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Working during the day and acquiring new skills at night is becoming a new way of life for young people in China. From dancing to vocal training, from traditional handicrafts, beauty, and fitness classes, to wine tasting and vlog filming, the list of possibilities for new learning experiences is seemingly limitless.

These diverse options, cost-effectiveness, and highly qualified teachers have made "night school," a concept that used to carry a sense of nostalgia in China, popular once more, especially among China's younger generation.

This trend first started in Shanghai. During the enrollment of the Citizen Night School for Arts for the autumn semester in September, more than 650,000 people competed for 10,000 course spots, causing the enrollment platform to crash. Then, in a short period of time, the night school trend spread across China.

Night schools hold a special place in the memories of many Chinese people. From literacy classes after the establishment of the People's Republic of China to evening lectures at universities in the 1980s, generations of young people have, for decades, attended night school to supplement their cultural and technical knowledge.

However, the current wave of young people enrolling in night schools is driven more by their interests, with the aim of enriching their personal, spiritual, and cultural fulfillment.

Observers have pointed out that the night school boom is in line with the current economic situation and young people's living conditions.

Unlike the Western media's portrayal of Chinese young people's "lying flat" mindset under work pressure, attending night schools reflects the diversified growth needs of Chinese youth.

"In a stable economic and social situation, the popularity of night classes is a very common situation as many young people can afford them and have leisure time to attend classes they like, and more importantly, seek to improve their cultural knowledge and mental outlook," Zhang Yiwu, a Chinese language and literature professor at Peking University, told the Global Times.

A new nightlife

"Like light, full of anticipation, night school may be the first time our generation has actively developed interests that are non-utilitarian," said Xu Lili, a 27-year-old advertisement planner in Beijing.

Xu told the Global Times that she spent an entire weekend carefully selecting night school institutions and courses on Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), a popular lifestyle sharing social media platform in China, before actually attending classes. Finally, she chose a street dance class that was close to her workplace, taught by a graduate from the Beijing Dance Academy. The course cost 700 yuan ($98) for 10 classes and was transferable to friends.

"After experiencing the course, I felt it was really good. The atmosphere was great, and I've made many new friends here," Xu said. "We are also discussing taking Chinese pastry baking and drama appreciation classes together next."

Far from the relatively arduous matriculation process during school days, Xu said that for her, learning about art allows her to temporarily escape from the stresses of her job.

Xu said she did not have any specific expectations for her learning outcomes, but rather wants to try a wide range of courses and find a hobby that can provide her with personal satisfaction.

"Night school allows me to find my passion with minimal cost and also helps me realize that there are more interesting friends and a life beyond work," Xu said.

Chinese people have always had a strong thirst for knowledge. But currently, attending night school now is very different from the nationwide night school craze in the early 1980s. Nowadays, attending night school reflects the diversified growth needs of the contemporary youth.

"It is completely driven by interests, with the aim of enriching our spiritual and cultural lives," Xu said.

In Professor Zhang Yiwu's views, the popularity of night class is one of the best examples, which can dispel the notion that young people in China are "lying flat" for a purposeless life, as portrayed by some Western media outlets.

He noted that in Chinese society, a large portion of young people have enough income to meet basic survival needs and have enough left over to focus on their interests. They don't necessarily have to work extremely hard to earn a stable income, which allows them to easily afford night school or other forms of self-improvement.

In China, there are diverse lifestyle choices that can support both personal growth and a fulfilling leisure life, Zhang pointed out.

"The desire for self-improvement and enrichment is strong among the younger generation, and it extends beyond work. There is a significant proportion of young people who are able to maintain a good living in society and still have time to pursue interests. This phenomenon of enhancing personal development is not surprising and is a natural result of social progress," he said.

A communication channel

"From the beginning, I was worried that the night school courses in a second-tier city would not attract enough people and might not be able to run. But the reality proved that I was overly concerned," Zheng Lifu, who transformed his art training center into a night school in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, told the Global Times.

Just three days after Zheng posted enrollment information for courses at the night school on Xiaohongshu, he received over 300 private messages inquiring about the courses. Within a week, he had successfully opened classes for Guqin and jazz dance, attracting more than 100 participants.

"The demand for young people today to reconstruct their cultural lives and cultivate their interests after work is real," Zheng said.

Currently, Zheng is expanding his night school business further. "The courses are in high demand overall, and we are further assessing the intentions of the students and planning to recruit new qualified teachers to launch more popular courses," he said, noting that his institution aims to provide inclusive entry-level courses while also creating advanced courses to meet the needs of students who want to further enhance their skills.

