of the Middle East.
During COP28 in Dubai, the Global Times visited and interviewed some Chinese new-energy enterprises operating in the UAE to understand cooperation efforts in the new-energy field between China and the UAE and how Chinese technologies and products are driving the carbon reduction process in the Middle East.
Rising star
In October 2022, Dubai police held a grand induction ceremony to welcome the new Hongqi E-HS9 police cars from China as additions to the existing police car fleet. Not only were leaders from both Dubai police and Hongqi in attendance at the ceremony, but a ceremonial guard on horseback was also held.
Dubai boasts an all-star police car fleet almost entirely comprised of super sports and luxury vehicle brands, from Ferrari and Lamborghini, to Bentley, and now a Chinese brand.
More notably, Hongqi's high-level debut marks the first independent automotive Chinese brand to join the Dubai police fleet and also the first NEV brand globally to do so.
Dubai also awarded the first Hongqi (EHS9) the prestigious number plate "8," as a sign of respect and recognition.
Local police leadership praised Hongqi's local development and expressed high appreciation for the partnership, wishing the development of Hongqi cars in the UAE and the world well. They said the entry of Hongqi into the Dubai police car fleet is a manifestation of the friendly development of relations between the two countries, with an anticipation for a longer and deeper relationship between China and the Arab world.
It was Oneroad Group Dubai, a Chinese company, that introduced the Hongqi brand to the UAE.
"We decided to introduce Hongqi cars not only because we saw the continuous improvement in independent Chinese-brand car technology but also recognized the reliable strength of China in making electric cars," said Zhang Chenling, Acting Chief Executive Officer at the Oneroad Group Dubai, to the Global Times at the company's offices at the Burj Khalifa.
"We have been making deep inroads in the UAE for more than a decade and believe that we have the capability to introduce Chinese-brand cars into the UAE market," Zhang explained.
Hongqi is a well-known automotive brand in China with a long and glorious history. It was the first high-end sedan to be manufactured in-country since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Hongqi, meaning "red flag" in Chinese, used to be served as the ride of top government leaders, which also had been used as parade cars during National Day parades.
According to Xie Qiyi, General Manager of Oneroad, the group doesn't only represent the Hongqi brand in the UAE. Following the commencement of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the company also focuses on the overseas services offered by other Chinese automotive brands, such as Dongfeng Forthing and Great Wall Motors in the UAE, Oman, as well as in other countries and regions. At an automotive sales center near Dubai's Business Bay, the Global Times saw Hongqi and Forthing NEVs on prominent display.
Karam, a local resident, had his eye on a new arrival - a Forthing Friday EV. "The car is spacious, the interior is luxurious, and it has a sense of technology," Karam told the Global Times.
Pan Kuibai, a manager at the sales center, told the Global Times that Chinese NEVs have certain market potential in the Middle East, not only because Chinese technologies and products have received increased recognition in recent years, but also because the Middle Eastern market is not prejudicial against Chinese products or prone to imposing political restrictions as is the case with some Western countries.
"Overall, even though these cars are not cheap due to their high configurations, they are still favored by the locals," he said.
According to China Energy News, China's NEV industry chain is attracting the attention of Middle Eastern oil giants. Preliminary statistics show that since the beginning of 2023, NEV industry chain companies such as NIO, HiPhi, and Pony.ai have successively gained the attention of Middle Eastern capital.
Industry insiders believe that as the world's largest NEV market, China's advantages in product technology and industry chain completeness have attracted considerable investments from Middle Eastern capital. Combined with the energy transformation needs of Middle Eastern countries, cooperation and exchanges between Chinese enterprises and Middle Eastern countries in the high-quality NEV sector will deepen and broaden further in the future.
Zhang from Oneroad also stated that as the UAE continues to vigorously and rapidly promote energy transformation and carbon reduction, 50 percent of the country's official and public vehicles will also be replaced with NEVs, which will bring opportunities for Chinese enterprises. "Although local supporting facilities still have much room for development, significant changes will be seen within a few years," she said.
Sharing sunshine
In recent years, the Middle East has witnessed increased advocacy in the diversified development of energy, utilizing its unique sunlight conditions to vigorously develop photovoltaic projects and optimize the electricity energy structure. Against this backdrop, China's leading photovoltaic industry enterprises have targeted local opportunities here and hope to seize the development initiative.
A large-scale Chinese-built photovoltaic power station, which looks particularly spectacular from the air, calls the desert suburbs of Dubai home.
