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Recently, actor Zhang Yishan posted a photo of a Spring Festival dinner on social platforms. It was originally a warm gathering in a small room, but it made countless netizens blush.

In the photo, 34-year-old Fu Zien and 33-year-old Zhang Yishan are sitting side by side. They are obviously only one year apart.

But it seems like a generation has passed – Zhang Yishan has a little haircut and looks full of youth, while Fu Zien has white hair with clear roots, and the vicissitudes between his eyebrows and eyes are exactly the same as his father Fu Biao back then.

This photo instantly evoked people's memories of the parting 21 years ago, and also revealed Fu Zien's life story "behind the gray hair".

In 2005, actor Fu Biao died of liver cancer at the age of 42. At that time, Fu Zien was only 14 years old and a child who had just entered junior high school.

At the memorial service, he held his father's portrait in his hands, his eyes dull but unusually calm, and said to his mother Zhang Qiufang:

"Mom, I will be the backbone of the family from now on." This sentence became his declaration of growing up overnight.

What's even more cruel is that Fu Biao spent all his savings on medical treatment and left more than 2 million in debt. The days of orphans and widowers are endless.

Fortunately, Fu Biao's righteousness during his lifetime became a life-saving straw for the mother and son.

My close friend Ge You promised in public at the funeral: "Biaozi, your son is my son, and I will never let him suffer."

This promise is for 21 years.

Ge You paid for Fu Zien's tuition and living expenses, sent him to study in the UK, and took him to visit Fu Biao's grave every year on his death anniversary;

Feng Xiaogang gave 2 million to pay off the debt without hesitation; Zhang Guoli and his wife helped Zhang Qiufang start a business, allowing her to transform from an actress to a businessman.

The support of these elders gave Fu Zien a chance to breathe, but it failed to prevent the years of hard work from leaving traces on him.

Fu Zien’s gray hair started to appear since he was 16 years old.

When he was in high school, he worked on a film crew during the day and returned to the rental house at night to revise scripts, often staying up until three in the morning.

His mother, Zhang Qiufang, once recalled that one time when she was washing his hair, the silver threads fell all over the floor, but the child smiled and said, "Mom, this is 'Youth White', it looks mature."

But behind this "maturity" is the burden of family that has been shouldered since the age of 14, and the hard work in the directing industry as an adult.

When he was admitted to the Beijing Film Academy, he gave up his dream of being an actor and chose to study directing. Ge You and Feng Xiaogang once advised him: "You look so much like your dad. If you become an actor, you will live in the shadow."

He listened, and from then on he started working as a scene recorder and assistant director, one step at a time.

Today, Fu Zi'en is a cutting-edge director recognized by the industry.

In 2023, "Days of Our Lives" and "The Young Man" directed by him were successively hit on CCTV, with good word-of-mouth and ratings.

He mortgaged his house to make "Once Upon a Time" and cut the budget by one-third without compromising on quality;

The crew ordered lunch boxes for 40 yuan, but I drove a ten-year-old Tiguan and wore an old Uniqlo down jacket.

Zhang Yishan said that when we went to his house for a dinner, the chopsticks were delivered with milk bought from the supermarket, but the plates were Japanese handmade porcelain. "He always said that you should save what you can't see and pay attention to the things you use every day."

In that dinner party photo, there are salmon, Buddha jumping over the wall, and champagne on the table. It looks "luxury", but it hides the simplest friendship.

Fu Zien, Zhang Yishan and two other young people, this four-person group has been having the Spring Festival dinner together for 20 years, and the position of the group photo has not changed every year.

At the dinner table, Fu Zien didn't talk much. He always pursed his lips. He occasionally gave Zhang Yishan some lump crab paste and mentioned, "You secretly ate the sauced pork elbows in my dad's refrigerator."

Zhang Yishan responded with a smile: "Those elbows are so salty that I can recite the Three Character Classic!" Amidst the sound of firecrackers outside the window, Fu Zien lowered his head to pick up the shrimp thread, and his white hair was particularly conspicuous under the light.

Some people say that this white hair is a medal earned through life; others say that it is a heavy mark left by fate.

But for Fu Zien, this may be proof that he has reached reconciliation with his father and the past.

He never dyed his hair to hide it, nor did he show off his misery to gain sympathy. He just silently shouldered the responsibility and engraved his father's generosity into his bones.

Nowadays, he and his mother Zhang Qiufang must have a "family banquet" every week. The old lady serves the dishes while he washes the dishes. Anyone who is late is punished by drinking unsweetened soy milk.

This simple staying together is more precious than any "luxury".

The affection that Fu Biao earned through a lifetime of righteousness turned into driftwood to support his wife and children after he left.

