After a concert held at the Shanghai Cultural Square Theater on Monday night, renowned Welsh musical theater actor and singer John Owen-Jones met his Chinese fans at the "More than Music" event hosted by the British Consulate-General in Shanghai on Tuesday to share his career experience, and celebrate the rich cultural exchanges between the UK and China. John Owen-Jones, also known as JOJ, is most famous for his portrayals of Jean Valjean in Alain Boublil's and Claude-Michel Schönberg's Les Misérables and the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. Speaking of blending Western and Chinese instruments and making a very unique version of The Phantom of the Opera, which they performed during the China tour, JOJ said, "It's always one of the most exciting parts of the show for me because I get to see how the audience reacts to that, because cultural exchange is such a rich tapestry of different things all over the world that we can all learn from each other and make better art and make better music. And that's what's so exciting about being here in China. I think I'd like to explore more, so I definitely would like to integrate, explore more cultural opportunities between where I'm from, where you are from."
"Regardless of where we come from, music is this universal language, and it reminds us of that shared humanity and the things that bind us together," echoed the British Consul General in Shanghai Matt Burney.
"Indonesia, a country of 17,000 islands, offers a unique experience for tourists. Starting from the Metropolitan city of Jakarta with skyscrapers to Raja Ampat in Southwest Papua with natural beauty that is still natural. As is known, Indonesia will move the capital from Jakarta to the archipelago, which is located on the third-largest island in the world, namely Kalimantan. The relocation of the capital of Indonesia to the archipelago is proof of the progress of the Indonesian nation and hope for a brighter future to welcome [Golden] Indonesia Advanced 2045 [Vision]," said Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian Ambassador to China.
Enlivened with various art and cultural performances from Indonesia, the event was the largest exhibition of Indonesian products and culture in China, featuring Indonesia's export products that have entered the Chinese market.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed that the environment concerns the well-being of people in all countries. During his many inspections, Xi has always emphasized the importance of ecosystems, spanning from cities to rural areas, and from enterprises to communities.
Under President Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization, China has been advancing the green transition of its economy over the last decade. Regions across the country are actively promoting the construction of an ecological civilization and advancing Chinese modernization featuring harmony between humanity and nature. These efforts go toward creating a "Beautiful China."
The coming five years will be critical to the building of a "Beautiful China." The Global Times is launching a series of stories to explore the progress of ecological civilization projects inspired by Xi's words, delving into the positive environmental changes occurring now, and offering valuable insights and references for both national and global efforts.
Through this prism, we can see how Xi's thoughts on ecological civilization is being put into practice and further inspiring public action.
The Global Times recently visited the largest hydropower station in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to witness the advanced power and technology achievements of China's clean energy projects in remote areas. The visit also included a trip to an ethnic minority community village that was relocated due to the project's construction. Our reporter witnessed significant improvements in the quality of their life after relocation.
This shows how China's green energy development integrates resources, drives the process of modernization, and sets a scientific example for many developing countries worldwide. In the past, the Yarkand River in Xinjiang would flood annually during the rainy season, causing destruction to infrastructure, submerging farmland, and engulfing homes and villages. Bubishare, a Uygur resident who grew up in a village upstream of the river, still vividly recalls the cries of helplessness from those affected by the devastating floods before the construction of the Aratax water conservation project. Thanks to the project, these nightmares are now a thing of the past for local residents.
Located in the Karakorum Mountain Valley, the Aratax water conservation project, known as the "Xinjiang's Three Gorges" project for its grandeur and construction challenges, was constructed to control the Yarkant River. The 1,289-km-long Yarkant River in the Tarim Basin is Xinjiang's most flood-prone river, and the towering dam can withstand the turbulent floodwaters in a reservoir with a storage capacity of 2.2 billion cubic meters.
Today, this dam is gushing with clean water sources, stable power, and also gushing with hope for the minority groups on the desert.
