The Chinese Olympic delegation at the Paris Olympic Games is off to a golden start, securing two gold medals on the first morning of the 16-day competition.
Chinese shooting pair Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao clinched the first gold medal by defeating their South Korean counterparts, Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun, in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team gold medal match.
Chinese athletes' remarkable achievement also won a congratulatory message from State Councilor Shen Yiqin, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council.
"We are thrilled to hear that our athletes Huang and Sheng have won the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation at the Summer Olympics in the 10m air rifle mixed team event," Shen wrote in the message.
"On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, I extend warm congratulations to the winning athletes and the Chinese sports delegation."
"We hope that the Chinese sports delegation will remember its mission and live up to the expectations of the Party and the people... Work hard to bring greater honor to our country and people and make further contributions to building China into a sporting powerhouse," said Shen.
Nearly half an hour later after the shooting duo's win, female diving pair Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen added another gold for China with a convincing performance in the women's synchro 3-meter springboard final, scoring 337.68 points.
Chinese fans took to social media to express their delight over the athletes' achievements, but they also found shooter Sheng's Weibo username particularly interesting.
The 19-year-old's Weibo name, "guangkao ganfan jiu," literally means "winning just by eating." This has now gone viral, with topics like "win a gold medal just by eating" trending widely.
Diver Chang, 22, a five-time world champion, had been missing an Olympic gold medal until today. Recovering from a major shoulder injury earlier this year, she delivered a stellar performance alongside her teammate, winning the event with a 23.04-point lead over US divers Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook.
However, the morning wasn't all good news for China. Veteran fencer Sun Yiwen, the defending Olympic women's epee champion, was eliminated in the first round by Japan's Miho Yoshimura with a score of 14-13.
Despite this, Chinese fans erupted in support for the veteran.
"That's how competitive sports is! She has already won a gold medal in this event! No matter what, she is still an Olympic champion in my heart!" a Weibo user, Lingdong Weixu, commented.
China's Li Yuehong claimed the gold medal in the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol event at the Paris Olympics, with his teammate Wang Xinjie winning bronze. This marks China's 20th gold medal at these Games.
As a three-time Olympian and world record holder, 34-year-old veteran Li had previously won two Olympic bronze medals. This year's competition was particularly tough, featuring top competitors.
In the qualification round, Li and Wang ranked second and fourth, respectively, after the first stage. Both scored 294 points in the second stage, with Li finishing first in qualification with a total score of 588 and Wang second with 587.
"This breakthrough belongs to everyone in our team. The feeling of achieving it is about not letting down the trust everyone placed in us," Li said in a post-competition interview.
Li won bronze medals at both the Rio and Tokyo Olympics and is also a two-time Asian Games gold medalist and the world record holder in the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol event.
At the 2023 World Shooting Championships, Li won his first individual gold medal in the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol event, securing a spot for the Chinese shooting team at the Paris Olympics. He also won gold medals in both individual and team events at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
Li believes shooting is very similar to Confucian thought. "We need to focus on our own inner selves and compare ourselves to our own standards, rather than trying to surpass others. The goal is to overcome ourselves," he said.
"This breakthrough belongs to every member of the team. I'll give the gold medal as a birthday gift to my wife; she'll love it," Li added.
China is ramping up efforts to boost its manufacturing prowess with investment in technological transformation in the manufacturing industry surging 10.9 percent in the first seven months of 2024, continuing a double-digit growth trend, thanks to the country's push for industrial upgrade and equipment renewal, according to a media report on Saturday.
China has introduced an array of measures since the start of the year to supercharge its large-scale equipment renewal campaign, which is aimed at propelling its green, low-carbon transition and unleashing domestic demand potential.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has allocated nearly 50 billion yuan ($7 billion) from the first batch of ultra-long special treasury bonds to support large-scale equipment renewals, and has fast-tracked new project approvals, China Media Group (CMG) reported on Saturday.
