"The audience here in Chengdu is incredibly enthusiastic, and I deeply enjoyed the game. Every time we scored or made a good defensive play, the audience gave us big rounds of applause and cheers," basketball player Yu Ai-Che from the Chinese Taipei team told the Global Times on Monday evening after the competition against the Chinese team at the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu.

In Monday's Men's basketball competition, the Chinese Taipei team defeated the mainland team with a score of 97:84. Both teams had previously suffered two consecutive defeats by Lithuania and Brazil in the earlier group stage, which meant they had no chance of advancing to the top eight.

"The atmosphere in Chengdu is fantastic, and I'm extremely grateful to the audience. They continually cheered and clapped for our team throughout the game. I've played in the mainland when I was in high school, and I definitely want to play with mainland players again to improve both our techniques," said Yu Ai-Che after the competition.

In addition to the audience's passionate support for both teams from the first period to the last, the Global Times also noted that during the halftime break of the match, the panda-shaped mascot Rongbao and the entire audience sang the song "A Family Who Loves Each Other" together. The Taiwan island's folk song "Maiden of Alisan" resonated with the people present. The two teams also exchanged gifts before the start of the match.

Mainland player Zhang Ning said that he gave plush toys of Rongbao to his friends from the island of Taiwan, just as he would bring back souvenirs for his family.

Chinese golfer Li Linqiang triumphed in the final of the Guotai Cup Men's Professional Match Play on August 26, while Thailand's Dussavi Soopimjit claimed her title in the women's match in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The initial lineup for the match consisted of 72 players, 32 men and 40 women. The tournament boasted a total prize fund of 800,000 yuan ($109,692). All professional players who advanced to the formal matches shared the prize money, with 100,000 yuan awarded to the men's champion and 60,000 yuan to the women's champion.

After a fierce competition with Liu Enhua, Li Linqiang clinched the final match over 18 holes, leading by just one hole.

"This is the first match play event I've participated in since turning professional. I felt a rush of excitement today, particularly during the opening holes against Liu. The pressure mounted in the latter stages, but I'm elated to have pulled through," Li remarked after the match.

Zhang Xiaoning, chairman of the China Golf Association, mentioned that this match play event represents an effort by the China Golf Association to create new opportunities for players. "Furthermore, this is the inaugural instance of a professional event being held in Guizhou. Through engagement with the local community, we aim to invigorate the growth of golf in Southwest China."

The Chinese delegation made an impressive start on the first day of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, on Sunday, clinching an astounding 20 gold medals across various sports, including rowing, shooting, wushu and swimming. 

In the rowing events, local Hangzhou girl Zou Jiaqi took the first gold medal of the Hangzhou Asian Games to start a Chinese gold rush at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre. Zou and her doubles partner Qiu Xiuping rowed a strong race in the lightweight women's double sculls final to finish nearly 10 seconds ahead of Uzbekistan, to the delight of the watching crowds both in the grandstands and on the banks of the course.

Qiu said that she was extremely excited when she saw the national flag and heard the national anthem as they rowed past the finish line. 

Zou told media that she wanted to tell her parents she was happy to see they were at the event. 

Speaking of their next goal, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the pair did not hide that they are reaching for the top podium. 

"Since we walked off the Hangzhou podium, Paris has become our goal," Qiu said. "We will restart from zero, completing every training session wholeheartedly. We hope to go to the top in Paris."

Later in the morning, Zhang Liang equaled the record of Li Jianxin by winning his fourth Asian Games gold medal in rowing. China won a further four of the five finals on the penultimate day of the rowing regatta. The men's pair was won by Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun, also marking China's Team Hong Kong's first gold medal of the ongoing Hangzhou Games.

China's six gold medals take their all-time Asian Games rowing total to 104, including 98 golds. The spectators at the event said that the Chinese rowers demonstrated their impeccable technique and stamina and that their remarkable performance set the tone for the rest of the day.

The Chinese wushu team displayed their agility, strength, and grace, captivating the audience with their breathtaking routines and clinching two gold medals in the men's Changquan final and women's Taijiquan and Taijijian all-round.

Winning the men's Changquan title, 34-year-old veteran Sun Peiyuan achieved his third consecutive Asian Games championships. He told the Global Times that he was excited after winning the title, despite enduring injuries during preparation for the Games. 