Feng Xiaogang paid his debts and protected his brother's dignity after his death; Ge You raised his children and continued his brother's unfinished life.

And Fu Zien, a young man with gray hair at the age of 34, is continuing this friendship in his own way.

His white hair is not a symbol of old age, but a testimony of his growth – proving that in the 21 years since he lost his father's protection, he has

He did not fall into misery, he did not suffer misfortune, he gritted his teeth and pulled himself out of the quagmire, and lived the way his father wanted him to.

The changes in body shape after puberty make it difficult for her to complete movements as easily as she used to.

Movements that I thought were simple in the past are now becoming more and more difficult to master, and I have to make repeated adjustments and practice them all over again.

What’s more difficult to deal with are the voices outside the arena.

Discussions and ridicule surrounding her figure and appearance continue to impact her self-perception.

She was increasingly unable to accept herself, afraid to look in the mirror and afraid of the camera.

Family and friends were also implicated.

Her friends distanced themselves from her because they were afraid of being photographed and scolded.

This plunged her into deep loneliness and self-doubt.

This surprises many people.

That radiant, impeccable first-class athlete, world champion, talented girl on the platform.

In life, I bear such a heavy psychological burden.

This makes many people feel heartbroken.

Although during the interview, she spoke very restrainedly and attributed the main troubles to herself, saying that her mentality had not been adjusted well.

But soon, someone vaguely mentioned that in addition to the abstract "pressure" that caused her psychological trauma, there was also a specific source.

That is to say, there is a terrible WeChat group that has been targeting Quan Hongchan for a long time.

As more people came forward to confirm, relevant screenshots and chat records were gradually exposed.

A group chat with 282 members, the group name is "Splash Conquerors Alliance".

On the surface, it is a diving club, and the administrator will publish event information and industry trends.

But in the group announcement, there is an extremely glaring rule:

"No personal attacks, except Quan Hongchan."

"You can scold Quan Hongchan as much as you want, even to death."

(It is said that another target of online violence who can "swear casually" is Wang Chuqin)

Several pages of chat records that have been leaked show that the group has long used insulting names to refer to Quan Hongchan.

She also spreads rumors, forwards negative news, uses AI to take black photos, and extends a large number of humiliating remarks about her appearance, body shape and even personality.

A large number of extremely vulgar and cross-border expressions have gone far beyond the general sense of complaining or emotional catharsis.

The most shocking thing is the composition of the group members.

Not only ordinary diving enthusiasts, but also many people in the diving industry——

CCTV sports reporters, international referees, former divers, family members of athletes, and even many teammates who trained and fought side by side with Quan Hongchan…

They all either participated directly or stood by for a long time and acquiesced in such vicious attacks.

Some netizens also revealed that one of the reporters who frequently participated in attacks and made vulgar remarks once "considerately" comforted her in a public interview.

Soon, the incident fermented and the volume of discussion continued to expand.

As more details were revealed, many people in the industry also spoke out for Quan Hongchan.

Finally, on April 8, the National Training Center where Quan Hongchan worked issued a public statement:

This online violence incident has been reported to the public security organs for investigation.

It is said that after the incident, the group was disbanded overnight and some members also logged out and ran away.

If the people involved and the details reported on the Internet are true, this is far more frightening than an ordinary cyber violence.

Internet violence in the conventional sense mostly comes from the malicious intent of strangers.

Turning off your phone and cutting off the internet can at least temporarily cut off the damage.

But many people in this group are "people close to me" who have had indirect or direct contact with Quan Hongchan.

She also said in the interview that almost all of her social circle is in the diving system, and her best friends are all met through diving.

In other words, the world she has access to is not that big.

In such a relatively closed and close-knit environment, the people she knew best participated in brewing the most vicious siege against her…

Like most netizens, Uncle Yu is also confused.

Why on earth does this happen?

The official response pointed to the "abnormal rice circle culture" as the reason.

Many netizens expressed dissatisfaction with this.

Indeed, this term is too broad, and it is easy to push the responsibility to the abstract "network environment" and blur the specific boundaries of responsibility.

This incident was obviously led by industry insiders. They took advantage of the information in the circle to humiliate and belittle athletes such as Quan Hongchan for a long time.

It is obviously closer to industry exclusion and workplace bullying.

So, to understand the source of the malice, perhaps we can first look back at the industry itself and Quan Hongchan’s personal experience.

The special nature of Quan Hongchan is probably not as simple as what she said herself: "There are many people who are famous for their right and wrong".

There are many special factors superimposed on her.

First of all, she comes from a poor family and is a genius child who was accidentally chosen.

Unlike many athletes who follow a step-by-step process and have gone through layers of polishing, she entered the industry after being accidentally discovered.

He is also extremely talented and has risen to the top level in a very short time.