The synchronization of Shuaa Energy 3 900MW PV project is a recent representative project of China's leading photovoltaic enterprise Sungrow in Dubai. According to Thompson Meng, Vice President of Sungrow PV & BESS BG, Sungrow has large landmark projects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, as well as in Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, radiating into North Africa's Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria.
Observers noted that in some countries participating in the BRI, green infrastructure such as new-energy and information networks will see rapid growth in the future. Among them, the photovoltaic industry chain will become the most developmentally advantageous sub-sector of China's new-energy cooperation abroad.
In terms of the region, the Middle East has the greatest potential for photovoltaic demand, and it is expected that by 2025, the export of photovoltaic components to the Middle East may account for more than 10 percent of China's total export volume of photovoltaic components, Yicai reported. According to the Securities Times, many Chinese photovoltaic enterprises are also actively taking root in Saudi Arabia and other countries.
Meng introduced that in addition to abundant light energy and vast land, the policies of governments in the Middle East are also relatively supportive. "They are thinking about transitioning from traditional fossil energy resources to new-energy and future technology manufacturing, so these policies and strategies are very supportive of this industry."
As a leading enterprise in the industry, Meng noted that Sungrow has a 26-year history, with dynamic technology, having undertaken the long arduous journey of development, surmounting challenges, and achieving great results, which now allows the company to export its expertise overseas. In addition, the enterprise has always been forward-looking, engaging in long term planning, and insists on sustainable development amid intense global competition.
Against the backdrop of China striving to achieve its dual-carbon goals and the global response to climate change, Meng also believes that Chinese enterprises, especially those leading the new-energy industry, are taking on their social responsibilities.
"For energy transformation, you need to play a leading role, not just focus on short-term interests. This industry is one that benefits humanity. Whether from the perspective of pollution reduction or carbon reduction, it has a positive significance," he said. "Also, our enterprise needs to focus on cultivating talents with such a vision and mindset, which I think is also a great contribution to society."
Chinese power
During the first days of the COP28, Sultan al-Jaber, the COP28 President, as well as the UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology announced that more than 110 governments have pledged to triple the world's renewable energy capacity by 2030 at the COP28 climate summit. It also included a target to double the global rate of energy efficiency by 2030.
This year's COP has attracted more than 80,000 participants, making it the largest UN climate summit in history. In addition to the Chinese delegation, many institutions, enterprises, and observers from China participated in the conference and set up pavilions, holding related events to provide a platform for participants from various countries to engage in exchanges and understand China's carbon reduction measures and achievements.
For instance, the All-China Environmental Protection Federation also set up the Solar+ Pavilion (Photovoltaic Corner) in the Blue Zone of COP28 with LONGi Green Energy, showcasing the development and innovation of the photovoltaic industry and providing a platform for people of different identities to discuss and achieve energy equity.
Additionally, research institutions such as the China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co Ltd, also held a side event on NEVs and low-carbon transportation at the China Pavilion during COP28, inviting guests from the UN, the UAE, and China to learn about possible cooperation between China and the UAE in new-energy industries.
Analysts said that investments in China's NEV technology by Middle Eastern countries signify a strategic shift toward energy transformation and the finding of new competitive edges in emerging industries. Meanwhile, they emphasized the importance of market-specific adaptations and risk management for Chinese automakers exporting to the Middle East, and the consideration of local climate and consumer preferences.
The 2,000th rail-sea intermodal train of 2024, running along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, departed from Qinzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to Chengxiang, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Sunday.
The trip marked a 16.8 percent year-on-year rise in the number of combined trains year-to-date and indicated that the 2024 first-quarter goals were achieved 14 days ahead of schedule, two facts that signal a successful start to the year, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday.
The train, with 108 containers, carried black sesame from Myanmar, coconut juice from South China's Hainan Province and sugar from Guangxi, among other goods.
As of Friday, the land-sea corridor's extensive network had reached 149 stations in 18 provincial-level regions across China, five more than in January.
The rapid development of the corridor, a trade and logistics passage launched in 2017 and jointly built by provincial-level regions in western China and ASEAN members, shows the growth potential of provinces in the Chinese hinterland and reflects China's robust foreign trade growth in the first two months of the year, despite the complex international situation and rising protectionist headwinds, analysts noted.
The increase in the freight volume of the trade corridor reflects the prosperous trend of economic development in western China, said Bai Ming, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Bai said that the result shows that trade between Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) members and China has become more optimized, and the China-Laos Railway is also boosting trade cooperation between China and RCEP members.
The trade corridor has continuously optimized its supply structure and service scope this year, bringing many opportunities to regions along the route and driving their economic development, Bai noted.
