The staff are revealing a new cast member for the anime every Saturday and the second and final volume shipped in April 2024 Yen Press licensed the novels and releases the series under the title Secrets of the Silent Witch Yen Press also licensed Tana and Fujimi's Secrets of the Silent Witch manga Many see parallels with the architect of the Cultural Revolution Both relished disruption and have exploited the power of the mob When rare protests flared in China in 2022, one slogan read: “We want reform not a Cultural Revolution.” It alluded to complaints that the country’s leader was behaving in an increasingly Mao-esque manner His extraordinary dominance over his party tight social controls and burgeoning personality cult all lent themselves to comparison with the man who ruled China for decades Yet Xi is committed to order and discipline exerting authority through the organs of the Communist party Mao Zedong relished disruption and turned to the power of the masses many in China are comparing Mao to another modern-day leader Despite the ferocity of Donald Trump’s trade war they are perhaps just as shocked by what he is doing to his own country They see a proud nation felled not by an external threat but by the unbridled ego of the man at the top – a vengeful anarchic force who uses dramatic rhetoric to whip up the mob and destroy institutions and unpredictability to reinforce his power In one widely circulated essay on US politics the legal scholar Zhang Qianfan calls it “America’s Cultural Revolution” preparing to unleash the Cultural Revolution almost 60 years ago he appears to believe that a brighter future will be reached through “great disorder under heaven” The decade-long Cultural Revolution saw perhaps 2 million people killed or hounded to their deaths and tens of millions persecuted in acts of extraordinary cruelty silenced its greatest thinkers and tore families apart and without a palace coup there was no way to remove him The US has powerful checks and balances and free speech protections a leading expert on the Cultural Revolution Many on the right loathe these comparisons and not only because of the era’s brutality or the shock of seeing their hero compared to China’s most famous communist some Chinese survivors) argue that the Cultural Revolution is better compared to US campus protests in recent years casting intolerant students as modern Red Guards But even if you share their disapproval of protesters The Red Guards were Mao’s means to Mao’s end born of his cult and able to run riot only with his support and encouragement As Prof Zhang writes in his essay: “Essentially the Cultural Revolution means the supreme leader orchestrating a mass movement … harnessing ordinary citizens to root out disobedient elites.” Chinese citizens were once told to “just follow” Mao’s instructions including “those we fail to understand for the moment” What lessons might the US take from one of the grimmest parts of Chinese history The first is that Mao was able to wreak havoc because those around him feared his often lethal wrath and did not fully comprehend his vision’s extremity until it was too late business leaders and others can challenge Trump The Cultural Revolution limped to a close with Mao’s death in 1976 While democratic impulses were never allowed to take root traces of that era’s hope and creativity endure to this day If that can happen even in a one-party system then perhaps social and psychological price for Mao’s folly and ruthlessness Tania Branigan is foreign leader writer for the Guardian and author of Red Memory: The Afterlives of China’s Cultural Revolution Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Mao Saigo was shaking with nervousness before her birdie putt on the first hole of a five-way playoff Sunday in the Chevron Championship The 23-year-old Japanese player managed to compose herself in time to sink the 3-footer and win her first major title "I did my best to calm down and I shot and it went in," she said in Japanese through an interpreter Saigo birdied the par-5 18th in regulation for a 2-under 74, leaving her tied with Hyo Joo Kim, Ruoning Yin, Ariya Jutanugarn and Lindy Duncan They finished at 7-under 281 at The Club at Carlton Woods Saigo won on the 18th in the playoff after Yin and Jutanugarn had birdie tries lip out Jutanugarn bogeyed the 18th in regulation after stubbing her third shot only inches Jutanugarn led for most of the final round before her late gaffe after making two birdies and an eagle on the front nine "The front nine was very solid especially with the eagle but back nine just couple mistakes on par 5 that I made; two bogeys," she said Yin was in the best position in the playoff after getting onto the green in two shots But she missed a 12-foot eagle putt and her comebacker for birdie lipped out to set up Saigo for the win Saigo won for the first time on the LPGA Tour She was the tour's rookie of the year last season She's the first Japanese winner in the event and the fifth major champion She has six victories on the Japanese tour Mao Saigo won her first career major title on Sunday making a 3-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a five-way playoff at the Chevron Championship. AP Photo/Eric GayThe victory comes after runner-up finishes at the CPKC Women's Open and Buick LPGA Shanghai last year "Last year it was a very intense competition," she said "I was so close but I was not able to make it This year I was able to win and earn the LPGA title and I'm extremely excited about this." The 34-year-old Duncan bogeyed the playoff hole to come up short in her more than a decade-long quest to win her first title But she was still happy with her performance overall "And I feel like I have some things to learn about how to handle my swing and things like that It's the second time in three years that the tournament ended in a playoff after American Lilia Vu birdied the first extra hole to win in 2023 Saigo took home $1.2 million from the $8 million purse Winners had been jumping into Poppie's Pond off the 18th green at Mission Hills since 1988 and Saigo became the third to do it in Texas by leaping into the brown-tinged water She shrieked and smiled as she went in holding hands with two members of her team The experience ended up being a bit harrowing for Saigo who said she isn't a very good swimmer "When I went inside it was deep and at first I thought I was going to drown," she said Saigo entered the day tied with Haeran Ryu at 9 under But she bogeyed five holes Sunday to fall behind before her birdie on the 18th hole got her a spot in the playoff to set up the thrilling finish Top-ranked Nelly Korda shot 70 to tie for 14th at 2 under she won the event last year for the last of her record-tying five straight victories It's not going to help me with my future." LondonAmy Ng’s ‘untold true story’ of two friends who become China’s foremost theatre director and Mao Zedong’s wife is a story of survival and a play of ideas but who shows a natural gift for directing when she gets pulled into rehearsals Lan Ping (Gabby Wong) and Li Lin (Millicent Wong) begin working together in the theatre and sharing a home We follow their trajectory of friendship and betrayals refracted through seismic events in 20th-century Chinese history Playwright Amy Ng is also a historian and bases her drama on the “untold true story” of these women who rise in power and position in communist China who talks of destroying the strictures of patriarchy to become Chairman Mao’s wife and the architect of the Cultural Revolution the daughter of a communist martyr who is later adopted by Mao’s number two Fateful female friendship … Gabby Wong as Lan Ping Photograph: Marc BrennerIn their early friendship they pledge never to betray each other but do just that when political ideology The play traces their moving positions toward art the party and how to survive in it as a woman this is as much an ideas play as a drama of a fateful female friendship Debate dominates with talk of creative independence for artists and whether the Communist party can bring freedom for women or stifle their progress Li Lin’s position of absolute faith in the party changes too Both women have powerful male patrons whom they need to survive and there is an ongoing discussion around Ibsen’s Nora they seem like mouthpieces for their political positions and this hampers emotion or intimacy from building There is a lot of history to digest too; the plot streaks across almost 60 years in 80 minutes We go from civil war between the Chinese Communist party and the nationalists in the 1930s to wars with Japan the establishment of the People’s Republic of China Sometimes it leaves you behind in its welter of names and events There are jumps through time – the historical backdrop shifts with each scene and with it the women’s lives It is not always immediately clear what has happened how it has affected them or who they have become What helps to adrenalise the story and bring context is Jean Chan’s fluidly moving set and Akhila Krishnan’s video design with projected illustrations and bursts of colour that bear the aesthetics of a graphic novel and bring visual drama Nicola T Chang’s electronic music design adds to it culminating in a spectacular blood red set-piece It ends with real-life footage of the women which finally brings the emotion that has hitherto been missing This is a handsome production and it is remarkable that Ng has unearthed the story of this friendship but for all its colour it leaves emotional gaps At Kiln theatre, London, until 10 May Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. suffered more than mere political disgrace All were publicly humiliated and detained for varying periods sometimes under very harsh conditions; many were beaten and tortured and not a few were killed or driven to suicide who died because he was denied proper medical attention might produce some kind of synthesis between the values of the Cultural Revolution and the pre-1966 political and economic order nor need a judgment of his work as a whole be based primarily on that last phase and stressing China’s self-reliance were generally laudable—and the industrialization that began during Mao’s reign did indeed lay a foundation for China’s remarkable economic development since the late 20th century—but the methods he used to pursue them were often violent and self-defeating despite the “errors of his later years,” Mao’s merits outweighed his faults while underscoring the fact that the account is very finely balanced Sarah Kellam is a Kentucky native and played collegiate golf at Northern Kentucky University She currently serves as a Manager of Digital Content and prior to the LPGA Sarah worked as a freelance content creator Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University Mao, Jordan Green, Jonathan Schneck, and Lei Zheng from the School of Medicine are working to develop biodegradable mRNA nanoparticles to target circulating monocytes which are white blood cells in the bloodstream It's one of several ways Mao is adding his materials science expertise to collaborations addressing health challenges including cancer our team collaborates closely with clinicians and physician-scientists to design patient-centric solutions that address urgent medical challenges," Mao said "By harnessing the power of materials science we are developing innovative biomaterials—such as nanoparticles and composite systems—that can enhance healing A professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the university's Whiting School of Engineering and director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Mao is also a key member of the NIH-funded Johns Hopkins Center for Translational Immunoengineering Without research—and the federal support that makes it possible—scientific breakthroughs suffer and the lifesaving treatments of tomorrow are at risk Through an NIH-funded partnership with the University of Washington and the University of South Florida, Mao is also working to better understand, treat, and prevent infectious diseases such as malaria there were more than 150 million infections globally "We seek to improve defense against malaria by generating liver-resident T cells which block the parasite lifecycle in the patient's liver," Mao said This strategy will help improve the potency to stop the spread of malaria and provide protection for people in endemic and non-endemic regions Mao acknowledges and credits the NIH for enabling these and countless other advances in medical research "The NIH has supported large-scale studies like these for generations and has been critical to research that directly impacts our health today," he said "Continued funding from the NIH is critical to solve complex health challenges we are facing globally." Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University Posted in Science+Technology Tagged nih funding, mrna Advertise • Subscribe • Contact The Golf Wire – Bridgestone Golf proudly congratulates staffer Mao Saigo on capturing her seventh career victory and first major title Sunday at the Chevron Championship Saigo’s confidence in her Bridgestone TOUR B XS golf ball led to a win marked by a historic five-way playoff The 23-year-old LPGA standout earned her first major title at The Club at Carlton Woods in Spring a career-defining moment that highlights Bridgestone Golf’s mission to deliver Tour-quality technology that brings out the best in players at every level “I’m very excited to achieve what I always dreamed of my first LPGA win and winning a major championship,” said Saigo but the Bridgestone TOUR B XS greatly helped me with distance off the tee and spin around the greens I will continue to give my best in every tournament and focus on becoming #1 in the world!” TX – APRIL 27: Mao Saigo (JPB) holds up the Dinah Shore trophy during the final round of the LPGA Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods on April 27 (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire) The five-way playoff was the largest in LPGA major history and Duncan tied for seven-under in the final round Saigo clinched the win with a three-foot putt for birdie on the first playoff hole “We are thrilled to see Mao win her first major and proud that she played the ball we fit her into the TOUR B XS,” said Bridgestone Golf President and CEO Dan Murphy and her remarkable performance is just a glimpse of what’s to come.” the 2024 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year is the first Japanese woman to win the Chevron Championship While this is her first major win on the American LPGA Tour she has six victories under her belt on the LPGA of Japan Tour FAQ | Privacy Policy | Turnstile Media Group © 2025 Join us to receive the Wire with the latest golf industry  news Texas – The 2025 Chevron Championship will be remembered for a lot of things Most of those things happened before a trophy was handed out But perhaps the most shocking turn of events came after Japan’s Mao Saigo jumped into the murky waters just off the 18th green Here’s the thing no one watching knew: Saigo can’t swim who was part of a second wave of jumpers after Saigo went in with her manager Snow asked Saigo during the final round if she could swim thought the pond on the Nicklaus Course at The Club at Carlton Woods was that deep What started out as fun turned stressful for all as the women grabbed hold of the men to try to stay above water Snow believes Saigo panicked when she couldn’t touch ground and she wasn’t the only one pulling on him The men helped the women get back to the dock safely Most of the onlookers weren't aware of how stressful the celebration had turned Saigo, 23, made the lone birdie in a five-way playoff against major champions Ariya Jutanugarn, Ruoning Yin, Hyo Joo Kim and journeywoman Lindy Duncan to make her first LPGA victory a major the 2024 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year winner carried on a tradition Sunday that first started back in 1988 more than dozen years before Saigo was born had this to say through an interpreter when asked about her swimming Pat Hurst waded into Poppie’s Pond when she won the 1998 Nabisco Dinah Shore but the man-made pond at Mission Hills wasn’t anything like what’s here in Texas officials at the old tournament site actually had to deepen the pond on 18 after Stacy Lewis’ mother suffered a leg injury and was hospitalized When the LPGA’s first major moved to Texas three years ago there was no pool-like area for the traditional jump The club originally intended to dredge the entire area to deepen the pond was afraid the green could potentially slough The club instead built a dock and then dredged from the end of the dock to the rock wall border it’s 5 feet and progresses down close to 10 feet They also sent divers down to check for rocks and concrete blocks beneath the surface they installed a gator net to protect the area People’s Daily: The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 is being held in Davos The WEF is an important platform for discussions of global economic issues Could you share with us China’s propositions Mao Ning: Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang delivered a special address at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting jointly promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization; second jointly uphold and practice true multilateralism; third jointly foster new drivers and strengths for global economic development; fourth jointly tackle major global challenges such as climate change Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang stressed that economic globalization is an inherent requirement for the development of productive forces and an inevitable result of technological advancement It is not a “you-lose-I-win” zero-sum game but a universally beneficial process where all can benefit and win together It’s important to tackle the development challenges with universal benefit and pool strengths with inclusive cooperation so as to usher in a new phase of economic globalization that is more dynamic We need to find a win-win and all-win solution one that is based on mutually beneficial cooperation and not only make the pie of economic globalization bigger Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang gave an overview of China’s economy He shared three major trends that characterize the Chinese economy: first high-quality development is making solid progress; second green and low-carbon transition is accelerating across the board; third reform and opening up is moving up to a higher level China will further intensify macro policies effectively pursue higher-quality economic growth and appropriately increase economic output and inject strong and sustained impetus to global economic development the US Department of Treasury announced sanctions against relevant Chinese company and citizen that were involved with Salt Typhoon’s cyberattack Mao Ning: China opposes the accusations made by the Biden administration without any convincing evidence and their abuse of sanctions against China the US has conducted large-scale and systemic cyberattacks on China for years We have made very clear our concerns and opposition on this for many times China and the US are countries with big influence The two sides share similar concerns on safeguarding cybersecurity especially the security of key infrastructure It’s important for the two countries to follow the principle of equality and mutual respect frankly discuss issues of respective concerns on the basis of fact and evidence and jointly keep the cyberspace peaceful and stable President Donald Trump said that he will levy tariffs on Chinese exports to the US Mao Ning: We have made clear China’s position on this issue multiple times We believe that there’s no winner in a trade or tariff war and we will firmly uphold our national interests Global Times: The Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation said they arrested a Chinese national and two Filipinos suspected of conducting espionage operations Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Romero Brawner Jr said the “Chinese spy” was found near the US military bases in the Philippines and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said they would ensure an airtight case against the Chinese spy to uphold the Philippines’ sovereignty and security asks Chinese nationals overseas to abide by local laws and regulations We hope the Philippines will stick to the fact stop peddling the so-called “Chinese spy,” and earnestly protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals in the Philippines Kyodo News: It was reported that foreign ministers of Quad met in Washington on January 21 to exchange views on issues including China’s attempt to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea Mao Ning: China believes that cooperation between countries should not target any third party Engaging in group politics and bloc confrontation will not bring lasting peace and security and is not conducive to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific and the world as a whole China’s activities in relevant waters are lawful We hope that relevant parties will do more things that help enhance mutual trust and cooperation between countries The New York Times: Has China changed the Chinese name that it uses for Secretary of State Rubio does that have a bearing on whether or not he’s covered by China’s sanctions Mao Ning: I am not yet aware of what you mentioned instead of how his name is translated in Chinese it’s his actual name in English that is more important I want to say that my colleague made clear China’s position yesterday What I can tell you is that China’s sanctions are aimed at the words and actions that harm China’s legitimate rights and interests AFP: The Thailand government today denied that it was planning to send 48 Uyghurs held in the country’s detention centers back to China These 48 people had fled China and were arrested in Thailand over a decade ago Can the Foreign Ministry tell us if there are any