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Strengthening bonds through film

Illustration: Chen Xia/Global Times

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and Brazil in 2024, the 14th Beijing International Film Festival (BIFF) has taken a significant step toward enhancing cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

By inviting Brazil as the Guest of Honor and hosting a series of collaborative events with the Brazilian Embassy in China, the film festival aims not only to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Brazil but also to elevate its international influence.

During the ongoing festival, the Brazil Film Week showcased four outstanding Brazilian films, namely
Mars One,
Pictures of Ghosts,
The Second Mother, and
History of Love and Fury, to Chinese audiences, offering them a glimpse into Brazil’s rich cinematic landscape.

Meanwhile, renowned Brazilian animator Carlos Saldanha served as an international judge for the prestigious Tiantan Awards.

Cassius Rosa, Brazil’s vice minister of culture, told the Global Times in a one-on-one interview that the four Brazilian films show a rich diversity of genres and that he hopes that Chinese moviegoers can enjoy them while gaining insight into Brazil.

He emphasized the role of cinema as a powerful medium for strengthening mutual understanding and cultural exchanges between nations, and said that Brazil also actively promotes Chinese films in various cities.

He noted that Chinese kung fu action films, along with historical and comedic genres, are highly popular among Brazilian audiences.

This reciprocal exchange of cinematic experiences reflects the mutual interest and appreciation between the two countries.

In addition to showcasing Brazilian films in China, the cultural exchange event extends to Brazil, with the Chinese Film Festival opening in Rio de Janeiro on March 22 and the annual Sao Paulo Chinese Film Festival featuring a diverse selection of Chinese films.

Such initiatives demonstrate the growing collaboration in the film industry, supported by bilateral agreements and partnerships between China and Brazil.

In recent years, under the vigorous promotion of both governments, film and television cooperation between China and Brazil has deepened.

In September 2017, the two countries signed their first film co-production agreement. During Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s visit to China in April 2023, the two countries signed an agreement on television cooperation production.

Films co-produced by Brazilian and Chinese companies will enjoy national treatment in the two countries, benefit from existing public funding mechanisms, and be regarded as national products in their respective markets.

On Friday, at a forum for exchanges between Chinese and foreign filmmakers, representatives from the BIFF and the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival signed a memorandum of cooperation.

They agreed to establish mechanisms to encourage mutual visits, conduct discussions and field research, and establish mechanisms for recommending films to each other, enhancing cooperation and exchange in the film industry between the two countries.

On Sunday, Rosa, accompanied by officials from the Brazilian film community delegation, visited the State Production Base of the China Film Group in Beijing’s Huairou district.

During the visit, they toured the post-production sound and video department, LED virtual studio, and outdoor shooting locations, gaining a detailed understanding of the facilities and technology at the hub of China’s film production industry.

During the discussions, Rosa introduced the recent situation of Brazil’s film industry and inquired about the current requirements for importing foreign films into China.

While expressing great expectations for cooperation, he announced the decision to invite a delegation of Chinese filmmakers to Brazil for in-depth exchanges in the near future.

He also hoped that through film screenings, film imports and exports, co-productions, and other means, both countries can enhance cultural exchanges and mutual learning, continuing the friendship between China and Brazil.

“By continuously deepening cultural exchanges between the peoples of both countries, we can promote mutual understanding and use this as a driving force to expand economic and trade exchanges into multiple areas,” Rosa said.

The year also marks the one-year anniversary of the China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative.

Rosa told the Global Times that besides films, the two countries also have a large potential for cooperation in other cultural fields, including literature, dance and the circus.

As film serves as a vital bridge for communication between nations, the exchange of film cultures between China and Brazil paves the way for mutual learning and industry development. By leveraging the power of film, both countries can strengthen cultural bonds, enhance mutual respect, and foster lasting friendship.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. [email protected]

The world is young domestic firms’ oyster

A view of the booth of Huawei at the 2024 Mobile World Congress Barcelona in Spain earlier this year. GAO JING/XINHUA

In 2014, a group of experts in smart manufacturing, each of them boasting around 15 years of work experience, gathered in a three-bedroom apartment in Beijing and decided to start up with Beijing Roborock Technology Co Ltd. What was extraordinary was their clear and simple ambition: to develop the world’s best robotic vacuum cleaner.

Ten years on, their dream has come true. Roborock is a leading player in its sector and, in terms of global sales in 2023, the top-selling brand among smart vacuum cleaners worldwide, according to Euromonitor International, a market research firm.

Its products are available in more than 170 countries and regions, with nearly half of its revenue coming from overseas markets.