In August 2023, President Xi Jinping urged firmly grasping the strategic positioning of Xinjiang in the overall national situation and better building a beautiful Xinjiang in the process of pursuing Chinese modernization, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, demanded thorough, meticulous, concrete and sustained efforts to develop a beautiful Xinjiang that is united, harmonious, prosperous, and culturally advanced, with healthy ecosystems and people living and working in contentment, in the process of pursuing Chinese modernization.
The building of a beautiful Xinjiang extends from a dam to a relocated ethnic minority community. The relocation of villagers to new homes with improved living conditions, as a result of the dam project, has brought green energy, green fields, and a green dream of prosperity to the villagers. Path to build new hope
After a challenging 6-hour journey along the rugged Tasha Ancient Road, the Global Times reporter finally laid eyes on the Aratax dam nestled in the mountainside deep within the Karakorum Mountain. Without firsthand experience of this journey, it is difficult to fathom the obstacles encountered during the entire process of researching, designing, and constructing the dam - no roads on the ground, barren mountains devoid of trees, transportation primarily by feet, and communication mainly through shouting. Accidents like overturning were frequent due to the rugged environment.
The Xinhua Hydropower Generation Co, Ltd, a subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation, began construction on the water conservation project in 2011, with a total investment of 10.98 billion yuan ($1.5 billion). The Aratax project has played a crucial role in flood control, irrigation, and power generation. The river plain, with a population of 4 million and an irrigated area of over 6.5 million mu (433,333 hectares), is the largest irrigated area in Xinjiang and the fourth-largest in China, benefiting 2.4 million people in the region.
Zhang Yibo, a frontline employee at the developer, told the media, "Over a decade ago, this place was even more desolate and rarely visited, and our water conservancy experts achieved a remarkable feat here." Confronted by the harsh natural surroundings, the builders traversed mountains, camped under the open sky, drank from rivers when thirsty, and rested in tents outdoor, with a firm passion for building a sustainable dam for locals.
From July 18 to August 17, 2021, the Aratax water conservancy project successfully connected four units to the grid in just one month, a rare accomplishment in the history of global hydropower development. This hydropower station significantly alleviated the power shortage in the four southern prefectures in Xinjiang. The project's designed annual power generation is 21.86 billion kilowatt-hours, saving 883,100 tons of standard coal annually while reducing smoke and dust emissions by 175,300 tons, and enabling the residents of southern Xinjiang to access cleaner energy.
The dam's incorporation of advanced technology, such as unmanned compaction technology using the Beidou satellite, improved digital visualization of the construction progress, and magnetic induction devices to assist in fish migration, have been notable features of its intelligent design.
"Following the completion of this project, it has greatly supported our irrigation efforts. Economic crops like sea buckthorn and apples are now extensively cultivated in the desert, leading to significant improvements in both economic and ecological benefits," Fan Kexing, Party secretary of Tong'an township, Kashi, Xinjiang, told the Global Times. "Previously, the area was plagued by strong winds and sandstorms, with sand and gravel striking house windows with a loud thud, but this phenomenon has now been alleviated," Fan noted.
Path to enjoy better life
Over the last six years, the residents of the remote Karakorum Mountains in Xinjiang have experienced incredible changes. Having previously lived in the vast desert with only three mu of arable land per person a decade ago, they had to trek seven kilometers to the mountains for drinking water, which needed to be purified before consumption. Power outages lasting for days at a time were a common occurrence. However, these challenges are now a thing of the past.
Today, the residents have an average annual income exceeding 10,000 yuan, live in beautifully decorated homes with their ethnicity characteristics, and enjoy access to closer schools, more job opportunities, and reliable water and electricity services.
Thanks to the construction of the dam, in August 2018, 4,243 individuals from over 1,000 households in Kusilafu township, Aketao county were resettled in Tong'an township, over 100 kilometers away. This diverse community, made up of Uygurs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and other ethnic groups, have embraced their new beginning.
