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Zhang Wenhong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, director of the National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, director of the Institute of Infection and Health at Fudan University, and director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Huashan Hospital, was invited by Li Hongbing, a distinguished professor at Fudan University, to attend the School of Journalism's "I'm on the Spot" series of lectures and start a dialogue with future journalists titled "Medicine and News: The Power of Health Communication."

Jiefang Daily·Shangguan News reporters participated in the nearly three-hour lecture and dialogue. As a "person present" who was at the eye of the public opinion storm, he said: "Public opinion is a double-edged sword. It can hurt people, but it can also save people. We cannot tear down the square because we are afraid of being hurt, but we must learn how to have rational dialogue in the square."

"hide"

After several years, the impression of meeting Zhang Wenhong for the first time still left Li Hongbing "unforgettable".

It was 2020, and the epidemic hit suddenly. Li Hongbing, who was the deputy director of the People's Daily Shanghai Branch at the time, vaguely felt that he was "hard" towards the news media, and from time to time he "taunted" reporters who asked unprofessional questions. Although she had already written popular articles such as "How to Get Rid of Zhang Wenhong's Dark Circles", she praised him for being "professional, harmonious, truth-telling, down-to-earth, and straightforward" and was "the reassurance the public needs most."

Zhang Wenhong cried out. After getting acquainted with each other, he confessed to Li Hongbing that he was indeed "quite resistant" to reporters at first and wished to "avoid the news."

But the news didn't let him go.

In the three years since the epidemic, he has gone from being the director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Shanghai Huashan Hospital to a public figure who accidentally became a hot topic. In order to tell the public the real situation, he even set up a self-media account. It was not until May 6, 2023, that Zhang Wenhong decided to issue the "last one". On that day, the World Health Organization declared that the new coronavirus epidemic no longer constituted a "public health emergency of international concern."

After wanting to leave countless times, he finally waited for the right time.

He wrote: "The virus will still exist, and the pandemic has passed. As far as the epidemic is concerned, the whole world is in the same situation. Everything we go through now will make us better face the future. Let us say goodbye for now and speed up to get back to normal work. No matter life is difficult or easy, as long as we don't quit, we will eventually see the future we expect."

Anatomy

Therefore, standing on the podium of the School of Journalism at Fudan University, Zhang Wenhong laughed and said that he had "no escape". The person who invited him this time was Li Hongbing, who has become a distinguished professor at Fudan University and serves as the "Project Director of the Wangdao Journalism Excellence Class".

Li Hongbing once graduated from the journalism department of Fudan University. After graduating from school, he worked as a journalist for most of his life. He published more than one million words of works in the People's Daily. He is considered to be the earliest public interpreter of Fudan's folk school motto "free but useless". In her opinion, Zhang Wenhong is one of the most worth-seeing news figures of this era. When she returned to her alma mater to teach, she wanted to invite this doctor, who had been "pursued by reporters for three years," to talk to future reporters.

"My major is medicine, but objectively speaking, I can't help being written as a news person by you. So we are all news people." The atmosphere in the audience became lively. These are by no means polite words. What Zhang Wenhong wants to talk about is something he has slowly figured out during the three years he was "forced" to become a journalist: What is the relationship between medicine and journalism?

The students in the audience listened quietly, as if he was taking an anatomy class – dissecting two souls who seemed to have different professions.

bottom line

Throughout the speech, he teased out at least four similarities between medicine and journalism.

First, they are all case teachings, and each case is unique.

"We in medicine have always believed that every patient is different." Zhang Wenhong said that the core of medicine is that every case cannot be copied. He took the current AI assistance as an example. AI can give average diagnostic results, but high-level doctors know that for superficially similar things, the underlying logic may be completely different.

The same goes for news. If you only use algorithms and routines to report the appearance of events, you are tantamount to a "low-level doctor."

Second, neither is heading in the direction of making profits, but the destination is limitless.

He gave three examples: Sun Yat-sen, who studied medicine, founded the Republic of China, Lu Xun, who studied medicine, wrote incomparable texts, and Wang Changtian, who graduated from the Department of Journalism at Fudan University, founded Enlight Media and produced movies such as "Nezha". He said that the final destination of these two majors is unpredictable.

"Both industries require you to be as skilled as an immortal and as moral as a Bodhisattva, and may also allow you to earn very little money. But the value of these two majors is definitely not determined by how much money you earn." In his view, both medicine and journalism have great stem cell functions, and what they gain is not a narrow track, but an all-round ability that can be differentiated, repaired, and continuously regrown.

Third, they are all social immune systems, based on ultimate care for people.

He used the word "immunity." This is the area he is most familiar with.

Medicine provides physiological immunity, and journalism provides social immunity. Medicine deals with diseases, pseudoscience, and rumors to reduce physiological risks; news deals with chaos, false information, and social divisions to reduce social risks.

