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Data released by the Japanese health department on the 24th showed that the number of measles cases in Japan has been increasing recently, with 43 new confirmed cases in the first seven weeks of this year, higher than the same period last year. The government department announced the patient's itinerary and reminded those with the same trajectory to seek medical advice as soon as possible if they develop symptoms such as fever and rash.

Data from the National Health Crisis Management Research Institute of Japan show that as of February 18, a total of 43 measles cases have been reported in Japan this year. Among them, 13 are imported cases, 22 were infected in Japan, and the place of infection has not yet been determined for 8 cases. From a regional perspective, Tokyo, Osaka Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture and Niigata Prefecture have a higher number of confirmed cases. In terms of age, more than half of the confirmed patients are between 20 and 40 years old.

Government departments in Tokyo, Osaka and other places released the patient's itinerary, reminding people who have been to the same place or took the same means of transportation to pay attention to their physical condition within 21 days after coming into contact with the patient. Once symptoms such as fever and rash occur, promptly report the situation to a medical institution, wear a mask when going to see a doctor and avoid taking public transportation.

According to Japanese media, measles is highly contagious. For susceptible people, one patient can infect 12 to 14 people. The incubation period of measles is usually 10 to 12 days, and can be up to 21 days. Symptoms include fever, upper respiratory tract inflammation, cough, conjunctivitis, etc. In severe cases, it can cause complications such as pneumonia.

Data shows that from 2020 to 2022, the number of measles cases in Japan is at a low level, with no more than 10 confirmed cases each year. It rose to 28 cases in 2023, 45 cases in 2024, and surged to 265 cases in 2025.

As soon as China's Spring Festival holiday ended, German Chancellor Mertz led a high-level economic delegation to visit China.

From this calculation, Mertz is the first foreign head of government to visit China in the Lunar Year of the Horse, and can be said to be "leading the way".

The last time a German leader visited China dates back to April 2024 when then-Prime Minister Scholz. Over the past two years, the world situation has undergone earth-shaking changes, and China-Germany relations are facing both new opportunities and new challenges.

German Chancellor Mertz is known for his tough style.

A trip to China that carries many expectations.

This visit to China is Mertz's first official visit to China after taking office as German Chancellor in May last year. The accompanying delegation has a luxurious lineup, including a large number of German political and business leaders. This shows that Mertz has high hopes for this visit and is eager to promote the realization of his strategic vision for China.

A "pragmatic journey" to solve development difficulties.

Economic and trade cooperation has always been the "ballast stone" of China-Germany relations and is also the core driving force of Merz's visit.

In recent years, Germany's economic growth momentum has been insufficient and faced with problems such as the weakening of traditional manufacturing advantages, lagging digital transformation, and high energy costs. Especially after Trump returned to the White House, he wildly wielded the tariff stick, which severely impacted German manufacturing exports such as automobiles and machinery, further exacerbating Germany's economic difficulties.

At the same time, the importance of the Chinese market has become increasingly prominent. According to public data from the German Federal Statistical Office, the total trade volume between China and Germany will reach 253 billion euros in 2025, a year-on-year increase of approximately 2.7%. China has once again replaced the United States as Germany's largest trading partner, playing a vital supporting role in Germany's economic recovery.

More importantly, China's rapid development in new energy, artificial intelligence and other fields is highly complementary to Germany's deep accumulation of high-end manufacturing and green technology, providing important opportunities for Germany's economic transformation.

Merz led the heads of leading companies such as Volkswagen and Siemens to visit China this time. The core goals are to stabilize the supply chain, expand the Chinese market, attract Chinese investment, and inject a "boost" into the German economy.

The German automobile industry relies on the Chinese market for about one-third of its sales.

A "positioning journey" to calibrate the direction of cooperation.

In recent years, influenced by the strategic game between China and the United States and changes in ideological trends within Europe, Germany has become increasingly tough on China, and the "de-risking" argument against China has damaged political mutual trust between the two sides to a certain extent.

In October last year, German Foreign Minister Walderfurt made inappropriate remarks on Taiwan-related issues, which once led to the temporary cancellation of his visit to China.

In order to stabilize bilateral relations, the Mertz government has taken a series of pragmatic diplomatic actions: on November 17, German Deputy Chancellor and Finance Minister Klingbeyer visited China; in late November, Mertz and Prime Minister Li Qiang met in Johannesburg when attending the G20 Summit; in early December, German Foreign Minister Waldful resumed his visit to China and had in-depth dialogue with the Chinese side, paving the way for Mertz's visit to China.

Therefore, another important goal of Merz's visit is to have face-to-face communication with Chinese high-level officials, recalibrate the positioning of Sino-German relations, promote Sino-German relations from fluctuation to stability, establish an interactive model with pragmatic cooperation as the main tone, and lay the foundation for further deepening cooperation between the two countries.