"I feel that all the efforts of me and the team, every point of hard work has been rewarded. I have lived up to the expectations of my country and my family," Sun said.

The shooting range also witnessed China's prowess as the country's shooters claimed a gold medal each in the 10 meters air rifle women's team event and 10 meters air rifle women's final. In the 10 meters air rifle women's final, China's 17-year-old Huang Yuting won with a 252.7 ring and set a new Asian Games record.

Powered by world champions such as butterfly queen Zhang Yufei, men's individual medley specialist Wang Shun as well as prodigy Pan Zhanle, the Chinese swim team secured seven gold medals in all seven competitions on the first day.

China's butterfly specialist Zhang eased to victory in the women's 200 meters butterfly with an Asian Games record of 2:05.57. 

Wang, who lit the Asian Games cauldron on Saturday night, was crowned the men's 200 meters individual medley champion after setting a new Asian record of 1:54.62 on Sunday. 

Freestyle prodigy Pan Zhanle smashed the men's 100 meters freestyle Asian record with a sensational 46.97 seconds, becoming the first swimmer in Asia to break the 47-second barrier. 

Distance swimmer Li Bingjie topped the women's 1,500 meters freestyle with a new Asian Games record of 15:51.18, while female breaststroke specialist Tang Qianting claimed the women's 50 meters breaststroke with 29.96 seconds.

Local favorite backstroker Xu Jiayu brought the tally to six as he won the men's 100 meters final with an impressive 52.23 seconds, also a new Asian Games record. 

The night culminated with Chinese female swimming quartet Yang Junxuan, Cheng Yujie, Wu Qingfeng and Zhang Yufei winning the women's 4x100 meters freestyle relay with an Asian Games record of 3:33.96.

Sunday was also the concluding day of the Hangzhou Asian Games's Modern Pentathlon competitions, with the Chinese team collecting gold medals in the women's individual and women's team final.

The Hangzhou Games are scheduled to end on October 8. As the Asian Games continue, all eyes will be on the Chinese delegation as they strive to maintain their dominance and add to their impressive medal tally. The athletes' exceptional performances on the first day have undoubtedly inspired their teammates and instilled a sense of confidence in the entire delegation.

The Philadelphia Orchestra, which in 1973 became the first US orchestra to visit China, is back in Beijing for a concert with the China National Symphony Orchestra. The joint performance, which will take place on Friday, marks the 50th anniversary of their groundbreaking cultural exchange that helped improve relations between the two countries.

The two orchestras will be led by Li Xincao, the chief conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra, and Tristan Rais-Sherman, the assistant conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Rais-Sherman, who joined the Philadelphia Orchestra two years ago, told the Global Times after Wednesday's rehearsal that he was honored to be part of this historic event. 

The concert, hosted by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and organized by the China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd, will feature a blend of Western and Chinese music. 

Rais-Sherman added that he learned about the history of the Philadelphia Orchestra and China after the cooperation was confirmed nearly half a year ago.

"The Beethoven's Symphony No.5 we are going to play is actually historically connected to our visit as we first played it here in 1973. And we also have Tang Dynasty poetry songs and Erquan Yingyue, the choice of music is a blend of both, which is significant," he told the Global Times.

He also praised the cooperation with the China National Symphony Orchestra, saying it was fantastic to work with them for the first time.

"Every time working with a new orchestra, you don't know what would happen. We didn't really know each other at first. Everyone is finding each other and figuring things out from the beginning. However, by the end of today, the level here is very high. They (the Chinese orchestra) are very enthusiastic, flexible and they are great listeners," he said, adding that it was a privilege to be there.

"I hope that other American orchestras can continue to come back, and I hope this visit is a starting point of restarting the visits," he added. 

"To be a major part of this is a special experience to me."

The Philadelphia Orchestra, which arrived in Beijing on Tuesday with 14 members, will also hold master classes, panel discussions, and a chamber music performance in Shanghai as part of their tour, which will also include stops in Suzhou and other cities.

Editor's Note:

China's modernization has been an epic journey over past decades. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has become an attractive destination for many foreigners. Many such expats in the country have fulfilled their career aspirations, while some have found love and started families in China.

