The world’s leading solar technology company, LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (hereafter as "LONGi"),?released its semi-annual report for 2024. Amidst the continuous transformation and challenges in the PV industry during the first half of 2024, the company achieved a business revenue of 38.529 billion yuan. Silicon wafer shipments totaled 44.44 GW (with 21.96 GW sold externally), while solar cell sales reached 2.66 GW externally. Additionally, module shipments amounted to 31.34 GW, with a remarkable year-on-year increase of over 140% in the Asia-Pacific region. Despite the significant decline in industry chain prices and elevated inventory challenges, the company demonstrated strong resilience and adaptability in the market.

Asia-Pacific sales surge; HPBC 2.0 brings industry reformation

In terms of capacity and shipment, LONGi has shown strong productivity and market competitiveness. In the first half of the year, LONGi's BC series module shipments reached 10 GW, and its excellent performance is gaining widespread market recognition. The significant increase of 140% in sales volume in the Asia-Pacific region not only highlights LONGi's deep foundation in the international market but also lays a solid foundation for expanding  global footprint

Based on the high-efficiency HPBC 2.0 cell technology, LONGi has launched the Hi-MO 9 bifacial module product for the utility market. By introducing advanced composite passivation technology and high-reliability back-contact interconnection technology, and leveraging the core advantages of the company's high-quality TaiRay silicon wafers—such as high resistivity concentration, effective impurity absorption, and strong mechanical properties—the module's mass production power has reached 660W. This is more than 30W higher than similar-specification TOPCon modules.

At the same time, the conversion efficiency of Hi-MO 9 has jumped to 24.43%, the bifacial rate has broken through 70%, and the anti-crack ability has increased by 80%. It has obvious advantages over TOPCon products in aspects such as temperature coefficient, degradation, and resistance to uneven light radiation. These excellent performances not only lead the industry by a large margin but also win more opportunities and market share for LONGi in domestic and international markets.

It is worth mentioning that LONGi's module products, with their excellent performance, have won the RETC "Highest Achievement" award for the 6th consecutive year and the PVEL Reliability Test "Best Performance" award for the 7th time. This series of honors is a high recognition of LONGi's technical strength and product quality by the PV industry and beyond. In addition, the company has also won the PV-Tech module bankability highest rating of AAA for the 18th time in a row, further consolidating LONGi's leading position in the global photovoltaic financing market.

It has been revealed that in the next three years, LONGi's mono-crystalline silicon wafer annual production capacity will reach 200 GW, with "TaiRay" silicon wafer capacity accounting for more than 80%; BC cell annual production capacity will reach 100 GW; mono-crystalline module annual production capacity will reach 150 GW, providing a solid support for the company to recover ahead of the industry.

BC advantages emerge, and utility power station procurement opens BC section

In response to the rapid development and technological evolution of the PV industry, LONGi has consistently demonstrated its insight and a forward-looking strategy. In the first half of the year, the company announced the resolutions from the 2023 annual shareholders’ meeting, including the approval of the "Proposal on Public Issuance of 10 Billion Yuan of Corporate Bonds." The funds raised will primarily be allocated for the development of advanced technologies, such as "TaiRay" silicon wafers and HPBC 2.0 cell technology. The goal is to accelerate the industrial iteration of BC and other new technologies, further enhance the company’s competitiveness, and create a new growth driver for the PV industry.

Technological innovation is key to LONGi's continued leadership in the industry. As of the end of the reporting period, the company has secured a total of 3,166 authorized patents, including nearly 200 related to BC technology, establishing a strong and deep technological moat. During the reporting period, the company achieved notable recognition for its technological contributions in the photovoltaic field. Two of its scientific research projects won the 2nd prize for the National Science and Technology Progress Award and the 2nd prize for the National Technical Invention Award, respectively. This achievement makes LONGi the first private enterprise in China’s photovoltaic sector to receive the highest national science and technology honors as both the primary completing unit and the first completer.

With the progress of the first phase of the Xixian New Area’s 12.5GW project, the Tongchuan 12GW project, and other HPBC 2.0 cell and capacity transformation projects, a significant increase in production capacity is anticipated. The HPBC 2.0 product will enter the market on a large scale by the end of 2024, and it is expected that the company's BC production capacity will reach 70GW (with HPBC 2.0 capacity of about 50GW) by the end of 2025, and all domestic cell bases are planned to be fully migrated to BC products by the end of 2026. The company has achieved smooth customs clearance for shipments to the North American region, and the 5GW module factory in the United States is now officially operational. This development provides substantial support for the company's business expansion in North America. These strategic implementations not only show LONGi's deep insight into the future PV market but also reflect its determination and strength as an industry leader to promote technological progress.

It is worth mentioning that the excellent power generation performance and low decay performance of the company's BC series modules have been proven by a large number of market proofs. After 7 months of outdoor proof by the National Centre of Supervision and Inspection on Solar Photovoltaic Product Quality (CPVT), LONGi's Hi-MO X6 anti-dust module has an average monthly power gain of 2.84% compared to conventional modules, with the highest monthly relative gain of 5.4%. This proof result not only verifies the excellent performance of LONGi's products but also provides strong data support for its further expansion in the PV market.

