East China's Zhejiang Province is setting a precedent with its innovative and impactful approaches to integrating biodiversity education and sustainable development into the fabric of daily life and community-driven initiatives. The region's commitment to nurturing environmental stewardship among the youth is not only evident in its educational programs but also in the grassroots efforts that champion eco-friendly practices and sustainable living.

In the heart of Zhejiang Province, the State Grid Taizhou Power Supply Company has taken significant strides in integrating biodiversity education and green development into the fabric of community life. As the world marks the Ecological Day, the company has demonstrated a commitment to ecological civilization through its "Green Development and Low-Carbon Life" initiatives.

August 15 of this year marks China's second National Ecology Day. Lin Muchen, a 12-year-old primary school student, echoed the sentiments of many when she said, "Participating in today's Ecological Day activities has deepened my understanding of the importance of protecting the natural ecosystem. We should all take practical steps to cherish wildlife and protect our green home."

The State Grid Taizhou Power Supply Company seized the opportunity of the second National Ecological Day to launch volunteer activities centered around the "State Grid Green Ark Program," a public welfare project aimed at energy conservation, green environmental protection, and the popularization of safe electricity. The event invited residents to engage with an "energy-saving consumption voucher subsidy" and guided children in creating talent cards and windmill DIYs under the "State Grid Green Ark Program."

The initiative encourages public participation in ecological civilization construction and advocates active involvement in environmental protection to uphold ecological balance, promote harmony between humans and nature, and ensure the sustainable development of biodiversity alongside economic and social progress.

The "State Grid Green Ark Program," a public welfare brand project initiated jointly by the State Grid Public Welfare Foundation and the China Environmental Protection Foundation in 2022, focuses on protecting the habitats of rare species. By developing green power supply systems in and around these habitats, the program provides reliable clean electricity and digital tools for biodiversity conservation research and practical work.

Statistics reveal that Zhejiang has recorded over 6,100 species of 307 higher plants under national key protection, accounting for approximately 17 percent of the national total, and 790 species of terrestrial wild vertebrates, which is about 30 percent of the national total. State Grid Taizhou Power Supply Company has embedded biodiversity protection into every facet of power grid construction, operation, and maintenance, building an eco-friendly power grid that prioritizes natural benefits and continually enhances biodiversity protection measures for a more diverse, stable, and sustainable ecosystem.

Cooperation between China and Egypt is a great model of how partnerships can be developed between two developing countries, Ambassador of Egypt to China Assem Hanafi said.

He made the comment in an interview with the Global Times on the sidelines of the BRICS Forum on Partnership on New Industrial Revolution 2024, held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province. 

Hanafi highlighted the positive bilateral cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure and telecommunications through various multilateral platforms and China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with expectations to further expand cooperation in new energy, and other emerging industries.

Hanafi said that 2024 is a very important year for bilateral relations, as the two countries are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership.

Promising partnership

Throughout the past decade, many milestone events have taken place, Hanafi said, highlighting the important consensus reached between the top leaders of the two countries in May on fostering and developing closer partnership between the two great nations.

In May, China and Egypt signed bilateral cooperation documents in various fields, including a plan for the promotion of cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road, science and technology innovation, enhanced trade and investment cooperation and more, Xinhua News Agency reported. 

"We look up to China in its incredible progress for modernization, poverty eradication, the leap in industrial manufacturing and embracing new technology," Hanafi said.

He noted that it is Egypt's aspiration as a developing country to partner with China and learn the best experience that is geared toward Egypt's developing needs in areas such as building up modern infrastructure, enhancing digital connectivity and poverty eradication. 

Hanafi said that bilateral cooperation is primarily championed through the BRI platform. Egypt plays a pivotal role as a trade hub and stands at a strategic location supported by the Suez Canal, and the country is eager to develop closer partnership with China which will benefit Egypt's future development, he said. 

Currently, a good number of infrastructure projects in Egypt are undergoing, such as the new administrative capital being built in a partnership with Chinese companies, which will help transform the urban landscape of Egypt, according to Hanafi.

In addition, Hanafi said that Egypt has various telecommunication projects being constructed in partnership with Chinese companies. 

Egypt has drafted an ambitious plan to increase local internet penetration and mobile broadband coverage, which includes replacing ageing internet infrastructure with fiber optics, according to Hanafi, adding that Egypt has been cooperating with China and other global partners in the undertaking.  

He mentioned the need to produce affordable and reliable telecommunication devices to cover the needs of the local population, especially the younger generation, who require proper education.

