The five-day May Day holidays, which concluded on Sunday, witnessed a bustling tourism market with a surge in visitor numbers at many tourist attractions nationwide, with a trend showing that many tourists explored smaller cities and towns alongside traditional popular tourism destinations.

China saw 295 million domestic tourist trips during the holidays, up 7.6 percent year-on-year and 28.2 percent from the same period in 2019, according to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Monday.

During the holidays, the most popular tourist destinations in China were cities famous for their convenient transportation, rich cultural and tourism resources such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Chengdu, according to a report sent to the Global Times by online travel agency Trip.com.

However, there is a noticeable trend that smaller cities and county-level destinations have seen higher growth rates in tourism orders compared to first and second-tier cities, said the report.

For instance, smaller cities such as Yangzhou and Luoyang saw a year-on-year average rise of 11 percent in tourism orders during the holidays, while the county-level destinations, such as Anji, Yiwu and Pingtan, have experienced an average increase of 36 percent, according to the report. 

Experts noted that the trend indicates the increasing diversity of tourism destinations nationwide, as well as the structural changes in the supply and demand of the tourism market.

Chinese tourists currently are "more focused on cost-effectiveness" when traveling to small cities or counties, as the accommodation and transportation costs are lower compared to larger cities, Wu Liyun, a professor of China Academy of Culture and Tourism of Beijing International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday.

Meanwhile, there's a trend that more and more tourists prioritize "quality and unique experiences," "leading them to seek out lesser-known or niche destinations," rather than those popular tourist spots that are crowded, said Wu. 

With the rural revitalization development across the country, smaller regions including county-level places have become important markets for tourism companies to develop scenic areas, theme parks or other scenic spots, to attract tourists to experience natural beauty with less cost and improved services, Wu noted.

The average price for hotels in county-level markets is only half of the average rate in popular first and second-tier cities, during the holidays. The county-level markets are also improving their services and accommodations as well. Since December 2023, at least 127 new 4A-level scenic spots have been added in 10 provincial-level regions, with 65 percent of them located in county-level markets, according to the Trip.com report. 

A Shanghai local resident surnamed Huang told the Global Times on Monday that she went to Lishui district, a suburb area in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province during the holidays and was quite satisfied with the trip. "I preferred the lesser-known place which also has attractive scenes. The transportation is also very convenient, and it's not expensive," Huang said.

Another resident surnamed Ma went to Xiapu county in East China's Fujian Province with her family during the holidays. "The county is less crowded and very comfortable, and we can explore the place slowly and have lasting memories with the family," Ma told the Global Times.

More than 100 Chinese and French experts gathered in Paris on Thursday to explore ways to build a multilateral future by deepening global governance reforms.

At the second China-France forum on global governance, former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius said France and China "share certain close -- even identical -- visions on global governance."
He said that multilateralism appears as "the most effective way to address most issues in our multipolar world," in such areas as security, economy, environment, and many others.

Fabius called on the two countries to work together to tackle global challenges, adding that by practicing true multilateralism, France and China will benefit the entire world.

The forum, held in the year that marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Chinese-French diplomatic relations, is aimed at upholding the "China-France spirit," pooling more consensus and wisdom, and building a more solid and dynamic bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Communications Group (CICG), said in his opening speech.
He said the forum called for true multilateralism and pushing forward global governance in a fairer and more equitable direction.

Experts from both sides held in-depth discussions on four modules including building and maintaining peace, science and technological innovation and development, low-carbon and sustainable development, and exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

They expressed their common belief that true multilateralism is essential in improving global governance and pushing forward the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The forum was sponsored by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies and China-Europe-America Global Initiative, under the guidance of the State Council Information Office of China and the CICG.

China has established the world's largest, most comprehensive, and scientifically arranged monitoring network system in the recent years, and will continue to strengthen environmental monitoring and enforcement in 2024, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China stated on Sunday.

"Currently, the country directly monitors 33,000 sites, effectively enhancing the quality of monitoring and continually strengthening technical capabilities, thereby providing significant support for ecological and environmental protection work," Pei Xiaofei, the director of the Department of Communication and Education and spokesperson for the ministry, stated at a monthly routine press conference on Sunday.

Ecological monitoring is a crucial foundation for environmental protection, serving as the primary basis for objectively assessing environmental quality, reflecting the effectiveness of pollution control, and implementing environmental management and decision-making.

The Ministry has issued "Opinions on Accelerating the Establishment of a Modern Ecological Environmental Monitoring System" and recently held a national ecological monitoring work conference to comprehensively deploy the construction of a modern monitoring system.