In terms of seaborne trade under the corridor, 20,539 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods were transported from the Beibu Gulf Port in Guangxi, a surge of 36 percent year-on-year. RCEP member countries shipped 11,023 TEUs via the corridor from January 1 to March 10, increasing 35 percent year-on-year.
ASEAN remained China's largest trading partner in the first two months of 2024, with bilateral trade of 993.24 billion yuan ($139.88 billion), up 8.1 percent year-on-year, customs data showed on March 7.
China should ramp up efforts to promote independent scientific exploration and innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), as the country seeks to pursue a unique path of AI innovation with Chinese characteristics, Xu Jiuping, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and a professor at Sichuan University, told the Global Times.
"We should give full play to the spirit of Chinese people who always dare to explore and innovate," Xu said.
AI has become a heated topic in this year's two sessions of the NPC and the CPPCC, and the investment and application of AI technology would assist industries and businesses to achieve speedy digital transformation and nurture new quality productive forces for economic growth.
Chinese authorities have always actively supported the development of AI and have been striving to achieve greater self-reliance in technology advances. And AI is deemed as an important engine in driving the nation's economic transformation and upgrading, Xu said.
China is home to a huge market and talent reserve, and the population base and sound software and hardware infrastructure also provide a good foundation for data collection, Xu told the Global Times.
According to Xu, to seek ingenuity in developing more advanced AI innovations means finding a unique way that suits China's actual conditions and industrial development situation, and to better serve new needs and promote China's international competitiveness.
The US investments in exploration of AI in 2023 accounted for 60 percent of the global total investments, followed by China with 12 percent, Xu told the Global Times, adding that China is relatively weak in terms of "AI literacy, talent and research."
According to information released by the White House, the US government has laid out an ambitious agenda for the country to lead on AI research and development. The Biden administration has been funding groundbreaking research to promote trustworthy AI through America's National AI Research Institutes.
And, the emergence of ChatGPT and Sora, a large number of AI talent have allowed the US to lead in cutting-edge AI innovation.
To fill those gaps, Xu said Chinese enterprises can learn from the experience and practices of AI pioneers such as US-based OpenAI, while finding its own distinct way to promote AI innovation.
China should advocate independent homegrown innovation, Xu noted.
"This kind of originality does not mean being complacent or rest on our laurels, but rather adhering to independent innovation, to better serve our development needs and promote our international competitiveness in advanced technologies," Xu said.
More importance should be attached to cultivating Chinese talent in mathematics, computing and algorithm, he added.
China's investment in AI is forecast to reach $38.1 billion in 2027, accounting for 9 percent of the world's total, according to a report released by market consultancy IDC.
"The Chinese market has the world's largest number of users and active data-producing entities, helpful for reshape many new and complex businesses and services," Xu said.
A new round of large-scale rain and snow weather should hit the country starting from Tuesday night, and it is expected that from Wednesday to Friday, the central and eastern regions of China will experience another round of large-scale rain and snow, the meteorological departments warned on Tuesday.
In the past two days, northern China, the Huang-Huai region and other areas of China have experienced the first rain and snow storms of the winter. During the day on Monday, this first round of rain and snow gradually weakened and ended.
However, from Tuesday night to Saturday, a new cold wave is predicted to affect most parts of China from west to east, making it the strongest cold air front so far this winter. Temperatures in most parts of China will drop by 8-12 C, and in some areas, the temperature drop may exceed 14 C, leading Beijing to issue a blue cold wave warning and a yellow blizzard warning on Tuesday.
The heavy snowfall areas in northern China and the Yellow-Huaihe region overlap with the areas that experienced heavy snowfall on December 10, and daily snowfall in these regions is expected to be extreme. Influenced by the cold wave, temperatures in the central and eastern regions will continue to decrease, and the lowest temperature in northern China, the Yellow-Huaihe region and other areas will approach or even break the historical record for this period, according to meteorological departments.
Meteorologists said that this cold wave will be fierce, with a large drop in temperatures and severe snowstorms, which may put significant pressure on transportation and lead to an increased risk of accidents. Moreover, special attention needs to be paid to safety hazards caused by snowstorms, Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
To cope with the snowy weather, the Beijing municipal bureau of public security traffic management has established a snow road traffic emergency support command center. According to the department, they have initiated a high-level duty plan to strengthen the deployment of police forces and traffic maintenance guidance in key areas, roads, bridges, intersections, as well as areas with steep slopes and that are prone to icing. Also, they have actively coordinated with emergency response units for snow emergencies and promptly implemented ice removal and snow melting measures to minimize the impact of snowfall and icing on traffic.