In addition, the NDRC has signed re-loan contracts exceeding 50 billion yuan for equipment renewal, with over 15 billion yuan allocated for energy-efficient upgrades in commercial and industrial sectors, according to CMG.
Analysts said that this is not just a boost for investment but also a critical part of China's efforts to revitalize domestic demand and advance its green transition.
The NDRC also vowed to further streamline approval procedures to support projects.
By relaxing restrictions and expanding the scope of eligible projects, local governments are set to accelerate project implementation, said Wen Hua, deputy director of the resource conservation and environmental protection department at the NDRC.
The NDRC will also promote the use of more energy-efficient, low-carbon equipment, so as to advance the industrial upgrade and support the green transition, Wen noted.
In March, China unveiled an action plan to promote the large-scale renewal of equipment and the trading-in of consumer goods, aiming to unleash a vast market potential worth trillions of yuan.
On July 25, the NDRC, together with the Ministry of Finance, announced the issuance of around 300 billion yuan in ultra-long special treasury bonds to increase support for the large-scale renewal of equipment and the trading-in of consumer goods.
Officials have also vowed to help businesses tackle challenges and accelerate a nationwide shift toward high-tech and green industries by ramping up investment and encouraging more companies to upgrade their equipment.
Since the start of 2024, investment in technological transformation of the manufacturing industry has maintained double-digit growth.
Official data showed that in the first half of 2024, spending on technological transformation jumped 17.3 percent year-on-year, boosting a 2.1 percentage point increase in fixed-asset investment growth, a trend that revamped traditional industries and accelerated the ascent of advanced manufacturing, according to the CMG report.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi kicked off his four-day trip to Southeast Asian countries on Wednesday, with a visit to Myanmar and then traveling to Thailand to co-chair the ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, where he is also set to attend the Informal Discussion Between the Foreign Ministers of China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
Chinese analysts said that Wang's visit is a demonstration that China, as a responsible power, is always devoted to promoting in-depth cooperation on economic, social and security issues with equality and mutual benefit with neighboring countries under the concept of a community of shared future for mankind.
In the context of external interference in and distraction over South China Sea issue, analysts noted that Wang's visit will further strengthen communication and coordination between China and ASEAN countries, which highlights the common aspiration of regional countries to pursue peace, stability and prosperity.
Constructive role Wang met with Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw on Wednesday, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
As a friendly neighbor, China opposes turmoil and war in Myanmar, opposes interference in Myanmar's internal affairs by external forces, and opposes any attempts to sow discord in China-Myanmar relations and smear China, Wang said.
The Myanmar leader said that Myanmar attaches great importance to its relations with China, is committed to developing bilateral friendship. It firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to remain a friendly neighbor that China can trust forever.
Myanmar is also willing to continue to cooperate with China to jointly crack down on transnational crimes such as telecom fraud, and will never allow any act that undermines China's security and interests, Min Aung Hlaing said, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
On Wang's visit to Myanmar, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that it is aimed at deepening bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, cementing the close bond of friendship between the two peoples, and advancing the building of the China-Myanmar community with a shared future. As a friend and neighbor of Myanmar, China strictly follows the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, supports Myanmar's efforts to uphold stability, grow the economy and improve people's livelihoods, and provides constructive help for parties in Myanmar to properly address differences through political consultation within the framework of the constitution and other laws, the spokesperson added.
In response to an inquiry regarding Deng Xijun, Chinese special envoy for Asian affairs, has arrived in Nay Pyi Daw, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on August 9 that "We have been committed to, in our own way, encouraging and urging relevant parties in Myanmar to stop the fighting, resolve issues through dialogue and consultation, and work to realize ethnic solidarity as well as stability and development of the country at an early date. China will continue to actively promote talks for peace and provide support and assistance to Myanmar's peace process to the best of our capability."