The Global Times has found that there are roughly three types of night school operation modes currently available on the market. The first type is night schools with official backgrounds, which are established through the coordination of local governments, community organizations, village committees, and training institutions. The second is night schools initiated by training institutions, similar to Zheng's, which offer affordable introductory courses and target long-term course applicants. The third is night schools run by individuals or teams who act as intermediaries, connecting students with institutions and earning a portion of the enrollment fee. All of these operating models are striving to achieve precise alignment with the knowledge demands of young people.

"There are two types of content that easily attract attention on social platforms: 'Where to go after work' and 'Where to go at weekends'" Kevin Wang, a 32-year-old finance industry worker in Shanghai, has devoted all his free time to operating his self-developed community platform Weekend Charging. This young offline social platform, which has been in operation for over a year, started to focus on night school management a month ago.

Wang noted that the night school operation model of Weekend Charging involves cooperation with training institutions to offer interesting courses that young people may not easily come across, such as ukulele, horse riding, and woodwork and leather goods production, in order to lower the learning threshold and cultivate interests and friendships, thus recharging their energies.

Currently, there are over 1,000 active young people in the Weekend Charging community, participating in more than 20 different courses.
"Young people in big cities live in scattered locations and have diverse interests. We play a role in bridging the information gap between training institutions and colleges, and ensuring the cost-effectiveness of night school, a new learning and communication model for young people," Wang said.

A career opportunity

"The new form of night schools is currently thriving, but still in the early stages of development," said Wang. "Everyone is exploring uncharted territory, hoping to establish a comprehensive and smooth operational system that covers courses, pricing, faculty, and after-sales support, in order to foster positive growth and attract and retain the enthusiasm of young learners."

Wang pointed out that the operation of Weekend Charging night school is still in its infancy, and as all members are part-time, they have not yet achieved substantial profits.

"Our core team consists of only 5-6 people, who have come together out of interest and are truly proud to be involved in the night school industry as a career opportunity," he stressed. Wang added that many people find their work meaningful during the classes and continue to sign up. "Although there is uncertainty; we are full of hope for the future of night schools," he said.

The upgraded night schools are also striving to keep up with the times and maintain their appeal to young people.

As the number of students continues to grow, operational challenges also increase. Wang hopes that in the future, the government and private forces will join forces. "Only when this trend passes can high-quality night schools with unified standards be better sustained."

"For some people, attending night school may be a temporary phase, but overall, this social trend includes enhancing self-cultivation and self-improvement in the fields of aesthetics, art, and culture, among others, and also helps create a new industry that benefits social and economic development," Zhang said. "The trend will not change."

The export markets of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) are undergoing a diversification process, with more focus shifting toward emerging markets amid a decrease in exports to traditional markets such as the US and Europe, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said in a post on his blog over the weekend. 

He highlighted expanding trade ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose share of exports by value reached 7.9 percent in 2023, compared with 6.1 percent in 2022, making it Hong Kong's second-largest export market after the Chinese mainland.

As the global trade landscape evolves, the city's exports to the US dropped from 18.6 percent of the total in 2003 to just 6.5 percent last year, while exports to the EU decreased from 10.5 percent to 6.6 percent in the same period, according to Chan. 

The changes in Hong Kong's trade structure reflect the changes of the global economic landscape and an adjustment in Hong Kong's role, Liang Haiming, an expert on the Hong Kong economy and chairman of the China Silk Road iValley Research Institute, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The prospects of Hong Kong's industrial and export development are promising, Liang said, while taking note of Hong Kong's unchanged status as an international financial and commercial hub, which will continue to attract multinational corporations.  

Hong Kong's active participation in regional cooperation also opens up more trade opportunities. By actively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and trade cooperation with ASEAN member countries, Hong Kong explores broader markets and investment opportunities for local businesses, Liang stated.

Amid the rapid shifts in exports, Hong Kong's trade has seen a quick recovery, with exports in January seeing a year-on-year increase of 33.6 percent, the largest rise since February 2021, to HK$388.7 billion ($49.7 billion). Its imports grew by 21.7 percent, reaching HK$385.1 billion, according to the Census and Statistics Department of the HKSAR government.

"As global economies transform and the importance of services trade increases, Hong Kong is well-positioned to expand its share in the services sector, leveraging its strengths in finance, law, logistics and professional services." Liang said.

The city is ramping up efforts to create new economic growth opportunities. The 2024-2025 Hong Kong Budget proposed building the HKSAR into a multinational supply chain management center, offering one-stop services for supply chain management, trade finance, consulting and talent training.

The initiative also aims to attract Chinese mainland manufacturers to establish offshore trading regional headquarters in Hong Kong, taking advantage of the city's rich management experience and favorable market conditions, said Chan.

