XI PRAISES COVID ROLE MODELS IN SPEECH

President Xi Jinping attends a meeting to commend role models in China's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic on Tuesday. He presented medals to four outstanding individuals and delivers a speech at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Here are some highlights from his address.

HEROIC FEAT:

- China has achieved another heroic feat in humankind's fight against disease.

- The Communist Party of China Central Committee had adopted extraordinary measures to tackle the extraordinary incident of COVID-19 epidemic. China had effectively curbed the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic and protected people's lives and health to the greatest extent.

- The Chinese people put up a strong defense with unity to contain the COVID-19 epidemic.

- Millions of medical workers fought the COVID-19 epidemic at the front line across the country. Nearly half of the medical staff involved in the country's fight against COVID-19 are young people no more than 31 years old.

- Chinese economy is steadily turning for the better as the country has coordinated epidemic containment with economic growth after the sudden outbreak of COVID-19.

China has become the first major economy to return to growth since the COVID-19 pandemic and has taken the lead in the world in both epidemic control and economic recovery.

- The major strategic achievement gained from China's fight against COVID-19 fully demonstrated the remarkable advantages of the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and socialism.

GLOBAL FIGHT:

- China has been working together with other countries of the world and contributed its wisdom and strength to the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

- China has offered assistance to the international community in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic to the best of its ability, despite the tremendous pressure in domestic epidemic control.

- China exported 151.5 billion masks, 1.4 billion protective suits and 209,000 ventilators to support the global fight against COVID-19 between March 15 and Sept 6.

- China has helped save a great number of lives from COVID-19 around the world with concrete actions.

SPIRIT OF COMBATING COVID-19:

- China's spirit of combating the COVID-19 epidemic features putting people's lives first, nationwide solidarity, sacrifice, respecting science, and a sense of mission for humanity.

- China's treatment method of combining traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine for COVID-19 has been learned and used by many countries.

- China had launched the most intensive and wide-ranging emergency humanitarian assistance actions since the founding of New China.

ROBOTICS TAKES CENTER STAGE AT THIS YEAR'S CIFTIS

Robots of various hues and shapes dot the landscape at the ongoing China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, as Chinese tech companies showcase their latest cutting-edge technologies at the nation's first major offline international trade event since the COVID-19 outbreak.

At the entrance of the exhibition hall, visitors are greeted by a group of robots developed by Beijing Orion Star Technology Co Ltd, a Chinese robotics company. Equipped with screens, the robots can offer guidance on exhibition routes, answer questions via voice interaction, take visitors to the destinations they are heading to, and offer detailed information on upcoming forums at the exhibition.

Cao Peili, vice-president of Orion Star, said nearly 30 robots have been used to offer services to the CIFTIS. In addition to robots that greet visitors, the company has also deployed robots that can move around, and visitors can buy products from the robots just as they do from vending machines.

"The CIFTIS offers a good platform for tech companies to display their latest products and visitors can gain firsthand experience on how these products work," Cao said.

Beijing Orion Star Technology Co Ltd, which counts Chinese tech company Cheetah Mobile Inc among its key investors, has already deployed more than 10,000 robots at multiple locations such as shopping malls, office buildings, and medical institutions, to serve people.

At the CIFTIS, a humanoid robot named Walker has been garnering raves. The robot, developed by the Shenzhen-based tech company UBTech, has a torso, arms, hands, and a head, and is as humanoid as bipedal robots can get.

At the CIFTIS which began on Friday and will continue through Wednesday, other Chinese robotics manufacturers have also showcased their latest robots which can offer medical advice, deliver medicines, guide patients, measure patients' temperature, and disinfect wards in hospitals.

Bi Yalei, secretary-general of the Shenzhen Robotics Association, said earlier that robots have played a positive role in helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic and people are getting more comfortable with these new technologies.

PEOPLE-CENTERED GOVERNANCE KEY TO CHINA'S SAVING LIVES

China may be the safest place on the planet now. Eight months after its arduous battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, it has largely controlled the highly infectious disease. On Tuesday morning China held a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to commend role models in the country's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic.

Now the mainland has only a handful of imported cases, which were detected at ports of entry, thanks to rigorous anti-pandemic measures including testing, and the infected people were duly quarantined. The government's confidence level is so high that last Thursday Beijing reopened international flights.

This is not just some happy talk unrelated to reality but forged in the crucible of real experience gained during an unprecedented crisis.

Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, and the Communist Party of China, the entire government apparatus including the civil and military authorities was quickly brought to bear in the fight against the pandemic. Doctors, nurses, other health workers and front-line responders, and Party cadres were mobilized in Wuhan and elsewhere to help contain the virus. Some of those even sacrificed their lives for the larger good.

Everything may not have been done perfectly. But how could any country do everything perfectly amid such an existential crisis?

Yet Wuhan has sprung back to normal, as is the rest of China. Swimming pools are crowded. Restaurants are overbooked and schools have re-opened. From the middle of Europe, China seems like a fictional alternate universe.

US URGED TO EXTEND VISAS FOR CHINESE JOURNALISTS

China called on the United States to extend visas for all Chinese journalists in the US as soon as possible out of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in Beijing on Monday, adding that the US is very clear that China has all options on the table.

Zhao made the remark at a regular news briefing when asked about a US State Department spokesperson's recent statement that the Chinese Foreign Ministry had recently told the US Embassy in Beijing it was denying press card renewals to foreign journalists.

"The statement is completely untrue and it is aimed to shift the blame," Zhao told reporters.

According to Zhao, the extensions of press cards held by the US journalists, including those working for CNN, are being handled and they will not be affected in any way before they are granted new press cards.

"We have formally told the US about it," he said, noting that China has been communicating with the US, hoping to resolve the issue concerning Chinese and US media and journalists on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

The spokesman said that although the US has been escalating its political suppression of China's media for some time, including limiting visas for all Chinese journalists in the US to a maximum of 90 days' stay, China has been exercising restraint without implementing countermeasures and has extended visas for US journalists as usual to provide convenience for them.

Even as the US expelled 60 Chinese journalists and denied visas for over 20 Chinese journalists, China has not expelled the same number of US journalists, he said.

"However, during the talks, the US has been unreasonable, ignoring China's legitimate and normal concerns and requests. It has taken the extension issue and the Chinese journalists as hostages to exert maximum pressure on China. We will never accept that," Zhao said.

As of Monday, none of the Chinese journalists in the US whose visas expired Aug 6 had gotten an extension, even though they had submitted extension requests to US officials long ago.

The spokesman said US journalists in China are well aware of these facts and they oppose the practice of using the Chinese and US media as pawns.

"If the US government really cares about American journalists in China, they should extend the visas for all Chinese journalists as soon as possible instead of kidnapping Chinese and American journalists out of selfish political purposes," Zhao said.

If the US insists on going down the wrong path, China will be compelled to make necessary and legitimate reactions to firmly uphold its legitimate rights and interests, he added.

AUSTRIAN OFFICIAL PRAISES CHINA'S OPENING-UP

China is different from what it was 30 years ago when he first visited the country, said Michael Berger, economic and commercial counselor to the Austrian embassy in China.

China has adopted its reform and opening-up policy for more than 40 years and will continue to further open the economy to foreign investment, as well as optimize the business environment.

The policy has proven to be a big success, Berger said, adding if China opens up further, it will be better.

The scene at this year's China International Fair for Trade in Services is quite overwhelming, and this is the first time from our organization advantage, Austria, Berger said.

Although similar conventions in other parts of the world have been held only via the internet due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CIFTIS was held both offline and online.

"I'm very happy about that, and I've been safe," Berger added.

As the Chinese government has succeeded in its containment of the COVID-19 pandemic, Berger hopes the government can restart more air routes from Austria to China, because they have a lot of demand from Austrian businessmen who want to come, he said.

Although trade frictions between China and the US have had some impact in regard to relations with Chinese customers, at the same time, it can be an opportunity for Austrian companies, Berger said.

"If the US wants to exclude China from the dollar system, I think it will be very bad for the US and US companies. Moreover, I think Europe has an interest in rapid relations with China," he added.

The trade volume between China and Austria hit $10.67 billion in 2019, an increase of 9.4 percent from a year earlier. Exports were $3.04 billion and imports were $7.62 billion, up 7.7 and 10.1 percent year-on-year respectively, according to the data from the Ministry of Commerce.

Austria is the world's leading skiing nation, with an over 100-year history and tradition of winter sports. Consequently, it has many outstanding enterprises in the winter sports industry.

The country has organized six enterprises to show their products and services at the CIFTIS, which opened Friday and ends Wednesday.