On January 22, Merz delivered a speech at the Davos Forum in Switzerland, pointing out that maintaining good cooperation with China is a key path for Germany to improve its economic competitiveness.

A "breakout journey" seeking independent development.

Currently, Trump is holding high the banner of "America First", imposing tariffs on European allies, exerting defense pressure, and even threatening to seize Greenland. A series of bullying behaviors accelerated Europe's strategic awakening.

As the largest economy in Europe, Germany is also clearly aware that it must get rid of its over-reliance on the United States in order to effectively protect its national interests.

This visit to China is a key measure for Mertz to achieve a strategic breakthrough. He wants to take advantage of China's development opportunities and international influence to enhance Germany's voice in Europe and even the global landscape.

In particular, Trump is likely to visit China in April this year. Mertz's visit at this time also hopes to seize the strategic initiative in the triangular relationship between China, the United States and Europe.

During this visit, in addition to economic and trade cooperation, Merz will also communicate with China on international and regional issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, so as to seek a peaceful and stable development environment for Germany and Europe.

The "two sides" of pragmatic cooperation.

Merz's visit sends a positive signal of pragmatic cooperation with China and is an important opportunity for the further deepening of Sino-German relations. However, it should be noted that this is not a signal that Germany is strategically moving closer to China.

As a conservative from the Christian Democratic Union, Mertz's political stance has a distinct conservative flavor and a hard-line tendency towards China. Coupled with the pressure from conservative forces such as the far-right Alternative for Germany, as well as the United States' continued coercion of Europe, Germany's overall attitude towards China is still "two-sided."

In late January, the German government announced a new energy vehicle subsidy plan totaling 3 billion euros, clearly including Chinese car companies and expressing its sincerity in cooperation with China.

But within a few days, German Foreign Minister Walder Fuhr once again publicly made unfriendly remarks against China in his speech in Singapore, declaring that "Germany will always stand with the United States, and its relationship with China will never be equidistance." He defined China as a "challenger to the rules-based international order," and hyped up ideological opposition.

From this point of view, the development of Sino-German relations is still affected by many factors and is highly complex. We should also view Mertz's visit dialectically.

Overall, Mertz's visit to China is an important attempt by Germany to seek a strategic breakthrough in the context of accelerating restructuring of the global order and increasing pressure on its own economy.

In the short term, Sino-German relations may usher in a wave of "Little Indian Spring". But in the long run, how to develop relations with China rationally and pragmatically will test the strategic vision and political wisdom of German leaders…

The Japanese government has decided to officially implement the "Reward System for Reporting Illegal Foreigners Staying" from fiscal year 2026 (starting April 1), and the first pilot area is Ibaraki Prefecture. Anyone who provides effective clues to the police or the Immigration and Immigration Agency and successfully leads to the arrest of illegal immigrants will receive a reward of 50,000 yen (approximately RMB 2,300). This is the first time Japan has used bounties nationwide to encourage private participation in combating illegal immigration.

Ibaraki Prefecture was chosen as a pilot because the number of foreign workers in the county has surged and the problem of visa overstays is more prominent. According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice, there are approximately 82,000 foreigners illegally staying in Japan (as of the end of 2025). The main countries of origin are:

– Vietnam (about 18%)

– Thailand (about 15%)

– South Korea (about 14%)

– China, Philippines, Indonesia and other countries also account for a large proportion

Among them, the number of Vietnamese overstayers has ranked first for many years in a row, and they are mainly engaged in agriculture, construction, nursing and other fields. The Japanese government believes that the bounty system can effectively mobilize private forces, make up for the lack of law enforcement resources, and at the same time deter potential defaulters.

Justice Minister Takeru Saito said: "This is not targeted at a specific country, but to maintain a fair residence order. The reward amount is set at 50,000 yen, which is the result of comprehensive consideration of the cost of reporting and the incentive effect." The governor of Ibaraki Prefecture added that the privacy of whistleblowers will be strictly protected during the pilot period and a dedicated hotline will be established.

Once this move was announced, it immediately triggered bipolar reactions on the Japanese Internet. Supporters believe that "this should have been done long ago" and can reduce the waste of social resources and security risks; opponents worry that it may lead to racial discrimination, the proliferation of false reports, and even evolve into "reward witch hunts."

Currently, this system is only being piloted in Ibaraki Prefecture, and the Ministry of Justice plans to decide whether to extend it nationwide based on the results of implementation. The Japanese Residency Administration has emphasized that rewards are only for "conclusive and effective clues" and will not reward simple "suspicions" or "malicious reports".

Source: NHK, Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun.