Zhou Jingfang, an expert at the Xinhua Hydropower Generation Co who led the relocation work, still remembers the days of tirelessly conducting site surveys, clearing land, mobilizing villagers to relocate, planning and designing new sites, building resettlement houses, greening rural areas, reclaiming farmland, introducing livestock, and setting up factories, schools, clinics, and markets.
He told the Global Times that the dedicated team members worked long hours in harsh conditions, and navigated countless checkpoints and roads in the vast desert and rugged mountains without complaint. Nowadays, the villagers are no longer facing the endless desert of despair as they did in the past.
When discussing stories of relocation, 25-year-old Bubishare said, "Our village now has schools, factories, and employment opportunities. The village has supported us to find more diverse ways to make a living."
"We have 20,000 acres of farmland, where we not only grow food but also operate cash crops cooperatives. This area is a seabuckthorn forest, and our village recently constructed a seabuckthorn fruit processing plant. Our seabuckthorn beer will soon hit the market. With ample water supply, we are confident in our farming endeavors." Fan shared proudly while standing amid the seabuckthorn forest.
In a local farmer's backyard sheep pen, the Global Times reporter observed over 20 Dolan sheep, known as "living banks." Zhou explained that by raising two Dolan sheep, a farmer can become prosperous within two years due to their high reproductive rate. In Tong'an, many villagers raise Dolan sheep in this manner and enjoy prosperity.
Tong'an township has also collaborated with local businesses to establish factories, providing employment for local women to produce items made from Xinjiang cotton, such as down jackets and socks for overseas export, ensuring female workers earn at least 2,000-3,000 yuan per month. "The factory is conveniently located, allowing women to balance family responsibilities while earning an income," Fan informed the Global Times.
In one factory, a wall in the workshop reads, "Happiness is achieved through hard work." These words have accurately described how local women in Xinjiang have embarked on the path to modernization through their own hands.
Along the Yarkand River, beyond the Karakorum Mountain, the villagers of Tong'an are employing their diligence and unwavering efforts to write their own happy stories in the desert. They have left behind isolation and poverty, embracing hope and prosperity within short years. In this vibrant land, a new life of perseverance and success is blossoming with vibrant hues.
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday by phone at the latter's request, during which Xi said that China and Britain should remain firm as partners, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and benefit the two countries and the world through a stable and mutually beneficial China-Britain relationship.
The phone conversation is the first of its kind between Xi and Starmer since Starmer succeeded in leading the Labour Party to a decisive victory in the UK general election and was appointed prime minister on July 5. On July 7, Chinese Premier Li Qiang sent a congratulatory message to Starmer on assuming the position.
During his phone talks, Xi congratulated Starmer on assuming office as British prime minister.
Xi noted that the current international situation is volatile and intertwined, and he said that China and Britain, both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies in the world, should view bilateral relations from a long-term and strategic perspective, remain firm as partners, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and benefit the two countries and the world through a stable and mutually beneficial China-Britain relationship.
China is committed to advancing the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation on all fronts via Chinese modernization, and sticking to the path of peaceful development, Xi said, expressing his hope that Britain can view China in an objective and rational way.
China stands ready to engage in equal dialogue with Britain on the basis of mutual respect, enhance mutual understanding and mutual trust, strengthen synergy of development strategies with Britain, expand cooperation in such fields as finance, green economy and artificial intelligence as well as deepen people-to-people exchanges, to make mutual benefit and win-win the main tone of China-Britain relations, Xi said.
Starmer congratulated the Chinese sports delegation on their outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics and said that developing closer UK-China cooperation aligns with the long-term interests of both sides. Strengthening cooperation in trade, finance, education, clean energy, and healthcare would benefit each country's development and jointly address global challenges such as climate change.