Hong Kong has been actively moving to attract foreign investment. On February 2, Invest Hong Kong, a department of the HKSAR government responsible for foreign direct investment, announced that in 2023, it assisted 382 companies from 45 economies to establish operations in Hong Kong, bringing in investment of HK$61.6 billion and creating more than 4,100 new jobs, news website 21jingji.com reported.

Alpha Lau, director-general of Invest Hong Kong, was quoted as saying in the report that efforts will continue in exploring emerging markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) were subject to a special customs registration process starting from Thursday by the European Commission (EC), as the EU is moving closer to adopting new protectionist measures such as punitive tariffs targeting Chinese EVs in the bloc.

The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) on Wednesday evening voiced its disappointment with this move, according to a statement the chamber sent to the Global Times.

The mandate may have some impact on EV exports to Europe, as it may possibly be followed by punitive tariffs, according to experts and media reports. However, the impact will be short-term and limited, as the EU still needs Chinese EVs for its green transformation, a Chinese industry expert said Thursday.

The EU issued on Wednesday the Official Journal of the EU regarding its commission's implementation regulation that makes imports of battery EVs designed for passenger use originating in China subject to registration.

This regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, according to the Official Journal of the EU.

The CCCEU said that the chamber has observed that a new implementation regulation was issued on Wednesday, concerning the registration of EV imports from China by the EU. The purpose of the registration requirement is to address Chinese imports and potential retrospective measures, the chamber said.

Both the chamber and its members expressed concern over potential retroactive measures in the future, the CCCEU said.

According to EC data, between October 2023 and January 2024, the EU imported 177,839 Chinese EVs. Compared with the coverage period of the "countervailing investigation" (from October 2022 to September 2023), the average monthly import volume increased by 11 percent.

The chamber highlighted that the recent surge in Chinese EV imports reflected increasing demand for EVs in Europe and underscored Chinese car companies' commitment to fostering the European market.

"We earnestly hope that the European side will effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and establish a fair, impartial and non-discriminatory business environment for them," the China chamber said.

"This, in turn, will facilitate our joint contribution to the global low-carbon and green transformation," the chamber further noted.

In February, China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said that China is highly concerned about the trade remedy investigation targeting Chinese EVs and other products, and he also expressed strong dissatisfaction regarding the investigation, which he said lacked a factual basis.

The EU's latest move came in response to alleged subsidies for EVs by the Chinese government, even though China has largely ended early-stage NEV subsidies.

Subsidies for both public buses and private passenger cars stopped in 2022, Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, told the Global Times. "When there were subsidies in China, they were on a much smaller scale than those in European countries."

The EU's action aimed at Chinese EVs was much as expected as part of its trade protectionism measures against China, Cui said.

The customs registration targeting Chinese EVs could be an initial step, and it's likely to be followed by further measures such as punitive tariffs, he warned.

Despite the foreseeable impact on Chinese EVs exported to Europe, Cui said that it will only be temporary and won't undermine the competitiveness of Chinese EVs in the global market.

China is the world's largest car exporter, having surpassed Germany and outpacing Japan. By destination, the EU held the majority share, accounting for 47 percent of China's EV exports in value last year, according to a report by Citi Research in January.

As the EU is in great need of more cost-effective and high-quality products for its green transformation, demand will only grow stronger in the long run, Cui said.

China's top internet regulator published a notice on Tuesday, announcing a one-month special campaign to rectify negative content orientation in short videos, in an effort to comprehensively regulate the short video platforms and promote healthy competition within the industry. 

According to the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission (CAC), the campaign is targeting three typical problems — the spread of false information, the display of inappropriate content and spread of wrong values. 

The notice listed the example of staged photography and dissemination of rumors related to people's livelihoods, such as fabricating plots of helping disadvantaged groups to exploit public sympathy, or staging fake scenes at the site of emergencies and spreading panic. 

The second example of false information were fake videos generated or edited by technologies such as artificial intelligence, using people's portraits or voices illegally in deepfake or voice cloning. The notice also specified to regulate videos that distorting or interpreting authoritative information released by official sources out of context. 

Display of inappropriate content includes deliberately showcasing actions with sexual implications, and marketing with such contents; and intentionally using special effects and props to deliberately create an ugly image to attract attention, or using cross-dressing to create vulgar personas against public aesthetics. 

The notice clarified that videos showing online celebrities' malicious marketing and highly dangerous behaviors, such as suicide, self-harm and animal abuse, as well as parkour and drag racing will be regulated. 

Short videos spreading wrong values include intentionally challenging ethnic and traditional customs, inciting ethnic hatred or regional discrimination, and spreading incorrect views on marriage and relationships, and deliberately creating gender opposition. 