This kind of growth path can easily be projected as an inspirational story of "counterattack from a poor family", and it can also easily become a "special case" in the eyes of peers.

Secondly, diving is extremely cruel.

As a highly involved competitive event, it requires extremely strict physical and mental conditions.

Athletes who can successfully enter this industry have a very low starting point.

The real difference, apart from talent, is the high-intensity training day after day and the ultimate polishing of skills.

Quan Hongchan said in the interview that for her, "losing" means that she didn't work hard enough, and "winning" means luck."

She said that she didn't think she was that good, because there were many younger children around her who could dance better than her.

Such high demands on oneself and a deep sense of insecurity are not uncommon in the diving community.

What's even more cruel is that divers have almost no room for natural growth.

They rely on weight, size, aerial control and explosiveness.

Especially for female athletes, after entering puberty, they often need to re-adapt to their developed bodies and rebuild their technical systems and self-confidence.

In this process, latecomers may catch up or even surpass them at any time, and the risk of being eliminated is always there.

For the public and the media, this is a natural stage for making gods and destroying gods. It can easily be packaged into a conflicting topic of "how to make a difference when there is beauty" to attract attention and discussion.

But for the athletes involved, it means a continued high-pressure environment and a heavier psychological burden.

Zhang Jiaqi, who is also a famous diving star, once described the friendship among the team members this way:

"Those who know you well are your enemies."

In addition, and of course the most important point:

A national myth created by Quan Hongchan.

In two Olympic Games, she became famous with her "splash disappearing technique" and became a national idol.

Under the combined effect of national narrative and traffic mechanism, she has become a symbolic existence sought after by the whole people.

The outside world's attention to her has spilled over to the diving event itself. During the competition, trivial matters such as "likes turtles", "bought toys live on live broadcast", "lost toys", etc. became hot searches, and her home was also mobbed during the offseason…

The external aura reflects on the inside, causing other athletes to be dimmed.

Because of her popularity, her losses are more easily discussed than the successes of other athletes.

When interviews, reports, and cameras repeatedly focus on the same name, others are inevitably marginalized.

Looking back at many post-game interviews in the past, you will find that even when interviewing other athletes, the questions often centered on Quan Hongchan.

In this case, dissatisfaction may not be expressed directly, but the sense of gap must slowly accumulate…

So, from this, back to the original question.

Why on earth is there such a group? Why is there so much malice from "people around me" directed at Quan Hongchan?

The reason behind it is not difficult to understand.

The diving industry is highly competitive and has a large reserve of talent, and every selection is accompanied by high pressure.

Internally it is the pressure of competition, externally it is the simple judgment of public opinion based on a single standard.

Achievements have long been highly tied to resources, exposure, and interests, and their distribution is extremely uneven.

Various factors are added together, as shown in the TV series "Olympo: Extreme Clash". In a relatively closed circle, the complex emotions accumulated over a long period of time around a few star athletes can easily be released in a twisted and pathological way.

The long-term existence of group chats has strengthened group identity and further amplified this abnormal ecology.

Participants may follow the trend and blend in, unconsciously following and echoing, gradually forming a regularized attack atmosphere.

The public opinion environment is also continuing to play a role, and many people's rebellious psychology towards "traffic" will directly affect "top streams".

When Quan Hongchan first became popular, she was dissatisfied by a reporter because of her excessive exposure, criticizing her as "crazy" and "idiot-like".

Just like in the Japanese drama "Class 3: Class A: From now on, everyone is a hostage", the whole class excludes, spreads rumors and bullies the most popular girls.

In a small circle that lacks rules, the individuals who receive the most attention and are the most favored are often the most vulnerable to becoming the target of collective violence.

At the same time, the industry lacks timely and effective protection mechanisms.

There is insufficient isolation from public opinion, and the psychological support system is not sound.

The documentary "Gymnastics Queen: Simone Biles" revealed that the sports circle has for many years recognized that athletes' psychological pressure is also a necessary factor in success, and can be overcome by oneself just like physical training.

As a result, many athletes' psychological problems cannot be relieved, and their malice is easily vented in the form of attacks.

In the eyes of some colleagues, Quan Hongchan is probably different from the "national sister" in the eyes of the public, but a person who is favored by the media and the public and has traffic immunity.

Many people certainly don't really hate her personally.

Instead, he attacked her to express his dissatisfaction with the allocation of internal resources, his resentment at being ignored for a long time, and his distrust of the industry's evaluation mechanism.

Since we cannot attack the system directly, we choose to attack the most dazzling beneficiaries.

This is no different from the campus bullying and workplace bullying that many of us ordinary people experience in reality.

Just like employees in a company don't dare to scold their boss, but they can exclude the boss's most valued colleague because he has become a stand-in for power projection.