Quan Gang, president of Roborock, summed up the success story.”From day one, our eyes were set on the global market. From the very beginning, we have sought to meet the demands of global users. Our product design, production and marketing efforts have been tailored to meet their demands from the outset.”

That helped the startup to remain flexible and nimble while preserving its unique technology. Corporate executives and experts said Roborock is the epitome of new-age Chinese enterprises that see the world as their oyster right from day one.

Such companies are quick to recognize that growing globally competitive brands in their respective segments is critical to success these days. They rely on both China’s manufacturing prowess and their own strengths in research and development.

What distinguishes them from the previous generation of globally known Chinese enterprises is their global vision and clarity on goals. While the previous lot went global only when they had grown big enough in the domestic market, the new bunch target the global market from the very beginning, experts said.

Huang Chenhong, president of German software and cloud giant SAP Greater China, who has witnessed the transformation of Chinese companies in their global expansion over the past three decades, said, “Despite challenges such as lackluster global demand and geopolitical uncertainties, Chinese companies have not slowed down their pace of going global.”

Data from China’s Ministry of Commerce prove his point. Chinese enterprises’ outbound direct investment grew 5.7 percent year-on-year last year to exceed 1.04 trillion yuan ($143.7 billion), highlighting their continued expansion overseas.

“I think globalization is now entering a new stage. Globalization today involves more Chinese companies expanding their business overseas,” Huang said. “We can see many enterprises, whether State-owned, private or even small and medium-sized enterprises, have 30 to 50 percent of their business overseas. Some companies are even born to serve overseas markets and have never considered doing business domestically.”

Chinese companies have attained a stage of technological innovation where they are starting to embody the spirit of multinational corporations.

“In the past, when we talked about MNCs, we thought of German or American companies. Today, Chinese companies come to mind naturally,” Huang said, adding that SAP has helped many Chinese companies such as Lenovo, BYD and Mindray navigate the international waters over the past three decades.

US Section 301 investigation targeting China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries ‘groundless’

China-US Photo: GT

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) on Sunday blasted the US Section 301 investigation into China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries, calling it groundless, and said it will organize industry companies to mount a legal defense to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

Observers on Sunday slammed the Section 301 investigation, saying it is illegal and invalid, and China will take countermeasures. They stressed that the US trying to control every segment of the industrial chain is not beneficial to the country itself.

The Section 301 investigation is illegal, unilateral and invalid as it is not included in the WTO framework, He Weiwen, a senior fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Sunday.

He noted that WTO members have no right to determine if any other member violates regulations, and only the organization can make the ruling.

China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors have actively conducted technological innovation and participated in free market competition based on market development needs, which significantly contributed to the development of global trade as well as the smooth and stable operation of global supply chains, a CCPIT spokesperson said in a statement posted on its official WeChat account.

Related US research showed that the predicament of the US maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors was mainly caused by a lack of market competitiveness, and it had nothing to do with China’s laws, policies and practices.

The CCPIT and the China Chamber of International Commerce, on behalf of China’s business community, urged the US to respect market rules and the principle of fair competition, immediately stop making the wrong moves, and return to the multilateral trade system based on market rules and principles.

The spokesperson said that CCPIT will organize industry companies to make a legal defense and attend the US hearings with upstream and downstream companies, so as to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

The remarks came after the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced on Wednesday that it is initiating an investigation of acts, policies and practices of China’s targeting the maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors for dominance after a petition filed with the USTR’s office by five US national labor unions.

The USTR alleged that China is using “unfair, non-market policies and practices” to dominate those sectors, according to a USTR press release.

The US Section 301 investigation is contrary to the normal laws of market competition, while negatively affecting global enterprises’ operations, Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Gao said that no country can have competitive advantages in all aspects of the industry chain. He said that the US making efforts to keep all links in the industrial and supply chains firmly in its own hands is not conducive for the country itself or for the global division of industry.

In addition to the CCPIT, Chinese authorities have already urged Washington to correct its wrongdoings while stopping the manipulation of issues related to China in the US presidential election year.

“According to the WTO ruling, the former US administration was wrong to impose additional steel and aluminum tariffs on certain WTO members and launch a Section 301 investigation and raise tariffs on China.

“Instead of correcting its mistake, the US chose to double down on it by threatening new tariff hikes and announcing a new Section 301 investigation,” Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said on Friday, urging the US to be prudent in its words and deeds, and stop manipulating issues related to China in the election year.

The Biden administration is reportedly pushing for tariffs to “triple” on Chinese steel and aluminum, as Washington is targeting Chinese industries under the guise of the “overcapacity” fallacy.

