Several national leaders of African countries have arrived in Beijing to attend the upcoming 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which will be held in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, as analysts from both China and Africa said the event will inject much needed new impetus into global economic recovery and set an example for South-South cooperation.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, from Saturday night to Sunday, leaders including Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani, and Mali's transitional president Assimi Goita, have already arrived in Beijing to attend FOCAC. Experts said the 2024 Summit of the FOCAC will be a major diplomatic event that will not only gather Chinese and African leaders and representatives of relevant regional and international organizations, it will also bring together business executives, scholars and youths from both China and the continent to boost high quality cooperation among the Global South, and these will have great significance to the world that is experiencing profound change and turbulence.

At a briefing for Chinese and foreign media on the 2024 Summit of the FOCAC on August 23, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong said that "The leaders of China and Africa will discuss major cooperation strategies, explore cooperation plans together and strengthen exchanges on state governance, which will provide important guidance for the development of the Forum in the next stage."

Chen said the Summit will introduce a series of new cooperation initiatives to deepen mutual understanding, respect and affinity between the peoples of China and Africa, so that the China-Africa friendship will be passed on from generation to generation and the flower of China-Africa friendship will blossom with renewed brilliance. According to public information, African members of the FOCAC include 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, and the Commission of the African Union. 

He Wenping, a director with the Institute of West Asian and African Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the FOCAC summit this year will elevate China-Africa cooperation to new heights. "It's likely we will see China and African countries boosting cooperation in new areas like the digital economy and green development based on existing infrastructure."

Li Haidong, a professor from the China Foreign Affairs University, said that "the world is still experiencing profound change and turbulence, with numerous uncertainties, and there are serious challenges confronting globalization and global economic recovery. China and African countries are developing countries that share common interests and the stance that multi-polarization of the world should be boosted, and to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind." Therefore, the upcoming FOCAC summit will surely send an encouraging message to not only China and Africa, but also the Global South and the rest of the world, as this is a successful example for cooperation within Global South with global significance, Li noted. 

All-round cooperation

The President of the Central Africa Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera had already kicked off his trip in China with visits to Chongqing and Shandong Province from August 28 to Sunday to learn about China's achievements in areas such as urbanization, new energy, cultural industries, agriculture and the digital economy. 

Experts said this shows that African leaders are taking their attendance at FOCAC as an opportunity to explore China in different ways. In addition to diplomacy, they are also very interested in learning about China's development and modernization from a broader and more comprehensive perspective, said the experts. 

Endalkachew Sime, ex-State Minister of Ministry of Planning and Development of Ethiopia and founder and deputy CEO of the Africa-China Trade and Investment Facilitation Center, said that the FOCAC summit is crucial for two main reasons: First, they capture the focus and attention of the nations involved. Each leader attends these meetings with their own notes. 

"Second, these events help create a better image of the cooperation at the grassroots level in each country. With high-level media coverage and significant signatories, these platforms send a strong message to citizens [of different countries], encouraging them to take the partnership seriously," Sime said. 

Munetsi Madakufamba, executive director of the Zimbabwe-based Southern African Research and Documentation Center, said that "The development approach and cooperation between China and Africa are a win-win partnership, emphasizing the importance of understanding each other's context, circumstances, and development priorities. If you look at the development experience of Africa and in terms of cooperation with the West, it has been a kind of relationship of one side exploiting the other, which is unbalanced development."

Chinese analysts said that China has always seen Africa as a vibrant continent of hope, and treats African countries as equal partners. 

They said now it is time for Africa to embark on their journey of modernization. Since other major economies, especially Western ones, have failed to play very constructive roles to support Africa, China-Africa cooperation that is marked by high-level mutual trust and traditional friendship will become more all-round and profound.

The China Table Tennis Association (CTTA) issued a statement on Saturday, condemning corrosive fan culture and expressing full support a crackdown on any crimes and violations.

The CTTA stated that “fan culture” chaos has severely disrupted the Chinese table tennis team’s training and competitions, negatively affecting the work, lives, and families of athletes, coaches, and staff, while also causing a damaging social impact. 

“The association will collect evidence and hold accountable any organizations or individuals who engage in insults, defamation, slander, or other forms of malicious attacks against the Chinese table tennis team or its members online or in other public venues,” according to the statement.

The statement follows a series of actions by Chinese authorities targeting online harassment and defamation on sports players. 

On Friday, China’s Ministry of Public Security revealed four cases involving online harassment targeting athletes. Among these, a 29-year-old woman from East China’s Jiangsu Province and a 38-year-old woman from Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province were taken into custody for allegedly defaming table tennis players and coaches online. 