In the rush to grab tickets during the return rush hour, some netizens fell into the early morning waiting notice of 12306.

Recently, a topic about "12306 midnight waiting list is successful and the 1,700 yuan ticket is invalid" has become a hot search topic, triggering heated discussions across the Internet. During the peak period of the return trip, a netizen was asleep and did not check the waiting list success notification sent at 3 a.m. when he woke up. The train had already departed. The nearly 1,700 yuan ticket could not be fully refunded. He could only change the ticket and bear the 40% handling fee and price difference.

The person involved said that because he failed to get tickets, he submitted a waiting order for multiple trains. There was still no ticket near departure. He had no choice but to increase the price and "buy a few more stops" before successfully purchasing the ticket. However, he did not expect that the system would suddenly honor the previous waiting order in the early morning. What makes it even more difficult for her to accept is that the itineraries of the two tickets are highly overlapping, the system did not effectively intercept them, and the loss of nearly 1,700 yuan was entirely borne by the individual.

As soon as this incident came out, netizens immediately became angry and complained that the rules of 12306 were "too cold".

Many netizens said that 3 a.m. is the time for deep sleep. It relies only on text messages and APP push notifications. There is no phone reminder or forced pop-up window, so it is easy to miss it. Some netizens questioned, "Why not block itinerary conflicts?" Since the system can identify itinerary conflicts, why can't it automatically terminate waitlisted orders with overlapping itineraries, or at least give a second confirmation reminder? It's all up to the passengers themselves to keep an eye on it, and any carelessness can lead to heavy losses.

In the face of the controversy, 12306 customer service gave a response. It can be summed up in one sentence: This is the rule. Passengers have to take the initiative to cancel redundant waiting orders. The system only acts according to the rules.

First of all, we need to make it clear that the rules must be formulated with the interests of the majority of people in mind.

We are not trying to overturn the rule, but we just hope it can be more user-friendly. For example, can we optimize the notification logic so as not to send out standby success notifications in the early morning or late at night, or add phone reminders and APP forced pop-ups to ensure that passengers can see it.

Another example is to improve conflict detection. If a ticket for a certain train has been purchased, the system will automatically terminate the waitlist order with overlapping itineraries, or at least give a second confirmation reminder. If the order is successfully placed on the late night waiting list, can you give more time so that passengers have time to confirm and cancel? Don't cancel it immediately if it is missed.

The waitlist mechanism was originally designed to solve the difficulty of grabbing tickets. The original intention of the 24-hour redemption rule was to increase ticket utilization. However, due to the unlimited redemption time, loopholes in the itinerary interception mechanism, and single reminder method, many passengers suffered losses and increased anxiety about grabbing tickets.

It is the passenger's obligation to abide by the ticket purchase rules, but as a public service platform, the design of 12306's rules should take into account both efficiency and temperature. It is expected that the railway department will optimize the waiting system and use more refined services to make people traveling during the Spring Festival less troublesome.

Sometimes after watching a movie, what remains in your heart is not the scene or the lines, but an emotion that makes you want to stand up, go out, and do something you have been hesitant to do.

That's what "The Bodyguard" gave me.

Six tough battles, each one is a hurdle

There are six heavy action scenes in the film, and none of Yuan Woo-Ping's designs are repeated.

It’s not that the fighting styles are not repetitive, but that each game carries a different narrative weight. After each game is played, the story moves forward a step, the character’s situation changes, and the direction of fate also changes.

The first scene is the opening chase in the desert, which establishes the world view and at the same time establishes the character of Daoma. More than a dozen horses running wildly in the yellow sand tell us from the first second that this is no ordinary martial arts movie.

The function of this scene is to set the tone and let us know what level of stuff we are going to see next.

In every subsequent fight, there was something heavier behind the fight.

Chang Guiren fights one against two, which is Jet Li's improvement in the entire movie. The skills of the older generation can still hold the scene here.

The two most frequently mentioned battles between Wu Jing and Nicholas Tse in the entire film are the ones that have been mentioned repeatedly by the audience.

The first one was in a sandstorm. The yellow sand was overwhelming, and the two men fought in almost zero visibility. Nicholas Tse took advantage of the wind to attack frequently, while Dao Ma defended in a panic against the wind.

These actions were recreated by the crew using real natural environments. On the one hand, tailwinds and headwinds actually represent the positions and values ​​of two people. On the other hand, the action scenes in the wind test the skills of the director and actors. This duel in the wind and sand of the desert is one of the most exciting and beautiful scenes in the film.

The second scene is in the firelight. Moonlight, desert, flames, two people fighting close to each other, the long lens preserved every detail. This fight is not just about skill, it is about the grudges and grudges between two people that have lasted for more than ten years. It is the kind of complicated relationship in which colleagues become rivals and rivals cherish each other.

