Month: August 2019

Romans Vlasenko, a 42-year-old man from Latvia, is leading his disciples in practicing tai chi in Chenjiagou, Wenxian county, Jiaozuo city, Henan province.

As the chairman of the Latvia Martial Arts Association, Vlasenko has taught more than 100 Latvians tai chi. He has been passionate about Chinese martial arts since childhood, and has come to China over 20 times to study kung fu. He has learned styles including Wing Chun, Xing Yi Quan and Shaolin boxing, but his favorite is tai chi.

This summer, he was invited by the Chinese embassy in Latvia to come to Chenjiagou, which is the cradle of tai chi in China. He and his over 20 disciples are following tai chi master Zhang Fuwang to learn Chen-style tai chi.

“I love tai chi, Chinese martial arts and Chinese culture. I want to let more people get to know Chinese martial arts culture through my efforts,” Vlasenko said.

The relics of Buddhist cliff carvings dating back about 1,200 years have been found in Southwest China’s Sichuan province, local authorities said.

The Buddha figure carvings were found in Baiyu county of Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture, the first time in the county’s history. Archaeologists believe they were created in the late Tibetan Tubo Kingdom (about 618-842), based on their style.

Luo Wenhua, director of the Tibetan Buddhist cultural relics institute of the Palace Museum, said the carvings’ style resembles that of the Tubo stone carvings discovered in some places in Tibet autonomous region and Qinghai province.

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The discovery may give evidence to the view that the ancient road linking the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Tibetan Tubo Kingdom is not a single road but a road network. “Baiyu might be located on one road in the network, but this needs further proof,” Luo said.

“The carvings provide important materials for us to rethink the distribution of cliff carvings from the Tibetan Tubo Kingdom,” Luo added.

Burning forests ignite global debates on climate change and deforestation

This year’s fire season in the Amazon is igniting a global debate on climate change and deforestation while thousands of Brazilian troops battle the spreading fires.

The number of fires between January and August 21 is up 85 percent from the same period in 2018, according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, which tracks satellite data. The cases also increased in neighboring Bolivia and Paraguay.

Under increasing international pressure to contain the fires, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has ordered 44,000 troops to be ready to combat the fires. He also spoke with the presidents of Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Spain.

Bolivia and Paraguay have also struggled to contain fires that swept through woods and fields and, in many cases, got out of control in high winds. About 7,500 square kilometers of land has been affected in Bolivia. A Boeing 747-400 Super-Tanker has been despatched to dump retardant on the blazes there.

Forest fires are common across the Amazon rainforest between May and October but the big jump this year has ignited a global debate that threatens to hurt Brazil’s trade and diplomatic relationships.

“The number of fire outbreaks recorded in the Amazon in 2019 is one of the largest in recent years. And it is getting worse,” Romulo Batista, an Amazon campaigner from Greenpeace Brazil, said.

The concern is that the increase in the number of fires is directly related to rapid deforestation.

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Thomas Lovejoy, a senior fellow at the United Nations Foundation and a professor at the Environmental Science and Policy department at George Mason University in the United States, said deforestation of the Amazon rainforest could soon reach a tipping point. Working with a Brazilian scientist, Lovejoy concluded about 18 months ago that “the tipping point probably is around 20 percent deforestation. And we’re very close to that. Probably at 18 percent or 19 percent”.

“There are three things affecting (the Amazon) today. One is deforestation. One is extensive use of fire as you can see right now. And the third is climate change. And the three of them are working together on that hydrological cycle pushing toward a tipping point,” Lovejoy added.

Foreign firms shrug off concerns about slowdown, boost investments, expand big time

Slowdown-what slowdown? That might well be the stance of foreign companies operating in China, if asked about the implications of slowing economic growth for the future of their businesses in the country, and the attendant concerns about it.

Some of the world’s biggest corporate names such as Walmart, BASF, Exxon-Mobil, Procter & Gamble, Saudi Aramco, BMW, Cargill, ABB, Tesla and GE are all renewing their commitment to China by expanding their operations countrywide, never mind the sense of uncertainty sparked by the China-US trade dispute.