plans with Thailand to receive these Uyghurs or give us any update Mao Ning: I’m not familiar with what you mentioned China’s position on the issue of illegal immigration is consistent and clear We resolutely fight activities of illegal immigration in any form and oppose any act of condoning or even supporting illegal immigration China is a country under the rule of law and will properly handle relevant issue by strengthening international law enforcement and security cooperation Dragon TV: It’s reported that on January 21 a fire at a hotel in Türkiye killed 76 people and injured 51 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a day of national mourning to be observed on January 22 Mao Ning: We share the grief over the fatal fire accident that took place in Türkiye’s Bolu province yesterday Our hearts go out to the victims and those who have lost their loved ones and we wish those who were injured a speedy recovery AFP: There are some reports on social media of a Chinese national having been killed in an attack in north Afghanistan These reports say that a Chinese worker in the mining industry was killed last night in Takhar province Can the Foreign Ministry confirm or give us any details on this attack and this Chinese national Mao Ning: I’m not yet familiar with what you mentioned I believe our Embassy in Afghanistan will track the information over what’s happened and do its utmost to protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese citizens and their safety US President Donald Trump has said he would be open to Elon Musk or Oracle Corp Chairman Larry Ellison purchasing social media app TikTok as part of a joint venture with the US government Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment on this And how would China feel about the US government being part of a joint venture that splits the ownership of TikTok my colleagues and I have repeatedly stated China’s principled position over the past few days Reuters: Could you tell us more on how the strategic communication channel on major topics between China and the US works Who from the China side is speaking to the US on this channel and from which arm of the Chinese government Mao Ning: We have no information to share at this time AFP: With the threat of 10 percent tariffs are there any talks happening already or any negotiations going on Mao Ning: What I can say is that we stand ready to maintain communication with the US expand mutually beneficial cooperation and pursue a steady sound and sustainable development of China-US relationship China will also firmly defend its own interests threatens 100 percent tariffs on BRICS nations if they continue de-dollarization efforts Mao Ning: As an important platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries The aim is to realize common development and prosperity China stands ready to continue working with BRICS partners to deepen practical cooperation in various fields and make more contributions to the steady growth of the world economy Reuters: I just wanna follow up on the Thailand-Uyghur issue The UN human rights experts released a statement yesterday urging Thailand to immediately stop the possible transfer of the 48 Uyghurs to China they warned that the group was at real risk of torture or other cruel inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment if they are returned this is a matter regarding the law-enforcement cooperation between two sovereign states should fulfill their mandate in a just and objective manner in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate-holders of the Human Rights Council and make sure that nothing they say or do interferes in the judicial sovereignty of UN member states and their normal law-enforcement cooperation instead of speaking out irresponsibly on those matters Bloomberg: Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Tuesday with his Quad counterparts from Australia I’m just wondering if the Foreign Ministry has any comments on the meeting Mao Ning: This question was raised by Kyoto News NBC: I just want to know if you have a latest comment on the Panama Canal issue President Trump warned of the danger of China taking control of the canal and he would like to take it back from Panama Mao Ning: We agree with Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino that Panama’s sovereignty and independence are not negotiable and the Panama Canal is not under direct or indirect control by any power China does not take part in managing or operating the Canal We respect Panama’s sovereignty over the Canal and recognize it as a permanently neutral international waterway This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Timberlake x Nike shoe collab early access After a chaotic finsih and ensuing five-way playoff, Japan’s Mao Saigo emerged victorious at the LPGA’s first major of the year Saigo made birdie on the first playoff hole after a brutally difficult final round in which she shot 74 to finish tied at seven under A birdie seemed destined to only extend the playoff but after all her competitors failed to get up and down and world No Saigo’s three-footer left her as the last woman standing Keep reading below for more on the clubs the 23-year-old used for her first major and LPGA victory ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Titleist Want to overhaul your bag for 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team Eberly College of ScienceZhiqiang Mao named a fellow of the AAASZhiqiang Mao, professor of physics, of materials science and engineering, and of chemistry, has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons has been named a dellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed by peers upon members of the AAAS the world's largest general scientific society for their extraordinary achievements in advancing science Mao was honored for outstanding contributions to the discovery and crystal growth of novel quantum materials and for the understanding of unconventional superconductivity correlated electron phenomena and topological electronic states “We are extremely proud that Zhiqiang is being recognized with this well-deserved honor,” said Mauricio Terrones Downsbrough Head of the Department of Physics professor of chemistry and of materials science and engineering “His work developing novel quantum materials pushes the boundaries of our current understanding of physics and he is an integral part of the physics community here at Penn State where he has been an excellent mentor to numerous postdocs and students.” Mao devotes his research to discovering and synthesizing novel quantum materials with emergent phenomena and to investigating their underlying physics His work is focused on topological materials such as Dirac and Weyl semimetals novel two-dimensional materials with advanced functional properties novel superconductors and emergent quantum phenomena in strongly correlated oxides Mao’s research not only aims to advance both knowledge in material physics and applications in information and energy technologies “I am incredibly honored to become a fellow of the AAAS,” Mao said “Being elected by my fellow scientists makes this honor extra special I’d like to recognize all the wonderful collaborators Mao’s previous awards and honors include the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering Outstanding Researcher Award in 2017 the Cottrell Scholar Award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement in 2005 and the Tulane President Early Career Development Award in 2005 He was named as a fellow of the American Physical Society in 2015 Mao has published over 450 peer-reviewed papers Physical Review X and Physical Review Letters Prior to joining the faculty at Penn State Mao was a faculty member at Tulane University beginning in 2002 Altiero Professor in Physics from 2011 to 2018 Mao was a postdoctoral scholar at Penn State from 2000 to 2002 and at Kyoto University in Japan from 1997 to 2000 He was a research fellow from 1995 to 1997 and a research assistant from 1992 to 1993 at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) He earned a doctoral degree in condensed matter physics at USTC in 1992 and a bachelor’s degree in physics at Nanjing Normal University in China in 1987 AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. The nonprofit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement and more. For additional information visit the AAAS website Ames girls tennis players Laura Chen and Helen Mao have formed a unique relationship over the years began her varsity career with no singles matches as a freshman 1 singles player over the past two seasons and she is looking to qualify for state and set herself up for a big senior season They have not interacted much on the tennis court during meets though they did get the opportunity to play as a doubles team on April 22 during a 9-2 Ames dual victory over Des Moines Lincoln in Des Moines They defeated Lincoln's team of Anna George and Amelia Shaw in straight sets the talented tandem has bonded over playing piano gardening and helping out the less fortunate “It’s been a really big pleasure of mine to work with Helen because she always follows through,” said Chen Mao has been heavily involved in playing the piano since she was little She wants to go into nursing and pursue the Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano after high school Chen is not as heavily involved with playing the piano But she has been playing since she was seven or eight years old and competing in regional competitions Chen stated that she may get a minor in piano during college The musical gifts of Mao and Chen are not limited to the piano Mao also plays the percussion in band and Chen is in the high school orchestra “That’s also something we share together.”  More: Meet Ethan Wang, a freshman sensation on the Ames boys tennis team both Chen and Mao are involved with Ames High School's Students to Eliminate Poverty and Hunger Club The enjoy gardening and helping grow vegetables and fruits in West Ames that will be donated to Food at First a local non-profit organization consisting of a daily free meal program and perishable food distribution known as the Food at First Free Market “It’s a huge collaborative effort,” Chen said “Helen’s been a big help lately and I’m really looking forward to that.”  They will be starting the community garden back up soon More: Twin sisters Ava and Ella Lohrbach plan to lead Gilbert girls golf back to Iowa state meet Chen just blanked Indianola's Emily Allen by an 8-0 score in the No 1 singles match during the Little Cyclones' 8-3 loss to the Indians on May 2 at Ames Chen is now 5-1 in singles play on the season "Laura has always shown she has an abundance of tennis talent," said Ames coach John Hernandez "We put a big demand on her by asking her to play the No She handled it well and has come back to play good tennis this season." Chen said she has a strong backhand and that she has done well staying focused during meets She said she needs to work on doing better at reading her opponents and continuing to strive for better consistency She is aiming high to end her junior season “State is definitely one of the goals,” Chen said “I guess my biggest goal this season is just to build up my consistency It’s an experience trying to learn each one’s game and trying to beat them.”  More: Meet Jessie Lohman, an uplifting presence on the Ames girls golf team Mao fell to Indianola's Maci Lerseth by an 8-3 score on May 2 3 singles positions and has been a part of five victories in doubles play "She brings a great work ethic to the court and she can fight it out with any opponent she faces." Mao said her growth over the past couple of years has been evident in every phase of her game and my technique has gotten better,” Mao said through playing with others and through more experience I think it’s good that we also have a good community here that’s always uplifting others The Ames girls tennis team wraps up the regular season next week with home duals against Marshalltown and Des Moines East and the Ankeny Centennial Invitational at Ankeny Then it is the IGHSAU 2A individual regionals on May 12 followed by the team regionals on May 16 and May 20 to set the stage for the state singles and doubles tournaments and team tournament Chen and Mao want to make the most of their time together as Little Cyclone teammates “Part of the fun of having Helen on the team is being able to chat on the bus and those team-building activities,” Chen said “I’m really looking forward to that in the next two weeks.”  Both girls will continue to remain busy after the tennis season and Chen must make a quick turnaround for the next tennis season as the IGHSAU moved high school girls tennis to the fall for 2025-2026 “We both want to get a very diverse high school experience,” Mao said “All our hard work can be given to people who are maybe less fortunate.”  Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman Xinhua News Agency: The year 2024 marks a milestone in China-Africa relations The Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was successfully held after which bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China were elevated to the level of strategic relations and the overall characterization of China-Africa relations was elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era Could you tell us what are the highlights of China-Africa cooperation over the past year and your outlook for China-Africa relations in the year to come China-Africa relations have continued to produce fruitful results despite an international landscape featuring transformation and instability We’ve witnessed the grand friendly gathering of the big China-Africa family Nearly 6,000 guests from both at home and abroad including leaders of all the 53 African countries having diplomatic ties with China Chairperson of the African Union Commission and UN Secretary-General came to Beijing to attend the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) We’ve witnessed the remarkable elevation of China-Africa friendly relations as bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China were elevated to the level of strategic relations and the overall characterization of China-Africa relations was elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era We’ve witnessed the impressive progress in China-Africa friendly cooperation The FOCAC Beijing Summit affirmed that the two sides should jointly advance modernization characterized by six features and announced 10 partnership actions for China and Africa to advance modernization A good number of signature programs and “small and beautiful” projects have come to fruition in Africa We’ve witnessed the solidarity of the Global South and the collective rise of the Global South with China and African countries as its key members The adoption of the Beijing Declaration at the FOCAC Beijing Summit made a voice of justice that opposes hegemonism bloc confrontation and decoupling and severing of supply chains we stand ready to deliver on the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit and the important common understandings of the Chinese and African leaders work together with African countries to form stronger synergy between our policies and development strategies deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields have closer cultural and people-to-people exchanges and continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and of major concerns continue to add new dimensions to the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era jointly uphold the shared interest of the Global South and international justice and fairness and make new contributions to promoting world peace and development the World Health Organization (WHO) called on China to share COVID-19 data and provide access to help understand the origins of the virus They called it a moral and scientific imperative Does the Foreign Ministry have any response to this call from WHO Mao Ning: Since the outbreak of COVID-19 five years ago China has shared information on the outbreak and genome sequence of the virus with WHO and the international community at the earliest time possible and has shared with others our control and clinical experience without reservation making great contribution to the global effort of fighting against COVID-19 actively supports and participates in global science-based origins-tracing and firmly opposes any form of political manipulation China is the only country that has invited more than once WHO expert groups to come into the country to conduct joint origins study China is also the only country that has organized multiple events for its experts to share progress on origins-tracing with WHO China has shared more data and research findings and contributed more to worldwide COVID-19 origins study than any other country WHO experts said on multiple occasions that the Chinese side granted full access to all sites personnel and material they requested when conducting study in China and that the level of openness and transparency in China is what they hadn’t expected The international science community is now providing increasing clues that point possible COVID origins to various parts of the world and a global perspective is needed to carry out origins-tracing work in multiple countries and regions China stands ready to work with all parties to continue advancing global science-based origins-tracing study and make active contribution to better guard against infectious diseases in the future BRICS held the first summit after its expansion Brazil and other countries successively hosted the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting the G20 Summit and other important international multilateral meetings There has been comment that 2024 is a year of the Global South How do you see the rising momentum of the Global South and its impact on the world Mao Ning: As Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out the collective rise of the Global South in the current chapter of history is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world greater BRICS cooperation made a good start the new model of “SCO plus” came into shape and the African Union took part in the G20 Summit for the first time Global South countries have joined hands to take part in multilateral cooperation more actively and extensively bringing new impetus for the transformation of economic globalization and adding new dynamism to global governance China will always be an important member of the Global South and always be committed to unity and invigoration of the Global South President Xi Jinping called for more open and inclusive Global South cooperation and announced eight measures in support of Global South cooperation He articulated the vision for countries in the Global South to work together as the staunch force for peace the core driving force for open development the construction team of global governance and the advocates for exchange among civilizations China will continue to practice true multilateralism firmly safeguard the common interests of developing countries and bring the Global South together in solidarity for greater strength so as to leave the mark of the Global South on the progress of humanity Reuters: Syria has appointed several foreign fighters to its military Among them is the leader of the Turkistan Islamic Party Would the Foreign Ministry have any comment on this development Mao Ning: The Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) was designated by China in accordance with the law and listed by the UN Security Council as a terrorist organization The international community needs to see clearly its violent terrorist nature and firmly combat the ETIM AFP: The US Treasury Department said yesterday that it was subject to a cyberattack by a China state-sponsored actor earlier this month It said that the hackers had gained access to employee workstations and some documents Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment on these allegations by the US Treasury Department Mao Ning: On this kind of unwarranted and groundless allegations we’ve made clear our position more than once we oppose spreading China-related disinformation motivated by political agenda *************************************************** there will be no regular press conference on January 1 (Wednesday) The press conference will resume on January 2 (Thursday) questions can be sent to the Spokesperson’s Office via fax This is the last regular press conference of the Foreign Ministry in 2024 we upheld fundamental principles while breaking new ground in diplomacy and achieved fruitful outcomes A remarkable new chapter has been written in head-of-state diplomacy new progress has been made in pursuing all-round diplomacy new breakthroughs have been made in building a community with a shared future for mankind and new outcomes have been achieved in serving the people through diplomacy especially major concepts and initiatives put forth by President Xi Jinping are supported and well-received by the international community The Chinese path to modernization is gaining greater international significance Let me extend our thanks to you all for your attention to support for and active coverage of China’s diplomacy in the past year Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article The agenda he left behind for his successors was extraordinarily challenging helped abolish the chairmanship in 1982 in response to concerns that one person might again become too powerful within the party; however almost half of the members were individuals whose careers had benefited from the Cultural Revolution; the other half were While a balance between the two groups would be reached only after a period of years in the short run the tide quickly shifted in favor of the latter group In the late fall of 1976, the CCP leadership tried to bring some order to the country through a series of national conferences. They moved quickly to appeal to workers’ interests by reinstating