Many bullies may just want to integrate into the group to avoid being excluded, or they may express their dissatisfaction with the industry and the environment by stepping on the safest targets.

Just because of Quan Hongchan's special status, her experiences were even more extreme.

Fortunately, there is a solution to everything.

It may be difficult to completely eliminate the grayscale of human nature, but industry bullying is a structural malady that has clear boundaries between right and wrong and can be regulated.

First, the industry can put in place prevention and protection mechanisms.

In "Queen of Gymnastics: Simone Biles", Biles also experienced the pressure from peers and the outside world after a talented superstar was overly mythologized.

During the Tokyo Olympics, she emphasized the importance of mental health and then retired in style.

This attitude was extremely rare in the Olympic arena at the time, and directly contributed to the establishment of a mental health support system within the industry to provide athletes with specialized psychological treatment to avoid injuries in advance, instead of only emphasizing performance.

Secondly, accountability and restraint afterwards.

We have talked about many sports scandals, such as coaches being banned or suspended for inflicting physical or mental harm on athletes; athletes being permanently banned for misconduct; sexual assault scandals driving judicial intervention and institutional reform…

These are enough to show that when industry mechanisms and external supervision truly operate, inappropriate behavior can be rectified and the perpetrators can pay the price.

Quan Hongchan chose to call the police this time and promote an investigation instead of just a public opinion war, which is already a good signal.

As many people have said, Quan Hongchan's circle over-consumed her but failed to protect her. As a result, she was caught in the wave of polarized public opinion and became lost before she truly came into contact with society and grew up independently.

Although she leaves this system and moves into the wider society, she may still encounter the same harm.

But at least, I will no longer be trapped in a small circle with no exit, punishing myself with other people's mistakes.

I sincerely hope that Quanmei can be held accountable successfully, and I also hope that she can regain the simple joy she felt when she first jumped into the water.

Zhang Xuefeng's sudden death is regrettable and heartbreaking.

Now unknowingly, Zhang Xuefeng has passed away for more than half a month.

In more than half a month, his memorial service has been held, and everyone has to accept the fact that he has really left.

At the same time, everyone is worried about what will happen to his family and company after his death.

Fortunately, both Zhang Xuefeng's family and the person in charge of the company have spoken out, which can reassure netizens.

Let’s first take a look at the situation at Zhang Xuefeng’s family.

Since Zhang Xuefeng's death, his daughter Zhang Weihan has spoken out twice.

One was before a memorial service.

At that time, Zhang Xuefeng's friend Shen Nan sent a video to express condolences. Zhang Weihan appeared in the comment area and left a message: Thank you, uncle, my dad is great. They said that the literary stars in the sky have changed and they have chosen dad," along with a crying emoticon.

Her message was restrained but full of longing.

Everyone left messages to comfort her.

A few days after the memorial service, Zhang Weihan appeared in the comment area of ​​a certain netizen.

She left a message to thank the netizen and expressed that she would collect the photos posted by the netizen.

It turns out that this netizen took a photo of Zhang Weihan eating sushi with his parents in February this year.

For Zhang Weihan, this photo is very precious, it is a reminder of her father.

Seeing Zhang Weihan searching for clues about Zhang Xuefeng on the Internet, many netizens flocked to the comment area of ​​her account and posted photos of Zhang Xuefeng's chance encounters and rarely published photos of Zhang Xuefeng.

Everyone warmed Zhang Weihan in this way.

Her mother, Li Lijing, did not stop Zhang Jinghan from using her mobile phone to surf the Internet during this period.

Fifteen days after Zhang Xuefeng's death, his first wife Li Lijing, who had remained silent, rarely spoke out.

She said that she had not controlled her children's use of mobile phones recently and bluntly said that their children needed to divert their attention. She said that she did not want to forcefully change Zhang Jinhan's emotions and will at this time.

She also rarely talked about Zhang Xuefeng, saying frankly that he is very strong and has endured a lot.

In addition, she also refuted online rumors about remarriage, being in Henan, and having a doctorate degree.

In this statement, Li Lijing emphasized that "for the rest of our lives, my daughter and I just want to live peacefully and well."

It is not difficult to imagine that with her mother by her side, Zhang Weihan will slowly get over the pain and live a good life with her father's hobbies.

While Zhang Xuefeng's family doesn't have to worry too much, everyone is more concerned about the situation of Zhang Xuefeng's company.

As we all know, Zhang Xuefeng’s company is highly bound to his personal IP.

Now that Zhang Xuefeng has passed away, can his company still operate normally? Will it go bankrupt or be merged by other education giants?

Regarding these issues, Wu Liang, general manager of Fengxue Future, issued a long response after the memorial service for Zhang Xuefeng.