In addition, the new round of rain and snow has entered a more complex phase. Freezing rain may occur in the central part of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, southern part of North China's Shanxi Province, and central-northern part of Central China's Henan Province, so extra attention should be paid to the dangers brought by blizzards and freezing rain and snow.
It is also worth mentioning that the cold air will not influence the south of the Yangtze River and South China regions from Wednesday to the Thursday, and temperatures in these areas will still be high. For example, the highest temperature in cities like Nanchang and Fuzhou will reach 26 C. However, these areas will soon be hit by a strong "pressure" from the cold air. It is expected that around Saturday, the highest temperature in these areas will generally drop to around 5 C.
The meteorological departments reminded the public not to underestimate the power of this new cold wave. People in the above-mentioned areas should closely monitor local warning and forecast information, take measures to keep warm and pay attention to fire and electrical safety.
Experts said that overall the world is experiencing a warming trend, and the rising sea temperatures caused by El Nino have increased the moisture content in the air. As such, the precipitation and snowfall this round will be quite unique, with a higher water content, resulting in wetter and heavier snow.
In case of a sharp drop in temperatures during the cold wave, areas should prepare for freezing rain, especially in mountainous areas where temperatures may be lower than in the plain areas. This is highly likely to have a serious impact on infrastructure such as the electrical grid and agriculture, so local authorities need to make advance preparations, Ma warned.
While a 6.2-magnitude earthquake jolted Jishishan county in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Northwest China's Gansu Province, on Monday at midnight, another 5.5-magnitude earthquake occurred near the city of Artux in the Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Tuesday morning.
Analysts said that the two earthquakes have no direct connection. However, Artux is located in the Pamir-Tian Shan orogenic belt while Jishishan is located in the Qilian Mountains-Qinling orogenic belt, so both regions are affected by the northward subduction of the Indian Plate, which results in strong tectonic activity on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.
Experts have called for increased proactive efforts to alleviate earthquakes' impact, such as promoting the mapping of China's seismic zones and increasing public understanding of disaster reduction and prevention.
As of press time, the earthquake in Gansu has caused 113 local deaths and 14 deaths in the adjacent Qinghai Province. Full-scale rescue efforts are being conducted, according to a press conference on Tuesday. Meanwhile, there have been no reports of any casualties or property damage from the one in Artux in Xinjiang.
Jishishan county in Gansu Province is located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, which is part of the North-South seismic zone. The earthquake was a reverse fault earthquake with the fault along the northwestern ridge of Laji Mountain, Xu Xiwei, director of the National Institute of Natural Hazards and also professor at the China University of Geosciences, told the Global Times.
China is located on the Eurasian Plate, with the southern part being squeezed by the Indian Ocean Plate, and the Pacific Plate subducting westward, squeezing the central and eastern regions of the country. China is simultaneously affected by the compression of the three major plates, with active faults in some areas. The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and Xinjiang are located in the forefront of the collision between the Indian Ocean Plate and the Eurasian Plate, according to Xu.
There is no direct connection between the two earthquakes that happened in Gansu and Xinjiang. In terms of geological structure, Gansu and Xinjiang are both located on the North-South seismic belt while occasional earthquakes are a normal part of crustal energy release, Wang Tun, head of a key earthquake early warning laboratory in China's Sichuan Province, told the Global Times.
Xu noted that the major reasons for the casualties in the Jishishan earthquake are due to various factors, including the relatively dense population in the affected areas, and people being asleep during late night, making them unable to take cover in time.
He noted that more basic work for earthquake disaster prevention should be carried out, including promoting the mapping of active faults in China to provide a scientific basis for urban planning, construction, and seismic design of engineering projects. Buildings should also be constructed away from active fault lines, avoid steep slope areas and incorporate enhanced seismic resistance facilities.
Moreover, public awareness of earthquake prevention and disaster reduction should be improved to reduce casualties during disasters, said Xu.
For the past two decades, China has worked to strengthen earthquake resistance capacity of rural areas. Wang noted that Gansu and Sichuan also fall within the scope of this improvement drive, with buildings in many areas seeing improved earthquake resistance compared to the past. However, the earthquake in Gansu shows that more efforts should be made in this field.
In recent years, China has also strengthened the issuance of earthquake early warnings to the public through television, mobile phones, loudspeakers, and other means. The Earthquake Early Warning System, jointly developed by the Institute of Care-life and the China Earthquake Administration, issued early warnings for this earthquake, providing warning to the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture located 56 kilometers from the epicenter 12 seconds before the quake, and more than 20 seconds in adjacent regions, including Gansu's capital city Lanzhou.