After the fight, those watching had an indescribable feeling in their hearts. It was not simply a feeling of relief, but a sinking feeling.

After six games, each game has its own emotional coordinates. Some are passionate, some are heavy, and some make people feel sad at the end. Yuan Heping did not use the fight scene as a spectacle, but as a narrative. This is the way people who truly understand martial arts would handle it.

There is a poem by Tao Yuanming in the film, which Xiao Qi recited in a stumbling child's voice: "After being in a cage for a long time, you can return to nature."

Daoma was once the Zuo Xiao Cavalry Guard of the Sui Dynasty Forbidden Army. He had a structure and a position. Then his family was destroyed overnight and he became the second most wanted criminal in the world. He made a living as a escort in the desert with a child.

This time, he took the escort to escort Tomoyo to Chang'an. His reason for accepting it in the first place was very simple, that is, to repay a favor.

But in the end, it was no longer repayment.

Chishiro represents another possibility, that in troubled times there are people who are still thinking about "making the world a better place." The sword and horse protect not only one person, but the possibility and his own path that he cannot let go of. In a world where rules are broken, you still stick to your own rules.

The escort has a promise, life and death depend on each other. Put in the desert at the end of the Sui Dynasty, this sentence was more important than any heroic words.

Watching the entire movie, I kept thinking about one thing. In the story, everyone is on the road, running to somewhere. Ayuya wants to go back to build her own desert, Chishiro wants to go to Chang'an to light the fire, and Daoma wants to protect Xiaoqi from this dead place.

Their destinations are different, but what drives them is the same thing. There is a place in their hearts worth fighting for.

This is the most touching core of martial arts. It is not how beautiful the fighting is, but why these people fight.

In reality, there are no deserts, no chasing soldiers, and no escort missions spanning thousands of miles. But everyone has a "Chang'an" in their hearts.

That thing you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet, that place you’ve always wanted to go but haven’t gone yet, that person you want to be.

When I watch this movie this year, I will have a very specific impulse after watching it. It is not a chicken-blooded slogan, but a quiet and down-to-earth thought: This year, go for it.

It doesn’t matter if you try and fail. Daoma's escort journey was not smooth either.

After all, "The Daredevil" itself is a story about "going out".

Yuan Heping is eighty-one years old and has been in the industry for more than sixty years. He has already made all the classics he can and has nothing to prove. But he still took his team to the Xinjiang Gobi for nearly half a year. In the extreme environment of -10°C to 55°C, he insisted on real-life shooting, real skills, and "no pretense."

Wu Jing did not care about the decline of the martial arts film market, but he recruited such a large lineup and got it done.

Jet Li returned to the martial arts screen after 14 years, and at the age of over sixty, he performed the same set of moves.

None of these people needed to prove themselves through "Dart Man", but they are all here.

For what reason, they made it clear. Martial arts should not disappear, real kung fu should not disappear, this thing is worth fighting for again.

On the first day of the new year, I walked into a movie theater and watched the sky filled with yellow sand, the glint of swords and the shadows of swords, and a group of people going to their own deaths and running towards their own Chang'an.

After reading it, if something in your heart is loosened, ignited, and you want to move forward, then go ahead.

Life is a wilderness, not a track. Your Chang'an is waiting for you to go there.

Peter Mandelson was sacked as Britain's ambassador to Washington last September over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. On Monday, the former political giant was formally arrested by British police on suspicion of misconduct as a public official.

The arrests come just days after Prince Andrew, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was detained and questioned for several hours by British police on Thursday on suspicion of similar misconduct in public office.

For Mandelson, who has been in British politics for 40 years and is a good dancer, Monday's sudden arrest is tantamount to a devastating blow, pushing his political career into the abyss.

adventurous diplomat candidate

In the eyes of many political observers, promoting Mandelson to the position of British Ambassador to the United States was an extremely risky move in itself.

At that time, his affair with Epstein was an open secret. Although British Prime Minister Keir Starmer strongly defended himself after the incident, claiming that Mandelson had deliberately concealed and lied about the true extent of their relationship.

Looking back on his tumultuous political career, Mandelson was twice forced to resign from core government positions due to extremely embarrassing personal scandals.

In addition, he has previously publicly criticized US President Trump as a "white supremacist" and a "threat facing the world." These sharp remarks have led to fierce bombardment and resistance from Trump’s core allies.

However, after taking office, the 72-year-old Mandelson incredibly quickly integrated into and became a frequent visitor to Washington's top social circles, and even frequently visited the White House to participate in important affairs.

The good times did not last long. After only seven months in office, his lingering old relationship with Epstein turned into a haunting nightmare again.