In addition, on August 15th, the announcement of the 2024 photovoltaic module (second batch) framework agreement procurement tender by China Huaneng Group brought new momentum to the market application of LONGi's BC module technology. Notably, the third section includes a 1GW BC module procurement, marking the first time state-owned energy giants have issued a separate tender for BC modules. This represents a significant step forward for the application of BC technology in the domestic utility-scale PV market. As a leader in BC technology, LONGi is well-positioned to capture a larger share and gain a competitive edge in this emerging market.

Chinese scientists have successfully developed ultra-high pure graphite, reflecting that the China's graphite products now reach the world's leading standards, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

At a press conference held in Hegang, Northeast China Heilongjiang Province, Wang Jionghui's team from China Minmetals Co unveiled innovational breakthrough in graphite purification technology, successfully producing ultra-high pure graphite with 99.99995 percent purity. This achievement positions China as a global leader in the making of ultra-high pure graphite, according to Xinhua.

Wang's research team has revolutionized graphite purification process by developing a process in tandem with top equipment manufacturers in the country. Their innovative approach, which merges physical-chemical, low and high-temperature, and ultra-high vacuum purification, elevates graphite purity from 95 percent to 99.99995 percent, while ensuring stable product quality. Additionally, their integrated process significantly reduces production cost.

Ultra-high pure graphite, which contains more than 99.99 percent carbon, features excellent self-lubrication, conductivity, corrosion and high-temperature resistance, and chemical stability, Liu Enqiao, a senior analyst at Beijing-based Anbound Think Tank, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"The higher the purity of graphite is, the better the graphite's lubricity, conductivity, corrosion resistance and chemical stability. Such materials are extensively used in advanced industrial sectors such as aerospace, superconductors, integrated circuits, and semiconductors," Liu stated. 

"Currently, the breakthrough is still at an experimental stage with its commercial viability still under evaluation. If commercialized, the pure graphite would enable China to play a prominent role in the market. The demand for high-purity graphite in cutting-edge industrial sectors has been growing, and the technological advancement could significantly liberate us in this field, reducing our dependencies," Liu added.

Founded in 1950, China Minmetals Co has taken metals and minerals as its core business, operating as a state-owned capital investment company.

It operates one of the world's largest graphite mines in Hegang city, Heilongjiang Province, with a facility producing 200,000 tons annually and has phased in a set of deep-processing industrial chain. Now, Wang's team is accelerating the development of high-end anode materials, nuclear-grade graphite, as well as semiconductor-grade graphite.

Monday marked the third anniversary since the establishment of the Beijing Stock Exchange (BSE) was announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first bourse based in the capital city, at the China International Fair for Trade in Services in September 2021. Based on various institutional innovations and market reforms, the BSE has developed rapidly since its inception, and has become an accelerator that's turbocharging the growth of innovation-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Analysts envision the BSE evolving into a well-regulated, influential and dynamic stock market over the next few years, noting that improved capital market services for the country's sci-tech innovations will contribute to the development of new quality productive services in China and the country's economic upgrade and transformation.

Within about three years, the BSE has guided significant capital flow to SMEs engaged in technological breakthroughs, advanced manufacturing and green development, becoming an important force driving the development of new quality productive forces and specialized, high-end and innovation-driven SMEs, or referred to as "little giants."

Latest data from the BSE showed that the number of eligible investors has exceeded 7 million, with institutional investors including private equity, public funds and insurance firms, domestic news outlet Yicai reported on Monday.

As of Sunday, 251 companies are listed on the bourse, with the combined market capitalization hitting 300 billion yuan ($42.23 billion). High-tech companies account for more than 90 percent of the listed companies, the data showed.

"Different from Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, the BSE is a market more focused on early-stage, small, and innovative companies. Setting up the BSE is of vital importance in creating a multi-level capital market, improving support for SMEs, and promoting innovation-driven development," Wan Zhe, an economist and professor at the Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times on Monday.

Over the past three years, the development of BSE has always followed its strategic positioning and development goals, with multiple trading systems rolled out and various investors participating in market trading, Wan said.

"The BSE is a perfect platform through which SMEs can gain access to capital and then expand investment in research and development (R&D) and production," a general manager with a Beijing-based new material company told the Global Times on Monday. The manager declined to be named since the company is in the process of stock flotation on the BSE.

The launch of the BSE came only two months after China announced the plan for setting up a new stock exchange, a move widely welcomed by the market as it aims to address the long-standing financing conundrum of SMEs.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission in September 2023 released a 19-point set of guidelines to drive the high-quality development of the BSE, calling for listings of better-quality companies, more mutual-fund products to track the market and greater participation by overseas investors.

"Looking ahead, the BSE should accelerate the listing of high-quality innovation enterprises, especially by expanding the fundraising channel for 'little giants,' so as to form a reasonable market scale. Meanwhile, efforts are needed to strengthen market foundation, including law improvement, smooth delisting and investor rights protection," said Tian Xuan, vice president of the Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance.