This earthquake is the 80th destructive earthquake successfully predicted by the Earthquake Early Warning System since 2011. Wang said that promoting earthquake early warning services is also an important way to reduce casualties in disasters.
The Chinese university badminton team, facing strong pressure from the Chinese Tapei team, maintained their lead in the sport at the FISU Games on Monday, as they totaled four gold, three silver and one bronze medal in badminton.
China's female singles player Han Yue continued her fine form on Monday as she won the women's singles title with a stylish 2-0 victory over her opponent Kim Ga-ram of South Korea.
Coasting to the final by winning all the previous four matches by straight 2-0 wins, Han said she gave her all for the final.
"As it is the final of the tournament, I have to go all out. I prepared for a tough match but it turned out to be an easy one," the Tongji University student told reporters.
"I feel honored to have participated in the University Games during my college years. This is a very valuable experience."
Speaking about the home advantages she enjoyed at the Chengdu Games, Han, 24, said she had to channel the pressure into impetus for the home game.
"Certainly, there is pressure since it's a home game. But the gold medal is important to me so I have to push myself more," Han said.
"I'm thankful to coaches Li Xuerui and Wang Shixian for providing me with valuable advice during the matches."
Li is a former Olympic champion, while Wang has won several major international accolades for China.
Han has already set her sights on the badminton world championships that kick off on August 21 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
"I will focus on preparing for this year's event as it is already very close," Han said.
Also on Monday, Team China secured the doubles gold and silver medals as Chinese pair Liu Wenmei and Liu Xuanxuan defeated teammates Xia Yuting and Du Yue 18-21, 21-19 and 21-14 in the women's competition.
Ren Xiangyu and Tan Qiang overshadowed peers Zhou Haodong and He Jiting 23-21 and 21-16 in the men's event.
In the men's singles final, the last match of the badminton tournament, China's Wang Zhengxing defeated Thailand's Teeraratsakul Panitchaphon 21-16, 21-14 claim gold.
Team China suffered a defeat against the top-ranked South Korean team with a score of 27-30 in women's épée team semifinal of the fencing event at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on Wednesday. Despite only collecting a bronze medal, Olympic champion Sun Yiwen, a 31-year-old veteran, wasn't discouraged.
This team event marked the first time Sun led a new lineup consisting of young athletes Xu Nuo, Shi Yuexin and Tang Junyao. In a post-match interview, Sun said that the competition was a great learning experience. She and her teammates gained confidence and hope from playing at this level, and they will continue to work hard in future Olympic qualification events.
On Sunday, the first official competition day of the Hangzhou Asian Games, Sun faced the top-seeded South Korean fencer Song Sera in the quarterfinals of the women's épée individual event.
Despite a string of disappointing defeats, Sun remained composed and even smiled throughout the interview session in the mixed zone after the match.
On her third trip to the Asian Games, Sun is the only Olympic champion in the Chinese fencing team. Reflecting on the experience, she said, "Among the three Asian Games I have participated in, this one is particularly memorable. It is a competition held on home soil, and it is also the last edition of the Asian Games."
At the Tokyo Olympics, Sun became the first Chinese fencer in history to win the Olympic individual women's épée competition's top laurel.
But the win came with a price. Sun suffered caudal vertebrae and knee injuries. It was not until October 2022 that she was able to resume training. In an interview following her return, Sun said the injuries had had a great impact on her career, adding that she had also made some mistakes after her return to sports.
Despite all that, Sun has put up an impressive performance at the Hangzhou Games.
Looking ahead to the Paris 2024 Olympics, Sun expressed her desire to stand on the podium once again. "In a sport like fencing, especially women's sabre, there is only one person who has won two championships, and two or three people have stood on the podium twice in a row. I believe I can continue to compete and hope to break through myself," she said.
The Games have also witnessed the final battles of several legendary veterans, such as 48-year-old Uzbekistani gymnast Oksana Chusovitina and 34-year-old table tennis great Ma Long.
Reminiscing on a career that has featured both ups and downs, Sun's goal isn't just about getting more medals anymore. She has set her eyes on inspiring younger Chinese athletes through her story and experience.
"As a veteran, compared with young athletes, I can bear more. In addition to injuries, I also have to overcome difficulties such as slow recovery caused by age. However, luckily, I have the ability to stay in the team and help young players grow faster with rich competition experience," Sun said.
"No matter what difficulties I encounter, I will never give up."