wage bonuses. The economy had stagnated that year largely because of political turmoil and Mao’s successors were anxious to start things moving again Deng was rehabilitated and formally brought back into his previous offices in the summer of 1977 Lacking detailed information on the economy, the leaders adopted an overly ambitious 10-year plan in early 1978 and used the government’s resources to the limit throughout that year to increase investment and achieve rapid economic growth Much of that growth consisted of reactivating capacity that had lain idle because of political disruption and long-term trends in matters such as capital-output ratios made it increasingly clear that the old strategies would be less effective which grew from a town of about 30,000 in 1979 to a metropolis of some 7,500,000 in little more than a quarter century families were allowed to contract for the use of collective land for a limited period of time the period of those contracts was extended allowing one family to accumulate large amounts of land) was permitted Farmers were also allowed far greater choice in what crops to plant and many abandoned farming altogether in favor of establishing small-scale industries or transport companies and other services Exceptionally good weather during the early 1980s contributed to record harvests and the unwillingness of government officials to give up their power over economic decisions the reformers tackled some of the fundamental building blocks of the Soviet system that had been imported during the 1950s Reforms have continued in the rural and urban areas Rural producers have been given more freedom to decide how to use their earnings whether for agricultural or other economic activities Private entrepreneurship in the cities and the rationalization dismantling of state-owned enterprises have gained speed the central government has moderated the pace of change—primarily to avoid increases in social unrest resulting from rising unemployment—and constructed a social safety net for those who lose their jobs criticizing policy no longer triggered political retaliation against the critics the role of the Public Security (police) forces was cut back substantially and he worked hard to try to consolidate and maintain their hold on power In early 1982 the CCP leadership made a concerted attempt to restructure the leading bodies in both the government and the party with the appointment of many new officials with the focus increasingly on the bloated military establishment but progress slowed considerably after the initial burst of organizational reformism with core elements of the previous system called into question while the ultimate balance that would be struck remained unclear even to the top participants Financial decentralization and the two-price system combined with other factors to produce inflation and encourage corruption increasingly exposed to foreign ideas and standards of living put pressure on the government to speed the rate of change within the country and other military equipment were on display along with great numbers of military personnel This demonstration of the country’s armed might—coupled with its now-commanding presence on the world economic scene and its growing international diplomatic profile—indicated the progress that China had made in the previous decade at becoming a global superpower in 2010 China surpassed Japan to become the world’s second largest economy experienced shortages of food and other essential items The zero-COVID policies were eased in December 2022 following a rare protest by thousands of Chinese residents demanding that the government end the harsh policies some even calling for the resignation of Xi Jinping but government officials denied the existence of the camps many countries that formerly had recognized the ROC established relations with the People’s Republic The normalization of diplomatic ties with the United States less-combative stance in many international organizations The bloody suppression of the demonstrations in 1989 set back China’s foreign relations. The United States, the European Community (later succeeded by the European Union) though by 1992 China had largely regained its international standing with all but the United States But by the mid-1990s both sides had taken steps toward improved relations and China retained its most-favored-nation status in U.S Taiwan remained viable and emerged as a global economic powerhouse its security guaranteed by a commitment from the United States and backed by U.S The continued American involvement in Taiwan affairs has at times been a source of friction in U.S.-China relations Tensions between China and Taiwan eased significantly after the Nationalists regained control of both Taiwan’s legislature and presidency in 2008. Talks, often at a high level, continued and increased between the two sides on both economic and diplomatic issues. A notable accomplishment of these discussions was a trade agreement that would gradually reduce or eliminate tariffs on a large number of goods and commodities exported from one side to the other policy of selling arms to Taiwan by agreeing to provide tanks and missiles worth some $2.2 billion along with 66 F-16C/D fighter jets at a cost of about $8 billion Xi Jinping intensified his call for Tsai to embrace the 1992 Consensus Xi Jinping also had warned Biden in a phone meeting that the U.S should not “play with fire” regarding Taiwan In 2023 tensions spiked as China increased its military pressure on Taiwan by conducting large military drills and encircling the island with ships and aircraft which in September included sending a record number of Chinese fighter jets (more than 100) toward Taiwan in 24-hour period CCTV: It is reported that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has lowered its global growth forecast in its latest Interim Economic Outlook It is believed that the trade barriers set by some countries will impact the global economic growth and lead to mounting inflation Trade barriers including tariffs serve nobody’s interests and are not conducive to the prosperity and stability of world economy Disagreements on trade and business should be resolved through dialogue and consultation and the world economy should not pay the price No matter how the external environment may evolve and firmly support the principle of free trade and the multilateral trading system China is committed to supporting the universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization and pursuing common development and win-win with all countries AFP: Canada today condemned China for executing Canadian citizens on drug-related charges They said that those executions had taken place despite protests from the Canadian government Can the Foreign Ministry provide any more details on these cases what is China’s response to Canada’s criticism on this Mao Ning: Combating drug-related crimes is the responsibility of all countries China is a country that upholds the rule of law The law treats everyone the same regardless of nationality The Chinese judicial authorities handle those cases justly in strict accordance with the law The lawful rights of the defendants and the consular rights of the Canadian side are fully protected as stipulated by the law Canada should respect the spirit of the rule of law and stop interfering in China’s judiciary sovereignty China News Service: It was reported that Chairman of the U.S House “Select Committee on the CCP” John Moolenaar sent letters to presidents of six U.S requesting information on details regarding the enrollment of Chinese national students to be submitted before April 1 claiming that China has embedded researchers in leading U.S providing them direct exposure to sensitive technologies with dual-use military applications this trend will continue to displace American talent and fuel China’s technological ambitions at U.S Mao Ning: Chinese students account for about a quarter of international students in the U.S Education cooperation not only expands student exchange and deepens mutual understanding between Chinese and Americans but also contributes to America’s economic prosperity and scientific and technological progress Both sides have benefited from such cooperation to stop brandishing national security as a false pretext and protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese students in the U.S should not take discriminatory and restrictive measures against Chinese students NHK: We’ve learned that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will arrive in Japan today for a series of talks with Japan Mao Ning: I shared with you the considerations for Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s trip to Japan for the 11th China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the Sixth China-Japan High-Level Economic Dialogue the other day Reuters: I just want to check if there’s more information since yesterday about the Thai delegation to Xinjiang and whether the Foreign Ministry has any more information about their itinerary and what they’ve been doing in Xinjiang Does the Foreign Ministry have a response to how the Thai government said the delegation that is visiting Xinjiang right now they will only meet five out of the 40 Uyghurs who recently returned to China from Thailand If the Foreign Ministry has a reason for that Mao Ning: I’d refer you to competent authorities for anything specific Bloomberg: The Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian recently gave some interviews to Australian media he said that recently an Australian military plane had intruded by 6.2 kilometers inside the territory that China claims around the Paracel Islands Can you confirm that he was referring to the Australian military flight in the area on the 11th of February were China’s live drills in the Tasman Sea a reaction to this action by Australia Mao Ning: We’ve responded to the Australian military plane’s deliberate intrusion into China’s airspace over Xisha Qundao which undermines China’s national security The exercises conducted by the Chinese Navy fleet in relevant waters fully comply with international law and common practices Reuters: How many foreign company CEOs are attending the China Development Forum this weekend has there been any drop in the number of U.S Mao Ning: I’d refer you to competent authorities for the specifics about the China Development Forum Let me say that China always welcomes businesses from all countries to make investment and expand their operation in China and share in the dividends of China’s development The New York Times: Why has China chosen now as the timing for the execution of Canadian citizens Mao Ning: China is a country under the rule of law and handles relevant cases in strict accordance with the law The New York Times: Do you expect more executions of foreign nationals in China or is there any shift in policy on the execution of foreign nationals in criminal cases Mao Ning: China is a country under the rule of law We treat defendants of different nationalities as equals and handle cases justly in strict accordance with the law Mao Saigo's clutch chip at the Chevron on Sunday The scenario is nerve-wracking in your Saturday morning fourball match let alone in the decisive moments of a major championship: a chip from the rough to a green running away toward water. But that’s exactly the position in which Mao Saigo found herself on the first playoff hole of the Chevron Championship Sunday After flying her second shot on the par-5 18th into the grandstand over the green Saigo took free relief and faced the kind of nervy downhill chip that keeps golfers up at night Leave it short, and Saigo could easily have found herself penciling a three-putt bogey on her card. Get too aggressive, and her ball could just have easily trundled into the water hazard — along with her major-title hopes. What I love about Saigo’s play was the sound decision-making she made under pressure she played the loft neutral (no opening of the face) and kept her alignment square to the starting line for the break on the green This allowed the path of the shot to be more of a sweeping motion with great odds that she’d make solid ball contact in the rough which is crucial to the nature of this chip.  Saigo took her hands out of the shot by turning more with her upper body than hinging her wrists to start the backswing Note the clubface in her backswing: the face is pointed toward the ground with the leading edge matching her posture Another key to this type of chip is the “on top” position of the trail hand (right hand) on the backswing This keeps the loft neutral and is a perfect match for the follow through Saigo’s follow-through is the clutch moment and demonstrates an elite trait required for these kind of finesse shots: She never stopped turning toward the target no wrist flip or unnecessary lower body movements This takes out the use of the hands and glides the club to the finish.  Saigo made an exceptionally challenging moment look easy Rare early editions of book by communist party chairman But the red-covered Quotations of the former Chinese Communist Party chairman went through many ideological iterations before the official version was settled on The original cover was also a different colour – in fact had some of those earlier thought experiments been declared the final draft we could now be talking about Chairman Mao’s Little Blue Book a huge collection of the various editions of Quotations has been assembled and is to be unveiled and presented for sale at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair next month The collection is the work of more than two decades by Justin G Schiller, an American collector who began to visit China in the 1990s Dr Matt Wills of London rare book dealer Peter Harrington the market for collecting the Little Red Book was only just beginning and you could find all kinds of rare and one-off editions being discarded by institutions and private individuals if you knew where to look Justin was in place at the perfect time to build a collection without parallel It would be impossible to do the same today as the majority of the rarer editions have long perished.” Mao Zedong watches an army parade in Beijing Photograph: Apic/RETIRED/Getty ImagesThe collection is some 200 items strong and includes many of the early versions as well as first editions and international printings of the book Before the famous red vinyl cover was settled on And it wasn’t just cosmetic changes that were effected for the final printing Many of the ideas in the book changed and evolved from 1960 when Mao’s sayings and slogans started to be compiled “The first widely published edition of the Little Red Book naturally opens with a quote on the vanguard role of the Chinese Communist Party,” said Wills “Look to prototype and trial versions and you will see that most do not open with this quote As the Little Red Book became a ‘mass market’ publication it became very important to put the party at the forefront on page one and the quotes often become punchier and rhetorically impactful as compilers tried to make the ­selection as effective and user-friendly as possible.” it seems that even 60 years ago spin doctors were at work to make the thoughts of Chairman Mao easily digestible for the masses Part of the collection of Quotations editions The collection is set to go on sale for £1m in New York next month Photograph: Peter Harrington Rare BooksProf Christopher Marquis Sinyi professor of Chinese management at Cambridge Judge Business School and author of the book Mao and Markets said: “The original book was for the People’s Liberation Army so it focused a lot on Mao’s military guidance and quotes on discipline and loyalty “Following the start of the Cultural Revolution in 1966 the book was transformed into much more of an element of propaganda and a more ideologically focused text to rally the populace behind Mao and his ideas.” Wills agrees: “The final version represents a very specific way of presenting Maoism: short many of which became everyday idiomatic expressions during the Cultural Revolution arranged in no more than three dozen easily digestible chapters produced in a cheap and durable binding.” The Little Red Book is more than just a piece of nostalgia though. “Many of the business entrepreneurs I have researched quote Mao and discuss his work as inspiration and in some cases a guide for their work,” said Marquis. “And [Chinese president] Xi Jinping also quotes Mao and uses his ideas in guiding his policies. “More broadly, I think it also shapes the general propaganda atmosphere and idea that political control through propaganda is essential to governing China. I think of the promotion of ‘Xi Jinping thought’ and literally hundreds of books Xi has ‘authored’. It reflects an attempt to create a written canon like Mao.” Read moreMao himself said in the Little Red Book: “It is dreadful to imagine a time when everyone will be rich.” So what would he think of his work going on sale for £1m “I think he would have a very mixed reaction,” says Prof Marquis selling items for the rich to buy at such astronomical prices does point to the underlying problems with capitalism it is a great manifestation of commodity fetishism – a key idea of Karl Marx’s – so in some ways he might have found it reinforcing of his world view being right “But he might have actually been quite pleased because aside from his ideological positions he was an extreme narcissist and revelled in the cult of personality he created so he might have been pleased that this book is getting such attention and is being so highly valued.” The subheading of this article was amended on 10 March 2025 because an earlier version referred to rare editions of the book being “set to fetch £1m at auction” rather than set to go on sale for £1m as the text of the article said This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media Xinhua News Agency: At the reception for his assumption of office in Beijing on January 17 Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Nurlan Yermekbayev said the top priority of the SCO Secretariat this year is to support China’s presidency and make the upcoming SCO summit to be hosted by China a full success Mao Ning: We congratulate Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev on his assumption of office and will continue to facilitate him in fulfilling his duty support the SCO Secretariat in strengthening self-building and provide strong support for various cooperation of the SCO members China sees the SCO as a priority in our diplomacy and stands ready to work with other SCO members and the SCO Secretariat to act on the slogan of “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move,” host a SCO summit featuring friendship advance high-quality development of the SCO deliver more tangibly to people of this region and make positive contributions for a more peaceful and prosperous world CCTV: It’s reported that Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said that the 5 percent economic growth reported by China in 2024 was a “positive surprise” higher than the IMF’s projections and that the IMF revised up its economic growth forecast for China for 2025 and 2026 China’s economy successfully realized the growth target with its economic output breaking the RMB130 trillion mark for the first time and economic growth equivalent to the annual GDP of a medium-sized country This speaks to the resilience and potential of China’s economy and the confidence that China’s economy has brought to the world China will stay committed to high-quality development and high-standard opening up maintain the continued upward trajectory of the Chinese economy and bring more “positive surprises” to the global economy Reuters: TikTok has restored service in the US citing Trump’s efforts but Trump has said that he wants to cut a deal that will see the US have 50 percent ownership in a joint venture Is China open to a deal with Trump and how might such a deal look like Mao Ning: TikTok has operated in the US for years and been very popular with American users It has played a positive role in boosting US employment and consumption We hope the US will earnestly listen to the voice of reason and provide an open just and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from all countries When it comes to actions such as the operation and acquisition of businesses we believe they should be independently decided by companies in accordance with market principles China’s laws and regulations should be observed NBC: President-elect Trump has also been reported as saying he’d like to travel to China in the first 100 days in office Mao Ning: China stands ready to work with the new government of the US under the strategic guidance of the presidents of the two countries and in the principles of mutual respect peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation properly manage and control differences and secure greater progress in China-US relations from a new starting point Financial Times: Elon Musk on Sunday said it was unbalanced to allow TikTok to operate in the US and not allow his social media platform X to operate in China Mao Ning: The Chinese government manages the Internet in accordance with law We welcome Internet companies across the world to operate in China as long as they abide by China’s laws and regulations and provide safe and reliable products and services announced in a press release the admission of Nigeria as a partner country of the grouping Mao Ning: China welcomes and congratulates Nigeria on becoming a BRICS partner country Nigeria is a major developing country and an important force in the Global South Its active participation in BRICS cooperation is conducive to its own development is in the interest of BRICS countries and the Global South We believe Nigeria will contribute to the development of BRICS mechanism New partner country joining the BRICS family demonstrates that the BRICS mechanism has greater representation and BRICS sees its appeal and