The UK hopes to enhance contact and dialogue at all levels and in all areas with China, aiming for positive results in practical cooperation and institutional exchanges, and to develop a long-term, stable, and strategically significant UK-China relationship based on mutual respect, said Starmer.
This phone call on Friday is seen as meaningful for both countries, as China-UK relations had previously been strained for a while, Cui Hongjian, a professor from the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times.
Cui noted that the Labour Party's push for phone communication between the leaders is aimed at distinguishing itself from the Conservative Party. Since coming to power, the Labour Party has faced various challenges and is seeking to make a breakthrough in diplomacy, aiming to reactivate China-UK relations and restore them to a normal and healthy state through dialogue and interaction.
However, whether it can rejuvenate bilateral ties depends on the British side, as the current issues in China-UK relations largely stem from the UK. The British government needs to show sincerity and take concrete actions to improve relations, analysts said.
The Labour Party faces significant pressure from the UK media, Parliament, and think tanks, which maintained a critical stance toward China. Additionally, reduced communication under the previous Conservative government posed challenges, said Cui.
"We hope the Labour Party will move beyond mere gestures and develop concrete plans to restore bilateral relations responsibly. Both sides should implement the leaders' consensus, build mutual trust, and improve ties step by step," said the expert.
China's delegation for the Paris Olympic Games arrived in the French capital on Monday evening.
Headed by Gao Zhidan, director of China's General Administration of Sport, a team of Chinese Olympic Committee officials landed at Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport.
China will be represented by 405 athletes in 236 events across 30 sports at the July 26-August 11 Olympics.
Athletes in table tennis, badminton, swimming and women's volleyball have already arrived in Paris, according to Gao.
China finished second behind the United States in the medals table at Tokyo 2020 with 38 golds, 32 silvers and 19 bronzes.
Large models, robots, intelligent manufacturing, autonomous driving… In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has made headlines around the world.
In real life, AI has permeated all aspects of everyday life, helping with scientific research in laboratories, assisting in the restoration of mysterious ancient scrolls at archaeological sites, and helping rescue abducted children in the vast sea of humanity. The development of this technology has also raised a number of ethical and legal challenges. Many experts advocate that humans should see this technology as a tool created for the ultimate purpose of serving humanity, making life and work more efficient and comfortable.
In light of this, the Global Times has launched the "AI empowers industry, improves people's livelihoods" series, showcasing the tremendous energy and broad prospects that AI brings across every aspect of society.
This is the sixth installment in this series. The installment sets its sights on Paris, where global top athletes are vying for medals or personal bests. Behind Team China is the growing technological force, which helps them fight to win more scientifically and efficiently with AI tech. In China, the rapidly progressing AI not only plays a crucial role in high-level competitive sports, but also contributes significantly to the development of mass sports, and the popularization of sports culture. Having jumped off the starting block and plunged into the water, Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle, at La Défense Arena in Paris, won an Olympic gold medal in the men's 100m freestyle on Wednesday local time, breaking the world record amidst loud cheers.
This particular night echoed the past several months, when the Chinese swimmer and his teammates leaped into the water countless times during training sessions back home. At that time, their coaches and technical staffers gathered by the poolside around a screen, which displayed the complete process of a swimmer's start from the block and underwater movements, with data like the swimmer's entry distance and angle.
"Cameron van der Burgh (South African men's 100m breaststroke Olympic champion) made an entry angle of 37 degrees, which we can use as a reference." Fixating on the screen, they discussed the details of the swimmers' movements, probably for the umpteenth time.
They trained with the help of "SUS large sport model," China's first-ever large model designed for professional sports. Team China at the ongoing Paris Olympics is largely benefiting from AI, as the rapidly developing technology is widely used in China's various fields including competitive sports.
The very front line
Jointly developed by the Shanghai University of Sport (SUS) and a Chinese tech company, the SUS large sport model and its related technologies have been serving the daily training and Paris Olympic preparation of China's several national teams, such as diving, swimming, track and field, gymnastics, and rock climbing, according to Li Yongming, a SUS professor and member of the large model team.