Authorities also dealt with a case in East China’s Shandong Province where a 23-year-old man fabricated a defamatory article questioning the legitimacy of a Chinese Olympic champion’s victory. Another man from Hebei Province shared the article widely online. The pair were both given administrative penalties. In Central China’s Henan Province, an 18-year-old woman faced administrative punishment for publicly insulting a gymnast on social media.

The ministry emphasized that the internet is not a “lawless zone” and warned against spreading false information or engaging in personal attacks. 

During the women’s singles final at the Paris Olympics on August 3, which featured Sun Yingsha and Chen Meng, some fans displayed favoritism toward Sun while booing Chen when Chen defeated Sun becoming the women’s singles champion.

Earlier this month, several social media platforms, including Sina Weibo and Douyin, announced measures to curb “an culture” violations in sports, including removing harmful content and suspending related accounts.

During an interview on August 7, after China advanced to the semifinals of the women’s table tennis team event, Chen had urged fans to appreciate the athletes’ determination and approach competition outcomes with a balanced perspective, rather than focusing solely on the results.

Pan Zhanle, a 20-year-old swimming prodigy who recently broke a world record at the Paris Olympics, disbanded his fan group earlier this week. Pan previously mentioned in a CCTV interview that some fans waited for autographs outside his hotel and he said he just “hoped to be low-key and quiet.”

“Most of these so-called fans do not understand or appreciate the professional skills or talents of famous athletes. Instead, they tend to focus solely on the athlete's image and appearance,” Wang Dazhao, a Beijing based sports commentator, told the Global Times. “To support their idols, fans in this toxic culture see no teammates, only enemies. Anyone who hinders their idol's pursuit of victory becomes a target for attack.”

“Those who invade others’ privacy should be punished, while those who do not violate criminal laws should be guided and warned through education,” Wang said.

The Embassy of the Czech Republic in China and the Czech-China Contemporary Art Gallery jointly inaugurated the exhibition "My Room," which was opened at the Czech Embassy in Beijing on August 20.

Featuring artists Feng Runde, Li Lang, Jiri Straka, Wu Zixian and Yang Yuzhe, the exhibition provides a platform for young artists from the Czech Republic and China to learn and exchange ideas, and has won unanimous praise from Chinese and foreign visitors.

The people-to-people exchanges between the Czech Republic and China are expected to continue to expand into new areas. The exhibition aims to help young artists and show the public their ideas and experiences in the face of a complex world independently. 

"The works of the five artists have some common features that impress me: The appearance of their works is very different from the works of their elders; regardless of where they live, their art is close to the real life," said curator and artist Shu Yang.

The 2024 Shanghai Contemporary Theatre Festival (ACT) will run from September 6 to October 13, offering audiences a series of captivating performances.   

This year's festival will be themed "The Field of Memory" and continue its focus on "contemporaneity" and "innovation." 

In addition to Chinese productions, it has invited theater troupes and artists from Italy, Thailand, Greece, Portugal, Australia, and Croatia to participate. 

The festival will feature nine performances, covering various genres such as drama, mime, experimental performance, and dance theater. Most of these productions are new works from leading international performance troupes, with three making their Chinese mainland debut and two having their first-ever showings in Asia.

The ACT is an annual international festival for the performing arts held at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and other partner venues since 2005. Its small theaters bring the audience very close to the stage for many face-to-face interactions. 

In almost two decades, ACT Shanghai has cultivated a young, curious audience unique to Shanghai and become an important platform for connecting local and international artists with the Chinese audience.

As the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), set to be held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, draws near, the "debt trap" slander targeting China-Africa cooperation is becoming rampant again. 

In fact, whenever the FOCAC is held, the West will always stir up a new round of smearing with absurd accussations against China.

The FOCAC was established in 2000. Over the past 20 years, China has truly promoted the modernization process in African continent through grant, investment, and trade, and has also won wide recognition and acclaim from African partners.

China has used interest-free loans to help Africa build much needed facilities such as hospitals and schools. Meanwhile, Chinese financial institutions have actively provided financing support to support infrastructure construction, such as railways, roads, and electricity facilities in African countries. 

The China-Africa Development Fund, an equity investment fund managed by the China Development Bank, has provided financing totaling more than $6.6 billion to Africa and has facilitated Chinese companies to invest more than $31 billion in Africa.