He said he would take over the company and that everything was normal and there were no problems.

Regarding the issue of company ownership that netizens are concerned about, Wu Liang also said that he would let Zhang Weihan take over after she reaches adulthood.

As for whether Zhang Weihan is willing to take over or not, it depends on her choice.

Now, Zhang Xuefeng has passed away for more than half a month, what is the situation of the company?

First of all, the company's accounts have resumed broadcasting.

On April 7, Zhang Xuefeng's company's account officially resumed broadcasting, and the number of people in the live broadcast room exceeded 100,000 in a short period of time.

This live broadcast was hosted by Wu Liang himself. The five-hour live broadcast attracted an astonishing 6 million viewers.

During this live broadcast, some netizens said that Zhang Xuefeng’s personal IP is difficult to replace.

Regarding this, Wu Liang bluntly stated that their original intentions would not change. He also said that the thing Zhang Xuefeng taught him the most was that sincerity is always the greatest surefire move.

It was also during this live broadcast that Wu Liang made three major promises.

The first commitment is that the original consulting service standards will be higher and will not shrink at all.

The second commitment is that the company’s public welfare projects supporting poor students will never be interrupted.

The third commitment is that the company’s employees’ wages and benefits will not be reduced at all.

Wu Liang even made new arrangements to relieve the team's fatigue.

He required company employees to go to work and postponed the time from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

In May, work will be adjusted to 11 o'clock.

It is not difficult to see that Wu Liang is a real person who does things, and Zhang Xuefeng did not choose the wrong successor.

He is working hard to turn "Fengxue Future" from a personal symbol into a trustworthy education brand.

It is worth mentioning that although the company stipulates that employees should go to work at 10 o'clock and employees can sleep in and take more rest, the real situation is that the current employees of Fengxue Future do not want to sleep in. They all want to develop the company better.

Teacher Jin Shengnan from Fengxue Future posted a video of going to work at the company. He revealed in the video that the company stipulates that he should go to work at 10 o'clock, but he arrived at 8 o'clock.

What he didn't expect was that many colleagues came at 7 o'clock.

Seeing such a scene, netizens were very moved because everyone knew that the employees of Zhang Xuefeng Company were protecting the company in their own way.

I believe that with such successors and employees, Zhang Xuefeng can feel at ease.

Fan said: The evolutionary history of hostesses

In March last year, 97-year-old Lee Shau Kee passed away. Henderson, which he founded, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the blink of an eye, and his two sons have taken over the business "without dividing up the family".

But what many people have not noticed is that the busiest person in the Li family today is neither the eldest son Li Jiajie nor the youngest son Li Jiacheng, but Xu Ziqi, who has transformed from "a billionaire daughter-in-law" to "the head mother". The business frequency in the past six months has been higher than in the previous 20 years combined.

For example, the "Flower Market" art project held first, as one of the 50th anniversary celebrations, was personally prepared by Xu Ziqi. She teamed up with Australian hyper-realistic artist Cj Hendry to create an immersive floral art installation on the Central waterfront, with a very spring-like style.

In the past few days, she has not only been on various platforms at the scene, but also invited a group of top ladies.

Gigi Gigi wore a Dior long dress and matched it with Hermès jewelry, while Xu Ziqi wore a CHRISTOPHER ESBER yellow dress, full of spring atmosphere.

Lin Tianer, Xu Jinheng's nephew-in-law Lin Liying, and Liu Gongjian's wife Wang Mingqi also came. Xu Ziqi's posture of holding the moon in front of the stars was extremely eye-catching. Netizens also bluntly said: "In the matter of C position, Lin Tianer only lost to her."

Not only that, she also appeared on TVB's exclusive interview program "Speak From the Heart". Under the zero-filter lens, she was in great condition and could not tell that she was 43 years old at all.

The entire conversation was conducted in fluent English. He no longer just talked about fashion and outfits, but also talked about his charity and artistic undertakings. First of all, he was inspired by his father-in-law Lee Shau Kee, which made people feel that he has grown a lot.

After marrying into a wealthy family for nearly 20 years, in people's eyes, she has always been labeled as the "daughter-in-law with hundreds of millions of dollars". Especially since she disappeared for a time in 2021, the outside world thought that she would be a low-key wealthy lady who lives in seclusion from now on.

Unexpectedly, she has now made a magnificent turn, not only supporting the Li family's appearance, but also completing an all-round "evolution" from the inside out at the age of 43.

Today, the fan will take you to see what qualitative changes have taken place in Xu Ziqi after entering the "post-Lee Shau Kee era"?

01

identity evolution

From "birth KPI" to "the backbone of the Li family"

After marrying into a wealthy family for nearly 20 years, Xu Ziqi's biggest evolution lies in her identity.