Why do they choose to live in China? How do expats in China view and interpret China's achievements and persistence as measured from various perspectives? The Global Times interviewed multiple international residents in China from all walks of life, some of whom have made tangible contributions to China's development, to learn about their understanding of the essence of Chinese culture, and gain an insight into how far China has advanced in its pursuit of development and rejuvenation over the last decade.

When a reporter from the Global Times first met Jake Lee Pinnick at his office at the foot of the Wudang Mountains in Shiyan city, Central China's Hubei Province, she was surprised by the American's fluent Putonghua tinged with a distinct Hubei accent and his traditional Chinese aesthetic.

Dressed in a dark blue Taoist with a black cloth bag and several long bags containing dongxiao and chiba - two kinds of traditional vertical Chinese bamboo flutes - Pinnick said that wherever he goes, he is always clad in a Taoist uniform and carries along a dongxiao for practice.

In 2010, Pinnick moved all the way to Wudang from the US when he was just 20 years old. Since then, he has formed a deep connection with Wudang, martial arts, and traditional Chinese culture.

In over a decade living in Wudang, not only did he become one of the many foreign disciples of Wudang martial arts, but also worked as a foreign teacher of Wudang martial arts and ambassador of traditional Chinese culture and Taoism. In total, he has taught over 500 in-person and thousands of online students around the world, and has over 600 thousand followers across all of his Chinese social media accounts.

He told the Global Times that Wudang has now become a second home, where he found himself, his family, his life, and life-long career. Martial arts and traditional Chinese culture, he said, are where his "lifetime passion" settled, and that martial arts and maintaining a peaceful mind are practices worth pursuing.

Destiny with Wudang

Having grown up in the 1990s in Kewanee, Illinois, a period of time when Chinese martial arts-themed movies were popular overseas, young Pinnick was attracted by martial arts moves in movies such as The Karate Kid, which paved the way for his decision years later to move to China to formally train in Chinese martial arts. 

In 2010, Pinnick, then a college student contemplating the true purpose and meaning of life, was attracted by a video on YouTube in which a Chinese martial arts master was performing martial arts in Yuxu Palace at the foot of the Wudang Mountains. He later decided to temporarily suspend his studies and move to China, finding the master and learning martial arts. 

"I thought that no matter what kind of job or lifestyle I want to have, firstly I need to be healthy and have a long healthy life. I thought that learning martial arts is really a great practice that will keep me healthy into old age, and it's also something that will challenge me," Pinnick recalled to the Global Times.

In Wudang, he found his Shifu (master) - Yuan Xiugang and started a five-year-long traditional martial arts training program, which was also Yuan's first ever five-year traditional martial arts training program open to international students.

Now Pinnick is a 16th generation disciple of the Zhang Sanfeng Lineage of Wudang martial arts under his tutelage, a 15th generation disciple. Zhang Sanfeng was a legendary Taoist priest who is believed to have been the founder of tai chi in ancient China's Song Dynasty (960-1279). 

However, to be a Zhang Sanfeng disciple is not an easy task. Pinnick said that the first six months were the hardest time in his learning process. He had to train for eight or nine hours a day, six days a week, no matter the weather. With no prior martial arts experience, he not only had to overcome the challenges of physical flexibility, but also needed to adapt to the Chinese diet.

Apart from learning martial arts, to be a qualified disciple, Pinnick also learned tai chi, qigong, meditation, and Taoist music and philosophy, as these practices and wealth of knowledge were also parts of the training, but were more about self-cultivation and self-control.

He said that martial arts have guided him out of his confusion regarding the direction that life takes, also helped him to better understand himself and how to care his families and community.

Charm of Chinese philosophy

After graduation, Pinnick chose to stay in Wudang and became a foreign teacher of martial arts, helping his master to teach trainees at the school. He also helped run the English language website of the school, answering questions from global martial arts enthusiasts.

He said that he has returned to the US for short stints, but even during his stay in his home country, he maintained a Chinese lifestyle and kept learning and practicing martial arts every day. After feeling that there were still lots of things he had not learned about Taoism and Chinese culture, he chose to return to China in 2018.

Currently, he teaches practitioners from all over the world online. After the pandemic, he is expected to have more in-person classes for students who come to Wudang. Over the last several years, it is roughly estimated that he has enrolled more than 500 foreign students and thousands of online overseas students, according to media.