Pei mentioned that the Ministry would focus on five key tasks in the future: First, to perfect the monitoring system to match the construction of a beautiful China and objectively assess its effectiveness; second, to enhance data analysis and predictive capabilities to accurately guide pollution control; third, to boost integrated monitoring capabilities from mountain tops to oceans, covering all ecological and environmental elements comprehensively; additionally, to strengthen monitoring technology support, enhancing technology research and application; and finally, to enhance monitoring and regulatory capabilities, innovate regulatory methods, prevent the falsification of environmental monitoring data, and create a fair regulatory environment.

"The monitoring should consider all elements of the ecological environment, from the mountains to the sea, above and below ground, in cities and rural areas, and along river basins, and we aim to advance the construction of integrated monitoring capabilities comprehensively and across all regions," he said.

Additionally, this year, the ministry will organize the third monitoring competition to promote training, learning, and action through competition.

Liu Dejun, spokesperson for the China Coast Guard, noted at the press conference that in 2023, the China Coast Guard confronted the complex challenges of marine ecological environmental protection and fully engaged in the defense of the blue seas.

Over the year, more than 3,600 maritime construction projects were inspected, and approximately 16,800 vessel inspections were conducted. Special attention was given to difficult issues such as the illegal extraction of marine sand. A total of 98 cases involving marine sand were detected, resulting in the seizure of 95 vessels and 452,000 tons of sand, significantly curbing frequent illegal dredging activities in key maritime areas.

Innovative maritime monitoring models were continuously developed, utilizing a coordinated approach involving personnel, vessels, and aircrafts to establish a three-dimensional monitoring system that includes outdoor cruising, maritime patrolling, and aerial surveillance, he said.

Zhang Zhifeng, deputy director of the marine ecology department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, stated at the press conference that since the begin of 14th Five-Year plan in 2021, various departments and localities have adhered to integrated land and marine management and river-sea coordination, committed to comprehensive governance and collaborative efforts, and achieved significant phased results in the comprehensive management of key marine areas.

Approximately 9,200 hectares of coastal wetlands have been rehabilitated, along with about 110 kilometers of shoreline.

"While making phased progress, we also fully recognize that key marine areas still face high pressure from the discharge of pollutants such as total nitrogen, and the restoration and repair of typical marine ecosystems will require a longer period. The foundation for improving the ecological environment quality in key marine areas is not yet solid, and the task of comprehensive governance remains challenging," Zhang stated.

Next, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, in conjunction with relevant departments and coastal localities, will deepen the integrated land and sea coordination, river-sea linkage, and regional collaboration in pollution prevention and control efforts, further strengthen the protection and restoration of the marine ecology, and implement precise governance of rivers and bays to collectively push forward the comprehensive governance battle in key marine areas to achieve expected results, according to Zhang.

A man who killed his wife during their divorce cooling-off period was given a death penalty in the first trial by a court in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province on Thursday. 

Two weeks after submitting their divorce application, the 36-year-old victim surnamed Zhou was stabbed to death by her 37-year-old husband Zhao Liuchao outside an industrial park in July 2023, despite being accompanied by six relatives and friends at the time. 

The Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict of the first trial against the defendant in accordance with the law. Zhao was sentenced to death for the crime of intentional homicide and deprived of his political rights for life. 

According to the victim’s younger sister Zhou Mei (pseudonym), after the verdict was pronounced, the judge asked the defendant whether he had anything to say on the verdict and the defendant asked the judge whether he would be immediately executed. After he was given an affirmative answer, he said he did not intend to kill his wife on purpose and was taken away, the Xiaoxiang Morning News reported on Thursday. 

Zhao and Zhou were married in 2011 and they applied for divorce at the marriage registration office of the local civil affairs bureau in Pingyu county, Central China’s Henan Province on July 7, 2023. On the evening of July 30, 2023, the victim was accompanied by six relatives and friends and met the defendant outside of a local industrial park. 

When the defendant arrived at the meeting place, he rushed to the victim and took out a knife to stab her and the other people, leading to the death of the victim and other four people being wounded. 

According to the court, the defendant deliberately and illegally deprived others of their lives, resulting in one death, and four other people suffering minor injuries. His actions have constituted the crime of intentional homicide. 

Zhao displayed a high degree of subjective malignancy, employed cruel means in committing the crime, and caused severe consequences, thus, he should be severely punished, the court concluded.

According to reports, the victim was born in Leizhou, South China’s Guangdong Province in 1987. In 2008, the two people got married and had a son and a daughter. In Jul 7, 2023, the couple applied for divorce in Henan and Zhou returned to Guangzhou for work. 

According to Zhou’s younger sister, the defendant appeared to remain calm, agreed to get divorced and signed the divorce agreement during the first week of the cooling-off period before divorce. 