When she first married into a wealthy family, she was the daughter-in-law worth hundreds of millions. According to Hong Kong media reports, the couple's wedding of the century cost hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars. The ceremony was held at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. The dinner was held at the State Theater. They also chartered a plane to pick up and drop off the guests. It was full of grandeur.

Xu Ziqi also worked hard to complete the necessary task of giving birth to a wealthy family. When he first entered the Li family, he said the classic saying, "It takes two years to give birth to two children, and the Li family will flourish!" Moreover, because the first two children were daughters, she was under great mental pressure and searched for secret recipes for having children. Legend has it that she even released 300 gold turtles out of 10,000.

Fortunately, in the end, Xu Ziqi spent 9 years on the journey of having children, with 2 sons and 2 daughters, to complete the biggest task of a wealthy family, and announced her "belly closure" in 2015. However, she was labeled a "fertility machine" by the Hong Kong media.

Xu Ziqi, who has completed the task of giving birth to a child, can be said to have a stable position in the family. Not only is she a well-behaved person, she is especially popular with her father-in-law. When Lee Shau Kee said Xu Ziqi's Chinese was poor, she expressed her intention to learn Chinese with her daughter.

Moreover, Lee Shau Kee and his wife Liu Huijuan had been divorced for nearly 40 years, and his first wife moved away to Canada to settle down and devote herself to Buddhism. And Li Jiajie, the eldest son of Li, is unmarried, and Xu Ziqi is the sole hostess of the family. She is free from the worries of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and the competition of sisters-in-law.

Therefore, Xu Ziqi has also been a "enjoyable rich lady" for a long time. Either go to a celebrity party or travel around the world.

However, for top wealthy families, the daughter-in-law only needs to be "decent", while the "mistress" needs to be "powerful".

Anyone familiar with Henderson knows that the fourth uncle has already arranged the division of labor for his two sons: Li Jiajie is low-key and pragmatic, focusing on the mainland; Li Jiacheng is cheerful and sociable, and is responsible for Hong Kong. After officially retiring in 2019, the two served as co-chairmen at the same time. Hong Kong media called it "division without division."

But "co-governance" solves business matters, and there is another thing that cannot be seen in financial reports, which is social capital. When the fourth uncle was alive, he himself was Henderson's biggest social business card. He and Zheng Yutong had "worked together" for decades, and he was brother-in-law with Li Ka-shing at the poker table. This kind of top-level connections cannot be automatically inherited with the title of CEO.

Li Ka-shing is now in charge of the Hong Kong business, but it is not enough for the real estate tycoon to sign contracts in social situations. He also needs "hostess diplomacy". Someone needs to support the Vogue ceremony, someone needs to organize the charity dinner, and someone needs to maintain the circle of celebrities. Only Xu Ziqi can do these things.

Therefore, Xu Ziqi's "sudden high-frequency business" is essentially Henderson adding soft power to the puzzle in the "post-fourth uncle era". Once you understand this relationship and look at her actions in recent years, you will understand that she is not only "leveraging her career", but also taking over the external appearance of the entire Li family.

For example, The Henderson, an important asset of the Frequent Platform family, is a landmark designed by Zaha Hadid and has an occupancy rate of 90%.

The Vogue x GQ ceremony was held there two days ago. Xu Ziqi appeared as the hostess, wearing a leather suspender skirt which was very cool~

Whether he is giving a speech or sharing the same frame with celebrities, his gestures and gestures all show generosity.

In September last year, Xu Ziqi appeared on the Hong Kong edition of Vogue, a rare double cover. Xu Ziqi may be credited with bringing the Vogue Gala to The Henderson this time.

It is said that there are nearly 10 outfits in the entire blockbuster, all of which are covered by DIOR. They are still the same 2025 autumn and winter season looks, and the fashion resources are also very good.

In addition to fashion, Xu Ziqi is also working hard to develop her identity as a "philanthropist", becoming more and more like the "soul" of the Li family.

I draw storybooks by myself and cooperate with McDonald’s to promote charity.

During the Tokyo Olympics, I took photos with athletes in table tennis and other sports, and posted several posts in support of Paralympic athletes. The whole person is much more pragmatic.

She also hosted a charity dinner as a sponsor of Save the Children Hong Kong, and invited a number of top socialites to attend. They all had a lot of backgrounds, but she firmly held the C position~

Behind the status of Kuotai, Xu Ziqi also has a high degree of education. I returned to my alma mater, University College London, and accepted the honorary academician title from the school together with my husband. We were able to obtain this title by virtue of funding for neuroscience research.

Later, he also appeared at an alumni gathering, wearing a warm gray suit with a T-shirt underneath, chatting in front of everyone, and taking the workplace route.