He mentioned the Hippocratic Oath of no harm. "Doctors cannot guarantee that they will treat the disease well, but they must not cause harm to the patient. It is not possible to gain profit by forcefully opening an operation that should not be performed."

The same goes for news. "Truth and objectivity are the bottom line." This sentence he said carries great weight.

He firmly believes that medicine and journalism are two sides of the same coin. Physical recovery is not the end point. If there are gaps in society, human integrity will not be possible.

Fourth, we must start from the facts and find the truth behind it.

He talked about a diagnosis and treatment case that he had just encountered before class. There was a patient whose existing test results pointed to benign, and the AI ​​also judged it to be benign. But his intuition told him something was wrong. He did not stop at the level of feelings. He talked to the patient and suggested a biopsy. The results confirmed his judgment and gave the patient a chance for a radical cure.

"If I were the doctor who only relied on data and AI to treat patients, I might have misdiagnosed."

The same goes for his understanding of news dissemination. Facts are visible and measurable; truth is the logic, essence, and overall picture behind it.

Irresponsible communication is like a blind man touching an elephant. Those who touch the nose say it is long, and those who touch the legs say it is strong. But what is an elephant? It's that truth. Sometimes you can't see it because you don't want to see it. "

He admitted that traffic is important, but a lot of traffic remains in the description of immediate phenomena. Society still needs professional news media to condense information and provide the most essential truth.

meditation

After saying this, he looked around the lecture hall, his eyes swept across the young faces, and raised a question that made the audience think deeply: Why is there more traffic but less good news? If the screening mechanism moves in the direction of profitability, will we see things we don’t want to see? Can influence be measured in monetary terms?

"News media is not the same as self-media. Real journalism has its own bottom line, which is the same as the bottom line of medicine." He answered himself, "The essence of communication is to fight against entropy. If you only pursue traffic but not value, I think that is not what journalism should pursue."

He believes that good news should be "anatomy with body temperature". Of course journalism should be a dagger, without that sharpness it is worthless. But just a dagger is not enough, "We have to provide a constructive voice." To quote the famous saying in medicine, "Rarely cure, often help, always comfort." He pointed out, "When a patient is dying, you can't just throw away the patient. Doctors must have countermeasures at all times to ease the pain. The same is true for news. It cannot only expose without construction; it cannot only criticize without helping."

Topic

In the conversation after the speech, Li Hongbing asked: "Zhang Wenhong" in the public opinion field has been labeled many times, taken out of context, misinterpreted, and misunderstood. When these labels stick to his back, what does he think?

"When the sun comes out, the snow melts away. It's useless to explain too much. It's all over. Throw away what should be thrown away and speed up your investment in a new life." Zhang Wenhong concluded that the core issue is the issue of interest orientation. If he could realize that "there is nothing in the first place", he would be "nowhere to stir up dust", and all the shouting would not elevate himself to a high position, because he felt that he had nothing in the first place, and he "didn't care too much", just like the air has no color in the first place, and it is impossible to make it colorful.

Zhang Wenhong's answer made Li Hongbing smile and say that it was as if there was an eminent monk sitting next to him – neither happy nor sad, neither angry nor resentful.

But she immediately pointed out a more serious question: "The phenomenon of Zhang Wenhong deserves to be studied, not because he has no desires and is impeccable. The topic it leaves us is precisely – in today's era, how is it possible to 'speak well'? How to ensure that ordinary people can speak openly, rationally, and independently?"

Although he admitted that he was a little uncomfortable being "case" again, Zhang Wenhong still accepted this good question: "I have also seen many young people choose to end their lives after being bullied online. There is no interest entanglement in this, it may be that they have been wronged, and they care."

trump

A few days ago, Trump revealed to the media that he may withdraw from Iran within the next two to three weeks. He claimed that because Iran had achieved its goal of "not possessing nuclear weapons", the US military had entered the final stage. As for the Strait of Hormuz, which has not yet been successfully opened to navigation, Trump vaguely stated that it has nothing to do with the United States. Although the United States and Iran each hold their own opinions about the actual situation of the war, it is obvious that the United States' intention to retreat is already clear.

The United States originally planned to take down Iran in a short period of time and achieve a comprehensive victory, but now it has obviously exceeded expectations. Iran's "small to gain big" approach has made the United States suffer more and more losses. If this continues, not only will the United States' ammunition arsenal be bottomed out, but its military expenditures will also be unable to sustain it. Judging from Trump's "businessman status", he would never be willing to make a loss-making deal, so he left two "dead ends" for the world and wanted to count the money on the international community.

Strait of Hormuz

Trump posted on social media that he would give two suggestions to all countries affected by the situation in the Middle East. The first is to buy oil from the United States, and the second is to go to the Strait of Hormuz and grab it himself. For the international community, both of these are dead ends. Apart from sending money to the United States, it means getting involved in the war.