influence grow more salient China stands ready to work with other BRICS members and partner countries to uphold the spirit of openness expand practical cooperation in various fields advance the high-quality development of greater BRICS cooperation and make greater contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind AFP: Just ahead of Trump’s inauguration today can you tell us what China’s expectations are for Trump’s presidency and perhaps what we can expect in the next few days or weeks with regards to China-US relations and dialogue Mao Ning: Both countries stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation this is what the history of China-US relations tells us sound and sustainable development of China-US relationship serves the common interests of the two countries and is what the international community expects Following the principles of mutual respect China stands ready to work with the new US government to enhance dialogue and communication find the right way for the two countries to get along with each other in the new era and bring benefits to both countries and the world Shenzhen TV: We’ve learned that Myanmar’s Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organization Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) held peace talks and signed a ceasefire agreement in Kunming Can you brief us on the background and details of the peace talks with China’s mediation and effort to drive progress the Myanmar government and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army held the seventh round of peace talks in Kunming The two sides reached and signed a formal ceasefire agreement The two sides thanked China for facilitating the results of this round of peace talks Deescalating tensions in northern Myanmar serves the common interests of all parties in Myanmar and regional countries and is conducive to ensuring the safety and security stability and development of the China-Myanmar border area and we firmly oppose wars and turbulence in Myanmar We hope that all parties will maintain the momentum of ceasefire and peace talks earnestly implement existing common understandings take the initiative in deescalating the situation on the ground and further negotiate and settle relevant issues through dialogue China firmly supports Myanmar in safeguarding independence firmly supports Myanmar’s effort to keep the country peaceful and stable and grow its economy and firmly supports Myanmar in realizing political reconciliation at an early date and advancing its domestic political agenda under the framework of the constitution China stands ready to actively promote talks for peace and provide support and help for the peace process in northern Myanmar Financial Times: Does China have any comment on Trump allowing TikTok to continue operating It had turned off for a bit and Trump helped it get back online has never endangered the US’s national security and is liked by many American users We hope that the US will listen to the voice of reason from various quarters and provide an open just and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from across the world AFP: On the Gaza ceasefire that has just come into effect with some prisoners and hostages already exchanged does the Foreign Ministry have a comment on the ceasefire deal coming into effect and more broadly on the future of Gaza and the conflict Mao Ning: China welcomes the coming into force of the agreement on ceasefire in Gaza and hopes the agreement will be implemented in its entirety and without interruption and that there will be a full and permanent ceasefire in Gaza China will work with the international community to make unremitting effort for peace and stability in the Middle East Financial Times: Elon Musk also said it was the right approach to question if you should allow a platform like TikTok to operate that had the potential to harvest American data as well as control the type of content it would broadcast in the US Does China have any comment on his comments Mao Ning: We believe that Internet companies need to observe local laws and regulations we attach great importance to data privacy and security and protect it in accordance with the law The Chinese government has never asked and will never ask any company or individual to collect or provide data located abroad against local laws At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR Thongsavanh Phomvihane will pay an official visit to China from March 12 to 15 CCTV: We noted that when responding to a question about Taiwan at the press conference during the two sessions last week Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the only reference to the Taiwan region in the U.N Province of China.” Some believe this statement shows the Chinese mainland’s tougher policy on Taiwan Mao Ning: Resolution 2758 adopted in 1971 by the U.N General Assembly made it clear that there is but one China in the world It also made clear that there is only one seat of China in the United Nations and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal representative in the U.N and its specialized agencies as evidenced by their reference to Taiwan as “Taiwan Province of China.” It was clearly stated in the official legal opinions of the Office of Legal Affairs of the U.N Secretariat that “the United Nations considers ‘Taiwan’ as a province of China with no separate status.” This is the U.N.’s consistent position We stay committed to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus We stand ready to work with the greatest sincerity and exert utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification China will take all necessary measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity and firmly oppose “Taiwan independence” separatism and external interference China Daily: On the upcoming visit to China by Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane that you just announced can you share the arrangement of the visit and China’s expectations How does China view the current China-Laos relations Mao Ning: China and the Lao PDR are socialist comrades and brothers The two countries have taken the lead in advancing the building of a community with a shared future and implementing the three global initiatives General Secretary and President Xi Jinping had a successful meeting with General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith during the BRICS Summit in Kazan reaching new outcomes in the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries China has been the biggest source of foreign investment and destination of exports for the Lao PDR for many consecutive years The China-Laos Railway has witnessed continued growth in both passenger and cargo volume and its cross-border cargo transport has covered 19 countries and regions The railway has become a golden route for transportation on the Indo-China Peninsula The upcoming visit is the first visit to China by Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane after he took office He is also the first foreign minister to visit China after China’s two sessions this year This demonstrates the great importance both sides attach to the bilateral relations Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks with Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane to exchange views on implementing the common understandings between the top leaders of the two parties and two countries and enhancing bilateral and multilateral strategic coordination China hopes that the visit will help deepen and enrich the building of the China-Laos community with a shared future and contribute to global and regional peace Reuters: China imposed tariffs on some Canadian agricultural goods on Saturday What does it say about the status of the China-Canada relationship Mao Ning: Relevant Chinese authorities have issued an announcement on this In disregard of China’s repeated persuasion Canada has insisted on taking discriminatory restrictive measures on some Chinese imports and gravely harms China’s lawful rights and interests The countermeasures China has taken are fully necessary China urges Canada to take concrete steps to correct the wrongdoings non-discriminatory and predictable environment for the normal trade and cooperation between the businesses of the two countries Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said recently that the 20th Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers adopted the plan for early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza which was proposed by Egypt and endorsed by the Arab League summit earlier He also emphasized the importance of mobilizing international support Germany and Italy have issued a joint statement to support the Arab plan for reconstruction of Gaza saying that the plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza Mao Ning: Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed last week when meeting the press during the two sessions that we support the plan for restoring peace in Gaza initiated by Egypt and other Arab countries the plan for early recovery and reconstruction we’ve always supported the legitimate concerns and position of Arab and Islamic countries and held the view that the principle of “Palestinians governing Palestine” should be observed in post-conflict governance in Gaza and we need to ensure that the Palestinian people will rebuild their home on the territory of their own the ultimate settlement of the Palestinian question requires a return to the right track of the two-State solution We will continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role to this end Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on multiple occasions stressed that the Chinese economy is over-dependent on export and that the U.S Mao Ning: You can find in this year’s Report on the Work of the Government that “stimulating domestic demand across the board” is listed as the first of the ten major tasks for this year The report also stresses that China will vigorously expand domestic demand across the board and make it a key driver and stabilizing force for economic growth is the result of market forces with multiple factors at play including the two countries’ economic structures and trade policies as well as the position of the U.S has benefited abundantly from trade with China If you look at the breakdown of statistics companies are also counted as China’s trade surplus The high-quality products at reduced cost exported by China to the U.S have essentially raised the purchasing power of U.S and created a huge amount of jobs in the U.S. continues to run a huge surplus in trade in services trade and economic ties benefit both sides there is no way the ties would have come this far as we see today To call the economic ties a “rip-off” and pursue absolute reciprocity in trade goes against the most basic economic common sense and those who do so are underestimating the judgement of U.S it cannot hide the U.S.’s aim of politicizing and weaponizing trade issues to contain and go after China initiated the trade war against the rest of the world trade deficit from going up and reaching US$918.4 billion last year they invariably start by hurting others before coming back to hurt the one who launched it to learn its lesson and end this wrong practice AFP: According to ROK’s Ministry of National Defence the DPRK seems to have fired about a dozen missiles to waters west of the Korean Peninsula today Mao Ning: We noted the reports and also noted the DPRK has issued several statements on the military and diplomatic moves and sanctions by the U.S We hope relevant parties will face up to the root cause of the Korean Peninsula issue stick to the major direction of political settlement and work for easing tensions and safeguarding regional peace and stability Shenzhen TV: Recent clashes between security forces of the Syrian interim government and gunmen loyal to the former authorities in western provinces of Latakia and Tartous have caused heavy casualties including civilians There’s extensive concerns over the situation in Syria in the international community Mao Ning: China is closely following the situation in Syria and is concerned over the heavy casualties caused by armed clashes in Syria We call on relevant sides to immediately stop the armed clashes and hostilities respect and uphold the principle of inclusiveness and find a nation-reconstruction plan that meets the Syrian people’s aspirations through dialogue President Trump is considering measures to restrict DeepSeek including banning the use of DeepSeek on government equipment Mao Ning: We oppose overstretching the concept of national security and politicizing trade and tech issues We will firmly safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies Reuters: Mark Carney won the race to be the leader of Canada’s ruling party and succeed Justin Trudeau’s Prime Minister What’s your message for the incoming government Mao Ning: We noted relevant reports and express congratulations to Mr we always believe that we need to grow bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect We hope that the Canadian side will form an objective and rational perception of China pursue a positive and pragmatic policy towards China and work with China in the same direction for the improvement and growth of bilateral relations AFP: The Dalai Lama will publish a new book “Voice for the Voiceless.” Before the release of the new book claiming that there is the danger that in the name of stability and territorial integrity attempts might be made by the Chinese government to erase the Tibetan civilization What is China’s response to this new book and Dalai Lama’s comment Mao Ning: The 14th Dalai Lama is not a pure religious figure but a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion No matter what the Dalai Lama says to does he will not change the objective fact that Xizang enjoys prosperity and development Relevant parties should not provide platforms for the comment about splitting China Reuters: Reuters reported last week that the United States is considering charging docking fees for any fleets cargo vessels and the like that include Chinese-built or Chinese-flagged ships Mao Ning: We’ve stated our position on relevant questions Such measures as imposing port fees and levying tariffs on cargo handling facilities hurt the U.S The move not only hikes global maritime shipping costs and disrupts the stability of global industrial and supply chains but also increases inflationary pressures in the U.S and hurts the interests of American consumers and businesses The practice will ultimately fail to revitalize the U.S China will take necessary measures to defend its lawful rights and interests NHK: Taiwan’s “ministry of economic affairs” announced that it will attend the World Expo in Osaka Mao Ning: We firmly oppose any kind of official interactions between the Taiwan region and any country that has diplomatic ties with China has promised to accelerate arms shipments to Taiwan Mao Ning: China is firmly opposed to the U.S.’s military ties with and arms sales to China’s Taiwan region This position is consistent and unequivocal The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S stop selling arms to the Taiwan region and having military contact with Taiwan stop creating factors that fuel tensions in the Taiwan Strait and stop endangering peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait Reuters: Canada will hold an election later this year Do you have a message for the candidates running in the federal election Mao Ning: The election is Canada’s internal affair and I have no comment on that Hubei Media Group: The Spring Festival has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Could you share more with us about the events that the Chinese Foreign Ministry has planned for overseas Chinese to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival of the Year of the Snake Mao Ning: The Spring Festival symbolizes peace amity and harmony in the Chinese tradition and embodies people’s reverence and gratitude for nature as well as aspiration for family reunion and a better life The inscription of the Spring Festival on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list shows that this is a festival unique to China and enjoyed by the world the Ministry and our embassies and consulates have held the “Embracing the Chinese New Year” special program every year around the Spring Festival which has been welcomed by overseas Chinese During the upcoming Spring Festival of the Year of the Snake our Ministry will continue to bring warmth and best wishes to overseas Chinese through our embassies and consulates and hold events to celebrate the Spring Festival with overseas Chinese and friends from other countries around the world where they will get to experience the Spring Festival culture and the charm of the Chinese civilization We wish all overseas Chinese and friends around the world a happy and prosperous Year of the Snake Reuters: The Guardian reported that Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting the U.K Could you confirm that and provide any other information about the trip are both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies in the world It is in the common interest of both sides and the international community for the two countries to enhance strategic communication deepen political mutual trust and advance mutually beneficial cooperation and various sectors are encouraged by and full of expectation for the sound and steady growth of the bilateral relations I have no information to share at the moment Sky News: Donald Trump has said China is behind the supply of fentanyl chemicals to Mexico and Canada What’s your response to that and what is China doing to crack down on the selling of precursors Mao Ning: China is one of the world’s toughest countries on counternarcotics both in terms of policy and its implementation China announced back in 2019 the decision to officially schedule fentanyl-related substances as a class We are the first country in the world to do so China has given support to the U.S.’s response to the fentanyl issue in the spirit of humanity and goodwill and conducted counternarcotics cooperation with the U.S The achievements we have made are there for all to see will work to continue the hard-won positive dynamics in the counternarcotics cooperation Shenzhen TV: It’s reported that the 2025 Business Sentiment Survey Findings Report released days ago by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong shows that American companies in Hong Kong are more confident in the business environment there and they view Hong Kong’s national security laws in a more objective way It mentioned that 75 percent of respondents viewed Hong Kong as an international commercial center in Asia 90 percent reported that foreign businesses were still welcomed in Hong Kong and 83 percent responded they were confident in Hong Kong’s rule of law These numbers say a lot about American businesses’ confidence in Hong Kong’s development prospects and business environment there The Law on Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance provide a solid footing for efforts to protect national security in Hong Kong and enable Hong Kong to foster a more stable society and a better investment environment Foreign investors’ lawful rights and interests in Hong Kong are now under better protection We are fully confident that more American and other foreign companies will invest and do business in Hong Kong and share the benefits of Chinese modernization and the practice of “One Country the Central Intelligence Agency in America said that they now believe that the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from lab leak rather than from a natural source Does the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs have any response to this new development Mao Ning: Origins-tracing is a matter of science and any judgment on it should be made in a science-based spirit and by scientists It is “extremely unlikely” that the pandemic was caused by a lab leak—this is the authoritative conclusion reached by the experts of the WHO-China joint mission based on science following their field trips to the lab in Wuhan and in-depth communication with researchers The conclusion has been widely acknowledged by the international community The US needs to stop politicizing and weaponizing origins-tracing at once should respond as quickly as possible to the international community’s legitimate concerns voluntarily share its data with the WHO about suspected early cases in the U.S. clarify the questions concerning relevant U.S and give a responsible explanation to the world Xinhua News Agency: We have learned that President Xi Jinping’s special representative Vice President Han Zheng received high-level reception when attending President Trump’s inauguration not long ago some Taiwanese media outlets reported that Taiwan’s so-called “Legislative Yuan” said recently that its so-called “president” Han Kuo-yu got reception from the U.S at an unprecedented high level when he led a delegation to the inauguration President Xi Jinping’s special representative Vice President Han Zheng attended the inauguration ceremony of President Donald Trump at U.S He was seated on the dais of Capitol Rotunda the main venue of the inauguration ceremony and exchanged greetings and spoke with leaders of relevant countries and U.S China is firmly opposed to any form of official interactions between the U.S As for the so-called “high-level reception” relevant person of the Taiwan authorities got from the U.S. it is apparently disinformation self-bestowed by Taiwan authorities for self-consumption Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Colombia unless they took back Colombian citizens who are in the U.S withdrew that threat as they said the Colombians now agreed to take back those migrants My first question is what is China’s view on this 24 hours between the U.S My second question is does China intend to take back all the Chinese nationals who are in the U.S We hope that the two countries will properly resolve it I’d refer you to competent authorities for anything specific Let me say more broadly that the Chinese government firmly opposes any form of illegal migration We have conducted practical cooperation with the migration and law enforcement departments of the U.S China’s principle is to receive the repatriates who are confirmed as Chinese nationals from the Chinese mainland after verification China Daily: It’s reported that protests recently took place in Serbia Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić held a big rally where he delivered remarks to review the unprecedented socioeconomic development in Serbia in recent years and stressed that Serbia must not stop going forward under the leadership of President Aleksandar Vučić Serbia has upheld independence and achieved remarkable progress in socioeconomic development China always respects Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and supports Serbia in upholding national stability and development interests we believe that Serbia has the wisdom and capability to keep its society stable and maintain the sound momentum of development there will be no regular press conference from Tuesday The regular press conference will be resumed on Wednesday questions can be submitted to the Spokesperson’s Office via fax The first Spring Festival as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage is just around the corner people will celebrate the festival with various events We also welcome international tourists to come to China to enjoy the festivities We wish all Chinese and foreign journalists and friends who have followed and supported Chinese diplomacy a happy Spring Festival We wish you all every happiness and auspiciousness in the Year of the Snake We have prepared gift candy for every journalist present today and wish you a sweet and joyful Chinese New Year It will be impossible for Mao Saigo to ever forget how she won her first LPGA Tour title she captured the tournament title in the first five-player playoff in LPGA history For Saigo, a birdie on the par-5 18th hole secured a spot for her in the playoff at The Chevron Championship And then the gathered crowd at The Club at Carlton Woods witnessed this history-making conclusion to The Chevron Championship Duncan slipped out of contention with a bogey That gave Saigo a chance to win it ― and avoid the possibility of a second playoff hole.   