Regardless of what tags the US uses for its excuses, the so-called Section 301 investigation and other tools are just malicious attempts by the US to suppress China while dismissing WTO rules.

He Weiwen said that “overcapacity” is also a problem related to US competitiveness, and he stressed the importance for the two sides to conduct dialogue including the “overcapacity” issue, based on evidence.

Emotional Zhou makes F1 home debut

Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu bursts into tears after ending his maiden Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on April 21, 2024. Photo: VCG

Emotional Chinese Formula One driver Zhou Guanyu burst into tears after ending his maiden Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday with a 14th place finish.

The FIA, the sport’s governing body, gave Zhou an unprecedented but ceremonial position after the 56-lap race, putting Zhou’s parking position on the grid next to podium finishers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez of Red Bull, and Lando Norris of McLaren.

“I was thinking about the difficulties and challenges that perhaps people couldn’t see behind the scenes or in front of their TVs, and I couldn’t imagine that one day there would be a Chinese driver standing on our Chinese track, and it’s me,” Zhou told reporters after finishing the race.

The previous time he said he cried was at the end of 2021, when his agent told him that he would be a F1 driver. He made his F1 debut in 2022, but had to wait for two more seasons to race at home.

F1 held its 1,000th race in Shanghai in 2019, when Zhou was a test driver for Renault. The hiatus lasted for four years due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions.

“I was very excited and enjoyed the whole weekend, including finally being able to release some pressure. I think I made some mistakes this weekend.There were some areas where I could have done better, but for a debut, I think I did my best and the crowd cheered for me,” Zhou, now 24, told reporters.

It was the F1 races held on this circuit that inspired Zhou to start his motor sport racing career.

Zhou’s Chinese motor racing predecessors include Cheng Congfu, Ho-pin Tung and Ma Qinghua, but none of them made it into the Sunday race.

“Apart from getting emotional, I can’t imagine Chinese fans have so much passion for Chinese racing or the enthusiasm for myself and for F1,” Zhou said.

“Considering my personal experiences in so many Chinese Grands Prix races, whether as a spectator or as a test driver, there has been no feeling quite like this one.”

Zhou also noted that Sunday’s performance on his home track was not his best.

“I definitely think I couldn’t unleash myself 100 percent because after all, I’ve never raced on this track before. I’ve only driven civilian cars, and perhaps many drivers on the grid are more familiar with it than me,” Zhou said.

“But we only had one practice session, and then went straight into the race, so it was very difficult to find my limits. Of course, there were mistakes, and there were areas where I could have done better. I believe that next year, or the year after, or the year after that, I will definitely be better than I am now.”

Looking ahead, Zhou aims to continue improving and competing for victories against midfield teams.

“My goal is to have more impressive performances, whether in qualifying or the race, to win as much as possible against midfield teams, and to strive for more points,” he said.

The three race days at the Shanghai International Circuit attracted a total of over 200,000 fans, local organizers said. Experts say Zhou’s debut at home is sure to be a big impetus to attract even more fans to the sport.

Zhou and his Sauber F1 team have yet to score any points this season, which has held five Grands Prix so far. His teammate Valtteri Bottas did not finish the race due to an engine problem.

The next F1 race will be held in Miami, the US on May 6, while the Chinese Grand Prix will return to China next year on March 23, 2025.

Protectionism not the solution to addressing erosion of US competitiveness

Illustration: Xia Qing/Global Times

The Office of the US Trade Representative recently initiated a probe into China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, alleging China used “unfair, non-market policies and practices” to dominate those industries. This, coupled with the Biden administration’s new threat to impose high tariffs on Chinese-made aluminum and steel, is again escalating trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

The probe and threat bear the US’ often-used hallmark of leveraging protectionism to resist free trade in Washington’s hope to protect its own industries and jobs. However, the competitive edge held by Chinese industries is due to the hard work and effort of the Chinese people, the persistent technological innovation of Chinese companies and their proactive participation in free market competition.

China’s world-leading telecom equipment, high-speed trains, solar panels, and electric vehicle manufacturing, as well as its maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, have gradually built up their strength through many years’ expertise and Chinese enterprises’ willingness to incorporate new tech breakthroughs and domestically developed software solutions.

Now, high-quality and less costly goods manufactured by Chinese companies are becoming increasingly popular across the world. Chinese technologies, such as 5G and green renewable energies, are helping the Global South develop their economies. Therefore, the American politicians’ old playbook of using unilateral economic coercion to suppress and stymie the advance of Chinese economy will ultimately fail. Their desire to prolong or perpetuate American industrial dominance in the world will not come true, either.