Trump’s calculations are very loud. Which of the aircraft carriers, bases and troops stationed in Iran does not cost money? But who will ultimately bear these costs? If more countries can be forced to rely on American oil, it will be equivalent to letting the world help share the strategic costs of the United States in the Middle East. What's even better is that if a country leader really chooses the second path and goes to the Strait of Hormuz to "grab oil" on his own, he will have to get involved in a regional conflict. At that time, he will either send troops and burn money, or he will ask for U.S. protection, or he will still have to pay.

trump

The United States wants to use oil leverage to make money and share strategic costs, while also consolidating its global dominance. Someone has to clean up the mess in Iran now. This wishful thinking will most likely fail. After all, no country is willing to be the "taken advantage of" at the mercy of others. The most important thing is that for Trump, the most difficult hurdle is actually at home. A few days ago, the White House stated that Trump would deliver a national address to provide an important update on the Iran issue.

When we first said we would attack Iran, there were a lot of people in the United States who were not happy. But the battle was still fought. Planes take off, missiles are launched, and money is spent like water. As a result, Iran refused to relent, the regional situation became even more chaotic, and the international image of the United States fell again. President Trump patted his chest and said that he would make the United States "win, win, win." This situation is very difficult now. What the people want is not nice words, but real results.

US military launches missile

The American people themselves do not support provoking conflicts, but now that the matter is over, they must either win decisively or stop messing around. This embarrassing situation of fighting and failing to win, and retreating and retreating without a clear answer, is the most uncomfortable situation. Americans' patience is limited, and so are America's resources. Trump’s wanton behavior has created a big hole.

If Trump wants to keep his position as president, he must carefully consider whether the United States needs a clear mind or a reckless fist. The situation in Iran has developed to this point, and the entire international community is paying attention. It depends on whether Trump can overcome this difficulty.

China News Service, Beijing, April 4 (Reporter Yuan Xiuyue) As the "New College Entrance Examination" has become the main body of the national college entrance examination, the traditional liberal arts and science subject model has gradually been replaced by the subject combination model, but a new question has also triggered discussion: Choose physics or history?

Recently, media reported that among the 23 provinces that implement the "3+1+2" model, the ratio of history candidates in nearly half of the provinces continues to decline. The ratio of physics and history candidates is generally close to 7:3, and some provinces even reach 8:2. Some history teachers face the reality of “no one to teach”.

This phenomenon quickly aroused heated discussion on the Internet. Some people think that it is understandable that students and parents "abandon" history studies because of their practical considerations; others are worried that neglecting the study of history may have long-term consequences.

"Actually, at the beginning of the comprehensive reform of the college entrance examination, there was a phenomenon of 'abandoning physics' in some areas, but we cannot go to the other extreme and become 'abandoning liberal arts.'" Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said that according to his understanding, in some key high schools, the number of students taking science (physics and chemistry) has reached 90%, and even the proportion of general high schools taking physics and chemistry is 70%. This trend deserves great attention.

Some analysts pointed out that this phenomenon is related to the relatively narrow choice of majors for history candidates, the shrinking of liberal arts in colleges and universities, school orientation and employment pre-employment.

Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences, believes that from a deeper level, this phenomenon is also related to society’s insufficient attention to the overall development of liberal arts, resulting in restrictions on its development. "In the AI ​​era, liberal arts majors should have achieved a leap and upgrade, but this process has not yet been completed, and some corresponding problems have arisen."

In Xiong Bingqi's view, after the reform of the new college entrance examination, history candidates actually have a wider range of major choices than traditional liberal arts. Many schools are also guiding students to choose history. "From a school perspective, if a large number of students choose physics, there will be pressure on the staffing of physics teachers." He believes that it is not that the school cannot provide a combination of history electives, nor that students are unwilling to learn history, but that many students and parents have been influenced by arguments such as "the liberal arts are useless" online.

"Some parents have been affected by live broadcasts and short videos, forming an information cocoon. Many high schools told me that in response to the school's subject selection guidance, some parents will use extreme words on the Internet to criticize the school, which is particularly prominent in some county schools." Xiong Bingqi said that this is a problem worthy of attention in the social media era. Some online content strengthens the theory of scores only and the theory of further education, which amplifies parents' anxiety and makes parents who do not pay attention to their children's interests and disrespect their children even more ignorant of their children's ideas and the differences in students' interests and abilities.

In this regard, Xiong Bingqi suggested that on the one hand, education departments and schools need to increase their efforts in career education and information services to make information more open, transparent, and accessible; on the other hand, platforms also need to fulfill their responsibilities and not let parents who need information services be trapped by algorithms.

In Chu Zhaohui’s view, the key to solving this dilemma lies in further improving the examination evaluation system.

At present, according to the actual conditions of various places, there are two models of comprehensive college entrance examination reform: "3+3" and "3+1+2". In the "3+1+2" model, "1" is the first choice subject, and candidates must choose one from physics and history; "2" is a secondary subject, and candidates can choose two of the remaining four subjects.