With its vertical models that can study global sports literature data and automatically analyze videos and images from sports training and matches, the SUS large sport model assists athletes to better review and understand their performances with quantifiable metrics, and to make targeted training plans based on the metrics, Li told the Global Times.
As the Olympics unrolls in Paris, busy tech support staff are usually seen in venues apart from traditional personnel like coaches and team doctors. Then how much can AI help China's Olympic athletes striving for gold medal glory?
On Wednesday night local time, China pulled off an amazing 21-15 victory over gold medal favorites Serbia in a men's basketball 3x3 game. When the match ended, some Chinese tech support staff hurried away with videos they just shot during the game. About one hour later, a detailed analysis with almost all the kinematics data relevant to this game came out. From every move of the players to their physical states, these data will effectively contribute to their post-match summary and preparation for the next match, said Zhang Mingxin, who directs the science and technology support team of the Chinese national basketball 3x3 team at Paris Olympics.
Based on a three-dimensional dynamic capture technology and algorithm, the AI system real-time tracks and analyzes the players' motions and the basketball's trajectories, explained Zhang, who is now in Paris. "Then we can obtain useful data, like a player's real-time load intensity and movement path, and AI-generated professional analyses according to the data," Zhang told the Global Times via phone.
All the dynamic capture process is completed without bothering players in the game, Zhang noted. "Comparing with the previous techs that might require players to wear uncomfortable censoring devices, this system does everything in a contactles way," he said.
Moreover, traditional dynamic capture technologies that depend on wearable censoring devices and GPS (Global Position System) usually have 30 to 40 centimeter margin of error, Zhang said. "But our new system has centimeter-level accuracy, leading the world in this (basketball 3x3) field," he told the Global Times.
This AI system is co-invented by SUS, Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and a domestic tech firm. It can provide detailed data and analysis on a short turnaround time, helping the team better recover, prepare the next match and adjust tactics according to different opponents in tight schedule, said Zhang.
AI dynamic capture tech is also being used in Olympic preparations of some other Chinese national teams, such as archery. Xiu Yu, who is responsible for motion and technology analysis of the archery team, earlier told media that more than 10,000 data are generated for every arrow shot by the athlete.
"After processing and analyzing the data, [the AI system] will form a report for which is passes to team coaches," Xiu told to People's Daily in April.
Customized training based on intelligent analysis of big data are widely used in the training of Chinese athletes, said Chen Xiaoping, a distinguished research fellow from the China Institute of Sport Science affiliated to the General Administration of Sport of China.
"The overall improvement of scientific training level is an important way to improve [athletes'] performance," People's Daily quoted Chen as saying on April 8. "Behind the competition of competitive sports is a showdown of technological strength and proficiency."
Being part of the pageant
Only being a spectator of the Paris Olympics is somewhat outdated for China's younger generation. Instead of passively sitting in front of the TV, some young Chinese prefer to actively get involved in the Olympics, being a part of this global sports pageant in creative ways.
China AIGC (AI-generated content) Industrial Alliance, for instance, holds a themed event during the Olympics, inviting AIGC lovers to create Olympic-related picture, music, video works with generative AI tools. The event has received more than 70 unique submissions, with most of the participators being millennials and Gen Zers, according to the alliance's initiator Ni Kaoming. Ni shared some of the highlight works they have received, including an interesting AI-generated animated video that tells the magical journey of a panda to the Olympics. "Although there are some limitations on the use of Olympic elements due to copyright concerns, such as the Olympic rings, there are still many high-quality works that well express the Olympic charm and spirit," Ni told the Global Times.
Chinese tech companies are also offering various creative AI products being specifically designed for the Paris Olympics, which have attracted lots of young Chinese users.