As known to the world, protectionism and unilateralism won’t bring back the lost manufacturing jobs to US shores. America’s high labor costs and the Federal Reserve’s insistence on an elevated interest rate of over 5 percent mean that American manufacturers can hardly compete with their Chinese counterparts. The cost-effectiveness of Chinese companies is nearly unparalleled in the world. For example, the cost of making an electric vehicle in China is approximately two times lower than in the US.

The Biden administration remains obstinate in playing the zero-sum game by implementing a policy the administration calls “small courtyard with high walls” to demarcate itself or decouple from China. It is odd to many in the world why the US stubbornly refuses to choose the road of win-win cooperation with China. Is it just to prolong America’s dominance and hegemony in the world?

America’s “decoupling from China” debate started about six years ago, and reached its climax in 2020. Over the past three years, the Biden administration has not tempered the decoupling or “de-risking” rhetoric, even though it knows that this decoupling will disrupt global supply chains and fragment global economy, leading to undesirable efficiency losses among American companies as well.

To slow China’s economic growth, the US government, since 2018, has imposed high tariffs on up to $360 billion worth of Chinese goods, roped in its allies and “like-minded” countries to form exclusive trading blocs in key industrial sectors, pushed its businesses to relocate manufacturing operations away from China and blacklisted over 1,000 Chinese companies and research institutions. These trade barriers will hinder advancements in the world’s sustainability agenda, which relies on unrestricted and seamless exchanges of both existing and emerging technologies.

In public, senior US officials, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, professed disinterest in decoupling, but the Biden administration has pushed ahead with it in an attempt to isolate China and contain its rise. The US government has curbed Chinese investment in the US, banned imports of Chinese technology products such as solar panel components and 5G gear, and prohibited high-tech exports to China, including cutting-edge semiconductor chips and the tools to make them.

However, the two giant economies are so tightly intertwined that it is almost impossible for Washington to harm China without hurting itself, sometimes seriously. The US’ decoupling strategy will only stand in the way of improving its corporate efficiency. As global supply chains are threatened by the decoupling policy, companies are complaining about a less elastic, less efficient and increasingly costly supply of components needed for manufacturing. Ordinary consumers in the US and the West are angered by expensive goods combined with high inflation.

The economic consequences of decoupling, raising trade barriers, or the push for de-globalization by the US are becoming a growing concern for global policymakers. Economists have started to estimate the economic costs for the world economy. Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) listed rising economic fragmentation and an increase in trade restrictive measures as trends that could harm the medium-term outlook for the global economy.

Facing the relentless restrictions imposed by the US in recent years, China didn’t choose to sit idle or throw in the towel. Thinkers and policymakers started to realize the risks of relying on foreign technology and instead focused on a strategic shift of great historic importance to decrease reliance on US technology and prioritize domestic research and innovation in order to safeguard China’s economic security. Additionally, China decided to further open its economy to businesses from all countries and expand sectors available to foreign investors.

In contrast to the US, which has retreated from global economic integration, China has emerged as a leading advocate for globalization, free trade and inclusive development. History shows that shutting out foreign competition will never lead to success in the long run. The US’ decision to build “high walls” to block Chinese goods and technology will not solve the underlying issues of inefficiency in its enterprises, leading to higher consumer prices and prolonged inflation for American citizens. Protectionism is not the solution to addressing the erosion of US competitiveness.

The author is an editor with the Global Times. [email protected]

Advanced manufacturing magnet for foreign firms amid upgrades

Daimler trucks are displayed during the 6th China International Import Expo in Shanghai in November. PHOTO/CHINA DAILY

BEIJING — China’s advanced manufacturing is attracting the attention of foreign-invested companies amid an innovation-led upgrade of the nation’s industrial chain.

“We see booming innovations in areas including new energy vehicles, and connected and automated driving trucks in China, and we consider China a place to pursue the development and application of such future-oriented products,” said Holger Scherr, president and CEO of Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co Ltd, and head of the Mercedes-Benz business unit.

David Fan, executive vice-president and China president of Japan-based auto parts supplier Marelli, also pointed to the growing innovation capabilities of the Chinese market as one of the important reasons for the country’s market and supply chain having an irreplaceable role for Marelli.

China’s manufacturing sector has remained a land of opportunity for foreign-invested companies over the years for its manufacturing prowess and the most comprehensive industrial chain in the world. In 2023, foreign investment into the sector accounted for 27.9 percent of the total, up 1.6 percentage points from the previous year, official data showed.

This year, the country has put developing new quality productive forces — featuring high-tech, high efficiency and high quality — atop its agenda.

The upgrade of industrial and supply chains is among the three aspects, that the development of new quality productive forces will cover, said Zhang Qingjie, head of digital enablement and head of AI at KPMG China.