Chu Zhaohui suggested that in the "3+1+2" model, students can be given greater room for choice. Physics and history can be the first-choice subjects with high authority, but they should not be solidified into exclusive options that all students must choose one from the other. They can also include these two subjects as elective subjects. In other words, students who choose history as "1" can also choose physics as "2", and those who choose physics as "1" can also choose history as "2", so that there is no imbalance in liberal arts and science.

"Science and engineering require humanistic qualities, and liberal arts cannot do without scientific support." Chu Zhaohui said.

Xiong Bingqi also said that promoting educational progress and expanding educational equity is not to intensify utilitarianism, but to promote educational reform and broaden students’ choices for success. "Career development, career development, and life development are inherently full of uncertainties. There is no plan to choose a good major and get it done once and for all." (End)

On April 9, 2013, a military policeman observed from the observation tower at the East Union Prison in Havana, Cuba.

Cuba, which is in deep economic trouble, announced a rare large-scale measure on Thursday under increasingly severe stress tests by the Trump administration in the United States.

According to an announcement in Cuba's official newspaper Granma, the Cuban government will release 2,010 prisoners. It was the country's largest release in recent years. An official statement noted that the pardon was based on the prisoner's "good behaviour, health and the nature of the act committed".

The survival game behind "Holy Week"

Although "Granma" stated in its announcement that the release coincided with "Holy Week religious celebrations" and was designed to echo the atmosphere of Christians around the world celebrating Easter, the outside world generally regarded it as a strategic adjustment by Cuba under the pressure campaign from the United States.

The release list covers young people, women, people over 60 and foreigners, but explicitly excludes prisoners who committed murder, homicide, sexual assault or "crimes against authority." Human Rights Watch has previously accused Cuba of targeting dissidents, activists and political opponents with detentions.

In fact, such mass releases are often linked to diplomatic negotiations. In early 2025, Cuba reached an agreement with the United States and the Vatican to release 553 prisoners in exchange for the Biden administration's commitment to easing sanctions. However, Donald Trump quickly rescinded the agreement after taking office, causing Cuba to suspend subsequent releases until March this year.

Energy blockade and the island "coming to a standstill"

Cuba is currently facing one of the most severe tests since the 1959 revolution that overthrew the Batista regime. Earlier this year, the Trump administration successfully cut off oil supplies to Cuba through military action against Venezuela and threats of tariffs against Mexico.

Trump insisted that the Cuban government must finally "open up the island's centralized economy" before it collapses. He even openly talked on multiple occasions about wanting to "occupy Cuba." Its core staff, "Cuba hawks" including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have long called for an overhaul of its leadership.

The impact of the oil embargo was devastating: In March this year, Cuba experienced two nationwide blackouts within a week, affecting more than 10 million people. Many schools have been forced to close and workers have been forced to take unpaid leave to conserve energy. Due to a lack of long-haul aviation fuel, some flights have been canceled and vehicles are running out of fuel.

A "crack" in a desperate situation?

Earlier this week, a subtle crack appeared in the lockdown. Trump made an exception and allowed a Russian-flagged oil tanker to enter Cuban waters, saying bluntly: "They must survive." Although the White House immediately clarified that this was "not a change of policy," the move was particularly eye-catching in the context of the harsh embargo.

Caught between more than half a century of economic embargo and a new round of "maximum pressure," it remains to be seen whether the release of these 2,010 prisoners is an olive branch from Cuba, or a forced reduction in resources due to scarcity.

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On April 4, the women's singles quarter-finals of the 2026 Macau Table Tennis Singles World Cup staged the "National Table Tennis Defense Battle", but there were successive upsets on the field. Wang Yidi was swept by German star Sabine Winter 0-4, and Chen Xingtong lost 1-4 to Korean player Shin Yubin. The two main players were eliminated one after another. So far, only Sun Yingsha is left in the first half of the national table tennis women's singles. In the second half, Wang Manyu is struggling to defend the line. The strong rise of players from foreign associations has brought unprecedented impact to the national table tennis.

As the backbone of the national table tennis team, the duel between Chen Xingtong and Shin Yubin was a battle of offense and defense, but the game was one-sided and passive. In the fourth game, there was a rare "egg-eating" scene for national table tennis players: Chen Xingtong's condition completely collapsed, serving errors, attacking the net and other unnecessary mistakes occurred one after another, and he was beaten by Shen Yubin with an 11-0 disparity. Shin Yubin also became the first Korean female player to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Shin Yoobin

Competition commentator Liu Guozheng commented that the core of Chen Xingtong's defeat lay in his passivity in the whole process of the serve and return. "There was not much difference in hard power between her and Shin Yubin in the stalemate stage, but they frequently fell into passivity in the serve and return stage. As a result, they were always suppressed by their opponents during the stalemate, making it difficult to seize the initiative. The overall rhythm was completely controlled by Shin Yubin."