In a scathing statement, the British Foreign Office pointed out that the "depth and breadth" of the relationship between the two men, as confirmed by internal emails first disclosed by Bloomberg, was "materially and materially different from the circumstances known to the British government at the time of his appointment."

Faced with irrefutable evidence, Prime Minister Starmer finally had to make a painful decision and directly dismissed Mandelson from his diplomatic post.

focus of criminal investigation

Since the beginning of this year, the political storm has not subsided, but has intensified.

The U.S. Department of Justice released the latest batch of top-secret files on Epstein on January 30. The bombshell documents reveal that Mandelson's friendship with the disgraced sex offender and financial tycoon was far closer than he had previously admitted to the public.

What is even more shocking is that the clues in the file seem to imply that during his tenure in a senior position in the British government, Mandelson most likely secretly conveyed core information involving state secrets to Epstein that could affect the direction of the financial market.

Just this month, the British police officially launched a full-scale criminal investigation into Mandelson's serious accusation of "misconduct in a public office."

As of now, Mandelson has not been formally charged with a criminal offense. Since announcing his resignation from the Labor Party on February 1, he has chosen to remain silent and has not made any public comments to the outside world.

However, in the early stages of the controversy, he issued a strong defense statement, insisting that the documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice "absolutely cannot prove any improper performance of my duties or illegal activities on my part."

political strategist

Going back to 1992, Mandelson entered parliament for the first time as a Labor MP. With his keen political sense, he helped to create the core ideas of the famous "New Labor Party".

It was the successful operation of this concept that strongly promoted Tony Blair to successfully enter No. 10 Downing Street in 1997 and ascend to the position of Prime Minister.

However, Mandelson's official career was not all smooth sailing. He resigned from important government positions twice due to scandals he triggered. He was forced out of office in 1998 after he concealed a huge housing loan from a cabinet colleague.

In 2001, he resigned again after being accused of using his position to try to interfere with the passport application process on behalf of a generous political donor.

From 2004 to 2008, he went to Brussels to serve as the European Union Trade Commissioner. However, during this period, the multilateral negotiations on global trade agreements that he was deeply involved in eventually collapsed.

He has since been recalled to the inner circle of the British government. As an important senior member of Brown's cabinet at the time, he not only won a lifetime seat in the House of Lords, but was also canonized as Lord Mandelson.

The latest disclosure of confidential documents has torn away another layer of secrecy. After the Labor Party suffered an electoral defeat in 2010 and lost its majority in parliament, he co-founded a consulting agency with Epstein's strong encouragement and advice.

This institution, called Global Consulting Company, had no choice but to initiate bankruptcy liquidation proceedings last week due to the recent loss of core major clients.

It was not until last year that Mandelson, who was always good at dancing, returned to the public eye and the center of power as ambassador to the United States.

Scandal shakes government to its foundations

After the intricate entanglement of interests between Mandelson and Epstein was exposed, it triggered a huge public anger. This anger was like triggering a political earthquake, directly shaking the highest levels of British politics.

The leader of the Scottish Labor Party even used fierce words, publicly demanding that Prime Minister Starmer must resign for his serious negligence in appointing Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.

Faced with overwhelming pressure, Starmer has so far maintained his position as prime minister in Downing Street.

In a public speech this month, he solemnly expressed a belated apology to all the victims of the Epstein case and admitted that Mandelson should not have been pushed into that key position in the first place.

"I would like to express my deepest apologies," he said in a heavy tone. "I am deeply sorry that so many people in power have ruthlessly failed you. I am deeply saddened and regretful that I believed Mandelson's lies."

Contributor: Amelia Nirenberg, international correspondent for The New York Times in London

First media: "The New York Times"

Source: Who Is Peter Mandelson?

A senior FBI official said at a press conference this morning (24th) that he was surprised by the problem of telecom fraud in some areas of Southeast Asia, especially the scale of large-scale telecom fraud centers there.

However, the United States has avoided questions about whether it hopes to cooperate with China to combat such crimes.

The press conference was held remotely by the Asia-Pacific Media Center of the U.S. State Department at 9 a.m. Beijing time on the 24th. The content of the press conference was Scott Sherbull, an official from the International Operations Division of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), introducing the telecommunications fraud problem in the region that he learned during his visit to Southeast Asia.

At the meeting, Scherbull first revealed the reason why he was paying attention to this issue, saying that more and more Americans are being victimized by telecom fraud criminal gangs from the region. He emphasized that the violations were not carried out by scattered individual criminals, but by "well-organized and well-resourced" criminal groups.

