The China International Big Data Industry Expo 2024 concluded in Guiyang, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, attracting over 21,000 guests and 414 domestic and international companies, an official from the National Data Administration (NDA) told a press conference on Friday.

The expo, a major indicator of leading big data development, represents China's "digital appointment" with the world and its "development appointment" with the future, analysts said, adding that the diversity of exhibitions, showcased the latest trends in digital innovation and highlighted the importance of international cooperation in the digital sector.

New policies and leading technological achievements were unveiled at the expo, with over 1,300 new products and technologies on display. Additionally, 154 research and technical achievements were presented at the event, Wang Xudong, an NDA spokesperson said on Friday.

Many attendees observed a significant increase in the variety of applications across different industries at this year's expo, with large language models being one of the spotlights. The Global Times reporter learned from several industry insiders that the rapid advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) technology is a key driver behind the growing demand for computing power in traditional industries.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China International Big Data Industry Expo. The event has showcased numerous cutting-edge technologies and applications, ranging from autonomous driving, virtual reality, humanoid robots, digital humans and large language models.

"After a decade of development, the expo has emerged as a crucial platform in the country's data field, leading innovation trends, showcasing industry achievements and promoting opening-up and cooperation," according to Liu Liehong, head of the National Data Administration.

A record number of over 3,000 enterprises participated in the events, with global exhibitors showcasing their latest achievements in AI, data analysis, edge computing, and the Internet of Things, according to Jing Yaping, director of the Guizhou Big Data Development Administration. For instance, a Malaysian company, MEA, displayed high-grade air purification equipment and products, while Statista from the United States presented digital transformation solutions in quantitative data statistics.

This year's expo also provided a platform for Chinese and foreign companies to showcase the benefits of China's digital industry growth, with participants from foreign industry leaders such as Apple and Intel, as well as 77 overseas companies from over 30 countries and regions, including the US, France, Germany, Canada and Russia. Some expressed that China is leading the way in developing data industry and the digital economy, and expressed eagerness to enhance global collaboration.

Thorsten Tolksdorf, secretary general of the International Data Space Association, praised China's rapid development in the digital economy and expressed hopes to deepen interactions with Chinese companies and institutions through the expo, according to China Media Group.

Ginz Ooi, founder & CEO of Malaysian digital marketing agency Webqlo, highlighted the strong digital cooperation between China and Malaysia, noting China's impressive growth in the digital economy and e-commerce sectors over the past five years. Success stories like the expansion of Chinese e-commerce giants and the popularity of social media platforms such as TikTok and Xiaohongshu in Southeast Asia demonstrate the competitiveness of Chinese digital enterprises in overseas markets.

"Strengthened cooperation, especially in e-commerce, has created win-win opportunities for both Malaysian and Chinese enterprises," Ooi told the Global Times on Friday.

At the expo, an investment fair gathering 80 businesses from China and Arab States, was held, representatives like Doris Wang from an asset management company in the Arab region was one of the participants.

India's scrutiny of Chinese investments poses a dilemma for its own development, with political and economic considerations intertwined. It is imperative for India to strike a delicate balance between protecting national security and promoting economic development. Without enhancing mutual trust, India will struggle to boost Chinese investments that are vital for the advancement of its manufacturing sector.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said at the ET World Leaders Forum on Saturday that it's "common sense" to scrutinize Chinese investments, noting that many countries do the same for security reasons, Indian media reported. 

His remarks, to a certain extent, reflect India's attitude toward China on geopolitical and security issues, an important reason why India remains distrustful of Chinese investments. 

Such an attitude is influenced by some Western countries, particularly the US, which view China as a "security threat" and has pushed for "decoupling" from China. 

The result of India following the West in overstretching the security concept in economic issues is that India's investment policy toward China has fallen deeply into a security dilemma. On the one hand, India needs Chinese investments to promote the development of its domestic manufacturing, but on the other hand, it is wary of Chinese investments due to fears over potential "security risks." 

These dual concerns not only fail to effectively promote India's manufacturing development but also exacerbate its domestic divisions. Some Indian media reports said that Indian electronics manufacturers have suffered losses due to restrictions on Chinese businesses.

It is understandable that every country has its own legitimate and reasonable system for reviewing foreign investments. But since the Indian government in 2020 implemented restrictions on foreign direct investment (FDI) from countries sharing land borders with India, its scrutiny of Chinese investments has been particularly strict. 

The fundamental reason why India conducts strict scrutiny of Chinese investment is actually a trust issue. The deep-rooted hostility toward China among some Indian elites, interest groups and Western lobbyists continues to take advantage of the lack of mutual trust between China and India to influence decision-making in New Delhi. However, restricting Chinese investment cannot promote the development of Indian manufacturing, but instead affects India's investment appeal.

In the fiscal year 2023-24, India's actual FDI decreased by 37 percent year-on-year to $26.6 billion, according to Indian media reports - the lowest level since 2006-07. The development of the manufacturing sector relies on industrial clusters composed of small and medium-sized enterprises, and India's restrictions on Chinese investments are not conducive to the formation of the Indian manufacturing ecosystem.

Indeed, anyone who knows something about bilateral trade and investment understands that at present cooperation with China is essential for India's manufacturing development.

Despite India's imposition of economic and trade restrictions on China, trade between India and China has actually increased. In the fiscal year 2023-24, China once again became India's largest trading partner. According to India's official data, bilateral trade reached $118.4 billion. Data from the India-based Global Trade Research Initiative showed that 98.5 percent of the goods that India imported from China are industrial products, accounting for about 30 percent of India's total industrial imports, Indian media reported.