The world's No. 1 Sun Yingsha encountered a strong impact from the 18-year-old Egyptian teenager Hannah Godard. After seven fierce battles and consecutive saves in the decisive game, she finally advanced with a thrilling 4-3. Especially the decisive game was thrilling: Sun Yingsha was once behind 2-6. At the critical moment when she got the match point 10-8, she relied on her strong psychological quality to score consecutively, and finally completed a shocking comeback 13-11.

Sun Yingsha

Talking about this difficult victory, Sun Yingsha revealed that she was prepared for a hard fight before the game, "Gowda created the history of African table tennis. She also won the game through a reversal yesterday, so I had long expected that this game would be very difficult. The whole game today was very close, and in the end it was two points away from deciding the outcome. Both people were using their brains to compete, and both sides performed well during the stalemate."

As for the biggest difficulty brought by Gundam, Sun Yingsha said frankly, "She was in really good condition today. She is already tall, so no matter which line I pull, it is difficult to kill her directly. At the end of the seventh game, I also made some mistakes myself and was a little hesitant. Fortunately, I strengthened my tactics in the last two points, and I was lucky enough to win."

Being able to push the world's number one into a desperate situation, Hannah Gundam's strength is no accident. Gundam uses a rare hexagonal racket, which strengthens his backhand violent fighting ability. Coupled with his height advantage, his forehand covers a wider area. His unconventional playing style makes it difficult for opponents to adapt. In the previous 1/8 finals, she saved 4 match points in a row when trailing 6-10 in the decisive game, and reversed the world No. 24 Yuan Jianan 4-3, becoming the first African player to reach the World Cup women's singles quarterfinals.

Hannah Gouda

As early as 2020, 12-year-old Gundam reached the top of the ITTF U15 world rankings, becoming the first player in the history of African table tennis to win this honor. In recent years, she has continued to attack the top players of the national table tennis: in the 2024 WTT Chongqing Championship, she and Chen Meng fought until the decisive game before losing unfortunately; in the WTT Montpellier Championship of the same year, she defeated Chen Xingtong 3-1, causing a big upset.

In another focus battle of the women's singles quarter-finals, national table tennis player Wang Manyu and Japanese slicer Honoka Hashimoto launched a nearly two-hour attacking battle. In the end, Wang Manyu won 4-2 with difficulty and successfully advanced to the semi-finals, defending the bottom half of the defense for the national table tennis team. Her semi-final opponent will be South Korean player Shin Yubin.

After the game, Wang Manyu admitted that this victory was hard-won, "Today's game was very exciting, both sides played at a very high level. It is impossible for her or me to win a simple or easy point. Every point will be very entangled, so I always remind myself to be patient on the court."

Wang Manyu

On April 5, Sun Yingsha will face Sabine Winter in the semifinals. Winter has defeated two national table tennis players, Qin Yuxuan and Wang Yidi, in this tournament. His unique system of "backhand anti-arc rubber + forehand blast" is extremely threatening, and the weird rotation makes it difficult for national table tennis players to adapt. Regarding this opponent, Sun Yingsha said, "Not only Winter's rankings and results, but also her current playing style have taken on a completely new look in the past few years. I haven't played against her since she changed her playing style, so I am very much looking forward to competing with her in a major competition. I believe this game will be very tough."

Wang Manyu will compete with South Korean player Shin Yubin for a spot in the finals. Shin Yubin defeated Han Ying and Chen Xingtong successively with his quick connection and initiative ability, and was in good condition. This duel will test Wang Manyu's offensive efficiency and defensive stability.

With the overall improvement of the strength of external players, the road to the national table tennis women's singles championship is already full of thorns. Whether Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu can successfully meet in the finals and defend the country's dominance in the women's table tennis world has become the biggest highlight of the upcoming events.

On April 4, the 19th "Jiuzhou has the same roots and cross-strait roots" cultural and art exhibition opened in Xi'an, Shaanxi. This art exhibition is divided into 5 exhibition halls, with more than 500 works of Chinese painting, calligraphy, oil painting, watercolor, sculpture, etc. on display, including 100 works from Taiwan. The exhibition period is from April 4 to 10. The picture shows people visiting calligraphy works. Photo by China News Service reporter Dang Tianye

On April 4, the 19th "Jiuzhou has the same roots and cross-strait roots" cultural and art exhibition opened in Xi'an, Shaanxi. This art exhibition is divided into 5 exhibition halls, with more than 500 works of Chinese painting, calligraphy, oil painting, watercolor, sculpture, etc. on display, including 100 works from Taiwan. The exhibition period is from April 4 to 10. The picture shows people visiting calligraphy works. Photo by China News Service reporter Dang Tianye

On April 4, the 19th "Jiuzhou has the same roots and cross-strait roots" cultural and art exhibition opened in Xi'an, Shaanxi. This art exhibition is divided into 5 exhibition halls, with more than 500 works of Chinese painting, calligraphy, oil painting, watercolor, sculpture, etc. on display, including 100 works from Taiwan. The exhibition period is from April 4 to 10. The picture shows people visiting calligraphy works. Photo by China News Service reporter Dang Tianye