After more than 10 years of study and living in Wudang, Pinnick is very familiar with the landscape and ancient architecture of the Wudang Mountains, such as the Nanyan Palace. He is also married to a Chinese woman, and the couple have a beautiful daughter. 

As a martial arts disciple Wudang martial arts and culture, he said that promoting Wudang martial arts and culture is his inescapable mission and responsibility.

With the help of his wife Cao Lingling, Pinnick has recorded many short videos about his daily life and that of his family, which includes practicing martial arts, teaching his students, and playing the dongxiao, posting them on both Chinese and foreign social media platforms. Now he has over 600 thousand followers across all his social media accounts, attracting many foreign martial arts enthusiasts and traditional Chinese cultural learners.

He told the Global Times that martial arts and dongxiao are the best ways for him to calm down and get closer to Taoism no matter where he is. Therefore, wherever he goes, he will always take the dongxiao with him.

Additionally, he is also interested in classic Chinese texts such as the Tao Te Ching. In Pinnick's office, the Global Times reporter saw at least four versions of the Tao Te Ching, some with pinyin inscriptions on them. Pinnick said that he is exploring ways to explain these texts using simple language for foreign learners so as to let more people around the world experience the charm of Chinese philosophy.

"For me, Wudang is just like my second home. I came to Wudang from a completely different world, but I do feel like I have found myself here, and found my family and life here. To this day, everything in my life is centered around Wudang," Pinnick said.

"I have the pleasure of living here and continue my journey. It has been a great experience that I wouldn't trade for anything," he said.

In the future, Pinnick said he wants to open a martial arts school in China or in the US, to teach more people around the world about real martial arts and traditional Chinese culture, and to be a bridge between cultures.

The Argentine Consulate General in Hong Kong held the Argentina National Day Reception, on July 19. Argentine Ambassador to China Sabino Vaca Narvaja delivered a speech at the ceremony in which he said, "I looked forward to keeping close relations with the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, and jointly boosting global development in the next 50 years."

Narvaja said that Argentina could further explore changes between the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in the areas of trade, investment, infrastructure, mineral resources, as well as culture, tourism and sports based on the current bilateral relations between China and Argentina and prospects for future cooperation. 

During Argentine President Alberto Fernandez's visit to China in February 2022 with the occasion of commemorating the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, China and Argentina signed a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Argentina and Hong Kong have strong economic complementarities, and Hong Kong has played an important bridging role in the cooperative relationship between China and Argentina," Consul General of Argentina in Hong Kong Gonzalo Javier Sabate said.

Representatives from Hong Kong's performing arts community attending the reception hoped that more Argentine artists would participate in projects featuring Hong Kong's diverse society and culture in the future.

As part of the important efforts to be made in combating desertification, the China-Arab International Research Center for Drought, Desertification, and Land Degradation's establishment was agreed upon at the Ninth Kubuqi International Desert Forum on Saturday. 

Government representatives in attendance at the meeting signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on building the center and launched the first batch of collaborative projects, including the Greening of the Upgrading Projects for Saudi New Cites and Exporting Knowhow to other Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, and Saudi 10 billion Trees and Shrubs Nursery, Plantation, and Eco-Solar Desert Control Engineering Projects.

 Participants at the forum, including representatives from UN agencies, foreign political figures, and leaders from relevant ministries and commissions said that China's desertification control has achieved continuous improvement in the ecological and economic conditions of sandy areas and provided China's plan for global desertification control.

"I had the privilege of visiting the extraordinary landscapes of the Ordos region. I witnessed firsthand the remarkable socioeconomic and ecological restoration, an inspiring example for the regions around the world, struggling against land degradation, desiccation, and decimation," Amina Mohamed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, said at the forum.

Mahmoud Fathallah, director of the Department of Environmental and Meteorology Affairs of the League of Arab States, pointed out that the output of science research is important to combat desertification, in which case China has excellent experience. The Arab League is trying to work with China to allow research institutions in Arab countries to further exchange experiences with Chinese researchers.

China is one of the leading countries in desertification control and dust storm reduction, and the country also has a wide range of technologies that can be exemplars for Mongolia and the rest of the world, said Zoljargal Sainbuyan, senior international cooperation officer for Mongolia's National Forest Agency. By working with other countries, China is helping to solve regional problems facing many developing countries, such as desertification and climate change, the official said.