Gen Zer Elaine (pseudonym) shared how she enjoys the Olympics in Shanghai through AI tools. While watching a diving match on Wednesday, she interacts with the event with a "virtual diving expert" - an AI agent of renowned former diving Olympic champion Wu Minxia - on her phone. When the event ends, she uploads her profile photo to an AIGC platform, and seconds later she got an AI-generated poster of her "attending" an Olympic diving match as an athlete.
"And before the Olympics began, I had had a virtual tour to Paris last week with the help of an AI large model," she told the Global Times.
AI does benefit the dissemination of the Olympic spirit and sports culture, Ni noted. "With AI technology, people get much closer to the Paris Olympics, its host city and athletes, and thus make them feel more connected with this pageant," he told the Global Times.
Great sporting potential
The AI market in sports industry is expected to grow from $5.93 billion in 2024 to $20.94 billion by 2029, at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of greater than 28.69 percent, according to data from market research company Mordor Intelligence.
Apart from the high-level competitive sports, mass sports is becoming a broader stage for AI applications in China. From last year, AI robots are gradually used in post-match rehabilitation of public marathon events across the country. The AI robots, as the robot team's director Li Xiaoning told the media in January, are more helpful and efficient than traditional rehabilitation ways of ice water and manual stretching.
The current 1.0 version of the SUS large sport model mainly focuses on competitive sports. Li said it will definitively cover mass sports in later versions, adding in more content that general public are interested in, such as how to exercise to lose weight.
The AI dynamic capture tech being used for the Chinese basketball 3x3 team has many potential application scenarios in mass spots as well, Zhang said.
He gave an example: the system can be changed into an AI coach that assists beginners of a certain sports to modify their incorrect moves.
"Also, AI tech can mark people's sport performances by evaluating their moves, and that may encourage entertaining competitions and interactions among friends," he added. " In general, AI will bring sports lovers more fun while making them more productive."
Chinese observers on Sunday hailed the significance of a proposal made by China's top diplomat Wang Yi, who underscored the urgent need for intensified regional cooperation to combat the growing threat of cross-border crime, including online gambling and telecom fraud, during a recent informal meeting with foreign ministers from Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand in Chiang Mai. Experts said that Wang's proposal embodies pragmatic cooperation in the region, with China's initiatives and leadership playing a crucial role.
According to the website of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the meeting on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang emphasized the importance of security as a fundamental prerequisite for national development.
Wang said the four countries have undertaken a series of collaborative operations against cross-border crime, resulting in the arrest of over 50,000 individuals involved in gambling and fraud activities since last year.
He called for enhanced border controls, securing national boundaries and managing key entry points to prevent illegal crossings. Wang also advocated improved intelligence sharing, continuous joint operations and swift action to apprehend and repatriate criminals who have fled across borders.
A lasting and stable regional environment relies on the sustained handling of specific issues by the countries involved. Through the process of crackdown on cross-border crimes, consensus is reached, common interests are accumulated, and a habit of cooperation is formed. This, in turn, fosters a sense of community among these countries, enabling them to maintain long-term stability and sustainable development through collaborative efforts and a shared community mind-set, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Sunday.
Therefore, China's initiatives and leadership are not only pragmatic but also strategically oriented toward the long term goal, Li noted.
The Ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting was also held in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Friday, after which the heads of delegations from the six Lancang-Mekong countries issued a joint statement that stressed on jointly combating cross-border crimes, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Cross-border crime not only damages the international image of the region and the countries involved, but also disrupts the development environment both within and beyond the region, Chinese observers pointed out.
China's initiative aligns with the practical needs and long-term interests of these countries, and this is why it is crucial for all parties to join forces in addressing this urgent issue, they said, noting that it reflects the significant impact that the spillover of issues like drug trafficking and smuggling from within the region has on both the region and the world, Chinese observers noted.
Addressing these problems requires international cooperation, which is why China's proposal is timely and necessary, aiming to protect each country's aspirations for stability, prosperity and development, observers said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday lodged serious protests with the Japanese side after Japanese leaders and lawmakers visited and sent offerings to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on Thursday as the country marked the 79th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.
Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the ministry urged Japan to stay prudent on historical issues such as the issue of the Yasukuni Shrine and make a clean break with militarism.
According to the Kyodo news, during a memorial ceremony Thursday, Emperor Naruhito expressed his "deep remorse," while Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida did not mention Japan's wartime aggression in Asia in his speech.
Despite Kishida not visiting the notorious shrine in person, he sent a ritual offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine on Thursday, a symbol of Japan's past brutal militarism, for three consecutive years.
Several ministers visited the shrine, including the hawkish economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, defense minister Minoru Kihara and economic revitalization minister Yoshitaka Shindo. Some LDP lawmakers, including former environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, also visited the shrine.
According to Kyodo, Takaichi, Koizumi, Kobayashi are considered potential candidates in the forthcoming LDP leadership race after Kishida's recent announcement that he plans to step down.
The Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II. Visits and ritual offerings made by Japanese officials to the controversial shrine have consistently sparked criticism and hurt the feelings of the people of China, South Korea and other countries brutalized by Japan during the war.
Lin said that the Yasukuni Shrine, where World War II Class-A war criminals are honored, is a spiritual tool and symbol of the wars of aggression waged by Japanese militarists. What some Japanese political leaders did on the issue of the Yasukuni Shrine once again reveals an erroneous attitude toward historical issues.
Facing up to and deeply reflecting on the history of aggression is an essential prerequisite for Japan to establish and develop friendship and cooperation with its Asian neighbors after World War II, Lin said.
"Japanese politicians seem to be in a race to see who is more extreme and right-wing," said Lü Chao, the director of the Institute of US and East Asian Studies at Liaoning University, "their visits of Yasukuni Shrine are a collective publicity stunt to gain political interests."
But for the international community, Yasukuni Shrine visit is a provocation against Japan's taboo of or the Pacifist Constitution and the international order established after World War II, Lü said, "It is also a provocation of denying the history against countries which have been invaded by Japan."
China on Thursday marked the 79th anniversary of Japan's surrender with patriotic events at multiple sites including the Memorial Hall of the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese invaders. China's state-run media have also released commemorative posters on social media, saying that China will not forget the suffering and sacrifice of martyrs in resisting invaders.
The South Korean foreign ministry on Thursday expressed "deep disappointment and regret" over the fact that responsible leaders of Japan once again sent offering to and paid respect at the Yasukuni Shrine, and urged Japanese leaders to squarely face history and demonstrate through action their humble reflection and sincere remorse.
Japan's negative and erroneous perceptions of its aggression and colonial history are deep rooted, and the country has not completed a thorough severing of its past militarism, Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow from the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday.
Japan's biggest problem is that right-wing politicians are trying to win popular support for breaking the Pacifist Constitutional taboo and expanding the military by stirring up so-called threats from neighboring countries and creating geopolitical confrontations in Asia with the US, Xiang stated.
Japan is embarking on a dangerous path of radicalization, which should arouse great vigilance of the international community, especially Asian countries that have suffered from the brutal aggression of Japanese militarism, Lü said.
Ahead of Japan's surrender anniversary, Hideo Shimizu, a former member of Unit 731, the notorious Japanese germ-warfare detachment during World War II, identified the crimes of the Japanese army on Tuesday at the site where he served 79 years ago in Northeast China's Harbin.
Citing sources, Kyodo said on August 10 that a cross-party group of Japanese lawmakers is planning a visit to China in late August. Led by Toshihiro Nikai, a House of Representatives member and a heavyweight in the ruling LDP, the group is dedicated to promoting friendly China-Japanese relations.
On historical issues, China has always kept the Japanese militarists who waged the war of aggression separate from the ordinary people, and has been making positive efforts to safeguard the overall China-Japan relations and the friendship between the two peoples, Xiang said.