Hanafi stressed the importance of training local labor force, as the know-how is a positive dividend on Egypt's development and the ecosystem. 

He highlighted that bilateral cooperation in port digitalization would significantly boost the capacity and handling capabilities of Egyptian ports along both the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

In terms of the future cooperation, Hanafi sees growing opportunities in sectors such as new energy development with support from Egypt, including incentives to embrace partnerships with Chinese companies in the emerging industries. He anticipates that the two sides could have fruitful and win-win cooperation in the future. 

Hanafi also hopes to enhance people-to-people exchanges, with more interactions in tourism, culture, education, and other sectors. 

In the first seven months of 2024, China-Egypt bilateral trade reached 68.16 billion yuan ($9.57 billion), with China's exports to Egypt reaching 65.37 billion yuan and imports totaling 2.79 billion yuan, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

Speaking on China's economic prospects in 2024, Hanafi highlighted the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in July as an important event that came out with important decisions guiding the country's future development. 

BRICS a hope for Global South 

On January 1, 2024, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Ethiopia officially joined BRICS, doubling the number of its members from five countries to 10.

Hanafi noted that Egypt has joined the BRICS after a process of adhering to the "BRICS Plus" mechanism and engaged in a series of consultations with member economies, adding that Egypt appreciated the role played by China and other leading BRICS member states in encouraging its membership and support the bid for the membership. 

BRICS also represents greater hope for the Global South developing economies. The current financial and political order in the world needs a strong voice from the developing countries, and platforms like the BRICS could help in coordinating among member economies for more representation and a more prominent voice in the global architecture, Hanafi said. 

The aggregate GDP of the BRICS member countries now accounts for about 28 percent of the global economy, hitting $28.5 trillion, while their population, at 3.5 billion, accounts for about 45 percent of the world's total population, according to media reports.

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.

Big Fish & Begonia, Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child, New Gods: Yang Jian... Chinese animated works inspired by China's folk myths have introduced Chinese imagination and aesthetics to international audiences one after another. The rising box-office revenue and hot discussions prove that audiences love to watch Chinese animation. Behind these vivid depictions of Chinese aesthetics and amazing details is China's rapidly developing cloud rendering technology. 

"We have to race against time to ensure that the movie White Snake: Afloat could be released in time for the summer movie season while maintaining a high standard for the visuals," Bian Jinwei, operations and maintenance director of Light Chaser Animation, told the Global Times. "With the cloud rendering from China's tech companies, we can accelerate the post-production process."  

Rendering is the last step of CG imaging. It is also a very important step in animated films. Most film and television special effects and animation works presented in cinemas or on streaming platforms require post-synthesis CG. In those cool and explosive visual blockbusters, virtual characters, props, scenes, and special effects are all inseparable from this process.

According to Bian, film and animation studios used to complete this process with their own computers, which required a lot of waiting. In some cases, wait times for rendering could be one fourth of a whole production.  

China's CG workshop MORE VFX, which is responsible for the special effects of Chinese blockbuster The Wandering Earth 2, revealed that they once worked for six months on a 50-second-long scene. Each time the director proposed revisions, the rendering alone took at least one month to finish. 

In the case of White Snake: Afloat, the time was even longer, said Zhang Liang, a technician from Tencent Cloud. 

After watching the movie, audiences were amazed by the detailed visuals, as they could "distinguish the texture of the clothes on the big screen as being silk or cotton." 

Such special effects come from the powerful processing and computation brought by cloud rendering as "the total rendering time of the film reached 252 million core hours, 80 percent of which were used on rendering the lighting," said Zhang.

The introduction of cloud rendering technology has not only improved efficiency, but also breaks through many limitations of traditional animation production. 

Through the processing of high-performance computing resources and cloud servers, the rendering cycle of the film was reduced by 43 percent.

China's General Administration of Sport held a meeting on Wednesday to address the growing issue of toxic fandom culture, or "fan circle" behavior, within the sports industry, reported the China Sports Daily.

Director of the administration Gao Zhidan stressed that the crackdown on toxic fandom should be integrated into the broader ideological work of the sports system. He called for a strong stance against the escalating "fan circle" behaviors and urged the removal of the conditions that allow such a culture to thrive in the sports domain.

Gao said the increasing influence of fandom culture has disrupted the sports sector and posed significant risks to its healthy development. He also urged to be highly vigilant against the tendency toward the excessive commercialization of sports.