HK OPPOSITION UNDER FIRE OVER PROTESTS

Hong Kong education experts expressed concern on Monday that the city's young people were being used as political pawns by the opposition after the reappearance of unlawful assemblies and violence on the streets on Sunday.

In addition, they noted the resurgence of illegal protests will not only undermine educators' efforts to enhance students' awareness of the law but could also affect local schools' plans for the resumption of classes later this month.

Their comments followed the arrest of at least 289 people, the youngest of whom was 13, for their role in Sunday's unauthorized rally in Kowloon.

Students' participation in illegal and violent protests is a common phenomenon, said Wong Kwanyu, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers. Data provided by the Hong Kong police showed that nearly 40 percent of the 9,000-plus arrested during the protests since last June over the now-withdrawn extradition bill were students.

Wong said that this is the result of the opposition's long-standing advocacy of "civil disobedience" and "achieving justice by violating the law" among young people. These people had distorted citizenship, the core of which is to serve the public interest and be law-abiding, he added.

Wong suggested that, as primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong would resume face-to-face classes at the end of September, the police should inform schools of the presence of minors at demonstrations, so that schools could assess the risk of infection and decide whether these students should be allowed to go to campus.

Mervyn Cheung Man-ping, chairman of the Hong Kong Education Policy Concern Organization, said the opposition chose to use young people, especially those in high schools or junior high schools, to create sensational scenes.

With these teenagers joining their demonstrations, the opposition managed to mislead the public into believing that its cause was supported by all generations, said Cheung.

The illegal gatherings on Sunday were held after some people heeded online calls to take to the streets and protest against the government's decision to postpone the Legislative Council election for one year, as well as the enactment of the National Security Law for Hong Kong.

Radical protesters violated the current social distancing measures by gathering in some of Hong Kong's busiest streets. They blocked roads and hurled water bottles and debris at police officers.

Hours after the protest, the Hong Kong government issued a statement condemning the illegal acts as "selfish".

TYPHOON EXPECTED TO APPROACH JILIN

Typhoon Haishen, the 10th typhoon of the year, is expected to approach Jilin province on Tuesday, and local authorities have strengthened preparations to reduce losses.

The province is facing a relatively high risk of flooding and mountain torrents, as the soil is already saturated due to rain brought by previous typhoons, according to local authorities.

The province has prepared emergency supplies worth over 130 million yuan ($18.9 million) and has organized 70 warehouses stocked with emergency supplies across the province.

Jilin has also set up more than 1,900 emergency response and rescue teams and a special fund of 230 million yuan for disaster relief.

China's national observatory renewed a blue alert for Haishen on Monday, warning that from Monday to Tuesday, gales are expected to hit parts of the Bohai and the Yellow seas as well as coastal regions of the Liaodong and the Shandong peninsulas.

It also issued an orange alert for mountain torrents and a blue alert for geological disasters for parts of Northeast China due to the typhoon.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe weather, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

The National Meteorological Center also said Haishen weakened from a strong typhoon to a strong tropical storm on Monday after it landed on the southern coastal areas of South Korea.

After moving to Jilin province on early Tuesday morning, it will further head to Heilongjiang province on Tuesday afternoon, and morph into a post-tropical cyclone gradually as it weakens, the NMC said, adding that there would be strong winds in some areas of Northeast China, as well as the East China, Yellow and Bohai seas on Monday and Tuesday.

Central and northern areas of Liaoning province, most parts of Jilin and central and eastern areas of Heilongjiang will experience heavy or torrential rain. The accumulated rainfall over the two-day period could reach 40 to 130 millimeters or even 150 to 180 mm in some areas, it said.

Compared with other provinces in eastern and southern China, typhoons are less common in China's northeastern region, as only 1.2 typhoons on average hit the area annually.

However, Typhoon Bavi and Typhoon Maysak, the eighth and ninth typhoons of this year, both brought strong rain and wind to the region, making Haishen the third to affect the region in half a month.

Meteorological experts have advised people in disaster-prone areas to take shelter from winds and that vessels in these areas should be cared for. They warned that farmlands in central and eastern areas of Heilongjiang and Jilin faced high risks of flooding, and management should be strengthened to reduce adverse effects on crops such as corn, rice and soybeans.

People should also be aware of the adverse impacts brought by the typhoon to the sailing, fishery and breeding industries, the experts added.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

There are means to live and there are reasons to live. Blessed is the man who has both - Anonymous