China is the first country in the world to realize the "zero growth" of land degradation, and the "double reduction" of desertified and sandy lands, which continues to positively contribute toward achieving the global goal of zero growth in land degradation by 2030.  

International figures have said that China attaches great importance to desertification control and sand prevention and treatment, and has accumulated rich experience in the process, as well as industrial advantages in technology, materials, and equipment, setting up an international model of ecological management.

Editor's Note:

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR), a landmark project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is undergoing intensive joint commissioning and testing, paving the way for commercial operations scheduled to begin soon this year. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang aboard a bullet train during a trial run on Wednesday during his official trip to the ASEAN summit in Indonesia from September 5 to 7, Reuters reported.

The Jakarta-Bandung HSR is the first high-speed railway line in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, connecting Indonesia's most densely populated areas.

As the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway line is set to open, Global Times reporters Hu Yuwei and Zhao Juecheng (GT) interviewed the Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang (Lu), who is also a former spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Lu believed that the Jakarta-Bandung HSR will bring tangible benefits to Indonesia, while expecting the project to become a new growth point and create a high-speed railway economic corridor. He argued that the consensus reached by the heads of China and Indonesia further illuminates the direction to be taken and injects strong momentum into future relations. China supports Indonesia's chairmanship of ASEAN and is willing to deepen comprehensive strategic partnerships with ASEAN members.

GT: What changes will the Jakarta-Bandung HSR bring to Indonesia? What are local people's expectations?

Lu: The opening of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR will bring many tangible benefits to Indonesia such as more efficient travel conditions. The travel time from Jakarta to Bandung will be reduced from three and a half hour to just 40 minutes, effectively alleviating commuting traffic pressure between the two cities.

In the long run, the project will further boost investment and create employment opportunities for the people, and drive commercial development and tourism along the route. It may even become a new growth point, accelerating the formation of a high-speed railway economic corridor.

On June 22, I was invited to take a trial ride on the train together with Indonesia's Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, and president of railway operator China State Railway Group Liu Zhenfang. During the trial ride, the train reached a speed of over 355 kilometers per hour, surpassing the current fastest commercial speed of any high-speed railway in the world, which amazed our Indonesian friends and earned praise for Chinese-made high-speed railway technology.

On that day, I also noticed that many locals were watching the train along the way. I was told that Indonesian people take videos of the passing trains along the high-speed railway every day, which reflects their high expectations for the project.

GT: The construction of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR marks the first all-round implementation of Chinese high-speed railway technology abroad, from the whole system and all of its elements, to the whole industrial chain. Does it mean a big step for China's high-speed railway manufacturing going global?

Lu: The Jakarta-Bandung HSR vividly embodies the concept of "extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits" under the BRI framework and has important reference significance for us to carry out other similar projects. 

The successful completion of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR directly proves that Chinese manufacturing technology is mature, efficient, internationally standardized, adaptable to local environments, and actively integrated into the development plans of the host country. This will greatly facilitate China's manufacturing going global and inspire developing countries to have confidence in pursuing development paths that suit their own national conditions.

GT: According to your observations how has the BRI benefited livelihoods and brought tangible benefits to the Indonesian people? 

Lu: Taking infrastructure connectivity as an example, since the proposal of the BRI, China and Indonesia have cooperated to build a number of high-quality projects, covering areas such as power plants, roads and bridges, dams, and telecommunication networks, making positive contributions to Indonesia's passion to become a traffic hub. 

A series of iconic projects have been completed, such as the Suramadu Bridge, the longest sea-crossing bridge in Southeast Asia, the Tayan Bridge, the longest corbeled stone-arch bridge in Indonesia, and the Jatigede Dam, the second-largest dam in Indonesia, bringing convenience to the local populations.

Chinese-funded enterprises in Indonesia have not only provided a large number of job opportunities for the locals but also contributed to the development of local livelihoods through knowledge and technology sharing. Taking the Jakarta-Bandung HSR as an example, over 75 percent of the services and procurement for the project are sourced locally in Indonesia, significantly boosting the local supply chain and employment. It is estimated that the project will create 30,000 job opportunities in Indonesia.

GT: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo On July 27 in Chengdu when Widodo visited China. How do you evaluate the achievements of President Widodo's visit to China this time? 