Wang's visit to Myanmar showcases that China hopes to play a positive and constructive role on the peace and stability in Myanmar, said Zhu Feng, director of the Institute of International Studies at Nanjing University, noting that the three global initiatives put forward by China emphasize sustainable cooperation, development and peace.
Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that although China may provide some constructive help, the key to the solution lies in whether the political parties in Myanmar have real sincerity to negotiate a cease-fire and bring the country back to a normal track.
Common aspiration
After his visit to Myanmar, Wang will head to Thailand to co-chair the ninth LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Analysts said that further enhancing the LMC will be the focus of Wang's trip as China and regional countries will also further deepen cooperation in non-traditional security.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the LMC is an innovative type of regional cooperation mechanism among China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam featuring collaboration, consultation and shared benefit. Since its launch in 2016, the mechanism has delivered fruitful results, contributing effectively to the economic and social development of the six Lancang-Mekong countries, and bringing tangible benefits to their peoples.
The spokesperson said that all countries in the Mekong region are engaged in building a community with a shared future both bilaterally with China and multilaterally under the LMC mechanism.
China hopes to work with Mekong countries at the LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting to review the progress of cooperation, take stock of past experience, and plan the next steps to advance the LMC, to build the Lancang-Mekong region into an exemplar for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, a pacesetter for implementing the Global Development Initiative, a pioneer for implementing the Global Security Initiative and a frontrunner for implementing the Global Civilization Initiative, and form an even closer community with a shared future for Lancang-Mekong countries, the spokesperson added.
On the sidelines of the LMC meeting, at the invitation of Thailand, Wang will attend the Informal Discussion Between the Foreign Ministers of China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand to exchange views on the regional situation, and on jointly combating cross-border crimes and other issues, the spokesperson said.
"The LMC is already a complete cooperation mechanism," said Xu.
Wang's visit to Southeast Asia comes amid heightened tensions between China and the Philippines over the latter's continuous provocation in the South China Sea. On August 8, despite China's goodwill efforts to calm tensions, the Philippines dispatched a military aircraft to illegally enter the airspace over China's Huangyan Dao, and issued a complaint later on August 10 over the professional and legitimate actions by the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in response to its intrusion.
The visit is, to a large extent, also aimed at strengthening communication and dialogue between China and ASEAN countries on the South China Sea issue and further elaborate China's position and policy, Zhu said. "It is also expected that ASEAN countries and China would strengthen their coordination and unity."
China and Indonesia held their first Senior Officials' Meeting of the Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue on Tuesday.
Concerns over a "nuclear catastrophe" grow after Russia and Ukraine accused each other for a fire in Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine and the increasing risk of a Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) attack, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict entered into a new phase with Ukraine recently entering Russian territory for the first time.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has urged both Russia and Ukraine to exercise maximum restraint and stop reckless attacks which may cause nuclear accident. Chinese analysts also called on all parties to prevent the situation from escalating or even getting out of control, so as to avoid nuclear disaster for Europe and all mankind.
According to a statement released by the IAEA, their experts have witnessed "thick dark smoke coming from the north-western area of the plant, after hearing multiple explosions" throughout Sunday evening. And the Russian-controlled ZNPP informed them that a drone had allegedly struck one of the plant's two cooling towers.
ZNPP has confirmed to IAEA that there is no risk of elevated radiation levels as there is no radioactive material in the vicinity of the alleged attack area. However, any kind of fire on the site or in its vicinity represents a risk of spreading the fire also to facilities essential for safety, the IAEA said.
IAEA Director General Grossi reiterated that any military action taken against the plant represents a clear violation of the five concrete principles for protecting the facility, which were established at the United Nations Security Council in May last year.
"These reckless attacks endanger nuclear safety at the plant and increase the risk of a nuclear accident. They must stop now," said Grossi.
The IAEA did not mention who was responsible for the attack while Moscow and Kiev accused each other for the accident.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova accused Kiev of deliberately trying to destroy the plant and sow "nuclear terror."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Russia started a fire on the grounds of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to a Politico report. Ukraine's Energoatom said Russia's "negligence" or arson could have sparked the fire. It also said Russia uses the plant's cooling towers to store military equipment and explosives.