Some foreign-invested companies have already noticed the gradual repositioning of China’s industrial chain, and are adopting a preemptive strategy to tap into the shift.

“We plan to promote a model of inverter compressors for heat pumps this year in Europe. The model is developed through a technology platform that we built in China, reflecting the change of the Chinese market’s core competitiveness from a comprehensive supply chain to an innovation-oriented one,” said Xu Yang, president of the China unit at Danfoss, a Denmark-based energy efficiency solutions company.

Xu said the company has been actively leveraging China’s innovation capability and improving its smart manufacturing. In April, Danfoss will launch construction of the second phase of its Haiyan campus in Zhejiang province, which is its largest manufacturing base in China, according to Xu.

China-US 4th meetings of economic and financial working groups signal ‘steady, phased progress’ in stabilizing ties

China US Photo:VCG

The economic and financial working groups of China and the US held their fourth meetings in Washington DC on Tuesday, shortly after US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrapped up a high-stakes six-day visit to China last week, which led to new areas of consensus in the economic and financial fields. The meetings come ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s reported visit to China.

Observers said the dialogue, adding to a flurry of growing interactions between Chinese and US senior officials since the beginning of the year, showed that both sides attach high importance to bilateral economic ties. It also sent a positive signal on “steady and phased progress” in stabilizing relations between the world’s two largest economies.

As production capacity appeared on the agenda, observers also warned against the US taking a “two-dimensional” approach to China — that is, to maintain the overall stability of bilateral relations yet relentlessly suppress China’s emerging industries. Lately, this has centered on a bizarre narrative that labels Chinese clean technology exports with the “overcapacity” tag.

While dialogue to some extent helps prevent trade tensions from veering into conflicts, the ball is in the US court to stop politicizing economic matters and get relations back to the right track, they stressed.

During the fourth meeting of the economic working group, the two sides engaged in “in-depth, pragmatic and constructive” dialogue on how to implement the consensus reached earlier by leaders of both groups, the macroeconomic situations of both countries and the world, as well as balanced growth, according to a statement on the website of China’s Ministry of Finance on Wednesday.

The Chinese side also expressed concern about US trade and economic restrictions against China and responded further on the issue concerning production capacity. They also discussed arrangements for future communication, and both sides agreed to continue their dialogue.

The meetings took place on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the World Bank and IMF.

With regard to the fourth meeting of the financial working group, the two sides engaged in discussions on topics including each other’s monetary policies and financial stability, cooperation in financial regulation, institutional arrangements in financial markets, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, and other financial policy topics of mutual concern, according to a statement on the website of the People’s Bank of China (PBC), the country’s central bank.

Some of those topics were the new consensus on balanced growth and financial cooperation reached during Yellen’s visit to China last week. The two sides also agreed at that time on future meeting arrangements for the working group.

Chinese observers said that the fourth meetings are parts of a regular communication mechanism between China and the US, building on the San Francisco vision reached by leaders of both countries last year. It also underscored that both countries put great emphasis on bilateral economic relations, which are consequential not only for each other’s development but also to the global economy.

“As the US presidential election nears, the Biden administration is being hit with many pressures at home and abroad. So he has an urgent need to maintain ‘dynamically stabilized relations’ with China,” Diao Daming, a professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

While continued discussions signify a positive momentum in bilateral relations, observers pointed out that Washington’s China strategy is “two-dimensional” as the US on the one hand looks to deepen economic ties with China, yet on the other hand, it has been relentlessly cranking up trade tensions to suppress China’s tech industries.

Talks on production capacity appeared in the agenda of the economic working group’s meeting, as Chinese officials intensively criticized the “overcapacity” fallacy hyped by US and EU politicians.

Observers said that the claim of overcapacity is another card Washington recently put on the table to target China, which laid bare its hegemonic mindset as it is nervous about the rise of China’s advantageous industries, from new energy and artificial intelligence, telecommunication to steel.

There are more signs of escalating trade tensions. US President Joe Biden will call for tripling tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum on Wednesday when he speaks to union members in Pennsylvania, NBC News reported.

Analysts said that the reported move is another practice of targeting Chinese enterprises under the guise of so-called “overcapacity,” though chances could be high that it merely aims to score political points during the election campaign and won’t translate into reality.

Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times that China’s steel and aluminum exports to US were not very large, and the tariff hike, if carried out, would inflict more damage on the US global business credit and local manufacturers than to the China suppliers.

A fair and non-discriminatory perception of China lays the basic framework for further exchanges between the two countries, and only under such premise can the two sides identify more areas of cooperation and resolve controversies, analysts said.