However, Zhao soon regretted his actions and asked Zhou to meet again. Since the defendant’s attitude was very volatile, Zhou was worried that the defendant would exhibit violent behaviors. So, Zhou went to the appointment in the company of her younger sister, elder brother and four other male friends. 

According to Guangzhou Municipal People’s Procuratorate, Zhou filed for divorce due to her husband’s long-term domestic violence with the civil affairs bureau in Henan. After Zhou returned to Guangzhou, Zhao repeatedly threatened Zhou over phone for a meeting and threatened to kill her family. 

According to Zhou’s younger sister, the results of Zhao’s psychiatric assessment showed that he had no mental issues. 

The divorce cooling-off period was introduced as part of the first-ever Civil Code in China on January 1, 2021. It requires couples to wait a month after reaching a settlement and then go together to collect their divorce certificates. 

The policy sparked heated discussion after release, with some questioning whether extending and complicating the process of divorce is a right path to take for a broken marriage. 

Experts noted that the cooling-off period only applies to the circumstances of the divorce agreement but not the litigation, in which the victims of domestic violence need to seek to their own protection in court.

Since the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) launched the counter-terrorism hotline in June 2022, over 28,000 messages have been submitted as of mid-April, involving more than 7,000 tipoffs. Among them, over 13 percent offered information meriting further investigation, such as reports of explosives and prohibited weapons.

Among those reported cases, a netizen found a post related to terrorism and violence. After an investigation by the police, it was discovered that the post was linked to incitement. The individuals involved were arrested by the police.

Shortly after the launch of the counter-terrorism hotline, numerous reports were received  with the public encouraged to "see something, say something," said senior superintendent Leung Wai-ki of the HKPF's interdepartmental counter-terrorism unit. 

These included tipoffs about prohibited weapons, illegal possession of explosives, posts related to terrorism and violence on social media. In recent months, concerned residents reported suspected excessive storage of hazardous materials in residential buildings, and members of the public reported suspicious objects left by the roadside, such as luggage and other devices.

Some of those cases received "counter-terrorism rewards," with the highest amount being a five-figure sum. Additionally, certain reports that do not involve terrorism or violent activities have also been referred to other police reward programs or the "good citizen award," resulting in the issuance of rewards.

"Under the active promotion of the counter-terrorism unit, the awareness of 'everyone against terrorism, report when in doubt' has begun to deeply root in the public's mind," Junior Police Officers' Association chairman Lam Chi-wai told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Over the past two years, the unit has been promoting anti-terrorism public education targeted different sectors, including the chemical industry, taxi industry, and primary and secondary schools, Lam said. 

Hong Kong has over 160,000 logistics industry workers. Among them, a transport worker, during their shift, discovered what appeared to be prohibited weapons and reported it through the hotline, according to police. 

Since the program was launched, the counter-terrorism unit has engaged with 67 cross-border and local logistics and transportation companies to help enhance their employees' awareness of counter-terrorism.

As of the end of March, Hong Kong customs has seized 27 cases involving firearms and ammunition, 19 of which were actively reported by the logistics industry. Additionally, there were 60 cases involving weapons during the same period, with 48 being actively reported by the logistics industry, reflecting the effectiveness of the "see something, say something" campaign. 

Countries with the most imports of firearms, ammunition, and weapons to Hong Kong are the US and Germany, according to customs. 

Since the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance took effect in March, various types of counter-terrorism training took place in Hong Kong.

For instance, the HKPF, along with the Fire Services Department, Hong Kong Red Cross, and Endeavour Education Center, held a large-scale interdepartmental counter-terrorism drill on Sunday, involving over 100 secondary school students who learned how to respond to danger. The exercise also helped to improve the police's response capabilities to terrorist attacks.

While the current threat level of terrorist attacks in Hong Kong is moderate, with no intelligence indicating an imminent target, local officials referenced recent major terrorist attacks globally, saying they reflect the increasingly complex geopolitical environment that exacerbates the international terrorism situation. 

"Recently, terrorist attacks have occurred frequently around the world, many involving firearms or explosives, resulting in casualties. As an international city, Hong Kong should be vigilant of the risks of being a potential target for terrorists," Lam said.

In the past, the police force has also uncovered multiple cases of local extremists planning attacks, a situation that cannot be ignored, he noted. 

"Relying solely on disciplined forces for anti-terrorism efforts is insufficient. If every resident joins in, paying attention to suspicious people, objects, and events around them, and reports them when in doubt, Hong Kong will gain an additional seven million reliable eyes, providing extra protection against terrorist activities," Lam said.