Lu: This is the third face-to-face meeting between the two heads of state within a year, which reflects the high level and special nature of China-Indonesia relations. As President Xi said, on the path to national modernization and rejuvenation, China and Indonesia share highly aligned visions and present opportunities for each other's development, are like-minded companions, and good partners. 

This further clears the direction and injects strong momentum into the future friendship between China and Indonesia. After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation agreements, including agricultural product exports to China, health cooperation, joint research and development, as well as the construction of the new Indonesian capital and the "Two Countries, Twin Parks" project, achieving significant practical results.

GT: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI and the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Indonesia. We have noticed that President Widodo's "Global Maritime Fulcrum (GMF)" strategy resonates with China's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative. How do you envision future cooperation between China and Indonesia with synergy of strategies?

Lu: In November 2022, Chinese President Xi and Indonesian President Widodo reached an important consensus on building a community of shared future between China and Indonesia. They agreed to take the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Indonesia in 2023 as an opportunity to create a new pattern of high-level cooperation. 

The two sides signed a cooperation plan under the framework of aligning the BRI with the GMF concept, and significant progress has been made in its implementation. The Jakarta-Bandung HSR is one of the flagship projects.

In July this year, the two heads of state met again in Chengdu and reached an important consensus on deepening strategic cooperation between China and Indonesia. 

We will take the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and the first year of the China-Indonesia community of shared future as a chance to promote deeper and higher-level strategic cooperation between the two sides, injecting more certainty and positive energy into the region and the world.

GT: How do you evaluate the current level of cooperation between China and Indonesia in the fields of economy, trade, and investment? What suggestions do you have for further enhancing bilateral economic and trade cooperation?

Lu: In recent years, with the comprehensive integration of the BRI and Indonesia's GMF, China-Indonesia economic and trade cooperation has achieved fruitful results. China has been Indonesia's largest trading partner for 10 consecutive years. In 2022, the bilateral trade volume between China and Indonesia reached $149.1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 20.16 percent. Investment cooperation is also a highlight of the two countries' economic and trade cooperation. In 2022, the Chinese mainland's investment in Indonesia reached $8.2 billion, a year-on-year increase of 156.25 percent, maintaining its position as the second-largest foreign investor in Indonesia.

According to the consensus reached by both sides earlier this year, China is willing to further expand the importation of Indonesian bulk commodities and high-quality agricultural and fishery products according to market demand. 

The Chinese government encourages its enterprises to invest in Indonesia and expand cooperation in infrastructure, green development, the digital economy, healthcare, and other fields. We aim to create highlights in maritime cooperation and promote the resumption of fisheries cooperation.

GT: In the current tense geopolitical situation, ASEAN members have become objects of competition for major powers. Indonesia is the key member of the ASEAN. How can China-Indonesia cooperation better deal with geopolitics challenges and achieve long-term stability?

Lu: This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. As President Xi once said, the Asia-Pacific is no one's backyard and should not become an arena for big power contests and no attempt to wage a new cold war will ever be allowed by the people or by our times. This is the inevitable requirement for maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the common wishes of people in the ASEAN and other countries.

One important reason why the ASEAN can maintain its central position in the regional architecture is its long-standing commitment to independence, non-alignment, and neutrality. The ASEAN has repeatedly stated that it will adhere to openness, inclusiveness, dialogue, and cooperation, and focus on economic development without aligning with or targeting any party.

In the process of achieving national modernization and rejuvenation, China and Indonesia have highly compatible ideas that present mutually beneficial development opportunities. They are like-minded partners and good companions. 

China supports Indonesia's role as the rotating chair of the ASEAN this year and is willing to deepen comprehensive strategic partnerships with ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, and jointly create a positive energy.

GT: Shortly after taking office as Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia in 2022, you opened a Twitter account. Do you have any interesting or memorable stories to share with us about your interactions with locals on social media? 

Lu: Since opening my Twitter account over a year ago, I have been able to interact closely with Indonesian and global netizens through this platform, and I am deeply impressed by their interest in China. 

A friend once told me that the Indonesian people seem less interested in politics, but the content I shared on Twitter about President Xi's activities and the interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era have received widespread and positive responses. 