Short videos spreading wrong values, such as boasting for an incorrect career view, unscrupulous means, negative nihilism, flaunting wealth, worshiping materialism, and indulging in extravagance, will be subject to supervision. 

According to the CAC, the recommendation mechanism should be optimized to focus on algorithm orientation and insufficient recommendation of high-quality short videos.  

It is also necessary to address problems such as the review mechanisms lack standards or the standards are not comprehensive. 

The campaign is launched to urge short video platforms to tackle the frequent occurrence of inappropriate contents and values, strengthen their content review mechanisms. It also aimed to create a healthy competition environment for orderly development of the industry, the office said. 

The CAC stated that during the campaign, it will close and penalize a batch of accounts and platforms that have serious violations of laws and regulations. It will also promptly release information to the society, ensure smooth reporting channels, and encourage the public to participate. 

Experts and officials called for enhanced international cooperation and discussed the direction for future policies to promote the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the 4th China and International Development Forum that kicked off Friday in Beijing. A report released at the forum unveiled that only 15 of the 169 SDGs are moving as planned.

The Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

According to the report, titled "China and International Development Report: Insights and Outlooks: 2023-2024" released by the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC), among the 169 goals, only 15 are currently progressing according to plan, with nearly half of the goals severely off track.

About 30 percent of the goals have stagnated or even fallen below the 2015 baseline. Over the past three years, approximately 160 million people in 46 of the world's least developed countries have fallen below the poverty line. 

By 2030, the global poverty rate is projected to be around 7 percent, with 575 million people still living in extreme poverty, according to the report the CAITEC shared with the Global Times. 

The report pointed out that, in recent years, global development has faced multiple crises and challenges. The scale of development cooperation funding has reached a historic high, while the development financing gap remains difficult to bridge. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, development financing for developing countries, excluding China, has decreased by 17 percent, while the funding gap has increased by 70 percent. 

The self-interest of Western aid has become more pronounced. In 2022, Western countries' aid to Ukraine increased nearly 20 times from $918 million to $16.1 billion. However, at the same time, official development assistance to over 40 least developed countries decreased to $32 billion, compared to 2021, the report said. 

Data within the report fully illustrates that the current international situation is complex and volatile, with numerous risks and challenges, difficult economic recovery and shifting development issues, Wu Junru, an official from the China International Development Cooperation Agency, said at the forum. 

The implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda has clearly slowed down, and global development is facing multiple and severe challenges. Facing the stagnation of global development, China continues to believe that development should be achieved together, and only sustainable development is good development. China is not only a developing country in its own right but also a natural member of the Global South. China has long attached importance to both our own modernization and global development cooperation, Wu noted.

Two years ago, China proposed the Global Development Initiative, aiming to link and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 agenda, reuniting development consensus and promoting common development. 

China is willing to work together with all development partners, including the institutions present here and high-end think tanks such as the CAITEC, to gather consensus, pool wisdom, and mobilize resources to jointly promote the implementation of the 2030 agenda and inject new momentum into global development, Wu noted.

Following three years of parallel shocks and crises including the pandemic, war and conflicts, most developing countries are faced with increasingly constrained fiscal space and spiraling debt. The combined impact of these challenges has set back global development progress by decades. Furthermore, the climate crisis continues to worsen - threatening humanity's very existence. The year 2023 is set to be the warmest year on record, Beate Trankmann, representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in China, said in her speech at the forum. 

No single country or actor can tackle these challenges alone. Strengthened international development cooperation is essential to driving forward global progress on the SDGs, and maximize effectiveness in light of scarce resources and ever-growing demands, she stressed. 

"The world has entered a new period of turbulence and change, and global sustainable development is facing multiple challenges. In this new situation, China is accelerating its transformation towards international development cooperation. In this process, it is necessary for the government, industry, academies and researchers to strengthen collaboration. It is even more important to open up exchanges and deepen cooperation with the international community and jointly build a global development partnership," Gu Xueming, Dean of CAITEC said at the forum. 

Against this background, this year's forum is themed "Jointly Forging Global Development Partnerships to Accelerate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," aiming to build a dialogue platform, jointly explore the concepts, mechanisms, and best practices of international development cooperation in the new situation, and consolidate consensus and contribute wisdom to promote global sustainable development, Gu noted.

A total of 160 guests and representatives from various agencies attended the forum. 

Multiple cities in East China's Jiangsu and Anhui provinces suspended schools on Tuesday due to the impact caused by rain, snow, and freezing weather, a precautionary measure taken to prioritize the safety of students and teachers.

Cities including Jiangsu's Nanjing, Changzhou and Zhenjiang, as well as Anhui's Lu'an, Wuhu and Chuzhou all have suspended classes or implemented flexible school hours to reduce risk and transportation pressure caused by the cold weather.  

All primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, vocational and technician schools in Changzhou were closed on Tuesday due to the impact of the weather. Parents can apply for in-school care services if needed, and the schools will coordinate and arrange for care services, according to the Changzhou education authority on Monday.

Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, implemented flexible school hours from Tuesday to Friday. "Students who don't meet the conditions for attending school can choose not to come to school, while other students can arrive late or leave early according to their actual situation," the Nanjing education authority said.

A local teacher in Nanjing surnamed Zhang told the Global Times on Tuesday that her school held classes normally while students could decide for themselves whether or not to attend based on their own situation.

Several parents from Anhui confirmed with the Global Times that local schools suspended classes on Tuesday due to the snowy weather. 

"The teachers held classes online and gave homework to the children to complete at home. We totally understand the decision as the weather poses transportation as well as safety risks," Zhang, a parent of a primary school student from Anhui's Wuhu, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Since Sunday night, the regions along the south of the Huaihe River have seen moderate to heavy snowfall, with some parts experiencing blizzards. As of 8 am on Tuesday, a total of 43 cities and counties within Anhui Province had accumulated one to nine centimeters of snow. Another cold air front is expected to affect the province from Tuesday tonight to Thursday, according to a notice released by the Anhui provincial meteorological bureau on Tuesday. 

An additional work team has been dispatched to Anhui to guide the prevention of and response to disasters from rain, snow and freezing conditions, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management on Monday. The move was made as part of requirements for increased efforts in enhancing monitoring, forecasting, and issuing alerts to the public in a timely manner.

Jiangsu provincial education authorities issued a notice on strengthening prevention and response to low-temperature rain, snow, and ice disasters on Sunday. It stipulated the need to enhance risk prevention for outdoor group activities, and suspend teaching and outdoor activities if necessary.

Chinese speed skaters made some breakthroughs at the speed skating World Cup in Beijing over the weekend, as they totaled two silver and four bronze medals in the three-day competition.

Ning Zhongyan has become the marquee name for the Chinese speed skating team this year as he bagged one silver and two bronze medals in all three races he participated in. Female skater Han Mei is also a big contributor as she claimed one silver and one bronze medals. 

The National Speed Skating Oval, replaced its ice for the first time after hosting the Winter Olympics last year, has been dubbed the "fastest ice" as it witnessed the breaking of 10 Olympic records last year. 

"I was a bit nervous when competing at the Olympics here last year, but now I am just enjoying the race," Ning told reporters. "I think I didn't fail to live up to the fans' expectations, but I do hope I can change the color of my medal at the next World Cup event."

In the women's race, Han's result in the 1,500 meters of 1:55.92 was just 0.4 seconds short of Japanese veteran Miho Takagi, who bagged three individual medals at the Beijing 2022 Olympics. Han's teammate Li Qishi finished third.

"Different from competing at the Olympics, now we have fans cheering for us, which is a booster for me," Han told reporters, noting she has set herself the goal of stepping onto the podium at the Milan 2026 Olympics.

The last time a Chinese female skater entered the top three in the 1,500 meters event was during the 1999-2000 season, when Song Li achieved third place in the Netherlands. 

Li Yan, head coach of the national speed skating team, said though the team is preparing for its ultimate goal of the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics, participating in the World Cup events has made the goal "clearer."

"Every four years we are preparing for one thing (the Winter Olympics), but this year our goals are clearer, which is to improve our results and rankings," she told reporters. 

"Every athlete, regardless of their current level, is finding their shortcomings and areas to improve. More importantly, we are consolidating the spirit of the entire team, using the team's strength to achieve breakthroughs and support each other."

Compared to speed skating's brother, the discipline short track, which has become a popular event thanks to China's medal haul in the discipline, the oval races are relatively less influential, as it totaled only two gold medals in China's seven entries into Winter Olympics. 

While in recent years China has seen success in shorter distance speed skating, particularly with Zhang Hong and Gao Tingyu winning gold in the 500 meters events at the Sochi 2014 and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, respectively, the country has struggled in mid-to-long-distance events, which makes breakthroughs like those of Ning and Han more significant.

Despite not participating in the previous season and lacking World Cup ranking points, Gao, who recently returned, finished just a place short for a podium finish in Beijing. But coach Li expressed satisfaction with his recovery. 

"Gao's smooth return is the first step. The fans have high expectations for him, but after all, he hasn't participated in formal competitions for over 20 months," Li told reporters. 

"Being able to move to the top group is a stable first step, and he just needs to do his best."