02

State evolution

Say goodbye to the "gaunt mother feeling" and return to the top

In addition to the change in identity, Xu Ziqi's change in appearance has also triggered heated discussions. Xu Ziqi's early appearance was "walking auspiciousness" stamped by the master, who said that she had "full heaven, round earth pavilion, and profound blessings in her earlobes. She was born with a prosperous husband." Her horoscopes should not be too compatible with the Li family, so she was favored by Lee Shau Kee.

Therefore, Xu Ziqi is often called the "rich face template" by Hong Kong media and is "destined to marry into a wealthy family." She is also often compared with rich ladies such as Guo Jingjing. The two "rich face templates" have even competed at the same venue↓

However, after 9 years and 4 babies, her appearance began to become a bit erratic. With large colored contact lenses and heavy makeup, she became very internet-famous and lost some of her previous grandeur.

In 2021, he entered a low point in his status and completely began a period of recluse. Ins stopped updating and no longer showed up. She once made a low-key appearance and was photographed gaining weight. This caused the outside world to speculate whether she was pregnant with another fifth child, and she was forced to go into business.

When he showed up again after returning in 23 years, his whole person had changed again. Not only has she lost a lot of weight, but her facial contour has also changed a lot, making it almost unrecognizable.

Her soft yellow hair was also questioned as an outdated aesthetic. Hong Kong media revealed that she dyed her outdated yellow hair because she wanted to accommodate her husband, making her look very haggard.

But her recent appearance can be described as "turning back time". The most intuitive change is the collagen on the face. The cheeks become plump again, giving a moisturized "bang bang face".

When the camera takes a picture of my face, there are no obvious fine lines or signs of aging, which gives people the illusion of a 20-year-old who just debuted.

The whole person's mental outlook has also become younger. I was once ridiculed as "tired" and "mom-conscious", but now I have directly transformed back into a girl full of energy, with eyes full of light.

At the Henderson 50th anniversary event two days ago, there was a particularly "alive feeling". Check in happily in front of the dining car like an ordinary girl, holding a drink and drinking it naturally.

When I am with children, I am more like an intimate big sister. I didn’t know she was 43 years old, so I thought she was a college student coming to do volunteer work~

03

Emotional evolution

Clear up the scandal of ten years and become the "Mother of Hundreds of Billions" with peace of mind

The relationship between Xu Ziqi and Li Jiacheng has also experienced a roller coaster-like change. Before marriage, Li Jiacheng had a love affair that was widely reported by Hong Kong media. It is said that Lee Zhao-kei intervened because he valued his family status, and the two eventually broke up.

Not long after, Li Jiacheng disclosed his relationship with Xu Ziqi. Due to the tight timeline, she once suffered from infamy. Later, she responded calmly: "To accept a person, you must accept his past."

After getting married, Xu Ziqi also showed off her love and affection on Instagram, showed off her baby and showed her warmth, focusing on being in love.

When asked about the secret to maintaining a marriage, she also said: "My husband is 12 years older than me. There are many differences, but the basic values ​​and important aspects are the same." She also praised that Li Jiacheng knew more than her and would help her solve many problems so that she didn't have to worry.

But the Hong Kong media obviously had no intention of letting her go, and there were more and more scandals about Li Jiacheng. Not only is there speculation that he was shopping hand in hand with his ex-girlfriend Chen Shuyi Deon, a stewardess.

In 2016, the two celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary. Rumors began to circulate in Hong Kong and on some gossip forums that a certain "married rich second generation with a net worth of hundreds of billions" had a close relationship with the then popular "young model ancestor" Chrissie Chau.

Not only was Li Ka-shing lying on the ground, but there were even rumors that Xu Ziqi had a "big fight" because of this. But in fact, Li Ka-shing and Chrissie Chau have never even been photographed in the same frame.

In the past ten years, the Li family has always chosen to deal with the situation in silence, believing that those who are clean will self-clean. During that period, Xu Ziqi also frequently appeared with her husband in high-profile scenes, trying to break the rumors of marriage. But it was photographed that his face changed drastically and his eyes showed fatigue. It has been frequently rumored that she plans to have five children to consolidate her position.

It wasn't until June 2025 that Chrissie Chau accepted an interview with a YouTube channel while promoting her new movie, and once again discussed the rumors, triggering a new round of discussion.

One is to bring out the scandal ten years ago and stir it up, and the other is to coincide with the death of Lee Shau Kee, which directly lit the fuse.

In February this year, Li Ka-shing officially filed a lawsuit with the Hong Kong High Court against Chrissie Chau, Google LLC and five YouTube channels for defamation and harassment.

Li Jiacheng declared: "I never know Ms. Chrissie Chau, and I have no intention or intention to know her." It is also alleged that Chrissie Chau has directly or indirectly planned, caused or encouraged these false rumors for ten years.