During talks with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz on Tuesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang stressed that the production capacity issue should start with economic laws and be viewed objectively and dialectically from a market viewpoint and a global perspective.

“Washington must bear in mind that Chinese exports are in line with WTO rules and the global trade pattern is determined by each country’s competitive edge,” Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai will tell lawmakers that the Biden administration is “taking a serious look” at US trade defense tools to deal with threats posed by China’s trade and economic policies, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Gao said that it is unlikely that a new tool will come out, considering the limited aces Washington holds. “It is also ironic that the US barks about ‘punishing’ China, which abides by WTO rules, with a tool that is set to be defiant to trading rules,” Gao added.

Bookshop in Seoul, a hub for South Koreans who wonder about China

The China Book bookstore in Seoul, South Korea Photo: Courtesy of Han Geon-hee

The “China Book” in Seoul is not the grandest, but is arguably one of the most comprehensive bookstores in South Korea, stocking publications about China since it was established in 1996.

It covers a wide range of the “China book” genre, with offerings such as Chinese literature and Chinese economy. When describing how committed the shop is to numerous elements of Chinese culture, its owner Han Geon-hee joked that rumor had it he was a Chinese spy stationed in South Korea.

Having taken over “China Book” from his father in 2004, Han, who was a musician in a band at the time, found himself too busy to be “a spy.” Running the store also allowed him to see how books can give rise to a cultural consensus among the people of China and South Korea.

‘A consolation’

From Chinese cartoon books to literary classics, the literary diversity at “China Book” caters to a variety of readers aged 18 to 80 years old.

Han told the Global Times that much of his clientele includes teachers, foreigners curious about China, as well as Chinese language learners who are predominately local students. Since 2017, the number of Chinese language learners in South Korea has surged to more than 10.6 million people; the demographic accounts for around one-fifth of the country’s total population of more than 51 million people.

“I’ve often heard South Korean customers conversing in store in Chinese, and discussing the difficulties of learning the language and sharing reference books,” Han told the Global Times.

Han’s sales-oriented bookshop has gradually been reshaped by people with similar interests gathering together to become a cultural salon. He has also discovered a niche of “Chinese contemporary literature” enthusiasts, keen on Chinese authors like Yu Hua.

He told the Global Times that books like Yu’s To Live are top sellers. With China’s fertility history as a background, Nobel-winning novelist Mo Yan’s Red Sorghum has been popular among South Korean readers for more than a decade.

Although Yu’s To Live is about the past, its realistic meaning remains current in South Korea. In 2023, a South Korean judge in Busan gifted a copy of the book to a homeless man. The move was seen by many netizens as a show of literature’s humanistic virtue come to life.

“The reason why Yu’s book can cater to both Chinese and South Korean readers is due to the two East Asian countries’ similarities and distinctions in their cultural-social developments,” cultural sociologist Chu Xin, told the Global Times.

Taking South Korean novelist and film director Lee Chang-dong as an example, Chu told the Global Times that the artistic tradition of borrowing ordinary people’s stories to reflect social phenomena has been widely celebrated by both Chinese and South Korean artists.

“I hope China Book will continue to bring consolations to South Korean readers who truly love Chinese culture and vice versa,” Han remarked.

South Koreans read books in an outdoor reading event in Seoul. Photo: VCG

Seek for collaboration

Han’s passion for the Chinese publishing industry has grown along with his bourgeoning business. In 2019, he attended the Beijing Book Fair with his brother. The fair is a large-scale annual book event that provides collaboration opportunities for domestic and overseas publishers.

Han said that he was fascinated by many good-quality Chinese books at the event, and the experience was entirely different from his previous visits to China’s bookshops.

“The fair is a good opportunity for me to meet publishers in China. And I have to say that the fair’s book landscape is just like China’s territory that is quite vast,” he told the Global Times.

Including the publishing industry, cultural exchanges between China and South Korea have blossomed, especially since 2022, when the two countries celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Including the Jiangxi Education Publishing House, a total of five Chinese publishers participated in a mutual translating project on China and South Korea’s literature classics. In the same year, at least 200 kinds of Chinese books across different genres were also displayed at the Seoul International Book Fair.

“In history, China and South Korea share many ethical and philosophical consensus, and then developed down different paths. Reading each other’s stories again can help us to build mutual trust and understanding,” Han said.

Paris Book Festival serves as a gateway for Chinese culture to go global

Chinese writer Shi Yifeng (left) attends a literary salon at the Paris Book Festival in Paris, France on April 14, 2024. Photo: Courtesy of China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Corporation

A series of literary salons and promotional activities were held by Chinese publishers during the 2024 Paris Book Festival from Friday to Sunday in the French capital, the latest event marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.