The Chiba Prefecture native sealed the win with a 5-foot birdie putt A riveting ― and nerve-wracking ― conclusion for the 23-year-old What was going through Saigo's mind on the playoff hole "I was so laser-focused and nervous and really in the zone," Saigo told reporters "All I could think of was the ball in front of me but I did my best to calm down and I shot it and it went in." Saigo and South Korea's Haeran Ryu were tied for the lead at 9-under Although it was her worst round of the tournament making two big shots ― the back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole Saigo was the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2024 a year in which she had seven top-10 finishes "I was so close but I was not able to make it," Saigo said This year I was able to win and earn an LPGA title and I'm extremely excited about this." Saigo also outlined her ambitious goals as a pro golfer.  and I want to shoot for number one in the world," she said before adding "I will do my best in the remaining four majors." In the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings updated on Monday her victory in Texas propelled her many spots closer to the top 10 It also produced a surreal feeling for Saigo "It was one of my big dreams and goals this year so I still can't believe it." Author: Ed Odeven You must be logged in to post a comment. ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran Seyyed Abbas Araghchi will visit China from December 27 to 28 at the invitation of the Chinese side. Xinhua News Agency: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on its website the decision to take countermeasures against seven US defense corporations and related senior executives. Do you have any further comment? AFP: On Thursday, a spokesman for the US Department of State said that Hong Kong’s announcement of bounties against six democracy activists based overseas was “transnational repression.” Would the Foreign Ministry like to comment on this label? Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs and there is no place for foreign interference. We call on the US to respect China’s sovereignty and Hong Kong’s rule of law and stop emboldening anti-China rioters. PTI: Former Indian Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh has passed away in Delhi yesterday. How do you see his legacy, especially in relation to India-China relations? Mao Ning: Mr. Singh, a senior statesman and renowned economist, will be remembered for his vital contribution to closer China-India ties. As India’s Prime Minister, he oversaw the establishment of China-India strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity and the agreement on the political parameters and guiding principles for the settlement of the boundary question. We mourn for his passing and extend sincere condolences to his family and the government and people of India. PTI: Yesterday, China announced the approval of the world’s largest dam at ecologically sensitive Himalaya region close to Indian LAC. The dam over Yarlung Zangpo River has raised a lot of concerns in the neighborhood, especially the enormity of it—it is supposed to be the largest dam in the world. Has China taken concerns of the riparian states like India and Bangladesh about the likely effects they feel about this particular project?  Reuters: The Russian Ambassador told RIA news agency today that Chinese leader will visit Russia next year. Could we confirm this news? And we would like to know if the plans for Chinese leader’s visit is made and when will that be. Mao Ning: China and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era. Our two sides maintain close interactions at various levels. CCTV: It’s reported that according to a latest public opinion poll recently released by a Malaysian opinion research firm, Malaysians’ favorability towards China has increased significantly. Many of them are positive on China’s development. Seventy-seven percent of respondents express positive sentiments about China. Eighty-four percent believe Malaysia-China relations are improving. What’s China’s comment? Reuters: There was another US State Department statement this morning, and this one is regarding the Chinese sanctions on Canadian institutions. The US called on China to “cease acts of transnational repression in relation to these sanctions on Canadian institutions and individuals over the Xinjiang and Tibet issues.” How does the Foreign Ministry respond to this? Mao Ning: In response to Canada’s sanctions on Chinese personnel citing so-called human rights violations, China has taken countermeasures in accordance with the law. This is completely justified and legitimate. We call on relevant country to face up to its own problems and stop political manipulation in the name of human rights issues. NHK: We have learned that a suspect has been indicted for the knife attack on a Japanese school bus in Suzhou in June this year, and another suspect was indicted for the case that happened in Shenzhen in September. What are the charges? Can you share more details, such as the motives of the suspects? Mao Ning: As I have learned, regarding the case in Suzhou, Chinese procuratorial authorities filed a public prosecution on November 29. For more details of this case, I’d refer you to competent authorities.  On the other case, I have no further information at hand at the moment. Kyodo News: According to media reports, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Japan in February next year and have talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and the two sides are in consultations on the agenda. Can you confirm that? How do you view the current China-Japan relations? Do you have any expectations for Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Japan? Mao Ning: On Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Japan, I have no information to share. Let me say that the just concluded talks between the Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers, both sides agreed to maintain exchanges and cooperation at all levels and through all channels.  China and Japan are close neighbors. Bilateral relations are at a critical juncture of improvement and development. As Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, in accordance with the principles and directions stipulated in the four political documents between China and Japan, the two countries should be cooperative partners rather than threats to each other and jointly advance the sound and steady development of China-Japan relations. AFP: Incoming US President Donald Trump has threatened to take control of the Panama Canal claiming that China is involved in its operations and that there are Chinese soldiers there. Does the Foreign Ministry have comment on Trump’s claims? And does China deny that it is interfering with operations and that it has soldiers at the canal? Mao Ning: I answered relevant question several days ago, which you may refer to. Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino stressed that the Canal has no control, direct or indirect, from any power. China will as always respect Panama’s sovereignty over the Canal and recognize the Canal as a permanently neutral international waterway.  Reuters: Local labor authorities in Brazil said that Chinese workers found at a construction site of a factory owned by car maker BYD were victims of international human trafficking. BYD and contractor Jinjiang Group have agreed to assist and house these workers in hotels until a deal to end their contracts is reached. Does the Ministry have any response to this? Mao Ning: We noted the reports. We are in communication with the Brazilian side and learning what actually happened. Let me say that the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the lawful rights and interests of workers and has all along asked our companies to abide by laws and regulations in their operation. The invitation came with instructions for how to prepare for the party, themed on the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, which classifies everyone as one of 16 four-letter types. Invented after the second World War when it was used by recruiters for office jobs, it had a resurgence in South Korea a few years ago and now it’s inescapable in China. The invitation included a link to the test, telling us to reply with our four-letter type, which would be printed on a badge to be worn during the party. Depending on our type, we had to wear a specific colour, usually purple or green, and the host told anyone who protested that they might as well stay at home. It turned out that he and I have the same personality type and I asked him if he knew anyone else who shared it. “Mao Zedong and Celine Dion. And Satan,” he said. The party started slowly with half of the guests clustered on the floor looking anxious and avoiding eye contact while the others all seemed to know one another. Then a soprano sang two songs by Rachmaninov, making some of the extroverts cry, and the host performed a scene from The Peach Blossom Fan, a late 17th century kunqu opera. After that, the guests in purple posed for one picture and those in green sat for another and the host invited everyone to try on some of his hanfu, traditional Chinese costumes. All the earlier awkwardness was gone and the shyest of the guests were chatting, flirting and exchanging WeChat IDs. One figure remained remote throughout the party, the host’s best friend and college roommate Tao, who was making his first social appearance since becoming a father a few months ago. His wife was at home with their baby daughter and with Tao’s mother, who has been staying with them every other month, alternating with his mother-in-law. A week or so later, the host and I shared a late-night picnic on a bench looking across the water at the Forbidden City. We were alone apart from a few old men fishing for carp and catfish and as we watched them baiting, winding and casting he told me about Tao’s troubled life at home. A native of Shandong province, the birthplace of Confucius, Tao has always been a dutiful son and his parents manage his life closely, telling him which job to take and guiding him up the career ladder. His wife, like the host, is from the northeastern province of Liaoning where they take a more relaxed approach to life and her mother is supportive and uncritical when she comes to stay. “The country is too big and we’re too different from each other. If this was Europe, it would be like Italy and the Netherlands,” the host said. When Tao’s mother is there, she complains relentlessly about his wife’s parenting skills and seldom allows her to leave the flat alone. When Tao comes home from work, often after 10pm, his mother reports on all his wife’s missteps and inadequacies and according to his wife, he often takes his mother’s side. A couple of weeks ago, Tao’s wife escaped for a walk with the host and poured her heart out, telling him she has never been so unhappy and that she feels that her husband no longer loves her. He scarcely speaks to her and whenever she touches him, he flinches and pulls away. When she goes back to work next week after maternity leave, her mother-in-law wants to bring the baby into the office during meal breaks so she can continue to breastfeed her. And Tao’s mother has suggested that she will continue to live with them in their one-bedroom flat until the baby is three years old. The day after the party the host met Tao at the gym and told him that his wife was unhappy and that he should do something about it. Tao said he felt overwhelmed because although they had planned to have a child, the pregnancy was unexpected and he was not ready for the responsibility. He was working late hours to win a promotion that would allow him to buy a bigger flat but he was afraid that he would be so absent that he wasn’t going to be a good father to his daughter. His parents were putting pressure on him to have a second child in the hope that it would be a boy and when his wife complained to him about his mother, he felt like screaming. “I told him it was hard for his wife too and he should just give her a hug,” the host said. “He told me he would. It doesn’t cost anything.” Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC Mao Ning: This is an important sudden incident China has noted the news and is closely following how this might develop I would like to reiterate China’s consistent view that the International Criminal Court should strictly follow the principle of complementarity exercise its functions and powers prudently in accordance with the law and prevent politicization or double standards Beijing Daily: There is a lot of attention on the Report on the Work of the Government which was released during China’s two sessions setting this year’s economic growth target at around 5 percent and outlining the task of expanding high-standard opening up how will China make new contribution to global development Mao Ning: Opening up is where China’s economic vitality comes from and China’s firm commitment to the world This year’s Report on the Work of the Government made it clear that regardless of changes in the external environment China will remain steadfast in its commitment to opening up steadily expand institutional opening up and take the initiative to open wider and advance unilateral opening up in a well-ordered way We will bolster policies for stabilizing foreign trade We will promote innovation-driven development of trade in services such as the China International Import Expo the China International Fair for Trade in Services and the China International Consumer Products Expo We will vigorously encourage foreign investment and other sectors in a well-regulated way and expand trials to open sectors such as telecommunications We will strive for solid progress in pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation We will ensure the stable and smooth operation of China-Europe freight trains accelerate the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and improve the layout of international cooperation in industrial and supply chains We will resolutely safeguard the WTO-centered multilateral trading system broaden converging interests with other countries China will continue to serve as an enabler of global prosperity through its high-quality development and high-standard opening up and provide new key driving force for global economic recovery and development Kyodo News: Chinese Ambassador to Japan told Hong Kong media in an interview during the two sessions that China will participate in this year’s China-Japan-ROK summit to be held in Japan Can you confirm that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Tokyo in March and attend the China-Japan-ROK foreign ministers’ meeting Mao Ning: China attaches importance to China-Japan-ROK cooperation We maintain communication with Japan and the ROK on affairs related to the China-Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting the head of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) wrote on social media that because of the U.S the institute lacks anti-China materials and cannot produce contents attacking China or other organizations to immediately fund relevant anti-China agenda The so-called research institute from Australia that you mentioned has long been funded by the U.S defense and diplomatic agencies and arms dealers It serves the interests of its donors and has propagated a long list of lies against China Its so-called “research findings” lack basic factual grounds and have been proved as disinformation many times which clearly violates the professional ethics of academic research There is no credibility to speak of for this so-called institute What the head of the institute revealed on social media exposes once again its hypocrisy of creating lies and spreading disinformation to vilify China with funding from the U.S It is hoped that people in Australia and the international community will see clearly what kind of institute ASPI really is and join the voices denouncing and resisting its disinformation campaigns AFP: According to the South China Morning Post and Chinese presidents could meet next month in China Mao Ning: I have no information to read out on that Kyodo News: It will have been nearly two years since a Japanese employee of the drugmaker Astellas Pharma was detained on suspicion of espionage This has raised concerns in the Japanese business community According to the 2024 data of balance of payments foreign direct investment (FDI) in China plunged year-on-year and some commentators said that this is because of the impact of the counterespionage law Mao Ning: For the specifics on the case you mentioned I’d like to refer you to the competent authorities let me point out that it’s a universal practice for countries to safeguard national security through domestic legislation All the law enforcement and judicial activities of China are carried out based on facts and in accordance with China’s laws Companies that operate lawfully and people who act in accordance with the law have nothing to worry about Regarding the FDI statistics you mentioned I’m not sure the figure you quoted is accurate or not An official from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange shared information on the subject recently Let me say that China is committed to high-standard opening up and will continue to build a market-oriented law-based and world-class business environment and provide quality services to foreign investors including those from Japan Bloomberg: We have sources telling us that Chinese officials are having difficulty getting guidance from the U.S side on how to stop President Trump from increasing tariffs is bent on using the fentanyl issue as an excuse to impose additional tariffs twice on Chinese imports China has made clear its opposition more than once Our countermeasures are legitimate and necessary in safeguarding our rights and interests If harming China’s interests is what the U.S then the right thing to do is to consult with China on the basis of equality mutual respect and mutual benefit to address each other’s concerns and Ukrainian officials are meeting today in Saudi Arabia for talks Ukraine will propose its own ceasefire deal What is China’s expectation for the meeting Mao Ning: China supports all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis We hope that parties can find a just and lasting solution that is acceptable to all sides China is ready to work with the international community and continue to play a constructive role for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis Reuters: The 14th Dalai Lama has published a new book He says that his successor will be born outside of China He writes that the campaign for the freedom of the Tibetan people would continue no matter what Do you have any comment on his comments in the book Mao Ning: The 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile engaged in separatist activities under the guise of religion He has absolutely no right to represent the people in Xizang flourishing culture and better life for its people This is seen by many in the international community The reincarnation of Living Buddhas is unique to Tibetan Buddhism It follows established religious rituals and historical conventions and religious standing and title which were affirmed by the central government The 14th Dalai Lama himself was found and confirmed in line with this set of rituals and conventions and was approved by the then central government The Chinese government issued Regulations on Religious Affairs and Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas and respects and protects this method of succession The reincarnation of Living Buddhas including the Dalai Lama must comply with Chinese laws and regulations as well as religious rituals and historical conventions and follow the process that consists of search and identification in China AFP: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that China is conducting “dangerous and destabilizing” activity in the South China Sea He said that just after a visit to the Philippines Mao Ning: The South China Sea is one of the safest and freest waterways in the world the UK should respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and refrain from heightening antagonism and sowing discord Winning the tournament meant Saigo had to indulge in the Chevron Championship’s decades-long tradition of jumping into the pond at the Nicklaus Course at The Club at Carlton Woods The attendees at the tournament were unaware of Saigo's inability to swim Her caddie Jeffrey Snow did ask Saigo before the jump if she could swim they didn’t think the pond would be very deep so didn’t worry about it They were surprised when Saigo couldn’t touch the bottom of the pond “I’m not really a good swimmer,” Saigo said through a translator, via Golfweek The Leap of a Champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/K4gXlzerd6 Snow and two trainers Yonguk Shin and Yonghee Lee jumped in after The three women ended up using the men to try to stay above the water At the end of the dock where everyone jumped off of is about five feet deep Don't be surprised if the 2026 Chevron Championship winner is asked if they can swim before jumping in the pond The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER At the invitation of Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar will visit China and the two leaders will co-chair the 12th Meeting of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee on March 18 Xinhua News Agency: According to what we have learned Russia and Iran on the Iranian nuclear issue was held today and a joint statement was issued what impact will this meeting have on the resumption of dialogue and negotiation How does China see the prospect of a political and diplomatic resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue Mao Ning: Deputy foreign ministers of China Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with the heads of delegations to the meeting and put forward China’s five-point proposition on the Iranian nuclear issue The three parties had an in-depth exchange of views on the Iranian nuclear issue and issued a joint statement They reiterated that political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue remains the only viable and practical option and called on relevant parties to abandon sanction pressure and threat of force and refrain from any action that may escalate the situation The three parties reiterated the importance of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) China and Russia welcomed Iran’s reiteration that its nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes and that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons and supported Iran in continuing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and stressed the need to respect Iran’s right to peaceful use of nuclear energy The Iranian nuclear issue is facing a serious situation and once again at a crossroads The Beijing meeting is a useful effort by China Russia and Iran in seeking to advance the political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue pressuring and threat of force lead nowhere whereas dialogue and consultation provides the right way forward We call on parties to step up communication and dialogue and accumulate enabling conditions for talks and negotiations to resume at an early date China stands ready to work with other parties for a just balanced and sustainable resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue uphold the international non-proliferation regime and promote international and regional peace and stability the presidents of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan signed a state border treaty resolving their border issue once and for all Mao Ning: China congratulates Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on the signing of a state border treaty and highly commends the two presidents’ crucial role in seeking the peaceful settlement of the border issue through consultation As both countries’ friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner China stands ready to work with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to continue to advance good-neighborliness and friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation across the board so as to build an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future AFP: Another question on the Iranian nuclear issue Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said today that China Russia and Iran stressed it is necessary to end all illicit unilateral sanctions Mao Ning: China always opposes illicit unilateral sanctions Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu has shared China’s position and we have distributed the joint statement on the Beijing meeting Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministries said in their statements released on Thursday that they had completed negotiations on the draft of a peace agreement which is expected to end nearly four decades of dispute between the two countries Mao Ning: China is glad to see positive progress in the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan Both countries are important nations in Transcaucasia and China’s good friends and good partners China sincerely hopes the two countries can settle differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation China Daily: We noted that the Report on the Work of the Government mentions new concepts such as embodied AI and gazelle companies It says that we need to develop new quality productive forces in light of local conditions and accelerate the development of a modernized industrial system Mao Ning: The new concepts that you mentioned are the very examples of new quality productive forces The new quality productive forces are those driven by technological and industrial innovation “New” is what makes them different from other productive forces and unmanned new energy vehicle all bring out the charm of the new quality productive forces and develops new quality productive forces through technological innovation The new quality productive forces also speed up the transition from old growth drivers into new ones enhance the efficiency of resource allocation promote industrial transformation and upgrade and offer fresh impetus to high-quality development China’s new quality productive forces are also integrated into global industrial Chinese companies have taken advanced manufacturing smart network and other new technologies and products to the global market and galvanizes the green transition and industrial upgrade in relevant countries The new quality productive forces empower China and enrich the world new quality productive forces will be important drivers for growth Bloomberg: The EU’s top diplomat Kallas said that China is laughing at U.S including America’s 200 percent tariff on European wine Mao Ning: We have stressed on multiple occasions that tariff wars and trade wars have no winners but we oppose directing the issue at China and the EU are important economies in the world They have a responsibility to uphold the WTO-centered multilateral trading system rather than deflecting the tension on someone else Bloomberg: Putin has proposed holding talks with Trump on the proposed temporary ceasefire on Ukraine China has all along followed the four points proposed by President Xi Jinping on what must be done the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed the legitimate security concerns of all countries should be taken seriously and all efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis should be supported We hope relevant parties will reach a fair and durable peace deal that is binding and accepted by all the parties concerned through dialogue and negotiation China stands ready to work with the international community and continue to play a constructive role in resolving the crisis and realizing lasting peace a Chinese professor at the Kobe Gakuin University in Japan went missing when visiting his relatives in China The university said today that he returned to Japan in January this year There is speculation that Chinese authorities had detained him for suspected espionage Mao Ning: I’m not familiar with the specifics you mentioned Department of Agriculture says that the China export licenses of hundreds of abattoirs in the U.S It says that China Customs has not responded to requests for these licenses to renew So is China letting these licenses lapse deliberately as part of ongoing trade tension between China and the U.S. Mao Ning: I’m not familiar with the specifics you mentioned and would refer you to competent Chinese authorities We’ve detected that JavaScript is disabled in this browser Please enable JavaScript or switch to a supported browser to continue using x.com You can see a list of supported browsers in our Help Center Help Center Picture by The Yomiuri ShimbunBy Shintaro KanoThey say patience is a virtue Shimada Mao is exercising it pretty darn well “I want to experience as much as possible between now and then. I hope to do well at all the competitions so I can get to the Olympics - and do well there, too. “I was watching sports like volleyball (at Paris 2024) and saw how special of a competition the Olympics is. It made me wonder what it takes to be the best version of yourself on a stage that big.” Picture by The Yomiuri ShimbunHISTORY IN THE MAKING: Shimada Mao is zeroing in on the World Junior Figure Skating Championships' first singles three-peat being held a year from now and which would have been her Olympic debut It was about as good of a year one can have “I know it’s only the Youth Olympics but it was an event I was aiming for all along I was so happy I was able to not only compete there but to win it as well “But there were also some meets I wasn’t really happy with which was frustrating I’m just glad I managed to end the year with a good result “There’s still a lot to be desired with my performance but I managed to produce the right results “The frustrating bit was that I couldn’t reproduce in competitions what I was doing in practice There was a lot of that midway through the season.” she would have been the first junior to triumph since I knew deep down inside I wasn’t ready to win the championship yet,” she said “My focus for this competition was my own performance “Second place is a bit closer to the top compared to last year I think I have a better idea of where I stand now.” Shimada will be as ready as she can be then she took a few things at heart that will go a long way in the next Olympic cycle And I want to be able to win the fight within “The best skater is the one with the strongest heart It doesn’t come down to doing well at competitions or being technically sound “What I’ve come to understand is that without heart you don’t stand a chance when the chips are down This was a season when I learned how important it is to have heart.” HENDERSON, Nev. -- The Las Vegas Raiders re-signed restricted free agent safety Isaiah Pola-Mao on Monday but NFL Network reported that Pola-Mao received a two-year contract worth up to $8.45 million During the 2024 season, Pola-Mao stepped up after safety Marcus Epps suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 against Carolina Pola-Mao, the nephew of Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu, posted career highs in starts (14), total tackles (89) and passes defended (5). In Week 16, Pola-Mao was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after he collected nine tackles and a pair of forced fumbles in a 19-14 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars 3 sacks and 6 passes defended in 44 career games With Pola-Mao locked up, the Raiders turn their attention to free agent safeties Tre'von Moehrig and Epps Moehrig is one of the top free agent safeties in the league and could be in line for a significant payday Welcome to the first regular press conference of the Foreign Ministry in the new year It is my great pleasure to unveil the logo of China’s SCO presidency let me invite you to watch a short video clip The logo combines the SCO logo with unique Chinese features It contains China’s SCO presidency slogan “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move” in Chinese circled by interlocking traditional Chinese decorative patterns resembling cloud thunder and dragon found on bronze ware of China’s pre-Qin period (before 221 BC) to symbolize never-ending hope The earthy and golden colors of the outer circles indicate that the SCO is solidly rooted and enjoys a golden future a combination of determination and dynamism CGTN: You mentioned just now that the slogan of China’s SCO presidency “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move” is integrated into the logo Can you brief us on China’s considerations behind the slogan Mao Ning: China is the initiator of the Shanghai Spirit and a doer in translating the Shanghai Spirit into action By making “action” a key word in the work of China’s presidency we are committed to taking more practical steps and being more proactive in further enhancing SCO cooperation in the political economic and people-to-people and cultural domains building a SCO community with a shared future and opening up new space for win-win development China is advancing its work of SCO presidency at a faster pace China will host a SCO summit featuring friendship as well as more than 40 institutionalized meetings Forum on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development Forum on People-to-People Friendship and the Forum on Friendship Cities and SCO International Investment and Trade Expo as well as flagship events including the SCO Film Festival Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition You are welcome to stay tuned and cover the events China dispatched disaster relief supplies and expressed willingness to offer further relevant support in light of the need of Vanuatu China immediately extended emergency humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu To better support Vanuatu’s disaster relief work a chartered plane sent by the Chinese government carrying emergency disaster relief supplies arrived in Vanuatu’s capital city Port Vila today weighing approximately 35 tonnes and 235 cubic meters in volume Chinese post-disaster assessment engineers have been carrying out intensive work in Vanuatu providing support to the local government and people of Vanuatu in their efforts to respond to the disaster good partners and good brothers that support each other in overcoming difficulties China will continue to do what we can to help with the relief and reconstruction effort in light of the damage and the need of Vanuatu We believe the people of Vanuatu will overcome the difficulties and rebuild their homes soon Kyodo News: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at the end of last year that it is extremely important for the Japanese Prime Minister to visit China President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed to maintain high-level exchanges between the two countries the two countries have had continued high-level interactions in various forms and bilateral relations have kept the momentum of improvement and development China stands ready to work with Japan to continue the dialogue and communication at various levels and in various fields to enhance political mutual trust and make joint effort to comprehensively advance the strategic relationship of mutual benefit and build a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship fit for the new era confronted by a complex and volatile international environment the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) focused on development and demonstrated its unique advantage and great strength Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that Hong Kong has emerged from the COVID pandemic and regained economic vitality Hong Kong’s business environment has continued to improve and the driving force for economic growth is getting stronger with the support of the central government the HKSAR government forged ahead with a keen sense of responsibility and a pragmatic attitude strengthened exchanges and cooperation with the outside world and continued to consolidate the sound momentum of stability and development Hong Kong was ranked as the world’s freest economy and rose to the third place globally in Global Financial Centres Index and the total assets under management in Hong Kong topped US$4 trillion Hong Kong welcomed 44 million tourist arrivals in 2024 The city also attracted around 170,000 talents through its talent admission schemes the total number of companies from China’s mainland and overseas based in Hong Kong was nearly 10,000 and the number of startups was close to 4,700 We have full confidence in a better future for Hong Kong We welcome businesses from across the world to operate in Hong Kong and share the dividends of Hong Kong’s development and One Country a man drove a car into a crowd of people in New Orleans yesterday are any Chinese nationals among the victims Mao Ning: We are shocked at the violent attack We express condolences over the lives lost and sympathies to the families of the victims and the injured China opposes all violent terrorist acts targeting civilians Based on the information gathered by the Chinese Embassy in the US no Chinese deaths or injuries have so far been reported Mao Saigo's Chevron celebration took an unexpected turn in the pond off the 18th green The most anxious moment of Mao Saigo’s Chevron Championship-winning Sunday came long after she survived a five-person playoff to claim her first major championship The 23-year-old Saigo made the lone birdie in the playoff to defeat Ariya Jutanugarn, Ruoning Yin, Hyo Joo Kim and Lindy Duncan to secure the title at The Club at Carlton Woods After prevailing in what was the largest playoff in LPGA major championship history Saigo jumped into the pond on the 18th hole in celebration “I’m not really a good swimmer,” Saigo told reporters after her win “When I went inside it was deep and at first I thought I was going to drown.” The Leap of a Champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/K4gXlzerd6 Saigo didn’t want to go into the pond by herself and trainers Yonguk Shin and Yonghee Lee leaped into the pond next Snow told Golfweek‘s Beth Ann Nichols that he thinks Saigo panicked when her feet couldn’t touch the bottom of the pond all three women started grabbing onto the men for assistance as they tried to get back to the dock I got pulled under again,” Snow told Beth Ann Nichols “They were trying to grab someone.” The 72nd hole at the 2025 Chevron Championship was filled with drama and tragedy Jutanugarn arrived at the final hole likely needing a par to win the tournament She pushed her tee shot to the right of a tree and then elected to take the pond out of play by hitting her approach onto the green and letting it bound off the grandstand that sits just behind the green That decision appeared to leave Jutanugarn with what looked like a manageable up-and-down for birdie to lock up the win But Jutanugarn barely touched the ball on her attempted chip Jutanugarn chipped onto the green and two-putted for bogey to fall back into a tie with Kim and Yin at seven under Scenes on the 72nd hole. Ariya Jutanugarn struggles on her final hole and finishes with bogey to join the clubhouse leaders at 7-under.Watch now on NBC. pic.twitter.com/AxJfabIyxl Saigo and Duncan then arrived at the 18th and both made birdie to get into the playoff Yin held the advantage after hitting a brilliant second shot that just barely carried the dock and held the green to give her a good look for eagle Kim and Jutanugarn were greenside in two while Duncan laid up Ronni is NOT messing around 🚫She gives herself an eagle look on the first playoff hole pic.twitter.com/rW0DLp8mx9 It looked like multiple players would have a good chance to make birdie Yim hammered her eagle putt past the hole and missed the comeback birdie attempt to get in with par Jutanugarn’s birdie attempt horsehoed around the hole and lipped out Duncan didn’t have a great look at birdie the 2024 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year winner with a three-footer for birdie and the championship The first major of the year goes to Mao Saigo ☝️ pic.twitter.com/WVYcNL4hE1 Saigo calmly rolled in the putt and let out an exhale having just carded the biggest win of her young career All that was left was to take the plunge into the pond wade back to the dock and start her life as a major champion now sets her sights on bigger goals than taming the pond at The Club at Carlton Woods “I still have four more majors to go “I will do my best in the remaining four majors.” Josh Schrock is a writer and reporter for Golf.com Josh was the Chicago Bears insider for NBC Sports Chicago He previously covered the 49ers and Warriors for NBC Sports Bay Area Josh spends his free time hiking with his wife and dog thinking of how the Ducks will break his heart again and trying to become semi-proficient at chipping Josh will never stop trying to break 90 and never lose faith that Rory McIlroy’s major drought will end (updated: he did it) the Foreign Ministry released on its website an agreement between China and Japan on the ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from Fukushima disregarding the serious doubts and strong opposition from the international community unilaterally started the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the ocean China is opposed to this irresponsible move In line with the understanding reached by the leaders of the two countries that