The West is the main culprit behind Africa's debt crisis. Notably, in recent years, the West believes that the African economy has shown some signs of improvement, so they prematurely pushed Africa to the global capital market, leading to African countries borrowing excessively and causing the current high proportion of external debt faced by Africa. It can be said that the West has directly pushed Africa into a "debt trap." 

Although China is not the main creditor of African countries, it actively participates in the resolution of debt issues faced by African countries and helps them explore solutions to promote development and ultimately solve their debts. China never uses debt collection as a pretext to seek private gain - this is the core difference between China's approach and that of the West in managing debt.

However, it needs to be acknowledged that the ultimate solution to the debt problem must rely on economic development. Only by helping Africa solve the bottlenecks that restrict African development, can African countries be fundamentally lifted out of the debt distress.

Currently, Africa urgently needs more development funds, as progress on several indicators of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development remains slow. In light of this, China will continue to roll out a package of aid measures under the FOCAC to help Africa tackle their challenges.

China has never been the main creditor for African debt. Under the framework of the FOCAC, China has provided a package of assistance measures to Africa and offered support. 

Through interest-free loans, concessional loans, and other development financing, China has provided significant support to back up Africa's development. A series of infrastructure projects and talent training have started, laying the foundation for poverty reduction and independent development in Africa.

China on Friday urged the US to stop official exchanges with China's Taiwan island and cease support for any form of "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, after senior officials from the island reportedly made a secret trip to the greater Washington area for talks with US officials recently. 

China firmly opposes any forms of official exchange between the US and Taiwan. This position is consistent and clear, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, urging the US to  abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, deliver on the commitments made by the US leaders on the issues related to Taiwan, handle the Taiwan-related issues with utmost prudence, and stop any official exchanges with Taiwan.

The US should stop upgrading its substantive relations with the region, and stop conniving at and supporting "Taiwan independence" separatist activities in any form, Mao said.

The head of the external affairs authority of Taiwan island, Lin Chia-lung and Joseph Wu, the security adviser to Lai Ching-te, travelled to the Washington area this week through a "special channel" to hold talks with the US, according to Financial Times, without naming the US officials. 

"The visit by the two high-ranking officials to the US is significant at this particular juncture, and it is sensitive and contains secrets between the two sides," an analyst on Taiwan affairs, who preferred to be named Li, told the Global Times. 

"Through deliberately analyzing and strategizing their next steps, the US and the DPP authorities are seeking to come up with something to further challenge the mainland without inciting a significant backlash from it," Li said. 

He explained that the US' engagement with Taiwan is aimed at more effectively deploying its strategic maneuvers to contain the Chinese mainland, when the US is showing fatigue and weakness in dealing with both Asia-Pacific affairs and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The US government is also attempting to engage with its protected parties, including the island, to reaffirm its commitments, dispelling any doubts about the US' promises and Taiwan authorities' confidence in US protection, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

"A US powerless in dealing with international affairs including the Ukraine crisis leaves Lai Ching-te increasingly perplexed, so can the chess piece of Taiwan still be supported in this circumstance?" Lü asked.

The visit serves to alleviate Lai's concerns, gauge their position within the US strategic landscape and seek to strengthen the so-called protection from the US, he said.  

However, the fact is that collusion with the US, which views Taiwan as merely a chess piece, will only lead the island toward greater chaos, more intense internal strife, and a further loss of direction. The US has always maintained strategic ambiguity when it comes to "defending Taiwan," Li explained. 

Despite the small move that the US and DPP authorities have made, the mainland will remain confident and methodical in its approach to dealing with the Taiwan question, Lü emphasized.

This year's government report showed that the mainland will implement the overall policy for the new era on resolving the Taiwan question, stay committed to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, and resolutely oppose separatist activities and external interference. The mainland will promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and be firm in advancing the cause of China's reunification, according to the report.

While acknowledging the challenges players face when moving abroad, Argentine basketball star Luis Scola insisted that playing overseas will benefit basketball players more.   

"When players leave their country and go to bigger countries, they grow. It helps them improve their game," Scola told reporters on Sunday in Beijing, where an NBA-themed exhibition is in full swing at the Indigo Mall. 

"Sometimes, the [domestic] system protects the players... I do believe that good talent, they need to find ways [to go] outside their own countries." 

The Argentine is particularly popular in China thanks to his stint with the Houston Rockets in the NBA, when he was teamed up with Chinese basketball icon Yao Ming. 

Asked specifically about young Chinese player Cui Yongxi, who is with the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Summer League, Scola admitted he was not very familiar with the 21-year-old Chinese player, but reiterated his advice for all talented players to seek opportunities outside China. 