A total of 59 Chinese publishers from Beijing, Shanghai, Hebei, Zhejiang and other places took part in the festival, displaying about 1,150 types of books on subjects such as literature and traditional Chinese culture, with French-language books accounting for more than 40 percent.

On Friday afternoon, The National Library of France (NLF) received donations from the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles (BFLAC) to mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations.

Chen Ning, Party secretary of BFLAC, told the Global Times that the donations –
Complete Works of Lao She and outstanding contemporary literary works from Beijing – represent the level of contemporary literature in China and reflect the temperament and pursuits of Chinese writers.

“Through this donation, we hope that more French readers will like to read and love Chinese literature. Moreover, we hope to contribute to the vibrant and enduring friendship between the two countries,” said Chen.

Damien Chatagnon, director of the International Literature Center of NLF, said that since the establishment of the library’s Chinese department, it has been dedicated to discovering the finest contemporary Chinese literary works.

“We believe that this donation will further open windows for French audiences to appreciate Chinese culture and serve as crucial material for French readers to understand contemporary Chinese literature,” said Chatagnon.

The annual book festival features events for the Literature Summit Plan for A New Era – The Sailing Project, in which the China Writers Association (CWA) works with literary publishers, journals, book companies and other organizations to build a whole ecological chain of literary production, dissemination, transformation and translation, and to launch outstanding literary works.

As 2024 also marks the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, the activities aim to promote the books selected for the project overseas through copyright exports and cultural exchanges, promote the development of a matrix for the export of Chinese books with copyright protection, and advocate for the advancement of Chinese culture globally.

At one of the events, Chinese writer Ye Mi and French translator Rebecca Peyrelon exchanged views on women’s awakening and strength in feminist literature based on Ye’s novel Never Get Old, giving readers a glimpse of the richness of women’s images in Chinese literature and the vitality of women’s writing in changing times. Ye’s novel, which focuses on the protagonist’s love affair against the background of China’s reform and opening-up movement, has received rave reviews in the French publishing industry.

Ye, who is also a vice chief of the Writers Association of Jiangsu Province in East China, told the Global Times that the book fair selected her book for its distinctive style.

“When they choose novels, the organizers will take into account different styles and types. My book is about a woman with an independent spirit who pursues her own happiness, which belongs to a unique category in the book trade, so they selected this novel,” said Ye.

In recent years, the Chinese publishing industry has seen positively looking for overseas collaborations. Zhang Yiwu, a professor of Chinese language and literature at Peking University, told the Global Times that the presence of Chinese books at international event reveals the book’s “important function of promoting cultural exchange,” and “enlarges the scope of exchanges in the humanities.”

Chinese publishing industry analyst Jin Hong told the Global Times that today’s Chinese book market encourages books that are “socially oriented and focus on the common values of mankind.” Emerging subjects such as “woman’s spirits,” “elderly care” as well as the “re-discovery of marginalized social groups” were major themes presented in Chinese books across various genres.

“The reason why overseas readers are fascinated with Chinese books is because they share these books that deliver human values,” Jin remarked.

Aside the current French fair, Jin told the Global Times that the Chinese publishing industry collaborates with overseas organizations in many different ways other than mere “exhibitions.”

“As far as I know, a lot of Chinese universities and publishers have carried out mutual-language interpretation projects with countries like the UK and Pakistan. Other than promoting Chinese books, the industry also promotes Western literature among Chinese readers,” Jin noted.

At another event during the festival, Deanna Gao, founding president of French-Chinese Cultural Association; Sonia Bressler, president of La route de la Soie (French Silk Road Publishing House); and Chinese writer Qiao Ye discussed Qiao’s Mao Dun Literature Prize winning work Baoshui Village.

They tackled the profound changes experienced by the Chinese countryside in the context of the new era, and delved into the richness of life in China’s rural areas, showing the audience the landscape of China’s modernization.

At a salon themed on “Literature in the cyber age,” Chinese writer Shi Yifeng and French translator Marion Darbois discussed the common issues faced by Chinese and French teenagers growing up with the rapid development of technology.

Such an event opened a window for French readers to better understand China’s contemporary gaming culture and literary creation, and allowed them to have a glimpse of the life and spiritual pursuit of young Chinese people in the age of cyberspace, and deepened their understanding of the social changes and development of contemporary China, participants said.