the issue should be addressed through consultation and negotiation China has held over 10 rounds of intensive negotiations and consultations with Japan and the relevant international organization The relentless efforts have led to the agreement released today China is firmly opposed to Japan’s unilateral move of starting the discharge The purpose of releasing the agreement with Japan is to urge Japan to earnestly fulfill its obligations under international law and its responsibility for safety oversight to do its utmost to avoid leaving negative impact on the environment and human health and to effectively prevent the potential risk that may arise from the discharge will work with China to closely monitor Japan’s fulfillment of its commitments due to the limitations of the existing international mechanism the current evaluation and monitoring of the discharge is incomplete and lacks transparency and credibility and needs to be further improved and strengthened It is especially important to establish a long-term international monitoring arrangement covering key stages of the discharge and ensure that China and all other stakeholders can participate substantively in the arrangement and carry out independent sampling and monitoring This is the only way to obtain comprehensive genuine and valid data and place the risks of the discharge under control China and Japan have reached agreement in this regard there will be discussions on technical details such as the types of radionuclides to be monitored and testing methods effective and credible long-term international monitoring how to handle the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water properly is a political and The China-Japan bilateral agreement has laid the foundation for the international community to handle nuclear-contaminated water in a science-based This is an initial achievement made by the international community China will work with the international community to continue to act with a great sense of responsibility for global marine ecosystems and environment and for human health engage in science-based dialogue with Japan and urge Japan to address concerns over the discharge properly the import suspension on all aquatic products (including edible aquatic animals) of Japanese origin is a temporary emergency precaution taken in accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations and WTO rules It is aimed at preventing risks and protecting people’s health The measure is based on rules and regulations It is an example of the Chinese government’s sense of responsibility for its people Reaching the agreement does not mean that China will immediately resume imports of all Japanese aquatic products China will continue to act in accordance with WTO rules and Chinese laws and regulations We will begin to adjust the relevant measures based on scientific evidence after participating substantively in the relevant monitoring activities We will hold technical consultations with Japan and gradually resume imports of Japanese aquatic products that meet the regulation requirements and standards The consultation results and policy adjustments will be made public in a timely way President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the General Debate of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly the GDI has been widely welcomed by the international community and has benefited the world At the recently held 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation noting that it would provide impetus for development for the Global South Can you share more about the implementation of the GDI and plan for the future the Global Development Initiative (GDI) has attracted an increasing number of partners and made remarkable achievements Over 100 countries and some international organizations have given support to or taken part in the initiative More than 80 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI China has set up a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund The Global Development Promotion Center Network is bringing more members on board but its opportunities and benefits are shared by the world On the path toward development and prosperity no country or individual should be left behind During the upcoming General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the “GDI Support for the Global South—We Are in Action” event to explore development cooperation with various parties and draw support for development and prosperity of the Global South We will deepen cooperation on the GDI with various parties continue to share development opportunities of Chinese modernization and accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Bloomberg: A question on the Fukushima agreement with Japan does this mean you will be joining the monitoring effort that Japan and the IAEA have already had in place Or will this be a completely new monitoring effort that will be implemented from now you mentioned the international community can also join in the monitoring efforts Are there any other countries that are gonna participate in the monitoring going forward Or is it just gonna be Japan and China and the IAEA the IAEA more than once said they support enhancing monitoring of the release of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water and support China and Japan in holding consultation and reaching an agreement We maintain necessary communication with the IAEA China believes that the long-term international monitoring over the ocean discharge needs to be open and transparent When holding consultation with China on the agreement Japan has shown an open attitude to the participation of other countries Based on the agreement between China and Japan China and all other stakeholders will ensure the impartiality and effectiveness of the long-term international monitoring by participating in the formulation of sampling and monitoring plans carrying out independent sampling of the nuclear-contaminated water and other means Beijing Daily: This year marks the 19th anniversary of the Joint Statement of the Fourth Round of the Six-Party Talks The situation on the Korean Peninsula has changed much over the past 19 years How does China view the current situation and do you have any suggestions to relevant parties of the Korean Peninsula affairs Mao Ning: The Joint Statement of the Fourth Round of the Six-Party Talks is the result of concerted effort of relevant parties It has played an important role in stabilizing the situation and easing tensions Upholding peace and stability on the Peninsula and promoting the political settlement of the Peninsula issue serves the common interests of all parties and meets the extensive aspiration of the international community Amid ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula we hope relevant parties will head toward the same direction keep to the major objective of political settlement and play a constructive role in realizing sustained security on the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asia region Bloomberg: On the murder in Shenzhen on Wednesday the Vice Foreign Minister had a call with the Japanese Ambassador yesterday in which he told the Japanese Ambassador that the incident was an individual incident committed by someone who has a criminal record The Japanese government then released a statement to that effect that doesn’t speak to the motive of the person who committed this act And according to the email I received this morning from the Japanese Embassy they continue to ask or strongly request that the Chinese side release the details of the incident indicating that so far China has not told the Japanese anything to do with the motives or the motivations of the person who committed this act Can you tell us anything now about the motives of the murderer in this case considering he’s now been in custody for more than two days Mao Ning: There is ongoing communication between China and Japan on this incident Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong shared relevant information with Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi in their phone call I noted that Shenzhen authorities also provided much information competent Chinese authorities are investigating and handling the case If you hope to know more about the progress I’d refer you to competent Chinese authorities Nikkei: I want to ask about the incident of Japanese mother and child and a Chinese woman being attacked in Suzhou in June Yesterday the spokesperson said the case is still under investigation Japanese nationals living in China are closely following the two cases in Shenzhen and Suzhou Will China make public the motive and background of the perpetrators and details of the cases after the investigation is concluded competent Chinese authorities are investigating and handling the cases and will proceed to the following judicial procedure in due course I have no information at the moment about the progress and other details you are interested in NHK: The release of the agreement between China and Japan was timed just after the incident in which a Japanese boy in Shenzhen was attacked Is there any connection between the two matters Mao Ning: The content of the agreement and the release time were decided by China and Japan after intensive consultation On the individual case of the attack of the boy in Shenzhen we’ve made clear China’s position over the past days There is no connection between the two matters Bloomberg: I contacted the Shenzhen public security authorities yesterday to ask about the motives but they refused to give me any answer to that question Yesterday Sun Weidong spoke to the Japanese Ambassador and released details of the case including the fact that the perpetrator has a criminal record So clearly when speaking to the Japanese government the competent authorities are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs And yet now when I asked a question about it you told me to speak to the competent authorities So I repeat my question because obviously the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the competent or the relevant authorities And why were you not releasing any information to us Mao Ning: This case is under investigation and being handled by the public security authorities This means the process is still ongoing and there has been no conclusion at the moment The foreign affairs authorities of China and Japan maintain communication competent authorities can provide more authoritative information Kyodo News: Shenzhen media reported today that the incident related to the Shenzhen Japanese School is an isolated and individual case Mao Ning: I noted the media reports and the information released by the authorities of Shenzhen I believe there must be basis for what they said NHK: Following up on the incident in Shenzhen What the Japanese side wants to know most is whether the criminal specifically targeted Japanese people Mao Ning: I understand the concerns of the Japanese side and the Japanese people in China over this issue But let me explain that the suspect has been put under criminal detention by public security authorities thorough investigation is needed to pin it down I have no relevant information at the moment Bloomberg: I don’t understand how you can say that this is an individual case when you don’t have information on the motive You say you don’t know the motive but then tell us that this is an individual case Can you explain how those two things can be true at the same time Mao Ning: Aside from the motive of the suspect many other factors are involved to assess whether a case is an individual one we have to wait for the results of the investigation AFP: China said today that it will gradually resume imports of Japanese aquatic products It’s reported that Russia will continue the ban on the import of Japanese aquatic products Mao Ning: I think the Russian side is in a better position to answer this question Japanese golfer Mao Saigo captured her first career title on the U.S winning the Chevron Championship major in a five-way playoff The 23-year-old won with a birdie on the first extra hole at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands Saigo became the fifth LPGA major champion from Japan and first since Ayaka Furue won the Amundi Evian Championship last July The other winners are Hisako "Chako" Higuchi at the 1977 LPGA Championship Hinako Shibuno at the 2019 Women's British Open and Yuka Saso at the U.S Hideki Matsuyama won the Masters Tournament in 2021 Saigo birdied the final hole of regulation to join South Korea's Kim Hyo Joo Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn and Lindy Duncan of the United States at 7 under for the tournament a six-time winner on the top-tier Japanese tour won the LPGA Rookie of the Year award in 2024 after securing seven top-10 finishes "I've always dreamed of winning (on the U.S who earned a winner's prize of $1.2 million 18 (in regulation) gave me confidence for the playoff having been unable to win tournaments I wanted to win but now I'm so happy to get my first win at a major." Saigo began the day tied for the lead with South Korea's Ryu Hae Ran and struggled for most of the final round The Chiba Prefecture native bogeyed the 10th 11th and 15th holes on her way to a 2-over 74 Ryu and South Korean compatriot Ko Jin Young shared sixth place with Sarah Schmelzel of the United States Furue and her countrywomen Chisato Iwai and Miyu Yamashita tied for 30th at 2 over for the tournament Football: Kaoru Mitoma nets equalizer in Brighton's 3-2 win over West Ham Baseball: Ohtani back in groove, Sasaki solid as Dodgers beat Pirates Snowboarding: Rivalry, training refinements elevate big air in Japan To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible jumps into the water after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday prepares to dive into the water off the 18th green after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday holds the trophy after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday swims in the water after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday celebrates her birdie putt on the 18th green during a playoff of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday celebrates winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday celebrates her win during a playoff round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday hits from the fourth tee during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday looks at her ball on the 18th green during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday embraces a caddie on the 18th green during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday Lindy Duncan celebrates her putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday hits from the second tee during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday putts on the third green during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday celebrates on the 18th green during the final round the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday Lexi Thompson hits from the nineth tee during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday Lexi Thompson walks off the third green during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday Nelly Korda stands on the third tee during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday Texas (AP) — Mao Saigo was shaking with nervousness before her birdie putt on the first hole of a five-way playoff Sunday in the Chevron Championship “I did my best to calm down and I shot and it went in,” she said in Japanese through a translator “The front nine was very solid especially with the eagle but back nine just couple mistakes on par 5 that I made; two bogeys,” she said She was the tour’s rookie of the year last season She’s the first Japanese winner in the event and the fifth major champion The victory comes after runner-up finishes at the CPKC Women’s Open and Buick LPGA Shanghai last year “Last year it was a very intense competition,” she said “I was so close but I was not able to make it This year I was able to win and earn the LPGA title and I’m extremely excited about this.” “And I feel like I have some things to learn about how to handle my swing and things like that It’s the second time in three years that the tournament ended in a playoff after American Lilia Vu birdied the first extra hole to win in 2023 The experience ended up being a bit harrowing for Saigo who said she isn’t a very good swimmer “When I went inside it was deep and at first I thought I was going to drown,” she said Saigo entered the day tied with Haeran Ryu at 9 under Top-ranked Nelly Korda shot 70 to tie for 14th at 2 under It’s not going to help me with my future.” dismissive of pesky ideas about civil liberties and free speech and supported by a cadre of yes-men who rally around bright-red imagery As the New York Times reports Chinese people inside and outside the communist country are comparing the beginning of Donald Trump's second administration to the so-called Cultural Revolution the decade-long period of unrest that ushered longtime chairman of the Chinese Communist Party Mao Zedong into power nearly 60 years ago we know that dictatorship is not just a system — it is wrote in a since-deleted X post cited by the newspaper "We also know that the Cultural Revolution was about dismantling institutions to expand control." Zhang Wenmin, another Chinese reporter, now lives in exile in the US after being forced to flee China in 2023 amid a years-long crackdown on investigative journalism her pen name — said she feels like she got "out of the frying pan and into the fire." "I’m overwhelmed with a sense of familiarity," the journalist said Though the two countries have major differences — China is under the single-party rule of the Chinese Communist Party while the US still has a two-party system and remains democratic at least for now — the similarities have become so jarring that one detractor jokingly suggested that Trump is outdoing the country's current leader "But the US Embassy in China really does praise President Trump every day and in every article." was a joking comparison to Mao made in response to the unveiling of the US president's hats that read "Trump was right about everything." "Mao Zedong of America has been born!" the account, which has fewer than 600 followers, tweeted "Long live the great leader Chairman Trump — long live More on Trump: Trump Cuts Elon's Power as Disaster Deepens Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service Portugal’s Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel will visit China from March 24 to 28 the two foreign ministers will hold the second China-Portugal strategic dialogue at the foreign ministers’ level CCTV: To follow up on Portugal’s Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel’s visit to China how does China view its current relations with Portugal Mao Ning: China and Portugal enjoy long-standing friendship Friendly cooperation has been the underlying feature of bilateral relations under the strategic guidance of the two presidents and with our joint effort China-Portugal political mutual trust has been consolidated practical cooperation in various fields has produced fruitful outcomes and our businesses have worked for mutual benefits setting an example of openness and win-win Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel will be the first European foreign minister to visit China after the two sessions Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel will chair the second China-Portugal strategic dialogue at the foreign ministers’ level This will be the first face-to-face China-Portugal strategic dialogue at the foreign ministers’ level which is conducive to stepping up communication and coordination and implementing the important understandings between the two leaders This year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership China stands ready to work with Portugal to deepen strategic mutual trust conduct high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and promote the sound and steady development of China-Portugal and China-EU relations The New York Times: Do you expect the visit of Senator Daines from the U.S to begin to lay the groundwork for a summit between the presidents of the United States and China Mao Ning: We welcome Senator Steve Daines’s visit to China We also welcome Americans from all walks of life sound and sustainable development of China-U.S relations serves the common interests of the two peoples and meets the expectation of the international community News 1 Korea: The ROK plans to offer visa exemption to group tourists from China in the third quarter of this year Mao Ning: China and the ROK are each other’s neighbor Enhancing cultural and people-to-people exchanges serves both sides’ interests We know he’s a strong supporter of President Donald Trump Will he meet the Chinese leader or another senior Chinese official during his visit Mao Ning: I have nothing to share on that at the moment Reuters: Just a follow-up to the question on Senator Daines Bloomberg: Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Japan from today for the bilateral high-level economic dialogue and also the trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting with Japan and South Korea What is your expectation for both of those meetings Mao Ning: Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to Japan today to attend the 11th China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and co-chair with the Japanese side the Sixth China-Japan High-Level Economic Dialogue Japan and the ROK are close neighbors that will always live with each other and important economies in the region and the world Since the Ninth China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Summit Meeting in May last year practical cooperation among the three countries in various fields has been advanced steadily and made positive progress The three parties will exchange views at the Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on