In the comments section, many Indonesian netizens have expressed their appreciation, saying that Indonesians like to cooperate with China for development and that cooperation with China is friendly trade, not a command. 

Such enthusiastic feedback was unexpected but reasonable. China's wisdom and solutions have made it possible to solve more global issues and inject new energy into global development.

Editor's Note:

On September 10, tropical storm Daniel - an intense Mediterranean hurricane or "medicane" - made landfall in Libya, causing severe flooding in coastal areas resulting in extensive damage. The city of Derna, which was the hardest hit, has seen at least 20 percent of its infrastructure completely destroyed, and a large number of residents have been swept away by flood waters. On Monday, the Chinese government announced that it would provide 30 million yuan ($ 4.1 million) in emergency humanitarian aid to Libya to assist in the rescue efforts. 

Western media outlets have been closely following the severe flooding in the North African nation, but many attributed it to climate change and the internal political turmoil in the country. However, experts have pointed out that such summations fail to recognize the real "culprit" behind the internal division and turmoil in Libya - Western forces, led by the US. 

Twelve years ago, Western countries conducted a so-called "humanitarian intervention" in Libya, and left the wounds inflicted on the Libyan people. The resultant scars from the conflict have once again been laid bare for the world to see by the hurricane. 

A forgotten city

After making landfall in Libya on September 10, tropical storm Daniel, with fierce winds and sudden heavy rain, caused heavy flash flooding in several northeastern areas of the country, with the coastal city of Derna hardest hit. 

The Libyan National Agency for Bridges and Roads said on Monday that 70 percent of infrastructure in the flood-hit areas in eastern Libya was damaged. In addition, 50 percent of the roads in the region were also damaged, with alternative routes opened in disaster areas to allow traffic flow. The storm has, so far, claimed at least 5,500 lives with another 10,000 reported missing, official statistics showed. 

Johr Ali, a Libyan reporter, told the BBC that people in Derna are living through "doomsday." Ali said that his entire families had been washed away by the powerful flood waters. He also told the BBC that a friend found his "nephew dead in the street, thrown away by water from his rooftop."

The havoc currently being witnessed in Libya today is in stark contrast to what a Global Times reporter saw in the country more than a decade ago. When the Global Times reporter was in Libya in 2010 and reported on the "Pentapolis of Ancient Greek Colonies" in the Cyrenaica region in the east of the country, Derna was an important stop. Derna was founded over 2,000 years ago and is situated against the backdrop of the Green Mountains, stretching over 100 kilometers along the coast, facing the Mediterranean Sea. Under Roman rule, it served as a populous and religious center in the Cyrenaica region. In modern times, Derna has cemented its place as one of the wealthiest areas in the North Africa.

Due to its unique location at the intersection of the Green Mountains, the sea, and the Sahara Desert, Derna's climate is warm and humid. Following the winding mountain road for dozens of kilometers, a spectacular view of Derna, which looks like a "delta" is revealed, when viewed from the top of the mountain road. 

Upon entering the city of Derna, the clean streets and well-planned buildings added a layer of orderly beauty to the city. From the perspective of urban governance, Derna's level of city management surpassed that of the largest eastern city of Benghazi during the era of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

However, the city which was the seat of an ancient civilization was unable to withstand the test of the recent brutal natural disaster. The report published by Yale Climate Connections pointed out that the floods in Libya are a climate and infrastructure catastrophe.

It stated that the catastrophe in Libya is the seventh weather-related disaster to kill at least 500 Africans since 2022, an astonishing 23 percent of Africa's 30 deadliest weather-related disasters since 1900 have occurred in the last two years. This ominous figure could well be a harbinger of the future, as higher levels of vulnerability, a growing population, and more extreme weather events from climate change cause an increase in the occurrence of deadly disasters.

"Libya has been beset by chaos since forces backed by the West's NATO military alliance overthrew long-serving ruler Col Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011," read the BBC report.

"Since the fall of Gaddafi, Libya has been split between two rival governments and mired in conflict between numerous different militias," it said.

Analysts pointed out that due to the political split in Libya, local officials have little interest in taking care of infrastructure in the country. Derna is now a forgotten ancient city.

The UN-backed Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, governs the western capital city of Tripoli in Libya. In eastern Libya, including the regions which were most impacted by the floods, a rival administration called the House of Representatives holds power. Additionally, it has control over numerous southern areas, primarily consisting of uninhabited desert, according to media reports.