ZPPN has been caught in the crossfire since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility afterward. The IAEA has repeatedly expressed concern about the nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe, the AP reported.
The ZNPP incident came shortly after Ukraine launched an offensive in Russia's Kursk region. Russia on Friday notified the IAEA that Ukrainian armed forces pose a "direct threat" to Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), as suspected fragments of intercepted rockets were discovered near the plant following a Ukrainian armed force attack.
On the day, IAEA General Grossi urged the two sides to "exercise maximum restraint" to ensure nuclear safety and security of the KNPP during armed conflict.
After the Chernobyl disaster, Europeans are highly concerned about the safety of nuclear power plants, which has also been used as weapon in public opinion warfare by both Russia and Ukraine to accuse each other of attempting to create a large-scale humanitarian crisis, said Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation.
According to Cui, although Russia has always mentioned the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons, especially in the case of an attack on the homeland, given that Russia still has the initiative on the battlefield, there is no reason to trigger a nuclear war.
However, the current situation shows that the possibility of a large-scale nuclear leak, caused by attack on a nuclear power plant, is increasing, Cui said.
The conflict has become increasingly complex and chaotic, which made it even more difficult to grasp the real situation immediately and avoid miscalculation of the situation. In this case, the risk of nuclear power plants being attacked, whether intentionally or not, has become greater, Cui said.
For Europe and the world, nuclear disaster, or some other kind of nuclear crisis, is indeed getting closer, Li Haidong, a professor from the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Monday
The international community should step up efforts to get Russia and Ukraine to at least reach a consensus on the protection of nuclear facilities, Li noted.
Urgent challenge
Since Ukraine's surprise military incursion into Russia's Kursk border region on August 6, the military conflict has entered a new phase.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the incursion a "large-scale provocation" by Ukraine, while the Russian state news agency TASS reported that more than 76,000 people had been evacuated. Russia also said that the Ukrainian attack has caused more than 60 civilian casualties.
Ukraine's armed provocation on the Russian border aims to bolster Kiev's position in future talks, but talks with a government that attacks civilians make no sense, Putin said, TASS reported.
On Saturday, Belarus also said it would send more troops to its border with Ukraine, claiming Ukrainian drones had violated its airspace as part of Kiev's military incursion into the Kursk region.
Commenting on the development, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday said the Chinese side calls on all parties to observe the three principles for deescalating the situation, namely no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no fueling the flame by any party.
China will continue to maintain communication with the international community to play a constructive role for the political settlement of the crisis, said the spokesperson.
"Both sides are trying to maximize their bargaining leverage on the battlefields," Cui said. "And in this way, they are also using up the time period before the US election, as the result of US presidential election may be the most crucial variable in this conflict."
But meanwhile, the escalation of conflict is still worrying for some analysts, especially with the absence of enough signs of easing.
The White House has said it was not made aware prior to the attack, but it said the attack was consistent with US policy with regard to what Ukraine can and cannot do with US weapons.
The intransigence of each side in a conflict with the ultimate goal of defeating the other, and the fact that the conflict involves nuclear powers and nuclear facilities, is a classic harbinger of an escalation that could spiral out of control, Li said.
"Whether the crisis can be resolved constructively is an urgent challenge facing the international community," Li said. "If the escalation cannot be effectively curbed, in the context of highly developed science and technology and the huge lethality of weapons, the possibility of a survival crisis for humans will always exist, and any catastrophic scenario may appear."
"This possibility should remind policy makers and citizens of all countries to avoid war and the escalation of crises, and work toward easing situations as much as possible as the urgency seems to be more and more prominent," said Li.