Zou Jingyuan, the Tokyo Olympic champion five-time world champion, defended his titles in the men's team and men's parallel bars events at the Hangzhou Asian Games. The 25-year-old Chinese gymnastics ace talked about his physical condition and mindset, as well as his goals for next year's Olympics in Paris in an exclusive interview with the Global Times. He said he has felt less pressure for Paris after claiming the gold medals.

Zou competed in two individual events at the Asian Games, the men's parallel bars and rings, and he was also a member of the Chinese men's team. He said he was "quite satisfied" with his performance throughout the event.

"For me, the main thing is that in the team event I displayed my level of training," Zou, nicknamed "king of the parallel bars," told the Global Times.

Zou competed in the men's team competition in two individual apparatuses, the double bar and the rings. In both of the apparatuses, the Chinese team came in first place overall. Zou also praised the performance of his teammates, especially Zhang Boheng, who competed in all the events, saying he played an important and crucial role.

China narrowly defeated Japan in the men's team competition to clinch the title, just three points ahead. Zou said he was impressed by the Japanese team's performance. "The city brings us a lot of luck," he said after the match. 

Snatching gold with an incomparable lead, Zou shrugged off the overwhelming compliment, saying that his performance was not perfect. 

"I did not choose to increase the difficulty. The difficulty of this set is still a bit low compared to next year's Paris Olympics," he said. "These games are the cornerstone of the Paris Olympics."

In the other individual event he participated in, Zou only ranked sixth in the rings, seemingly affected by his injury. However, answering the Global Times, Zou dismissed the influence from injury.

"My injury is within a controllable range," he said. "In fact, it is the same for the opponents. They also face a lot of injuries and are also challenging themselves."

As the defending Olympic champion, Zou said he faces Paris with less tension and pressure than he did two years ago.

"Of course, the freshness during the competition is different," he told the Global Times. "But during training, I think there will be less pressure than before. I won't be fighting myself as much as before."

Speaking about his expectations for Paris, he said he expects to do well in Paris in what he didn't do well in Tokyo.

Immediately after the Asian Games, the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship began in Antwerp, Belgium. Since the Chinese men's team has already qualified for Paris, the male athletes involved in the Asian Games will no longer be involved in the World Championships, as more opportunities will be offered to other teammates.

For his teammates who will soon start the World Championships, Zou said he hopes they will not have too much pressure.

"Of course I would want them to take the title, but more than that, I hope they can display themselves without pressure," he said. "In terms of results, it also depends on their opponents' performance."

As for Zou and his teammates who are participating in the Asian Games, they will get a rare vacation after that. "But it makes no difference to me whether I take a vacation or not," Zou said. "I will still train every day. As the days go by, it is closer to the Olympics."

The "Out of Africa - Celebrating the Beijing Swifts" seminar was successfully held on Monday evening in the Belgian Residence in Beijing, coinciding with the World Migratory Bird Day to promote the conservation of migratory birds such as the Beijing Swifts and their habitats. 

Ambassador of Belgium to China H.E. Bruno Angelet, deputy director-general of the Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau Wang Xiaoping, deputy director of the Wildlife and Wetland Protection Division Ji Jianwei, Beijing Normal University professor Zhao Xinru, professor of Ornithology at the Sun Yat-sen University, Liu Yang and Beijing-based wildlife conservationist Terry Townshend, and several ambassadors attended the event.

Ambassador Angelet, the host of the event delivered a speech. He declared a love for birds, especially the Swifts as they are intelligent, social, gentle and free, adding that he was also a birdwatcher in Belgium and after arriving in Beijing in August, he was pleasantly surprised at the great variety of birds in the city, including sparrows, which have almost disappeared in Belgium, but can be found everywhere in Beijing. 

"I was so excited to discover that European and Chinese scientists have studied specific aspects of their journey. Through this study, we have discovered that the Swifts which nest in Beijing also come every spring from Africa, mostly from Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa," he told the Global Times. 

Ambassador Angelet also expressed his hope that embassies and their Chinese counterparts will join forces to improve bilateral international scientific cooperation.

Professor Zhao and Professor Liu, two of the best-known Chinese scientists who have been studying the bird species shared the results of the citizen science surveys to count the Swifts in Beijing to help understand the bird's population trends.  

The Beijing Swift, as a migratory bird named after "Beijing," is a landmark species and one of the ecological symbols of Beijing. It spends three months a year in Beijing to breed before undertaking an incredible migration to southern Africa in mid-July for the northern hemisphere winter, professor Zhao said at the event.

On July 4, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published a report announcing that Japan's dumping plan meets the IAEA's safety standards. 

Several days after the report was released, doubts are mounting. It also sparked a strong backlash in countries that will be impacted by the scheduled dumping.