"I visited several large-scale fraud complexes on the spot. Although it was only from a distance, it is difficult to truly understand the staggering scale of these fraud crimes without seeing it with your own eyes – there are entire facilities here dedicated to committing crimes in an industrialized manner. It completely changes your perception of this threat," Sherbull said.

Sherbull also said that since these electronic fraud criminal gangs are distributed in many countries in Southeast Asia, the United States will carry out coordinated law enforcement with countries in the region.

Public information shows that since China is the main victim of electronic fraud crimes, China has been vigorously cracking down on electronic fraud gangs entrenched in Southeast Asia through transnational coordinated law enforcement for many years, and has achieved quite remarkable results – including the elimination of the "four major families" of electronic fraud in northern Myanmar in recent years.

In comparison, the United States has insufficient knowledge of such organized large-scale electronic fraud centers in Southeast Asia. It once thought that the problem was limited to the local area. However, with the development of related technologies, some electronic fraud groups have gradually begun to shift their targets to Western countries, hoping to avoid attacks from China by switching their "hunting targets" to other countries.

Regarding this change, China has clearly expressed its willingness to cooperate with other injured parties. According to Xinhua News Agency, China and the United States jointly handled a transnational telecommunications network fraud case in 2024 and helped a Zhejiang company and its American partner recover more than 1.7 million US dollars in defrauded funds. A Chinese scholar also wrote an article in the media last year, believing that cracking down on electronic fraud may be the next step in Sino-US law enforcement cooperation.

In February this year, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng also stated at an event that China and the United States should explore opportunities for cooperation on multiple matters, including combating telecommunications fraud and anti-money laundering.

However, at the press conference of the US State Department, China did not appear among the countries that Sherbull mentioned that the United States would seek cooperation with. Brother Geng learned that during the question-and-answer session of the press conference, although some Chinese media had submitted relevant questions early on, asking Sherbul whether the United States was willing to seek cooperation with China, and also mentioned that China's rich joint law enforcement experience and outstanding results in combating electronic fraud crimes in Southeast Asia might be helpful to the United States, the US State Department personnel who hosted the press conference did not submit this question to Sherbul for an answer.

In this regard, some scholars who study Sino-US relations believe that the US's avoidance of the issue of cooperation with China at this press conference may be due to a relatively narrow geopolitical consideration.

The scholar believes that combating telecommunications fraud is something that is beneficial to the whole world. The United States should take a pragmatic stance and work together with China, which has shown a willingness to cooperate, to cooperate on this matter where there is no essential conflict of interest between China and the United States. Moreover, the scholar believes that the United States should openly acknowledge the benefits of such cooperation to the United States, because this will not only protect more people in the world from harm, but also help strengthen the relationship between China and the United States, a major country that has a far-reaching impact on the world.

Review | Lu Changyin

When the lights of the theater intersect with light and dark, and when the joys and sorrows of a century interweave with the fireworks of the world, an observer who has been deeply involved in Beijing theater for more than 40 years uses his pen as a ruler and his heart as ink to condense hundreds of feasts in two years into text sketches. Qi Yimin's 2026 new work "Hundred Operas: A Beijing Audience's "Atonal" Theater Sketching", as the sequel to "Hundred Operas Banquet", is not only a cross-category aesthetic wandering, but also a Beijing-style theater viewing note. It is also a sincere confession dedicated to art and life by a cultural scholar and life observer. This collection of essays takes "atonality" as its core, breaking the shackles of stereotyped comments and giving each text both artistic quality and warmth of life, making it a rare guide for those who love theater.

"Hundred Operas: A Beijing Audience's "Atonal" Theater Sketches", written by Qi Yimin, published by Research Press in 2026

"Atonality" is the most distinctive soul of this collection of essays, and it is also the unique background for Qi Yimin's viewing and creation of dramas. Different from the obscurity of academic drama criticism and the superficiality of entertainment criticism, he uses the transparency of a "capital native" and the speculation of a cultural scholar to abandon the fixed review framework and let the feelings of watching the performance flow naturally. The hundreds of texts included in the book correspond to the hundreds of performances he watched at the National Center for the Performing Arts and other major theaters in the capital between September 2022 and April 2024. There is no deliberate praise or criticism, no rigid theory accumulation, only the most authentic feelings and the most vivid records, just like the unconventional improvisation in the theater, free and powerful. This kind of "atonality" is actually the most sincere aesthetic expression – not bound by genre, not kidnapped by authority, only based on inner touch, making every essay a unique mark of watching the drama.