The meeting follows recent statements from the Chinese Table Tennis Association and the Chinese Gymnastics Association on August 17, both of which expressed support for law enforcement actions against illegal activities related to toxic fandom.

On August 15, the Ministry of Public Security disclosed details about four cases in sports.

Olympic women's 3m springboard champion Chen Yiwen revealed on Instagram on Wednesday that she had been the target of malicious rumors spread by two sports journalists. According to the chat screenshots she released, the other party even threatened to add stimulants to Chen's food to get her banned for life.

During an interview aired on August 18, table tennis star Fan Zhendong expressed concerns about the pressure caused by fandom culture, saying it has negatively impacted both his performance and the team's unity.

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

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

During an interview on August 7, Chen urged fans to appreciate the athletes' determination and approach competition outcomes with a balanced perspective, rather than focusing solely on the results.

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

"Those who invade others' privacy should be punished, while those who do not violate the Criminal Law should be educated and warned," Wang said.

Last month, several social media platforms, including Sina Weibo and Douyin, announced measures to combat toxic fandom, such as removing harmful content and suspending or banning related accounts.

China's housing authority said on Friday that it will accelerate the construction of the new model for real estate development as a major reform task for the sector's upcoming work. The focus of the acceleration work will be on six aspects, including the urban real estate financing coordination mechanism, and a white list of developers for financing. 

Observers noted that the implementation of the real estate financing coordination mechanism has been progressing, while the foundation for developing the new model has been further consolidated as some issues in the real estate sector are cleared up.  

Financial support will be granted for qualified projects, aiming to promote a change in financing for developers from relying on company credit to being based on the project's situation itself, Dong Jianguo, vice minister of housing and urban-rural development, told the press conference on Friday. 

Dong also stressed the importance of giving full play to the urban real estate financing coordination mechanism, to include as many eligible projects in the white list as possible, as an important means to ensure the delivery of commercial housing projects. 

Currently, domestic commercial banks have approved more than 5,300 projects under the white list mechanism with approved loans amounting to nearly 1.4 trillion yuan ($196.15 billion), which are being disbursed in accordance with the projects' progress, and have strongly supported the delivery of project construction, Dong said. 

The urban real estate financing coordination mechanism has been promoted effectively, and is also a systematic effort to promote housing delivery and mitigate risks, Yan Yuejin, deputy director of the E-house China R&D Institute in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Friday. 

The mechanism will ensure more home buyers actually move into their properties next year, and will be conducive to boosting consumer demand for home property services, Yan said. 

In addition, China is also advancing reforms in its real estate sector by promoting the sale of properties upon their completion, signaling a shift from the traditional pre-sale model, which is another of the above-mentioned six points of focus. 

Commenting on developing the new model for the real estate sector, Ni Hong, minister of housing and urban-rural development, said that the government should be the mainstay in meeting fixed housing needs, while the market should be the mainstay in meeting diversified and improved housing needs from a systematic perspective. 

Ni also vowed to reform and improve the mechanism for the development, trade, and use of the real estate sector.

Yan noted that the reform and improvement in the mechanism is an important institutional safeguard, and expected major pragmatic changes to take place. 

China and Russia will boost all-round cooperation with exploration in emerging fields and bilateral ties will not be weakened by the sanctions and containment imposed by the US and its allies, Chinese analysts said on Thursday after the two countries signed a joint communique of the 29th regular meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of government and a new version of the outline of the China-Russia investment cooperation plan.

Visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday voiced China's readiness to work with Russia to strengthen all-round cooperation to lift the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era to a new level, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Li made the remarks when co-chairing the 29th regular meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of government with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. In the joint communique issued Wednesday, the two sides agreed that joint efforts will be made to optimize trade structure, create new growth points for the two countries' economies and trade, and promote the development of e-commerce, Xinhua reported.

With 2024 and 2025 designated as the China-Russia Years of Culture, the two sides also agreed to take it as an opportunity to deepen people-to-people exchanges, consolidate popular support for friendship, constantly strengthen the internal driving force of bilateral cooperation, and improve the quality of cooperation.

According to the text of the joint communique released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the two countries will boost all-round cooperation in many fields, and in addition to traditional areas like trade, investment, finance and energy, it also includes pragmatic cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) technology, cybersecurity, and aerospace cooperation.

Yang Jin, an associate research fellow with the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the joint statement shows that China and Russia will keep deepening and expanding their pragmatic cooperation regardless of the impact and pressure from the US and its allies, and it's a certainty that China-Russia relations will keep developing to reach new heights in the future. 

Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, said that apart from planning for pragmatic cooperation, the two countries are also looking forward to solving the problem caused by the blockade, isolation, long-arm jurisdiction and sanctions imposed by the US and some of its allies, which are attempting to contain the rightful development of China and Russia.

"China and Russia will explore new trade routes and improve the interconnectivity on trade ports; the two sides also agree to jointly develop AI and boost cooperation among BRICS members to strengthen connections between industries among the emerging economies," Cui noted.

The Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) unveiled the official medal ceremony uniform for the Chinese delegation at the Paris Olympic Games on Tuesday in Beijing, with elements of the Chinese zodiac dragon used in the decoration.

The new podium ceremony outfit, officially named the "Champions Dragon Outfit," draws deeply from traditional Chinese aesthetics, featuring classic Chinese tailoring and a primary color palette of white. The design integrates elements such as dragon scales using embossing, patchwork, and embroidery techniques. This combination not only conveys China's rich cultural heritage but also embodies the energetic and determined spirit of modern Chinese athletes.

Li Qian, a two-time Olympic medalist in women's middleweight boxing, emphasized the outfit's cultural resonance. "The Year of the Dragon is very auspicious for Chinese people. The dragon-themed outfit is unique, and I hope to wear it on the Paris Olympic podium," Li told reporters. Now 34, she won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics following a bronze in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Many fans anticipate her ascent to the boxing podium.

"We are following a systematic training plan and maximizing our preparations in the final weeks before heading to Paris," Li said of the boxing team's Olympic preparation. "This will mark my third Olympic appearance, and my goal is to stand atop the podium."

"The medal ceremony outfit symbolizes honor and achievement unlike regular training wear. Wearing it signifies earning a medal, perhaps even gold. This outfit holds special significance for every athlete, and I am thrilled at the prospect of wearing it at the Paris Olympics."

Luo Zongshi, a taekwondo athlete who clinched a world championships title in the women's 57 kg category, shared her thoughts on the new outfit. "The design is striking. The dragon scales on the arms provide a sense of armor, and the embroidery is particularly appealing. Overall, it feels well-suited and comfortable. It's breathable and soft, making it ideal for us."

When asked about the emotional significance of the dragon elements, Luo expressed a deep sense of pride. "The name 'Dragon Outfit' and its elements instantly identify us as Chinese athletes to the world. I am eagerly preparing for the Paris Olympics and hope to stand on the highest podium in this outfit, showcasing China's culture."

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is holding intensive foreign military interactions with several countries across three continents, reflecting China's efforts in boosting friendly military cooperation and enhancing global peace and stability, experts said on Sunday.

In Europe, the PLA Navy's Type 052D guided missile destroyer Jiaozuo and Type 903A replenishment ship Honghu is visiting St. Petersburg and attending the celebrations of the 328th anniversary of the Russian Navy before visiting Egypt, with the Jiaozuo joining a Russian naval parade on Sunday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

Another PLA Navy flotilla consisting of the Type 071 comprehensive landing ship Longhushan and the far seas training ship Zheng He is visiting Vladivostok, another Russian port city, for the celebrations.

In Africa, the militaries of China, Tanzania and Mozambique are holding the Peace Unity-2024 joint exercise from late July to mid-August on land and at sea under the subject of joint counter-terrorism military operations, Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of National Defense, announced at a regular press conference on Thursday.

According to reports by CCTV, PLA forces arrived in Tanzania by sea and air over the past days, with the PLA Navy sending two Type 071 comprehensive landing ships, the Wuzhishan and Qilianshan, and a Type 052D guided missile destroyer, the Hefei, and the PLA Air Force sending Y-20 strategic transport aircraft in a multidimensional cross-border delivery operation carrying PLA Army troops and heavy equipment such as armored and assault vehicles.

In Asia, a detachment sent by the PLA Army will participate in the Khaan Quest-2024 multinational peacekeeping exercise in Mongolia in late July, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry.

Before these ongoing events, the PLA wrapped up several other foreign military interactions over the past month, including a China-Russia joint aerial strategic patrol over the Bering Sea, a China-Russia joint naval patrols in the West Pacific and the South China Sea, the China-Belarus Eagle Assault-2024 joint army training in Belarus, and the China-Laos Friendship Shield-2024 joint drill in Laos.

China has engaged in intensive military exchanges, joint exercises and joint patrols with foreign countries recently in moves to boost friendships, understandings and pragmatic cooperation, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday.