Such is their confidence in the bright future of the Chinese economy that their operations are in full swing day and night. Perhaps, nowhere is this more evident than at Walmart’s South China perishable goods distribution center in Dongguan, Guangdong province.

There, well past a midnight during a weekend, Walmart staff busily pick and load goods in an orderly manner. After one or two hours, the trucks equipped with refrigeration and monitoring functions set off, laden with fresh vegetables, meat, fruits and dairy products.

The goods will travel from Dongguan’s Shatian town to over 100 Walmart stores across Guangdong province and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region-two geographies that boast consumers with a strong preference for fresh goods.

The US retail chain invested 700 million yuan ($99.1 million) on this distribution facility. Walmart plans to invest a further 8 billion yuan in logistics and supply chains in China over the next two decades. In the pipeline are more distribution and support facilities that will boost its supply chain capacity.

Data from Guangdong’s Provincial Commerce Department show that the province alone saw a 61-percent growth in foreign investment to $11.08 billion in the first half of this year.

Foreign-invested projects entailing investment of $50 million or more each surpassed 40. Among the foreign investors in Guangdong province are multinationals such as German chemical giant BASF SE, US-based oil and gas company Exxon-Mobil Corp and consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble Group.

From preparing for factory construction to intensifying activities in the field of research and development, global companies have been accelerating the expansion of their operations across China in recent years, said Chu Shijia, director-general of the comprehensive department at the Ministry of Commerce.

He said many opportunities come from China’s move to encourage foreign companies to expand their market presence in areas such as advanced manufacturing, high-tech, modern agriculture and services. China is also offering easier market access and creating a more fair, transparent and predictable environment for foreign businesses.

The positive impact of these measures is felt not just in South China but mainland-wide. For instance, in June, China (Hubei) Pilot Free Trade Zone, located in the country’s central region, signed agreements with global companies to establish 24 big-ticket projects. The move attracted 30 billion yuan in investment in fields like industrial incubation, machinery maintenance, new materials, electronic information and medical equipment.

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Current Chinese and US national teams convene to commemorate friendship

Connie Sweeris was one of nine table tennis players who traveled to China at the end of the 31st World Championships 48 years ago, a trip that gave birth to the “ping-pong diplomacy” and paved the way for the re-establishment of United States-China relations.

On Thursday night, she joined two other long-ago teammates, Judy Hoarfrost and George Braithwaite, in reliving the 1971 experience by playing friendship matches against some of the current top players from the Chinese National Table Tennis Team.

Current Chinese and US national table tennis players convened at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California, to celebrate the anniversary of the ping-pong diplomacy.

At the event, the three original members of the 1971 USA team and some of China’s most established players had a friendship exhibition game.

“This was a real neat experience for us to come to the Nixon Library here and be able to play against the Chinese national team. I got a chance to play against Ding Ning, and we had some really good points. They are No 1 in the world. So, it just seems really fun for the US players, especially from way back in the 1970s, to meet one of the top players and be able to play a top player now,” Sweeris said.

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“This means a lot, because of the exchanges that happened in 1971 precipitated our friendship that has been developing down through the years now,” she added.

Judy Hoarfrost, who was only 15 years old when she toured across China in 1971, enjoyed a friendship match with reigning world champion Liu Shiwen.

“It is very exciting to have the Chinese table tennis team here. It’s very generous of them to have the best players in the world to come here and train with the American athletes. So we feel very honored that they are here,” she said.

“It was a really amazing thing that table tennis, my sport, played a role in bringing the people of USA and the people of China together to eventually have diplomatic relationship with China,” she added.

The banquet was put together by the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, Nixon Foundation, USA Table Tennis, as well as the Chinese Table Tennis Association, to welcome the Chinese National Table Tennis Team. The team is in Los Angeles from Aug 5-25 for a training camp with Team USA.

“It is true that ping-pong diplomacy occurred in a bit of an unexpected way. Nobody would’ve expected that a small ping-pong ball could have such a magical power to open the door that has been long shut between our two countries. Yet it came as a natural outcome of the efforts as well as the desire of our two people for friendship and good relationship,” said Zhang Ping, Chinese consul general in Los Angeles.