Hundreds of operas are gathered together, and everything coexists. The words in the book are like a panoramic picture of contemporary stage art. With a broad vision, Qi Yimin has extended his brushwork to drama, Peking opera, ballet, symphony, opera, pingtan and many other art categories, taking into account ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad, and for both refined and popular tastes. There are deep echoes of classic dramas such as "Thunderstorm" and "Xiaojing Hutong", as well as graceful and lengthy opera passages such as "The Suo Lin Bag" and "The Princess of the Tang Dynasty", as well as dance spectaculars such as Yang Liping's "Peacock" and the Mariinsky Theater Ballet. The banquet is visually stunning; it includes the peak performances of art masters such as Buchbinder and Yuja Wang, the delicate interpretations of senior actors such as Liu Mintao and He Bing, and the pyrotechnics of mass performances such as Guo Degang's cross talk and Han Hong's concert. From the philosophy of Chekhov's "The Seagull" to the gentleness of Suzhou Pingtan's "Thunderstorm", from the solemnity of the Vienna Symphony Concert to the humor of the Deyun Society's special performance, the hundreds of plays are all-encompassing, just like a "family portrait" of contemporary theater art and artists, fully displaying the diverse charm and elegance of the times on the capital's stage.

Qi Yimin has an interdisciplinary background including a bachelor's degree in economics, a master's degree in public administration, and a doctorate in comparative literature, as well as more than ten years of overseas life experience. This makes his writing humorous, elegant, magnanimous and natural, and his comments have both depth and warmth. He would use vivid metaphors such as "hands like king crabs" to describe Bogorelic's playing. He would think of the fireworks in Zhuozhou and Bazhou when commenting on Shi Yihong's "Suolin Bag". He would look back at the years while listening to "Long March Suite" and seamlessly connect his feelings about the performance with his life experience and thinking about the times. There is no piling up of gorgeous words in the article, but the real meaning can be seen in the plain, and the deep feelings are hidden in the details. As the editor said, he has transformed into a "drama magician" and used sketching techniques to transform hundreds of performances into a smart "magic picture", allowing readers to be immersed in the scene and feel the unique charm of each performance even if they are not in the theater.

The value of this work has long gone beyond an ordinary theater viewing guide and has become a spiritual journey that connects art and life, tradition and contemporary times. It is not only a summary of Qi Yimin's personal performance viewing experience, but also a microcosm of the capital's drama and music stage in recent years, with distinct immediacy and contemporary characteristics. In the book, we see not only hundreds of wonderful performances, but also an observer's awe for art and love for life – he will be moved by the actors' ingenuity, sigh for the inheritance of classics, applaud the vitality of public performance, and also think about the nature of art and the meaning of time while watching the play. For readers who love art and theater, "Hundred Opera Collection" is a "super interesting guide" that guides us to unlock a new perspective of watching dramas; for ordinary readers, it is a window that allows us to feel the charm of art in words and appreciate the beauty of life in fireworks.

The theater may come to an end, but the love of art and life will never fade away. Qi Yimin used hundreds of words to freeze the two years of theater time. With "atonal" sincerity, he broke down the barriers between art and life, letting us understand that art is never a lofty spring and snow, but a spiritual nourishment that blends with fireworks and touches people's hearts. "A Collection of Hundred Operas" is like a pot of warm tea, sweet after reading it for the first time, but sweet again after tasting it. In this two-year aesthetic journey, we not only gained the influence of art, but also understood the meaning of love – treating art with a sincere heart and embracing life with a transparent heart. This is the precious revelation left to us by "Hundred Opera Collection".

February 24th marks the fourth anniversary of the escalation of the Ukraine crisis. Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are difficult and the road to peace is long. The stalemate on the battlefield is also profoundly affecting social sentiment in Ukraine.

The frontline defense is tight and Uzbekistan’s local counterattack is difficult to change the strategic deadlock

The focus of the current exchange of fire is still concentrated on the Donbas and the southern front. Among them, the direction of Pokrovsk is regarded by Ukraine as one of the most stressful areas. Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Sersky recently stated that the Russian army continues to gather reserve forces locally in an attempt to find a breakthrough, and frontline defenses are still tight. At the same time, the Ukrainian army is also trying to stabilize the front through local counterattacks. The Ukrainian airborne assault force recently announced that in its counterattack in the south, it had eliminated Russian reconnaissance and sabotage forces in an area of ​​more than 300 square kilometers and regained control of many residential areas. The Ukrainian military also stated that since the end of January this year, it has regained control of approximately 400 square kilometers and 8 residential areas along the Alexandrivsk front. However, domestic military analysts in Ukraine generally believe that these actions are still tactical counterattacks within a defensive framework, and there has not yet been a breakthrough sufficient to change the strategic pattern.