Being able to hold simultaneous military interactions across three continents also shows the PLA's capabilities in global reach, as China now has a large number of advanced, ready-for-combat strategic transport aircraft and far seas-capable naval vessels, the expert said.

Many of the military interactions stress counter-terrorism, peacekeeping and regional security issues, while others are friendly visits or celebrations, the experts pointed out, noting that these events are not targeted at any specific third party or regional situation, and are conducive to peace and stability around the world.

Along with Team China, 35,000 high-performance ping pong balls and a wide array of high-tech sports gear descended on the Paris Olympics. Chinese experts and industry players said the situation reflected a profound change in the Chinese industrial sector in the past decade. 

From chip-embedded soccer balls that allow a referee a firmer grasp of match dynamics to a nano-coated judo mattress that resists stains and is easier to clean, the infusion of tech ingredients is the latest case of Chinese companies' growing manufacturing prowess, in addition to cost performance, flexibility and first-rate services, observers said.

"Our company's illuminated table tennis table is a product of constant improvement and innovation for over two decades. The three-dimensional logo utilizes advanced tooling techniques to achieve the desired balance between looks and user friendliness," Lou Shihe, general manager of Shanghai-based DHS, told the Global Times on Monday. DHS is a long-time provider of sports gear to the Olympics.

Yang Xuefeng, brand operations manager at Guangdong-based Double Fish Sports Goods Group Co, told the Global Times on Monday that his company provided 35,000 table tennis balls of "top quality" to the Paris Olympic Games.

"The ping pong balls have an elasticity tolerance under 4 millimeters, a weight tolerance of 0.015 grams, and hardness tolerance of 0.03 millimeters, surpassing International Table Tennis Federation standards. The stringent quality ensures more stable flight, precise landing and better feel," Yang said.

For the first time in the history of the Olympics, the company has innovatively incorporated ball-serving machine technology into the referee table, replacing manual labor with a machine that can precisely send the ball from the table's server to a spot in front of the player, Yang said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a routine press conference on Friday that "made in China" is one of the ways that China participates in the Olympics.

High-quality Chinese products will provide technical and service support for the Paris Olympics and make the event even more stunning visually and technologically, Mao said.

Chinese sports gear was already predominant in many major sports events before the Paris Olympic Games, but it is the Olympics that command the unparallel media spotlight and attention of the masses.

"Just as the 1988 Seoul Olympics demonstrated to the world of the capability of Corporate Japan in factory assembly production, I think the Paris Olympics showed the leading position of Corporate China in the era of smart and intelligent manufacturing," Cao Heping, an economist at Peking University, told the Global Times on Monday.

The realization of complex processing techniques requires best-in-class machine tools, as well as constant and hefty investment in a plant's production line. Sports gear production has become a miniature model of Chinese manufacturing's transformation from large-scale assembly line production to module-based intelligent production featuring high-level automation and informatization, Cao said.

From 2021-23, China has launched smart manufacturing pilot projects and built 421 national-level demonstration factories along with over 10,000 provincial-level digital workshops and smart factories, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

At an executive meeting in May, the State Council adopted an action plan aimed at advancing manufacturing digitalization, and it vowed to channel more energy into the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector to foster new quality productive forces.

Observers said the impressive debut of these high-tech sports gear products at the Paris Olympic Games epitomized the nation's steadfast efforts in transforming and upgrading its manufacturing sector, and the increased brand value and orders of numerous producers across the country showed the tangible benefits of embracing the digital trend.

In the first half of 2024, Chinese manufacturing companies' investment into technological upgrades grew 10 percent year-on-year, which was 0.5 percentage points higher than overall manufacturing investment growth, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

In addition to the technology elements that Chinese companies brought to the Olympics, the traditional advantages of Chinese manufacturing companies, such as advantages in scale and cost, continue to give them an edge.

Some 80 percent of the "Phryge" mascot dolls for the 2024 Paris Olympics were produced by Chinese companies, CGTN reported on Thursday, citing the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee.

Shi Lei, a manager with Ningbo-based Ningbo Donggang Sports Co, told the Global Times on Monday that the company's shuttlecock production is at full throttle to meet an uptick in demand brought by the Games, although summer is not the traditional peak season for badminton products.

"Our orders increased by some 20 percent as the Games approached, and our annual production capacity was fully booked as early as March," Shi said, adding that the value of exports to France alone increased by 35 percent year-on-year in the first half.