Local official said that the two dams that burst in a storm had been cracked since 1998. Gaddafi's regime once entrusted repair work of the dam to a Turkish company, but the company did not start the work until 2010 due to payment issues. The project halted less than five months after the revolution that led to 

Gaddafi's downfall, reported the Straits Times. 

According to the report, while every year a budget has been allocated to repair the two dams, "none of the successive governments since 2011 have undertaken the work."

Culpability for the disaster

Analysts pointed out that the West failed to acknowledge culpability for the Libyan disaster. More insidiously, Western powers have tried to spread the narrative that Libyans, or even Arabs and Africans, are inherently incapable of properly running their own affairs.

In the last decade of the Gaddafi regime, the country's economy was robust, while the government increased direct investment into its citizenry with the introduction of foreign investment, the construction of free or cheap housing, and creation of dynamic solutions to unemployment and the housing needs of the country's youth.

"[As for] such a serious disaster, its root and initial cause lies in the US force intervention in Libya's internal affairs, which forcibly overthrew the Gaddafi regime. If the Libyan regime was stable, it would certainly not be so passive in its ability to cope with the flooding, resulting in a large number of lives being lost and property swallowed up by the flooding," AlJab Ala, a columnist for the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, told the Global Times.

In 2011, the US and other Western countries intervened militarily in Libya and supported the opposition in overthrowing the Gaddafi regime. Since then, Libya has been plunged into a prolonged civil war, and the multinational intervention has led to the emergence of two mutually hostile regimes in the country, where economic development and the development of people's livelihoods have been neglected, along with infrastructure disrepair.

Libya has the largest proven oil reserves in Africa and its economy has long been dependent on the energy sector. Statistics from the Joint Organizations Data Initiative show that Libya's oil production fell from 1.48 million barrels per day to 290,000 barrels per day in the first weeks of the war and to 22,000 barrels per day in July 2011, at the height of the conflict. In addition, Libya's oil fields and pipelines are located in the jurisdictions of different factions and tribes, and the different regions have fought over their interests and even sabotaged and obstructed each other.

Zhang Chuchu, deputy director of the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times that in Libya's regime reconstruction, Western powers were committed to the implementation of a Western-style democratic system in the country, fostering a pro-Western government, and that this forced system transplantation not only failed to address the equitable distribution of power but also exacerbated the political struggles and social disparities.

Observers noted that economic and political instability has led to the deterioration of security in Libya. At the civilian level, there have been frequent incidents of armed conflict and other forms of vicious violence; at the State regime level, the remnants of the former regime and different factions within the opposition continue to fight for power and profit. In addition, extremist organizations represented by the Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have further aggravated social unrest.

In 2014, in the face of the increasingly severe security situation in Libya, Western countries closed their embassies and consulates in Libya in rapid succession and evacuated their countries' nationals. Libya has been in disarray since then, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

Mired in catastrophic dilemma

"The claim that Washington or Britain cared about the welfare of ordinary Libyans is disproved by a decade of indifference to their plight-culminating in the current suffering in Derna," remarked Monthly Review, an independent US magazine.

Ironically, when the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a mere $1 million in initial humanitarian assistance to Libya shortly after the floods hit, online public opinion criticized the US for being "miserly" in its assistance by focusing only on destruction and not on construction.

Zhang told the Global Times that the US and its led West, in addition to directly and forcefully changing Libya's original political and security order, triggering subsequent turmoil, its ability to shape Libya's new order continues to decline. 

Regional competition, however, continues to intensify, placing Libya at a marked disadvantage when measured against its neighbors. Although there has been some progress in Libya's political process, such as the signing of ceasefire agreements, the organizing of talks, and holding of elections, under the active mediation of the United Nations and multiple countries, the country still faces significant challenges. 

Zhang believes that Libya's politics, economy, and society have long been mired in a catastrophic dilemma, in which the ideological separation that exists between the East and the West is now tenuous. 

"If the eastern and western factions in Libya continue to have the ability and willingness to maintain their own operations under external influence, it will be difficult to discuss national construction and social integration. Therefore, the way forward for Libya lies in simultaneous improvements in both internal and external environments, ultimately leading to an inclusive power structure," she said.