Several sources and industry experts involved in the project revealed to the Global Times Japan's intent to create "reasonableness" for the plan to be well received. In their view, despite Japan's calculated efforts to create a narrative of harmlessness around its intended plan, the risks associated with the dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Fukushima are real. From the perspective of the interests of all humankind, there should have been better options considered, but Japan has disregarded them and chosen the most favorable approach for itself.

Unproven safety

As an independent intergovernmental organization within the United Nations system, the conclusions reached by the IAEA are often seen as inherently authoritative. The Japanese government also intends to use the IAEA's report to legitimize Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean.

However, as stated by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin, the agency's report cannot serve as a "shield" or "green light" for Japan's dumping plan. Several industry insiders and experts expressed the same view in recent interviews with the Global Times, saying that the conclusions of the IAEA assessment report cannot provide a stamp of approval for the safety of the plan.

Regarding the released report by the IAEA, the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment have recently raised questions about its content. They believe that there are many issues concerning the legitimacy of Japan's ocean discharge, the reliability of the purification system, and the completeness of the monitoring plan.

Deng Ge, secretary general of the CAEA, noted that according to the IAEA report, the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) method used by Japan cannot remove all radioactive nuclides from the nuclear-contaminated wastewater. Based on previous operation results, it has been proven that ALPS method is ineffective in removing radioactive nuclides such as tritium and carbon-14. The effectiveness of ALPS in removing other radioactive nuclides also requires further testing and verification through experiments and engineering. 

According to data released by Japan itself, over 70 percent of the wastewater treated by ALPS does not meet discharge standards and requires further purification. During long-term operation, the performance and reliability of ALPS will further deteriorate due to equipment corrosion and aging. But Japan has not demonstrated the long-term effectiveness and reliability of the water purification system.

An insider familiar with Japan's dumping plan revealed to the Global Times that the current plan and assessment in Japan are based on the assumption that the treated wastewater will meet the standards. Unfortunately, according to data previously released by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima plant, even after treatment through ALPS, about 70 percent of the treated contaminated wastewater does not meet the set standards, with 18 percent exceeding the standards by 10 to 20,000 times. Additionally, the frequent malfunctions and component damage of ALPS raise doubts about its capability to treat the nuclear-contaminated wastewater.

The insider further stated that it is uncertain whether the situation would improve if the water undergoes a second round of ALPS treatment. The plan provided by TEPCO does not explain how to ensure that the treated wastewater will meet the discharge requirements, nor does it include an analysis of the impacts of the discharge. 

Publicly available data showed that TEPCO only retreated 0.25 percent of the nuclear-contaminated wastewater, without disclosing the time required for the second treatment or explaining the plan for the second treatment.

The accuracy and reliability of the data released by Japan on the contaminated wastewater have also been questioned by numerous parties. Deng stated that TEPCO has repeatedly concealed and tampered with data on the nuclear-contaminated wastewater. Japan unilaterally approved the dumping plan and accelerated its implementation, putting pressure on the IAEA's review and assessment through various means. 

The IAEA conducted its review and assessment based solely on the data and information provided by Japan, with only a limited number of samples of the nuclear-contaminated wastewater collected unilaterally by Japan for laboratory comparison and analysis. The authenticity and accuracy of the data are yet to be verified, and the sampling independence and representativeness are severely lacking. Therefore, even if the IAEA's review and assessment conclude that the discharge complies with international safety standards, it lacks sufficient persuasiveness, according to Deng.

Regarding sampling and monitoring, TEPCO initially only sampled and monitored nine nuclides other than tritium in the contaminated wastewater, which was later adjusted to 29 nuclides in 2023. However, considering the complex composition of the contaminated wastewater from Fukushima with its high salt content and various impurities, this is still far from sufficient, according to the insider.

"TEPCO's actions have introduced significant uncertainties in the source information of the nuclear-contaminated wastewater, thereby greatly increasing the difficulty of formulating subsequent monitoring plans and assessing the impact on the marine ecosystem," said the insider.

Even if the assessment report by the IAEA concludes that Japan's plan to dump nuclear-contaminated wastewater meets international safety standards, risks still remain.

Wei Fangxin, a researcher at the Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, told the Global Times that the radiation safety standards established by the IAEA set the public dose limit at 1 milliSievert per year. However, even if the dose is below 1 milliSievert, there are still risks of radiation exposure. 

"It's like a highway speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour. It doesn't mean that driving below 100 kilometers per hour is absolutely safe," the expert said.

Wei also pointed out that there are many nuclides in the contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, making its treatment challenging. Each treatment technology has limitations and can only handle specific types of nuclides, while other nuclides or impurities can affect the performance of the treatment equipment.

Over time, the performance of the treatment system deteriorates, and the treated water may have excessive levels of radioactivity, he said.