Although the ping-pong diplomacy took place more than 40 years ago, its legacy remained important for the China-US relationship today, the diplomat noted.

“At present, the China-US relationship is standing at a critical juncture. In the current situation, it’s more important that we carry forward the legacy of the ping-pong diplomacy, bringing into full play the role of’a small ball rotating a big globe’. We need to strengthen people-to-people connections, further deepen our friendship and make concerted efforts to maintain a stable and sound development of China-US relations,” Zhang said.

Themed “Smart Technology: Empowering Economy, Enriching Life,” the 2019 Smart China Expo kicked off in Chongqing on Monday.

The expo brings together experts, scholars and business representatives from home and abroad to discuss the booming intelligent industry in the four-day event. It also provides a platform to show the cutting-edge technologies, products as well as business forms and models of the global smart industry.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

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The German manager is tied down at Anfield for another three years, at which point he promises to re-assess his goals as a coach

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has confessed he intends to take a break from coaching upon the expiration of his contract in 2022.

The 52-year-old arrived at Anfield in 2015, replacing Brendan Rodgers in the hot seat after a successful spell in charge at Borussia Dortmund.

Klopp quickly transformed the Reds into a high-energy, attack-minded outfit capable of competing with the best teams in Europe, but was made to wait for his first piece of silverware.

The German suffered Carabao Cup, Europa League and Champions League final defeats before finally breaking his duck on June 1 in Madrid.

Liverpool lifted a sixth European Cup after beating Tottenham in the showpiece event, with more success expected in the 2019-20 campaign.

The Reds have kicked off the new season in perfect fashion, beating Norwich, Southampton and Arsenal in the Premier League, while also clinching the UEFA Super Cup at Chelsea’s expense.

However, Klopp has now revealed that he plans to walk away from the club when his existing deal runs out, citing a potential need to restore “energy levels”.

When asked if a sabbatical could be on the cards in three years time, Klopp told German magazine Kicker : “It looks like it. Who can now say if he can give it his all in three years’ time?

“If I decide for myself that I can’t go on anymore, I’ll take a break and in that year I’d have to make a definite decision [if he wants to continue at all].

“I have absolute energy, but I have one problem: I can’t do ‘a little bit.’ I can only do ‘all or nothing.’

“But the chances are very high that my energy levels will go up again [after a year’s break], and that I can then do the job the way I want to.”

Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League standings with a 3-1 home win over Arsenal on Saturday , with reigning champions Manchester City two-points further back in second.

Klopp’s side missed out on the title in agonising fashion last term, finishing one point behind City despite only losing one of their 38 fixtures.

They will be hoping to go one better this time around, with a tough trip to Burnley up next before the international break takes effect.

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The German boss believes there are already too many football games played every season and thinks fans could start to abandon the sport

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he hopes the concept of a European Super League never comes into effect.

The prospect of the continent’s most successful teams breaking away from their domestic leagues to form their own competition has been raised several times over the last three decades and last year it was reported in Germany that clubs are already advancing on their plans to replace the Champions League with another tournament.

The idea has proved controversial, however, as the European Leagues organisation has warned that it poses a serious threat to football, while Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes it will “kill” traditional leagues.

And Liverpool boss Klopp is also worried about a super league being formed, insisting it will become repetitive and boring by pitting the same teams against each other every year.

“I hope this Super League will never happen,” he told Kicker.

“With the way the Champions League is now running, football has a great product, even with the Europa League.

“For me, the Champions League is the Super League, in which you do not always end up playing against the same teams. 

“Of course, it is economically important, but why should we create a system where Liverpool faces Real Madrid for 10 straight years? Who wants to see that every year?”

The German boss believes the football calendar is already too intense for players and getting worse, suggesting fans will start to turn away from the game if things do not change.

“FIFA and UEFA are still expanding the tournaments for more participants,” he said. “Apparently they fear a day without football. But I think it’s the other way round. Eventually, the audience will say: ‘I’m not watching that or that either’.