On April 4, the 19th "Jiuzhou has the same roots and cross-strait roots" cultural and art exhibition opened in Xi'an, Shaanxi. This art exhibition is divided into 5 exhibition halls, with more than 500 works of Chinese painting, calligraphy, oil painting, watercolor, sculpture, etc. on display, including 100 works from Taiwan. The exhibition period is from April 4 to 10. The picture shows people visiting calligraphy and painting works. Photo by China News Service reporter Dang Tianye

On April 4, the 19th "Jiuzhou has the same roots and cross-strait roots" cultural and art exhibition opened in Xi'an, Shaanxi. This art exhibition is divided into 5 exhibition halls, with more than 500 works of Chinese painting, calligraphy, oil painting, watercolor, sculpture, etc. on display, including 100 works from Taiwan. The exhibition period is from April 4 to 10. The picture shows people visiting calligraphy works. Photo by China News Service reporter Dang Tianye

On April 4, the 19th "Jiuzhou has the same roots and cross-strait roots" cultural and art exhibition opened in Xi'an, Shaanxi. This art exhibition is divided into 5 exhibition halls, with more than 500 works of Chinese painting, calligraphy, oil painting, watercolor, sculpture, etc. on display, including 100 works from Taiwan. The exhibition period is from April 4 to 10. The picture shows people visiting calligraphy and painting works. Photo by China News Service reporter Dang Tianye

Preface

The situation in the Middle East these days can no longer be summed up by the word "escalation." Many people are still stuck in the old impression, but reality has changed the script. The rhythm has changed, and so has the direction.

1. It’s not about fighting hard, but hitting accurately: the rhythm of the battlefield has been controlled by someone else.

Let’s explain the core situation clearly first. In this round of conflicts, Iran is no longer a passive responder, but a proactive one. And it is not a test, but a continuous and high-intensity attack.

Around April 1, the Israeli mainland suffered the most intensive round of attacks since the war began. This was not a partial attack, but a large-scale attack. Attacks come from multiple directions, the rhythm is tight, and multiple waves of attacks are formed in a short period of time. Missiles, drones, and long-range rockets are involved at the same time. This combination is not a temporary combination, but a prepared and systematic approach.

More importantly, this time it is not a single breakthrough, but a coordinated advancement. The Houthi armed forces in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon participated simultaneously, creating pressure from different directions. This multi-axis attack is essentially stretching the limits of the defense system. An air defense system can cope with a single direction, but when faced with multiple directions and high-frequency continuous attacks, it will quickly enter an overload state.

The results are intuitive. Vulnerabilities began to appear in the defense system, interception efficiency decreased, and some areas were hit. What does this change mean? This means that the battlefield rhythm is no longer determined solely by the United States and Israel.

For a long time in the past, the United States and Israel have been accustomed to the "first mover advantage." They basically control who strikes first, where to strike, and to what extent. But this round is different. The current rhythm is that the other party is pushing and Meiyi is responding.

This is the turning point. It's not which blow hits harder, it's who controls the tempo.

2. The price of misjudgment is being realized: Underestimating Iran is the starting point of this conflict

Many analyzes still remain at the "tactical level", but in fact the problems were buried earlier. US-Israel's biggest mistake this time was not in execution, but in judgment.

In the past, external assessments of Iran have been conservative. It is believed that its missile reserves are limited and its continuous combat capabilities are insufficient, making it difficult to sustain long-term support in the face of high-intensity strikes. This judgment seems logical on paper, but reality is gradually denying it.

As the conflict continues to this day, Iran's strike capabilities have not significantly declined, but have continued to increase in pace and scale. The frequency of missile launches has increased, the proportion of heavy warheads has increased, and the scale of investment in drones has expanded. This shows two things: first, the inventory far exceeds external expectations, and second, the production and replenishment capacity are operating.

What's more noteworthy is that this ability is not a short-term burst, but a continuous output. Within a month, the cumulative launch scale has reached a very high level, but there is no obvious sign of "lack of stamina".

Behind this is the result of long-term investment. Iran's construction of its missile system did not just start in recent years, but has continued for a long time. From reserve to production, from launch to support, a complete closed loop is formed.

Let’s look at the geographical conditions. Iran's terrain determines that its military facilities are naturally concealed. A large number of key facilities are deployed underground and reinforced by mountain structures. The meaning of this layout is simple: to improve survivability and extend the combat cycle. Even if the opponent controls the general area, it is difficult to completely destroy it.

In other words, the United States and Israel originally expected a "quick victory", but the reality turned into a "confrontation of attrition". Once you enter this mode, the cost of early misjudgments will continue to amplify.