The BSE should further improve capital market services, for example, rolling out BSE-themed creative investment products, boosting its opening-up and introducing long-term and overseas capitals, in a bid to sustainably spark market vitality and gather more high-quality innovation enterprises, according to Tian.

In January 2024, the corporate and enterprise bond market of the BSE started trading, marking a key step in the bourse's high-quality development. It only took 87 days from the release of relevant rules to bond trading, as the market once again witnessed the "speed of the BSE."

"The Chinese economy has shifted toward a stage of high-quality development and is currently at a critical period of transforming its economic development model. At the crucial moment, the BSE can take the Nasdaq Stock Market as a benchmark to step up support for tech innovations so as to contribute to the country's industrial upgrade and high-quality growth," Wan said.

In April, the State Council released a new guideline on strengthening regulations, forestalling risks and promoting the high-quality development of the capital market, which will provide strong guarantees for the healthy, long-term development of the country's capital market.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met with Comorian President Azali Assoumani, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Editor's Note:

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 diver Xie Siyi retains Olympic title in men's 3m springboard event

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. 

A memorial service was held in Beijing on Sunday to commemorate Tsung-dao Lee, Chinese-born American Nobel Prize winner in Physics and a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who passed away in the US last Monday at the age of 97, with over 330 attendees expressing deep sorrow fondly recalling Lee's great scientific contributions and endeavor in cultivating Chinese scientific talents. 

Renowned as one of the greatest physicists of the 20th century, Lee made significant achievements throughout his more than 60-year academic career, reaching new scientific heights in various fields, such as quantum field theory, fundamental particle theory, nuclear physics, statistical mechanics, fluid mechanics and astrophysics. 

Lee cared very much about the development of high-energy physics in China and actively promoted the construction of the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider, the high-energy physics experimental base. He also made great contributions to the advancement of China's science education by initiating and founding the China-US Physics Examination and Application (CUSPEA) program, establishing the Special Class for the Gifted Young at the University of Science and Technology of China. His proposals for the establishment of postdoctoral mobile stations, the founding of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the China Center of Advanced Science and Technology were also adopted. 

On Sunday morning, over 330 people, including Lee's family members, friends, former colleagues, and others from over 30 colleges and scientific research institutes, gathered at the service held at the Institute of High Energy Physics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing, to fondly recall Lee's scientific contributions and noble character. 

Wei Zhixiang, deputy director of the Bureau of Frontier Sciences and Basic Research under the CAS, shared his memories of the scientist and paid deep tribute to Lee on behalf of the CAS. 

Wei noted that Lee had always been concerned about and supporting the fundamental research work of the CAS, actively offering suggestions while promoting the leapfrog development of fundamental research talent within the CAS and across the country. 

According to Wei, Lee was a fierce advocate of China-US academic activities, playing an active role in establishing related institutions, which laid a solid foundation for international cooperation in fundamental research between China and the US. 

Commemorating and remembering Lee means learning from his strategic vision focused on the frontier, his rigorous and scientific academic approach, and his deep and passionate patriotism, Wei said, who advocated intensifying efforts in fundamental research, solidifying the foundation for scientific and technological self-reliance, and producing a series of scientific achievements that will have a milestone impact on the future development of humanity.  

Born in Shanghai on November 24, 1926, Lee developed interest in physics at an early age. In 1957, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics with Chen-Ning Yang, another renowned Chinese physicist, for advancing parity nonconservation in weak interactions, overturning what had been considered a fundamental law of nature that particles are always symmetrical.

In addition to his cutting-edge research outcomes, Lee was deeply respected for his efforts in cultivating Chinese science talents and contributing to the development of the study of physics in China by facilitating the establishment of the "Special Class for the Gifted Young," an educational model created at the University of Science and Technology of China and initiating the China-US Physics Examination and Application (CUSPEA) program for selecting the best of Chinese physics students to pursue PhD studies in the US. 

Between 1979 and 1989, nearly 1,000 young talents trained in the program have become the key figures in various fields including physics, chemistry, biology, information technology, finance, and economics of the Chinese society, the Global Times learned at the memorial service on Sunday.

Zhou Shangui, director of the Institute of Theoretical Physics under the CAS, expressed profound grief and deep remembrance to Lee on behalf of the institute for Lee's great contributions to the development of China's science and technology, education and talent cultivation in response to the nation's needs and the global scientific frontier. 

"The best way to commemorate Lee is through inheritance," Zhou said, "We will inherit and promote the scientific spirit and patriotic dedication of Lee, daring to innovate to meet major needs of the country and making greater contributions to the development of our country's technology and education industry and talent cultivation."

Wang Yifang, director of the Institute of High Energy Physics under the CAS, referred to Lee as an esteemed scientist, a great educator, and a patriot who led China's high-energy physics endeavors to the international forefront. 

Lee also played a crucial role in cultivating a large number of young talents for the development of basic research and applied science in China, Wang noted.