The trade figures demonstrate the complementarity of the industrial chains between China and India, which provides huge potential for cooperation. India needs to recognize that if it wants to achieve rapid development of its manufacturing sector, easing restrictions on Chinese investments and improvements in its business environment are necessary measures. 

China and India need to improve their mutual trust, especially India needs to trust Chinese investment, and enhanced economic and trade exchanges are conducive to this process. This is what really makes sense both economically and politically.

China on Sunday announced the release of the standard sheet music and official recording of the Chinese national anthem - "March of the Volunteers," with this year marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of the Chinese national anthem.

The standard sheet music for the national anthem includes orchestral, wind ensemble, and piano accompaniment scores. The official recording versions of the national anthem include orchestral version, orchestral choral version, wind ensemble version, and wind ensemble choral version, according to the State Council Information Office at a press conference on Sunday.

The released standard musical score for the national anthem has not made any changes to the melody, but focused on four areas of improvement, including standardized cover, title page, and publishing notation, unified tempo markings, as well as standardized expression terms.

The national anthem "March of the Volunteers," has lyrics by poet Tian Han and music by Nie Er. The original song greatly encouraged Chinese soldiers and civilians during the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945). It was chosen as the national anthem in 1949.

Wu Zeng, an official from the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, stated at the press conference that the release of the standard sheet music and official recording of the national anthem will enhance the seriousness and standardization of its performance, broadcasting, and usage, uphold the image and dignity of the country, strengthen national consciousness and patriotism, and further promote the national spirit centered on patriotism.

China's National Anthem Law came into force in 2017 to ensure appropriate performance of the song, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Now, National Anthem Law, National Flag Law and National Emblem Law together constitute a relatively complete legal system of national symbols in China, Wu said.

The anthem shall be sung at formal political gatherings, including the opening and closing of National People's Congress sessions, constitutional oath ceremonies, flag raising ceremonies, major celebrations, awards ceremonies, commemorations, national memorial events, important diplomatic occasions, major sport events and other suitable occasions, according to the National Anthem Law.

The Ministry of Public Security of China released details of four cases of combating and rectifying illegal activities related to toxic fan culture in sports on Thursday. Since the Paris Olympics, the cybersecurity departments of the Public Security Bureau have been paying close attention to this issue and have been combating related illegal activities.

Among these cases, a suspect, He, was found to have posted defamatory content about table tennis players and coaches on social media, causing significant social harm. The Beijing Public Security Bureau took criminal compulsory measures against her on August 6. 

Another suspect, Wang, was found to have repeatedly posted abusive and defamatory content about table tennis players and coaches on social media, causing significant social harm. The Guangzhou Public Security Bureau took criminal compulsory measures against her on Tuesday. 

Suspects Gai and Xu were found to have created and widely spread an article questioning a Paris Olympic champion on social media. This article caused negative social impact. The public security bureaus in Shandong and Hebei respectively have imposed administrative penalties on them. 

Another suspect, Yang, was found to have publicly abused a gymnastics athlete on social media, causing a negative social impact. The Henan Public Security Bureau has imposed administrative penalties on her.

These posts are malicious and false, posing significant risks. Recent actions have led social media platforms to clean up thousands of posts related to controversial discussions and malicious attacks.

“Most of these so-called fans do not understand or appreciate the professional skills or talents of famous athletes. Instead, they tend to focus solely on the athlete's image and appearance,” Wang Dazhao, a Beijing sports commentator, told the Global Times.

To support their idols, fans in this toxic culture see no teammates, only enemies. Anyone who hinders their idol's pursuit of victory becomes a target for attack, Wang noted.

Recently, some toxic fans have been aggressively leading discussions and attacks on various social media platforms, organizing and spreading derogatory comments, even fabricating scandals and spreading conspiracy theories.

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

Previously, some irrational fans were detained by the police for posting inflammatory and defamatory comments against Chinese athletes and coaches after the women's singles table tennis final at the Paris Olympics. The General Administration of Sport of China and the Chinese Olympic Committee condemned these comments, and the impact was limited.

The intrusion of toxic fan culture into the sports arena is not new and is not limited to summer sports; winter sports also face similar issues.

“In the past two years, there has been a phenomenon of sports becoming fan-centric, which has caused significant distress to some athletes,” Yang Yang, China's first Winter Olympic gold medalist, noted in a recent interview.

Table tennis player Fan Zhendong has also faced harm from toxic fans, including illegal intrusion into hotel rooms, exposure of personal information such as ID cards and phone numbers, and harassment at the airport.

Not only athletes but many sports enthusiasts and even viewers are harassed by these toxic fans for merely mentioning or commenting on their favored individuals.

“I faced cyberbullying because I mentioned an athlete’s poor performance online,” a person who was once targeted by extreme sports fans told the Global Times on condition of anonymity.

The anonymous victim expressed concern that such online behavior could lead to real-world violence. “I was worried that I might be ambushed when going out one day and was also concerned that my family might be harassed,” he noted.

Chinese swimming champion Pan Zhanle, who recently broke a world record at the Paris Olympics, disbanded his only fan group on Monday. 

He previously mentioned in a CCTV interview that many people were waiting downstairs at the hotel to get his autograph. 

The 20-year-old swimming prodigy is using his own way to say “no” to toxic fan culture.

“Be more low-key and keep things quiet,” Pan advised his fans.