"In the long run, the people in neighboring countries and regions to Japan will undoubtedly be adversely affected by the dumping of the nuclear-contaminated wastewater. Regardless of how small the radioactivity of the contaminated wastewater may be, it still poses certain risks." Wei noted.

Mounting doubts

As early as on July 4, Mao Ning, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said that the report would "not prove the discharge is legitimate and justified and exempt the Japanese side from its due responsibilities and obligations under international law."

Liu Senlin, an expert with the China Institute of Atomic Energy, who participated in the IAEA's technical working group for the assessment, told the Global Times that the report, released in the name of the IAEA director general, was released without sufficient consultation with the experts in the technical working group.

He believes that the report released by the IAEA does not represent the IAEA's recognition of the legitimacy of Japan's decision to dump the treated wastewater into the ocean, nor does it represent the IAEA's approval or authorization of Japan's dump of nuclear-contaminated wastewater.

Liu mentioned that the report was released in the name of the IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi. Although the IAEA Secretariat had sought opinions from the technical working group's experts on the draft report before its release, the time given to the experts was very limited, and their opinions were only for reference, with the decision on whether to adopt them being made by the IAEA Secretariat.

After receiving feedback, the IAEA Secretariat did not initiate a discussion or reach a consensus with the experts on the modification of the report or the adoption of the opinions before its hasty release, according to Liu.

Liu revealed that during the last two years of evaluation tasks, experts from various parties in the technical working group extensively and deeply discussed technical issues related to the Japanese government's responsibilities and functions in the discharge of treated contaminated wastewater, key principles and safety objectives, authorization procedures, source characterization, safety issues of the discharge system and process, evaluation of radiation environmental impact, source monitoring and environmental monitoring plans, occupational radiation protection, public consultation, and the involvement of relevant parties. "There were both consensuses and differences of opinion, and a unanimous agreement was not reached."

On the one hand, the IAEA's review and evaluation effectively raised the technical threshold and regulatory requirements for Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater; on the other hand, there were significant limitations, such as not addressing the international community's concerns over the legitimacy of Japan's decision to discharge, and not having sufficient discussions and arrangements for subsequent review and assessment tasks, and long-term monitoring plans.

"The IAEA plays the role of an assessor, rather than a decision-maker, in the issue of the disposal of nuclear-contaminated wastewater in Fukushima, Japan," Wei said.

"From the perspective of the IAEA, its release of the comprehensive assessment report stating that Japan's plan for discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater 'meets international safety standards' can only be understood as the plan being feasible. However, feasibility does not imply that the plan is the optimal solution, and there are still many questions that Japan has not answered," he noted.

When Japan requested for an IAEA assessment of its disposal plans, it did not submit all feasible options for evaluation. Instead, it submitted the discharge plan that was most favorable to its interests. This assessment itself has limitations and biases, the expert said.

South Korean media revealed on June 21 that the Japanese government made a political donation of more than 1 million euros ($1.10 million) to the IAEA in order to resolve differences of opinion between the IAEA and third country experts. But it was later denied by Grossi and the Japanese government.

"From the perspective of the IAEA's assessment results, its position clearly leans more toward the Japanese government," said an anonymous expert close to the event.

Firstly, the IAEA itself is also eager to resolve the issue of Fukushima's nuclear-contaminated wastewater as soon as possible because one of its mandates is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy globally, he said.

The other reason is that Japan has significant influence within the IAEA. From the information available to us, there are many Japanese nationals serving in the IAEA, and this trend has continued in the last decade, according to the expert.

"The Japanese government is active in this issue and financially supports sending experts or advisors to serve in or provide services to the IAEA. From the perspective of the IAEA, enjoying free professional services is certainly welcomed. From Japan's perspective, it expands its influence and discourse power within the IAEA through this approach," he said.

Simplest way

In the implementation of the dumping plan, Japan has been unable to prove the legitimacy and legality of its decision throughout the process. This is one of the reasons why they requested an evaluation and assessment from the IAEA. 

In this regard, Japan's actions have revealed a lack of long-term responsibility in addressing the issue and have instead revealed a need for a temporary rather than a long-term solution. 

According to the CAEA, Japan deliberately restricted the authorization of the IAEA's technical working group, limiting review and assessment to only one disposal option, while excluding other possible alternatives. Even if the IAEA considers the discharge to be in line with international safety standards, it does not prove that it is the only or best solution for the disposal of the contaminated wastewater.

"Now, by releasing the contaminated wastewater into the open sea, it is the simplest and least burdensome approach for Japan, reducing economic costs and minimizing harm to its own territory. However, it potentially poses risks to neighboring countries, effectively transferring their own risks to others," Wei said.