Violence escalated across the UK over the weekend, with protesters taking to the streets in Liverpool, Hull, Nottingham and other cities, leaving buildings and vehicles on fire and shops looted. The riot, reportedly the largest in scale in the past 13 years, was fueled by disinformation that swirled online about the identity of the perpetrator of an attack in the northern town of Southport on July 29 that left three girls dead.
The riot reflects the growing prevalence of extreme nationalistic attitudes in the country, particularly among the youth, and the longstanding challenges of immigration integration. The sluggish economy and various "systemic crises" facing the UK are exacerbating public discontent over these issues, observers said.
A 17-year-old male from Cardiff was apprehended for the deadly attack, but due to his age, Merseyside Police could not disclose his identity initially. Misleading information spread online, falsely linking him to being an asylum seeker and arriving in the UK by boat last year, and he was also wrongly identified as a "Muslim immigrant."
To dismiss all the speculation, a court later lifted the requirement for the suspect's anonymity and he was named as Axel Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, according to Sky news.
The riot reflects the widespread British distrust of the government, judiciary, and administrative system, Cui Hongjian, a professor from the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times. The conservative shift in British politics and the rise of populism has led to crimes being attributed to ethnic conflicts, fueling disinformation, Cui explained.
Cui elaborated that under the influence of populism, it has become increasingly common to attribute all problems and conflicts to external sources, such as linking criminal events to ethnic tensions.
Zhao Junjie, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, said the UK is grappling with a "systemic crisis," marked by a struggling economy, budget deficits, escalating raw material costs, and the diminishing presence of manufacturing in the country.
People, especially the younger generation that was raised under years of the Conservative Party's governance promoting the expulsion of illegal immigrants and refugees, are particularly susceptible to incitement, Zhao said.
Cui said the effectiveness of the British government's ability to manage the tragedy in Southport will determine if public discontent can be somewhat alleviated. However, the situation is challenging as this incident has the potential to fuel prolonged opposition toward immigration and other issues.
A white brown bear was recently captured by an infrared camera in the Altai Mountains in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to media reports on Tuesday, representing a new breakthrough for scientific research into the species.
Officials from the local forest administration department in Altai Mountains of Xinjiang found moving images of a white brown bear when organizing the footage of an infrared camera, and the bear in the video traveled through the forests, sometimes strolling leisurely, sometimes stopping to observe its surroundings.
One of the officials said that this is the second time since June 2021 that an all-white brown bear has been photographed in a forested area in the region, which could be a new brown bear with certain scientific research value. Employees of the local forest administration will strengthen the protection and detection of the area to ensure ecosystem integrity and biodiversity.
Brown bears are listed under the second class of wildlife protection in China, and are typically highly aggressive.
Brown come in a great variety of coat colors, including gray-black, brown-black, dark brown, brown-red, light tan and gray. Only a very small number of bears are white brown bears, and the probability of such a chance of appearing is only one in 500,000, according to the report.
Amid anticipation of a reported visit to China by new British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Chinese experts noted a renewed focus by the Labour government on China-UK relations. They expressed hope that the Starmer administration would steer the bruised ties back on track.
However, experts remain cautious, emphasizing that tangible actions are crucial in demonstrating sincerity in improving bilateral relations.
According to a report by Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter, Lammy is considering making a visit to China as part of the new Labour government's efforts to "recalibrate the UK's relationship with Beijing."
It would be the second by a UK foreign secretary in the last six years, following former UK foreign secretary James Cleverly in August 2023.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning did not confirm the report at Wednesday's press briefing, but noted that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently met with Lammy in Vientiane, Laos.
"We are positive and open towards enhancing bilateral exchanges and cooperation," Mao said, "A stable and mutually-beneficial China-UK relationship serves the fundamental interests of both peoples, helps the two sides come together to respond to global challenges, and contributes to world peace and development. We hope to work with the UK on the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation for new progress in bilateral relations, so as to bring more benefit to both countries and the wider world."
Before taking office, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had stated that the first thing his government would do is to carry out an "audit" of its relations with Beijing.