China-Japan-ROK cooperation and regional and international issues of mutual interest China stands ready to work with Japan and the ROK to follow through on the leaders’ common understandings advance cooperation in areas of cultural and people-to-people exchange sustainable development and climate change sci-tech cooperation and digital transition deliver more benefit of the trilateral cooperation to the peoples of the three countries stability and prosperity in the region and the wider world The China-Japan relationship is showing a momentum of improvement and development We hope that Japan can work with China in the same direction and follow the guidance of the important common understandings between leaders of the two countries as well as the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan to comprehensively advance the China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit and build a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship fit for the new era Beijing Youth Daily: It’s reported that a freight train loaded with export goods bound for Tashkent marking the official launch of the first Beijing-Central Asia freight train service This is another achievement in the connectivity between China and its neighboring countries much progress has been made in China’s connectivity with its neighboring countries New train service was launched from China to Central Asia the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project ran into operation and the land-sea corridor train service has run over 10,000 trips in the whole year we have signed Belt and Road cooperation agreements with 25 neighboring countries and remained the largest trading partner of 18 countries China’s prosperity could not be possible without Asia and Asia’s development cannot be possible without China We will continue to follow the principle of amity mutual benefit and inclusiveness on neighborhood diplomacy stick to the goal of building a community with a shared future and share opportunities with our neighbors for common development Treasury Secretary yesterday announced that there was sanction on a Chinese oil refinery in Shandong province and also an oil terminal in Guangdong province for taking Iranian oil Does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have any comment on this Mao Ning: It is China’s consistent position to oppose the U.S abuse of illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction needs to stop disrupting the normal business cooperation between China and Iran China will take all measures necessary to firmly safeguard the lawful rights and interests of our companies Taiwan’s “Legislative Yuan” appointed Iwasaki Shigeru the former chief of the Joint Staff of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces Mao Ning: Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair that brooks no external interference The one-China principle is the political foundation of China-Japan relations This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War Japan bears historical responsibilities to the Chinese people over the Taiwan question and should act with extra prudence and honor its promise of adhering to the one-China principle with concrete actions We’ve lodged protests with the Japanese side The DPP authorities’ separatist provocations with foreign support are doomed to fail Bloomberg: Russian media report that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Russia early April in preparation for a visit by President Xi Jinping Can you confirm Wang Yi’s visit and do you have anything further on that Mao Ning: I have nothing to read out on that The New York Times: Senator Daines has expressed a desire to discuss fentanyl and the bilateral trading balance with Chinese officials while he is here Does China plan to engage with Senator Daines on these two issues during his visit Mao Ning: China all along believes that the two sides should solve each other’s concerns through dialogue and consultation on the basis of equality and mutual respect The New York Times: American newspapers have reported that Elon Musk was scheduled to be granted a briefing on American military’s contingency plans in case of a conflict with China although President Trump has said the briefing now will not occur Mao Ning: I’m not familiar with what you said reacts to her putt on the nineth green during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday hits from the second tee during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday chips to the eighth green during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday hits from the second fairway during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday speaks on the 17th green during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday lines up a putt on the eighth hole during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday reacts to her putt on the second green during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday reacts to her play on the 17th green during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday reacts to her shot on the nineth green during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday Lindy Duncan hits from the second tee during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday Sarah Schmelzel walks off the nineth green during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday Lexi Thompson hits from the second tee during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday Lexi Thompson walks off the 17th green during the third round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Saturday Texas (AP) — Haeran Ryu capped a front-nine run in the Chevron Championship with a chip-in birdie on the ninth hole then held on in tricky wind conditions Saturday for a share of the third-round lead with Mao Saigo sunny day at The Club at Carlton Woods in the first women’s major tournament of the year Ryu parred the final nine holes for a 4-under 68 Saigo followed with 69 to match Ryu at 9-under 207 “The back nine was so challenging for me because the wind started a little more stronger and the pin positions were so tough,” Ryu said “And my putter — almost in the hole but always go next to the hole and then make some easy pars Ryu opened with a 65 on Thursday for share of the lead with Yan Liu The 24-year-old South Korean player has two LPGA Tour victories The 23-year-old Japanese player was the tour’s rookie of the year last season Saigo parred the last five holes after chipping in for birdie on the par-5 13th to get to 9 under “The course condition was pretty hard here today so it was pretty difficult to make birdies “Two of them were chip-in birdies from outside Fellow American Sarah Schmelzel had a 71 to join Liu (72) at 7 under “This is the biggest stage for us,” said Duncan seeking her first LPGA Tour victory at age 34 just got to go out there and just play your game.” the Chinese player who took a one-shot edge into the weekend dropped out of a three-way tie for the lead with a double bogey on the par-3 17th Playing into the wind on the 144-yard hole then left her second in an awkward position in thick rough above the bunker Lexi Thompson topped the group at 6 under after a 70 The 30-year-old Florida player retired from full-time play at the end of last season She won the 2014 event — then the Kraft Nabisco Championship — at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage “I’m looking forward to tomorrow and seeing what I can bring,” Thompson said Top-ranked Nelly Korda was tied for 31st at even par in her title defense She had consecutive double bogeys on her second nine in a 71 she won last year for the last of her record-tying five straight victories An app called Xiaohongshu in particular has attracted a huge wave of "TikTok refugees." but literally translates to "Little Red Book" — a historically laden phrase in China where that was the title of a book of quotations by People's Republic China founder and longtime leader Mao Zedong founded by now-retired Republican politician Mitt Romney the app might sound like a nationalist paean to China's Communist Party and its founder — but the official story is that it's the exact opposite: a tribute to icons of American capitalism and the explosive growth of Silicon Valley platforms RedNote sounds more Pinterest than Truth Social and being merry," University of Cyberjaya The whole thing is ironic given the TikTok ban was born out of widespread anti-Chinese sentiment with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agreeing that the app's owner ByteDance could easily spread propaganda in the US and potentially access sensitive data — but driving users straight toward other Chinese apps instead which almost certainly has stronger ties to China's communist regime than TikTok's whose global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore How that influx will play out is anyone's guess Chinese internet censorship rules apply on RedNote with likely tight controls over what kind of content is allowed on the platform "It won’t be like Facebook and Instagram," Yin told WaPo "There are lots of topics that are banned on the platform even things like health care and finance." According to a leaked database by California-based news site China Digital Times, a whopping 546 nicknames for Chinese leader Xi Jinping including "Foreskin Xi," "Xissolini," and "The Devil Mao Incarnate," are banned from the app many of TikTok's longtime American users are frustrated with their government joining alternatives like RedNote out of spite They're also largely unafraid of overstepping boundaries or getting caught up in China's censorship machine "I don't have anything that China doesn't, and if they want my data that bad they can have it," 37-year-old Utah native Sarah Fotheringham told the BBC via a RedNote message "I'm just a simple person living a simple life." Whether RedNote will catch on and become a viable TikTok alternative in the US remains to be seen much of the rest of the world will continue to have unfettered access to the video-sharing app Many questions remain unanswered: will RedNote be held to the same anti-Chinese standards as TikTok? Could TikTok really be sold to X owner Elon Musk, as Bloomberg's sources suggested earlier this week For now, a fascinating cultural exchange is taking place, with "TikTok refugees" learning about life in the world's second most populous nation and even getting taught some basic Mandarin by the app's native users "I am now able to see things I never would have seen," Fotheringham told the BBC More on the app: TikTok Users Looking to Spite US Government Find Warm Welcome on Chinese App Seventy-five years after Mao Zedong founded the People's Republic of China, his legacy is still being felt in the form of mass political campaigns and witch-hunts that keep the people divided while shoring up Communist Party rule The evaluation of China's recent past isn't just about history, they said. It is closely bound up with the current political line in Beijing -- to criticize Mao, albeit slightly, is to indicate a move away from his policies, while to echo him, as current leader Xi Jinping has done repeatedly in recent years a 78-year-old former professor at Beijing's Renmin University of China remembers no less than 56 political campaigns while he was in high school editorial in the People's Daily calling on people to "sweep away all cow demons and snake spirits," a reference vague enough to encompass all manner of political "enemies." "Mao Zedong's biggest harm lay in his criticisms of Chinese culture," Zhou told RFA Mandarin "He sent 20 million school-age youngsters to the countryside and I was in the first batch -- I went to Heilongjiang in 1968 where I was a farmer for 10 years," he said But the upheavals didn't end with the death of Mao in 1976, where many historians typically place the end of the Cultural Revolution, Zhou said, adding that the party is still living out the Great Helmsman's legacy by using his political campaigns as a tool to remain in power "The fact that Mao's portrait still hangs in Tiananmen Square today proves that the Cultural Revolution isn't over yet," he said In fact, the campaigns were already coming thick and fast from the start of the "New China," with the land reforms of 1949 targeting landlords and rich farmers They were followed in short order by the movement to suppress "counterrevolutionaries," the “Three Antis” and “Five Antis” movements targeting wealthy urban capitalists and former members of the defeated Kuomintang Mao was targeting political opponents within party ranks who weren't traditional "enemies of the people," launching the Anti-Rightist Campaign that mopped up anyone to the right of Mao including intellectuals who still held out for a better form of representative democracy or just people he viewed as a political threat during which a former aide to future ousted premier Zhao Ziyang estimated the number of deaths at 43-46 million political upheaval and social unrest was becoming a way of life It seemed that the turmoil played into Mao's hands because he kept instigating more internecine "struggles" in the guise of the Cultural Revolution "I started primary school during the early days of the Cultural Revolution at the age of 6," poet He Sanpo told Radio Free Asia "The first page of our Chinese class textbook had the phrase 'Long Live Chairman Mao!' printed on it while the second was 'Long live the Chinese Communist Party!' and the third had 'Long Live the People's Republic of China!'" "There was a huge portrait of Mao Zedong hung high on the walls of the school looking down on us all of the time," he said as children were marched off to the town square to take part in "struggle sessions,” where police soldiers and commune leaders would sit with stern expressions announcing the list of "crimes" committed by those being targeted as "landlords," "rich peasants," "counterrevolutionaries," "bad elements" and "rightists," He recalled "The sound of the loudspeakers vibrated through the ground and the people being struggled against were tied up and stood looking dejected in the scorching sun "Next to these members of the 'five black categories' stood militiamen with rifles poised to leap in and punch and kick them at any time." He said such scenes likely impacted an entire generation of kids who were also roped into revolutionary theater and propaganda shows that toured local towns and villages "I believe that the generation that went through the Cultural Revolution was left with deep-rooted psychological trauma," he said "The whole country was a madhouse -- all of the adults were out of their minds and all manner of absurd dramas were repeated a former executive director of the Legal Advisory Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region government said many adults were destroyed by the turmoil too "Mao destroyed China's intellectual elite and the foundations of the Chinese economy," Du said "Anyone who still had illusions about the Chinese Communist Party lost them," he said While estimates from overseas historians are more conservative revolutionary leader Ye Jianying once estimated that around 100 million people were persecuted 20 million died and 800 billion yuan was wasted during the Cultural Revolution alone the former persecuted "rightist" and economic reformer Deng Xiaoping couldn't put an end to Mao's political legacy entirely While Deng appeared to take China further to the right he never fully relinquished the party's control over society as became painfully clear when he ordered the Tiananmen massacre in 1989 "My teacher once said that with Deng Xiaoping the abused became the perpetrator," he said "Now it's happening again with Xi Jinping." Hong Kong-based journalist Ching Cheong thinks Xi has continued Mao's legacy largely through an ongoing process of "brainwashing" throughout a child's education raising the next generation to think like patriots and nationalists bullying others into accepting their point of view "For the past 75 years since seizing power the Chinese Communist Party has deployed large-scale and high-pressure brainwashing operations on its people," Ching wrote in a commentary for RFA Cantonese marking the 75th anniversary of the People's Republic of China "The powerful people created by this process are decivilized." Ching identified two stages of the brainwashing process: purging and indoctrination "What does it clear out and what does it instill It removes the moral bottom line of human society the ability of ordinary people to think for themselves "Then it instills the Communist Party’s philosophy of struggle a narrow nationalism and distorts their view of who is a friend and who an enemy." That process then makes people willing to accept the framing -- however nonsensical -- of the next political campaign from the "rightists" of the 1950s to the "counterrevolutionaries" of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement to the "tigers and flies" of Xi Jinping's anti-corruption movement whose grandparents lived through the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution grew up in the economic boom-years that followed Deng's ascendancy part of a generation that avoided anything political like the plague "This kind of avoidance doesn't work because true civilization is based on a widespread concern for the political life of the nation," she said "Politics can protect people's interests from being eroded but it can also quickly and totally destroy people's lives." China-Arab TV: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government has come to an end and a new government is about to set up What is China’s comment on the current situation in Syria Will China establish contact with the new government Mao Ning: China is closely following the situation in Syria and hopes that relevant parties will bear in mind the fundamental interest of the Syrian people and find as soon as possible a political settlement that will restore stability in Syria Anadolu Agency: I think it seems President Bashar al-Assad’s family’s rule in Syria alongside Baath Party’s 61-year-old rule has ended after a 13-year civil war in which tens of thousands of Syrians were killed and millions of them were displaced What does China think about recent developments in Syria and how do you see the future of the country Mao Ning: The future of Syria should be decided by the Syrian people We hope relevant parties will find a political settlement to restore stability and order in Syria for the long-term and fundamental interest of the Syrian people Premier Li Qiang held the “1+10” Dialogue with heads of major international economic organizations today Could you share more information with us on that Premier of the State Council Li Qiang held the “1+10” Dialogue with heads of major international economic organizations and they had an in-depth exchange of views under the theme of “Building Consensus on Development to Promote Global Common Prosperity.” Over the years Chinese leaders have held the dialogue with heads of major international economic organizations on a regular basis which has played a positive role in strengthening communication and exchanges jointly promoting world economic growth and improving global economic governance In a world struggling to find drivers for growth economic globalization and multilateralism now face challenges and uncertainties are rising President Xi Jinping pointed out that countries should make global development more inclusive and more resilient and build a just world of common development China is a staunch champion of economic globalization and multilateralism and remains committed to promoting global economic recovery and fostering new drivers of growth While sharing development dividends with and providing stable quality products to the rest of the world China has become a big market for the world and a big opportunity for global development The underlying logic for a stronger Chinese economy remains unchanged and its guiding principle of benefiting the world also remains unchanged China will continue to provide more certainty and predictability for the world economy AFP: Taiwan’s ministry of defense said today it detected Chinese warships and coast guard vessels in waters surrounding Taiwan and said that the People’s Liberation Army has restricted the airspace off the Chinese coast Is China conducting military drills around Taiwan there is no such thing as “Taiwan’s ministry of defense.” Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory The Taiwan question is China’s internal affair China will firmly defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity China-Arab TV: It’s said that Israel during the unrest in Syria seized the Golan Heights and launched airstrike against facilities in Damascus Mao Ning: China is closely following the situation in Syria The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria should be respected Anadolu Agency: China was one of the friendly countries with the Syrian regime under Bashar al-Assad And why do you think this quick fall of the regime happened Why do you think the situation unraveled like that Mao Ning: China’s friendly relations with Syria are for all Syrian people We hope stability will return as soon as possible has China been in contact with Bashar al-Assad Mao Ning: We are closely following the situation in Syria and hope that stability will return as soon as possible and relevant parties will find a political settlement that will restore stability and order in Syria AFP: Regarding South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol who last week declared and reversed martial law spurring huge protests in the streets of Seoul leaving the political future of South Korea unclear How will the unrest in South Korea affect relations between China and South Korea Mao Ning: I’ll not comment on the ROK’s internal affairs Anadolu Agency: There were political commentators who said the Syrian regime fell because they lost the support of Russia and Iran Mao Ning: I just shared China’s position on the situation in Syria