Polls show Ukrainians support negotiations but oppose territorial concessions

The stalemate on the battlefield is also profoundly affecting social sentiment in Ukraine. On the one hand, long-term consumption has given the public more realistic expectations for "guaranteed peace"; on the other hand, territory and sovereignty are still regarded as untouchable red lines. A number of recent polls have shown that the majority of the public supports ending the conflict through negotiations, but at the same time clearly opposes any form of territorial concessions. At the diplomatic level, Ukraine, Russia and the United States have had multiple rounds of contacts through different channels over the past year regarding ceasefire arrangements and security guarantees, but core differences remain obvious. Ukrainian President Zelensky recently emphasized again that Ukraine is willing to make real compromises for peace, but will not accept conditions that undermine sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Ukraine internally discusses military planning, saying it can fight for a long time

At the same time, some media revealed that Ukraine has begun internal discussions on military planning for the next few years. Pivnenko, commander of the Ukrainian National Guard, also said that Ukraine has the ability to continue fighting for several years, and the goal is still to control all territory. These statements show that Kyiv is not optimistic about achieving a breakthrough through negotiations in the short term.

Overall, there are no key variables that can quickly change the situation, whether at the military or diplomatic level. For some time to come, the game between Russia and Ukraine is likely to continue in this dual-track state of "intense exchanges of fire on the front lines and slow progress in negotiations."

As the Spring Festival approaches, more and more family members are returning home at major high-speed rail stations in China, but the luggage they carry with them is getting less and less.

In the waiting hall of Beijing South Railway Station, passengers no longer travel in large packages. Many people pack lightly. One suitcase and a schoolbag have become standard equipment. Some men only travel with backpacks.

Xiao Xiaoxu, who returned to Qingdao with his children from Tianjin West Railway Station for the New Year this year, told a reporter from China News Service that their luggage had been sent home by express in advance. Xiao Xiaoxu said that she has become accustomed to traveling light, especially after having children, so she prefers to reduce her luggage so that she can only take care of her children on the road, making it easier for herself. "I'm still in the car now, but my luggage is already at home," she said.

On February 13, Xiao Xiaoxu and his son were at the station. The mother and son only carried a small number of backpacks. Photo by China News Service reporter Wang Mengyao

Yang Yue, a logistics operations expert at JD.com, told a reporter from China News Service that the trend of people traveling lightly and simply has become increasingly obvious in recent years. Judging from JD Logistics data, recently, the volume of personal mailing business represented by luggage and New Year goods has increased by about 190% year-on-year, and has increased by more than 30% compared with the same period before the Lunar New Year last year, and the demand growth becomes more obvious as the Spring Festival approaches.

The formation of this travel habit is inseparable from the increasing perfection of China’s express delivery network. Since the "14th Five-Year Plan", China has built the world's largest mailing and delivery network with the largest number of beneficiaries. The breadth and depth of postal access in rural and border areas has been significantly improved, the number of business outlets has increased nearly 1.5 times compared with five years ago, and all border natural villages across the country have postal services. The reach of express logistics extends further and deeper, releasing the needs of more people.

Among the luggage brought home during the New Year, New Year gifts for relatives and friends account for a large proportion. Yang Yue said that many people will buy mutton from Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Gansu before the festival. Many southerners will choose to buy cold-water fish from Chagan Lake in Jilin, and northerners will tend to try fresh fruits from the south.

He said that in the past, the cost of transporting mutton from Xinjiang to other regions was high, and the long land transportation time was not consistent with the characteristics of fresh food. Air transportation was also affected by the reduction of flights in the off-season of tourism. This year, JD Logistics started using all-cargo aircraft for transportation. The business volume of this part has increased significantly. Basically, all cargo aircraft are fully loaded every day and even supply exceeds supply.

Now, mutton from the northwest and fruits from Hainan may appear on the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner table at the same time. Behind this is the ultimate pursuit of "freshness" by cold chain preservation technology. It is also inseparable from the integrated transportation network of roads, railways, and air transport, and it is also inseparable from the accelerated application of large models in demand forecasting, intelligent dispatching, path planning and other scenarios.

In addition to going home to celebrate the New Year, many Chinese people also choose to travel to celebrate the New Year. During the Spring Festival travel under the concept of "reunion", the whole family, old and young, go out together, reducing the burden of luggage and giving rise to the express delivery service market.

Facing market demand, SF Culture and Tourism provides convenient logistics support during this Spring Festival. Currently, SF luggage delivery services have been launched simultaneously in more than 20 core tourist cities across the country, covering popular destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Hangzhou. As of the end of January 2026, SF Express has entered more than 500 transportation hubs, more than 300 scenic spots, covering more than 20,000 hotels, and has established cooperation with more than 30 cultural and tourism departments (bureaus) and multiple leading cultural and tourism brands.

The improvement of the express delivery service network is gradually changing the way people celebrate the New Year, and the Chinese New Year journey is becoming increasingly easier. (over)