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“We used to have two or three weeks without football in the winter, so we had ski jumping, downhill skiing, biathlon, and in England, with its variety of popular sports, it would not be a problem.

“Many people are trying to get as much of the cake as possible. It’s quite common in life, except in football it’s on the backs of players.”

Rodrigo Becao scored on his league debut to down the Rossoneri, with their manager disappointed by his side’s attacking display

Marco Giampaolo demanded an attacking improvement from AC Milan after a 1-0 defeat at Udinese in his first Serie A game in charge of the team.

Rodrigo Becao scored on his league debut, with Giampaolo not selecting any of the Rossoneri’s new signings in his starting side on Sunday.

Giampaolo sent on new faces Ismael Bennacer and Rafael Leao from the bench, but Milan could not break down Igor Tudor’s side at the Dacia Arena.

The former Sampdoria coach saw his side fail to record a single shot on target and he was in no doubt why Milan fell to defeat, despite seeking positives from the performance.

“The match speaks for itself and it’s not good when AC Milan lose,” Giampaolo told Milan TV. “I picked up on many things today, beyond that of just the result.

“The team tried to do what I asked of them, looking to impose themselves and take the game to the opposition. We must work on our offensive play because we struggled in that department.

“It’s not just the lads’ responsibility but more a matter of specific characteristics. I must go beyond the result in understanding how we can be at our best. Maybe I asked them certain things but they have different characteristics.

“Up until now, the lads have shown me great willingness. I must now find the best solution according to the characteristics of certain matches.”

Milan were denied a penalty when Alessio Romagnoli’s header hit Samir on the arm and no spot-kick was awarded following a VAR check.

“We’re annoyed by the result, but my evaluations wouldn’t be different if we’d have equalised from the penalty spot,” Giampaolo added.

“I must make some serious analysis, looking to understand where the team must improve and what works well. I must be objective. It may be that they award the penalty for an equaliser but this wouldn’t lead me to any different evaluations.

“When you lose, it’s only right for there to be controversial issues, but we must focus on ourselves – looking to play better football than we did today and without losing sight of being protagonists. We’ll only achieve this through hard work.”

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The Reds coach has praised his side’s unrelenting intensity after an emphatic win over the Gunners at the weekend

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes his side managed to break Arsenal physically in their 3-1 win at Anfield on Saturday. 

The Reds, helped by a double from Mohamed Salah, made light work of the Gunners to continue their winning start to the season.

While only just edging possession across the 90 minutes, Liverpool bombarded Arsenal’s defence throughout the contest as they fired off 25 shots – more than double their opposition’s total. 

That tenacity was particularly pleasing for Klopp, who suggested his side were able to break Unai Emery’s men physically. 

“The intention was to be us – just be us. Our identity is intensity, and the intensity we put into the game was really incredible,” Klopp said. 

“An opponent of the quality of Arsenal, you have to break somehow. Break them physically, yes. And we did.

“I said at half-time to the boys, ‘How do you think they feel?’ It was such an intense first half there was no time to breathe.”

With Liverpool star Salah stealing the show on Saturday, Nicolas Pepe’s starting debut for Arsenal was somewhat overshadowed as the Ivorian showed flashes of brilliance.

As Emery looked to fit Pepe into his starting side, Klopp admitted he was unsure how his opponents would approach the game. 

“I had no clue about their tactics, to be honest,” he said.

“I saw their teamsheet and thought it could be a diamond, but I didn’t think they would play Pepe in a different position in his first game. 

“We can improve, but 80 per cent of our game I am completely happy with.”

Liverpool have now won all three of their opening Premier League matches and sit two points clear in first after losing last season’s title race by one point to Manchester City. 

Though they have started strong in their domestic campaign, the Reds are yet to keep a clean sheet with their manager adamant it will take time for his defence to shine again. 

“It’s not like riding a bike, you lose it,” Klopp said.

“You have to come back and start again, and we are doing that, but against Arsenal it was really good, really aggressive.”

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