"If they're good, they need to find other opportunities in other different countries," he advised.

Scola stressed the importance of being in excellent physical shape and making the most of opportunity.

"Maybe the Summer League is hard, but you just have to play hard and be in good shape. It's an opportunity, and you need to be really good shape," he emphasized.

A youngster-led Chinese national team is also currently playing in the NBA Summer League this month.

When asked about his views on Chinese basketball, Scola, who played for Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) teams the Shanxi Loongs in 2017-18 season and the Shanghai Sharks in 2018-19 season, was optimistic. He said China has a wealth of opportunities and resources that will enable the sport to flourish. 

"China has a lot of opportunities to grow. You've got a lot of players, a good league, and a lot of resources. I think Chinese basketball is going to be very good, very soon," he said.

Scola also touched on the policies of the CBA regarding foreign players. He emphasized the importance of an open league system. 

"The more open the league can be, that's the best way to bring the best talent. And talent eventually creates more talent," Scola stated. He highlighted the NBA's model, where there are no limits, as a successful example that fosters local player development.

Looking ahead to the Olympics, Scola was enthusiastic. He anticipates a competitive tournament, with the US expected to field the strongest team. 

"I think it's going to be a good Olympics. The US is going to be the best team. But there are other strong teams like Spain. It's going to be a good tournament," he predicted.

Chinese divers Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan eased to the women's synchronized 10m platform title at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.

Having paired up to win three times in a row in this event at the World Championships, Chen and Quan dominated the final on Wednesday to take the victory with 359.10 points.

The teenage duo helped China grab its seventh straight gold in this event at the Olympics.

China claimed first ever Olympic gold medal in team artistic swimming at Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

As the Paris Olympics drew to a close, the Chinese sports delegation held a press conference on Sunday reflecting on the Chinese team's success - securing 40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze medals - while acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Zhou Jinqiang, deputy head of the delegation, emphasized the understanding of the shortcomings exposed during the Paris Games.

Zhou highlighted under-performance in the "big three" ball sports - football, basketball, and volleyball - in which the results fell short of public expectations. Additionally, traditional strongholds saw a decline due to inadequate training management and innovation. Finally, a talent gap in some events revealed a lack of reserve athletes, prompting a call for deeper analysis and improvement.

At the Paris Olympics, only the Chinese women's volleyball and basketball teams made appearances in the "big three" ball sports, with the women's basketball team exiting in the group phase and the women's volleyball team reaching the quarterfinals.

In a commentary by the Global Times analyzing the state of the Chinese women's basketball team, it was stated that the regression is due to factors such as age and injuries, as well as a decline in individual player abilities. The aging roster of the women's volleyball team also raises concerns as they prepare for Los Angeles, and the team needs to continue to discover and cultivate more new talent to challenge for higher achievements, according to CCTV news.

Despite these setbacks, Zhou emphasized that the success in Paris should motivate Chinese athletes, while recognizing the tougher challenges ahead.

Sports commentator Wang Dazhao told the Global Times that changes are needed to deal with the challenges, and it may be a long process.

"We need to develop daily healthy and enjoyable sports activities that young people will be interested in, which will allow us to discover talent," Wang said.

He also pointed out that the international trend of prioritizing athletes' comprehensive development should be followed to ensure long-term success. Sports commentator Deng Bowen also expressed the need for more international communication, telling the Global Times that it is also important to strengthen infrastructure and investment in training.

Zhou noted that the Paris Olympics showcased the evolving landscape of international sports, with 19 world records and 65 Olympic records broken. This shows the high level required for success.

Looking ahead, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will feature several new events, including baseball, softball, lacrosse, cricket, squash and flag football, China News Service reported. Deng said that this change reflects the traditional strengths and interests of Western countries, particularly the US as these sports have a broad base and well-established competitive systems in Western countries.

"For the Chinese delegation, most of these newly added sports have relatively limited development domestically, with weaker professional standards and competitive foundations. Despite some progress, the overall level still lags behind that of Western countries," Deng said.

Baseball and softball were part of the Olympics from 1992 to 2008 and cricket and lacrosse have previously featured. Squash and flag football, however, have never been included in the Olympics before.

"Typically, this measure aims to leave some 'room' for the host country, giving some advantages in the project setup," Wang said.

But Deng also expressed hopes and expectations for China's performance in these sports at the LA Olympics.

"The Chinese delegation may face challenges in these sports, but with systematic investment and development, there is potential for progress in the future," Deng said.