Lammy is also rushing to deliver on a promise to launch a China policy review within 100 days, as he believed that the country's former approach to China "oscillated wildly over the past 14 years" of Tory rule and vowed to "adopt a more consistent strategy," Politico reported.
Zhao Junjie, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday that Lammy's emphasis on the need for continuity in the UK's China policy aims to maintain a healthy and stable relationship with Beijing, and refrain from tilting the balance completely toward the US.
"And because of the emphasis on continuity, the new government is likely to uphold the relatively friendly approach toward China by previous Labour leader Tony Blair.
What's more, with Labour's advocacy in many significant areas such as green economy, energy transition and climate change response, there is a lot of common ground with China, providing a sound basis for cooperation," Zhao noted.
The AP published an article on Monday under a headline: "Chinese businesses hoping to expand in the US and bring jobs face uncertainty and suspicion." What the article describes is beyond regrettable and truly deplorable. "Chinese businesses are coming to the US with money, jobs and technology, only to find rising suspicion," the report said.
The US has always touted itself as the world's best destination for inward foreign direct investment, but the investment environment in the US is deteriorating. In recent years, the US has generalized the "national security" concept, abused export controls and drawn up discriminatory lists aimed at cracking down on Chinese companies. In the process, Washington has come to view normal business competition through a geopolitical lens. The US is largely in a mode of zero-sum games and treats China with a lot of suspicion and even hostility. All of this will deal a serious blow to investor confidence.
An economic dilemma is brewing in the US. A zero-sum mentality has disturbed the order and atmosphere of international cooperation, and undermined foreign investors' confidence. However, the US economy urgently needs foreign investment in manufacturing and high-tech industries. This means the country needs an open environment to attract international investment.
For a long time, there has been much discussion about measures to revive manufacturing in the US, but the manufacturing sector is still facing challenges and difficulties. A measure of US manufacturing activity dropped to an eight-month low in July amid a slump in new orders. The Institute for Supply Management said last week that its manufacturing purchasing managers' index dropped to 46.8 in July, the lowest reading since November, from 48.5 in June, according to Reuters.
Instead of relying solely on persuading US manufacturers to reshore their operations from overseas to revitalize the US manufacturing sector, the country should step up efforts to attract the world's first-class manufacturers, including Chinese companies, to invest in the US.
China's manufacturing development has ranked among the top tiers in the world. Now, the country is home to a number of first-class manufacturing companies. These enterprises have advantages in fields such as the next-generation information technology industry, 5G, high-end computer numerical control machines, robots, energy conservation, new-energy vehicles and lithium batteries.
The danger for America is that by generalizing the "national security" concept, it will progressively isolate itself from the world's first-class competitive enterprises as the rest of the world continues to spare no effort to attract manufacturing investment. As America inadvertently isolates itself, it gets more frustrated. The more failed Washington's economic policy is, the more hysterical US politicians will be to politicize economic issues. That's the risk.
Expenditures by foreign direct investors to acquire, establish or expand US businesses totaled $148.8 billion in 2023, according to preliminary statistics released in July by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. Expenditures decreased $57.4 billion, or 28 percent, from $206.2 billion in 2022 and were below the annual average of $265.6 billion for 2014-2022. It's a microcosm of the US economy, which has been losing vitality.
Some US politicians may hope their suppression of Chinese companies won't affect the confidence of investors from other countries, but those people are going to be deeply disappointed by the result. Skepticism of Chinese investment, as well as Washington's tightened suppression of Chinese companies, represent a rise of protectionism and economic nationalism in the US. This marks a deterioration in the US business climate and a step backward in economic and ideological openness, which will undermine the confidence of all foreign investors.
China and the US have one of the world's most important and complex bilateral relationships. The potential for economic cooperation is big, and US politicians obviously still value the China market. We sincerely hope Washington can provide fair treatment to Chinese companies and promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