3. Not a sudden outbreak, but long-term preparation: Iran’s playing style is very clear

Many people think that this round of counterattack is sudden, but in fact it is not sudden at all. The real change is that Iran switches from "restraint" to "execution."

At a strategic level, Iran has been preparing for the worst-case scenario. Instead of placing our hopes on the external environment, we continue to strengthen our own capabilities. When it comes to the specific action stage, the idea is also very clear. It is not a blind bombing, but a step-by-step advancement.

The first step is to suppress the ability to perceive. Target early warning systems and air defense nodes to weaken the opponent's "eyes". The second step is to weaken the support system. Fuel depots, airports, hangars, and runways are the basis for maintaining operations. Once damaged, the ability to sustain operations will decline. The third step is to expand the scope of the attack to cover key industrial and energy facilities to further compress the opponent's space.

The core of this style of play is to first weaken the defense and then expand the attack, rather than going all out from the beginning. Waiting until the opponent's protective capabilities decline and then increasing the strike density will be more efficient and cost-effective.

The current situation also confirms this. As defense pressure increases, the difficulty of interception by the United States and Israel is increasing, while the frequency of Iran's attacks is increasing. This kind of ebb and flow is the embodiment of tactical effect.

Let’s look at the regional level. The so-called "Shia Arc" is not a temporary alliance, but a long-term network. In the past period of time, these forces were not fully released and were even in a state of contraction. But as the conflict escalated, these forces began to reactivate and form coordination.

The result of multi-point linkage is that the pressure is dispersed, but the overall intensity is rising. For Israel, defense is no longer a problem in one direction, but is under pressure from multiple directions at the same time.

4. The problem for the United States is not whether to fight, but how to end it.

At this point, the problem is actually very clear. What the United States is facing now is not a simple military choice, but a structural dilemma.

There are risks if you continue to overweight. Ground operations mean higher costs and longer cycles, and also mean further rising domestic pressure. Domestic support for military action in the United States has declined significantly, as can be seen from recent public opinion and data. Once the war is prolonged, its impact on the economy and society will continue to amplify.

Choosing to shrink also comes with a price. Once it withdraws, the situation in the Middle East will change rapidly, the security pressure on Israel will increase significantly, and the influence of the United States that has been operating for many years will be affected. This is not a problem on a single battlefield, but on the overall strategic layout.

The more realistic point is that even if the United States chooses to cool down now, the situation will not recover immediately. The security of the Strait of Hormuz, the fluctuations in the energy market, and the expectations of regional countries will not return to the original point immediately. The chain reaction caused by the conflict will last for a period of time.

So what Trump is facing now is not "whether to fight or not to fight", but "how to end it." The way it ends determines the size of the subsequent impact.

The problem is that the initiative is no longer as firmly in the hands of the United States as it once was. Adversaries continue to act, allies are waiting and watching, and markets are reassessing. The superposition of these three aspects creates new constraints.

Conclusion

In the game of chess in the Middle East, it is never about who has the loudest voice who wins, but who can drag the game to the end. The change now is immediate: myths are starting to loosen up and reality is starting to speak. The real outcome is not where the missile lands, but who fails to sustain the cost first.

On April 2, local time, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, who visited Japan, met with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, which attracted widespread attention.

It is reported that this meeting was one of the last important itineraries of Macron's official visit to Japan. The two sides had a cordial talk for about 20 minutes, followed by a private lunch hosted by the royal couple.

When Macron and his wife arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Palace, the emperor and his wife warmly welcomed the guests in French.

According to Japanese media reports, the 62-year-old Queen Masako communicated with President Macron and his wife in fluent French throughout the whole process. Her natural and professional expression left a deep impression on everyone present.

In fact, this was not done deliberately by Masako. As a former diplomat, Masako is proficient in multiple languages, including French, thanks to her early work experience in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and her background in studying abroad.

According to the Japanese media, this method of communicating directly in the other party's native language not only reflects personal accomplishment, but also conveys a diplomatic signal of closeness and respect. Masako once again showed calmness and propriety in diplomatic situations.

During the talks, the two sides focused on the discussion on cultural exchanges between Japan and France. Queen Masako took the initiative to ask about the popularity of French domestic comics, and President Macron mentioned the popular influence of comic works such as "Dragon Ball" and "One Piece" in different generations. Emperor Naruhito said French literature has long been widely appreciated in Japan.

President Macron then formally invited the royal couple to visit France again. The atmosphere of the meeting was friendly and pragmatic. Afterwards, the two sides had lunch, and the topic extended to areas of common concern such as climate change and natural disasters.

The scene that day was also very interesting, that is, when Macron was greeting Masako, he sent a "point-to-point" kiss on the hand. Even though he made the gesture, he would not actually touch the back of the hand with his lips, so that neither party would feel any discomfort.

In fact, Macron is indeed willing to give women a hand kiss, which not only expresses respect for the other party, but also inherits French etiquette.