Growing international events call for more sports presenters

Li Zichao (right) conducts an on-court interview with US tennis player Sofia Kenin during the WTA Guangzhou Open in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Photo: Courtesy of Li Zichao

As a major sports powerhouse, China has witnessed a growing number of international sporting events across the country in recent years, attracting more and more foreign athletes and sports enthusiasts to the country.

Outside of the dazzling athletes and their record-breaking performances is a world that exists alongside the world of athletic performance but is often overlooked – sports presenting.

Beyond merely announcing names and scores, a sports presenter shoulders the responsibility of managing the ambiance within the arena, transforming mere spectators into fervent supporters and elevating the overall sporting experience.

When sports presenting is involved, the atmosphere becomes electric and dynamic. Be it the thrilling anticipation before the start of an event, the captivating analysis during the event, or the jubilant celebrations after the event, good sports presenting adds layers of excitement and engagement to the experience.

As the industry has emerged from obscurity, it has been propelled into the limelight by individuals like Li Zichao, whose life journey illustrates the multifaceted nature of this evolving profession.

Li was among the crew of sports presenters at the Hangzhou Asian Games held in 2023, who often made headlines on social media for the engaging content they provided to audiences. But his career in sports started in a sport far removed from indoor competitions like table tennis.

Golf challenge

Having majored in grassland science at the Beijing Forestry University, Li had an early connection to golf, a sport in which lawns and greens are essential.

“I started my career as a golf commentator in 2008, and since then, I have developed broadcasting skills and knowledge in the sport,” Li told the Global Times.

Sports presenters often need to research and compile information about upcoming games, teams, players and relevant statistics as Li underscored. Strong research skills are important for providing accurate and insightful commentary.

“A deep understanding and passion for sports are essential. You should be knowledgeable about various sports, teams, players and events. This includes understanding the rules of different sports and being able to analyze and commentate on games effectively,” Li said.

Fans cheer for the Chinese national table tennis team during the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in September 2023. Photo: VCG

Different from many other sports with a double-digit number of athletes, in golf, Li often has to prepare the background information of 144 athletes, which calls for a huge volume of home work on every athlete.

“The presentation isn’t just about relaying information; it’s about weaving together stories, stats, and emotions to transport viewers into the game,” Li noted.

Golf is a game that requires a lot of focus and concentration. Any noise or distraction can disrupt a player’s mental state and affect their performance, thus giving presenters very limited time to conduct their jobs.

“Unlike more fast-paced sports like soccer, basketball, or any other indoor sports, the action in golf can be subtle and spread out across the outdoor course,” said Li, who is now preparing his presentation content for the Volvo China Open golf event from May 2 to 5 in Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong Province.

“Presenters must be mindful of the timing to avoid disrupting players or spectators while still providing engaging commentary and analyses.”

Engaging with audiences

Similar to Li’s story, Dou Yujia also excels in sports presentation.

After years of news coverage on the development of Chinese athletics, Dou now takes on sports presenting at large events, like the World Athletic Diamond League race in Xiamen, East China’s Fujian Province.

In athletics, sports presentation often involves audio-visual effects, including music, videos, commentary, and lighting, thus making it easier to engage with audiences in the stadium.

“Chinese athletics boasts impressive competitive achievements and China has a plethora of world-class athletes,” Dou said.

“If we can develop a sporting culture through sports presenting that audiences could enjoy, especially with the presence of many children nowadays, they can enjoy top-notch athletics culture from a young age and learn about spectator etiquette, which bodes well for the future development of Chinese athletics.”

Li also seeks to inspire and mentor the next generation of sports presenters, nurturing a cadre of young enthusiasts eager to explore the intricacies of this burgeoning field.

Yet, the journey from novice to seasoned sports presenter is fraught with challenges and demands diverse skill sets.

It requires not only a profound knowledge of sports but also an innate ability to captivate audiences and infuse each moment with excitement and anticipation.

“Proficiency in both Chinese and English is essential, enabling seamless communication with a global audience as the audiences are often exclusively from China,” Li said.

Sports presenters also serve as ambassadors of Chinese culture, incorporating elements of tradition to captivate foreign participants and spectators alike.

To better achieve that goal, Li opts to consult with local experts on how to share particular elements with an international audience.

“For many foreign athletes and spectators, watching a sporting event is also a chance to learn the local culture, thus making our job a perfect channel to disseminate the rich culture of China,” Li said.

With the forthcoming 2025 Asian Winter Games set to unfold in his hometown of Harbin, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Li, who was included as an ice hockey presenter for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, also aspires to contribute his expertise to the local event.

“Witnessing spectators express their satisfaction with the sports presentation I’ve given truly validates the significance of my work,” Li said. “I just hope to have more opportunities to offer the audience quality content through sports presenting.”