Fundamentally speaking, the future of China-Japan relations depends on whether the Japanese politicians could re-establish a correct, objective and comprehensive perception of China, and pursue a positive policy towards China, rather than a one-sided negative rendering of the "China's threat," Xiang noted.
After it was marred by technical glitches, the interview between former president Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk on his X platform took place on Monday evening US time. Trump talked at length on some topics, such as the upcoming election, the Ukraine crisis, immigration, climate change and others, while Musk repeated his backing for Trump.
Musk also offered to interview US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on his X Spaces platform after his interview with Trump.
The rare public conversation between Trump and Musk, which spanned more than two hours and was overwhelmingly friendly, revealed little new about Trump's plans for a second term. The former president spent much of the discussion focused on his recent assassination attempt, illegal immigration and his plans to cut government regulations, according to the Associated Press.
"If I had not turned my head, I would not be talking to you right now - as much as I like you," Trump told Musk.
Musk said the Republican nominee's toughness, as demonstrated by his reaction to last month's shooting, was critical for national security.
US media NBC News called the interview "largely a Trump monologue." It said that Trump and Musk, born in South Africa, bonded over their shared opposition to immigration, as both said that the US would cease being a real country if immigration continued at current levels.
During their talk, one topic of contention came up between the two - climate change, though Musk called it "global warming." Musk repeatedly advocated for sustainable energy during the chat, while Trump continuously stumped for fossil fuels, claiming instead he's more concerned about "nuclear warming," according to ABC news.
In the hours leading up to Monday's talk, Trump's campaign played it up as "the interview of the century." He also posted a string of campaign videos, attacking Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, warning his followers about perceived threats from the political left.
Trump laments the fact that the US doesn't have bullet trains. "We don't have anything like that in our country. It doesn't make sense that we don't," he tells Musk.
In an analysis piece by CNN after the interview, it said that "at times, during their expansive chat, Musk seemed to be using the power of his profile and platform to coach Trump on how to mount a better argument against Harris."
Monday's interview also marked the first major re-appearance of Trump on X since Musk reinstated his account following his purchase of the platform in late 2022.
Al Jazeera said on Tuesday that Trump returned to X as he attempts to recover from a rocky couple of weeks on the campaign trail.
During the interview, Trump then revisited a favored talking point about the amount the EU spends helping Ukraine vs US spending - but rather than promising to cut US aid, he appeared to suggest he wanted the EU to increase its own, according to US media Politico.
"I say, 'why aren't you going to equalize?' Why aren't they paying what we're paying?" Trump told Musk. "Why is the United States paying disproportionately more to defend Europe than Europe? That doesn't make sense. That's unfair, and that is an appropriate thing to address."
Before the interview, European Union Digital Commissioner Thierry Breton wrote an open letter to Musk to remind the latter of his legal obligation to stop the "amplification of harmful content."
"As the relevant content is accessible to EU users and being amplified also in our jurisdiction, we cannot exclude potential spillovers in the EU," Breton said in a statement posted on X.
Breton added that "any negative effect of illegal content" could lead the EU to take further action against X, using "our full toolbox, including by adopting interim measures, should it be warranted to protect EU citizens from harm."
The online event, which was delayed 40 minutes after Musk cited a "DDOS attack" on X's servers, lasted nearly two hours.
XLab, one of the largest cybersecurity company in China, said that using its large-scale threat perception system promptly, it detected the recent attack targeting the X platform.
Gong Yiming, head of the laboratory, said they observed that four Mirai botnet controllers were involved in this attack. Additionally, other attack groups also participated using reflection attacks, HTTP proxy attacks, and other methods.
Monitoring data indicates that the four botnet controllers launched at least 34 waves of DDoS attacks. The four command servers were primarily located in the UK, Germany and Canada. The attack period coincides with the delay in the interview start time, XLab said in its official WeChat account.