Queen Masako is wearing a soft light pink suit, with elegant makeup and a gentle and dignified temperament, easily embodying "oriental warmth". But relatively speaking, Brigitte, who is 10 years older than her, still wants to highlight her figure advantages, including wearing a slimmer dress and 10cm heels.

Brigitte's skirt should be from Louis Vuitton (LV), a brand she often wears, and is tailor-made by the brand's women's creative director. The creamy white fabric is blended with structural lines, which is very suitable for diplomacy and will not bury her slimness.

It is generally believed that although Brigitte is no longer young, she never compromises with her age, and this look is still quite young.

Some comments pointed out that both the 62-year-old Queen Masako and the 72-year-old Brigitte Macron have interpreted the style of modern women on the international stage with their elegant and confident posture.

On April 3 (Thursday), a Maltese container ship "Kribi" belonging to the French CMA CGM shipping group safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first ship owned by a major Western shipping company to successfully pass through the waterway since the outbreak of the Iran war about five weeks ago.

According to ship tracking data, the ship departed from waters near Dubai and sailed along the Iranian coast through designated channels. Previously, Iran had significantly restricted access to the strait due to conflicts with the United States and Israel, and warned "enemies" not to enter. The strait carries about one-fifth of the world's oil traffic, and its obstruction has triggered a global energy and economic crisis.

The incident occurred a day after French President Macron publicly criticized Trump's strategy on the Strait of Hormuz. During his visit to South Korea, Macron said it was "unrealistic" to use military force to force the opening of the strait, urging Trump to "take it seriously" and saying "maybe you shouldn't talk every day." He also expressed dissatisfaction with Trump's "indecent" or "inelegant" remarks about his wife Brigitte in private settings, believing that they were not commensurate with the current situation.

The French Foreign Ministry did not comment on the ship's passage. CMA CGM Group is owned by French-Lebanese billionaire Rodolphe Saade, who has close ties to Macron. During the same period, Omani and Japanese vessels were also allowed to pass, while a UN Security Council resolution authorizing military action to reopen the strait was withdrawn due to objections from France, China and Russia.

Trump responded on Truth Social, saying that given a little more time, he could easily "open the Strait of Hormuz, take away the oil, and make a lot of money." Ukrainian President Zelensky also expressed his willingness to provide drones and electronic warfare experience to help reopen the strait.

Analysts believe that the smooth passage of French ships highlights the differences in Western countries' positions on the Iran issue, and also brings a signal to the limited recovery of commercial shipping amid tensions. At present, the overall passage of the strait is still strictly restricted, and the prospect of resuming normal shipping is still unclear.

China News Service, Zhuhai, April 4 (Reporter Deng Yuanwen) During this year's Tomb Sweeping Day holiday, a large number of Hong Kong and Macao residents "went north" to the mainland to visit relatives, worship ancestors, and go on an outing. According to statistics from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Immigration Station of the Zhuhai General Immigration Inspection Station, since April 3, as of 16:00 on the 4th, there have been more than 192,000 people entering and exiting through the Zhuhai Highway Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (hereinafter referred to as the "Bridge Port"), and more than 32,000 vehicles. Among them, the number of people and vehicles in the inbound direction reached 140,000 and 23,000, which are 2.6 times and 2.5 times those in the outbound direction, respectively.

On April 4, the Zhuhai Highway Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge ushered in the peak of Hong Kong and Macao vehicles entering the country. Photo by Li Zhaode

"The mainland tour route is very cost-effective. We signed up a week in advance and planned to take the high-speed rail to Chenzhou, Hunan for three days." Early on the morning of the 4th, Peng Zhiquan and his family from Hong Kong followed the tour group from the port to visit the mainland.

The person in charge of the third team on duty at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Border Inspection Station said that "going north" for tourism consumption and leisure vacations has become a popular choice for more and more Hong Kong and Macao residents. In addition to visiting relatives and worshiping ancestors, traveling northward with group tours has become a new trend in customs clearance during the Qingming Festival. The number of Hong Kong and Macao tour groups entering the country through the Bridge Port has increased by more than 20% compared with the same period last year.

With the convenience of “getting to Guangdong with just one step” and the favorable policy of waiving tolls for small passenger cars on expressways during the Qingming Festival, self-driving has become one of the most important and popular ways for Hong Kong and Macao residents to “go north” during the Qingming Festival. According to data from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Border Inspection Station, since April 3, the station has inspected more than 20,000 single-plate vehicles from Hong Kong and Macao, accounting for more than 60% of the total vehicle customs clearance.

At the same time, the peak hours of passenger and vehicle flow at the bridge port during this holiday are earlier and longer. Starting from 10:00 on April 3, the port gradually ushered in the peak of inbound passenger and vehicle flow. From 9:00 to 11:00 on the 4th, the inbound traffic at the port reached its peak, with the maximum inbound passenger flow and vehicle flow per hour exceeding 7,000 people and 1,100 vehicle times. (over)