The timing of the prosecution is also delicate: Henderson's 50th anniversary, Lee Shau-kee's death has just passed a year ago, and Xu Ziqi is intensively appearing as a "hostess". Choosing to take action at this juncture is not so much to clarify ten years of old news, but to clear the way for a new chapter in the Li family.

After the incident, although Xu Ziqi did not speak out, the couple got together at the Shanghai Henderson Central Yards event, holding hands and secretly showing affection, which also proved that they have "a harmonious family and a good relationship."

Xu Ziqi wore an Oscar de la Renta dress that day. The green and rose red floral patterns just echoed the same colors as Li Jiacheng's shirt and tie. It was quite thoughtful.

She has regained her vitality, continues to explore her career, and even the emotional obstacles that have troubled her for many years have been completely eliminated.

Hong Kong media once said that she was "destined to be rich and noble", but now it seems that what really turned her from a "daughter-in-law with hundreds of millions" to a "mother-in-law" was not fate but the current situation. A family worth hundreds of billions needed a new face to face the world, and she was just ready.

What do you think of Xu Ziqi’s changes? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area for discussion.

Today is Wu Yue’s birthday. I would like to wish Teacher Wu a happy birthday! Furthermore, how did Teacher Wu achieve such beauty and lightness?

When I saw this set of photos, I was really attracted to it.

She is 53 years old today, but her condition is nothing like it. She exudes a youthful atmosphere. She wears a white short skirt, a pink shirt, and light yellow bottoms. With her long and toned legs and white shoes, she looks so sunny.

Of course, dressing is easy, but what makes people unable to take their eyes away is her state, which is the sense of relaxation that comes from the inside out, and the happiness that comes from the heart.

It is upward vitality, how is it done?

I think it should be purity, persistence and love.

As an actor, Wu Yue has been working hard on the acting road for decades. He has played countless classic roles, whether they are positive and uplifting, or unethical and annoying. He acts like anything and is loved and recognized by the industry and the audience for his strength.

When he is not an actor, Wu Yue keeps a low profile in his life. There are no scandals or hypes. He enjoys quietly at his own pace, hanging out with friends, reading books and watching movies, or traveling to see the world in preparation for his next role.

I like Wu Yue, her enthusiasm for art, her love for life, her persistence in herself, and her clear-headed and self-consistent attitude towards people, things, and everything.

Looking back at Wu Yue's journey, maintaining such a good condition is inseparable from her self-disciplined and minimalist life for many years. Almost all of them are details in life. In fact, we can all do it.

First, stick to a light diet, eat three regular meals, and eat until you are seven-tenths full; second, keep exercising, not dieting, not extreme, take a walk after meals every day, blow the evening breeze of spring, touch the tenderness of spring up close, and you will find that the fatigue of the day has dissipated.

Third, don’t stay up late, go to bed early and get up early, keep enough sleep, and not feel tired during work and life during the day; fourth, the most important point is to have a good attitude, accept all imperfections, and reconcile with yourself;

Fifth, read and write more, and have a poetic and bookish spirit in your belly. Wu Yue’s scholarly quality is inseparable from her persistence and love for reading.

To put it simply, it means taking your life lightly, relaxing your mentality, reducing your desires, not entangled, not internally consumed, and walking at your own pace. Sometimes, it doesn't matter if you go slower, whatever is supposed to come will come.

Finally, my favorite. Let's conclude with what Mr. Lin Qingxuan said. I hope we can all face life with these "four hearts", "see the world with a pure heart, live life with a joyful heart, create feelings with a normal heart, and remove worries with a soft heart." Let's encourage you!

Trump said that he brought peace to the world and asked for the Nobel Peace Prize; he also said that he was on track to complete all military goals, and the current goal is to destroy Iran.

Trump is a performer. In today's all-media era, an actor-president fully performs himself in the media, and at the same time forcefully represents the country of the United States without negotiation, causing the outside world's impression of the current United States to be extremely confusing. It is easy to point out all the mistakes and absurdities in an America that has been so deeply individualized, and to laugh at and criticize it. However, this does not solve the problem.

The United States has been a normal country for most of its 250-year history. 100 years ago, it represented progress and the future; 80 years ago, it represented a new world order; 30 years ago, it represented de facto unipolarity; it has played different positive roles in different historical periods. From the standpoint of all mankind, this basic fact must be acknowledged.

Looking deeper, the biggest problem of the young and energetic United States is that it is not good at introspection and does not understand history. The Chinese say, "Use copper as a mirror to correct your clothes; use ancient times as a mirror to know the ups and downs; use people as a mirror to understand gains and losses." The United States, which has only a quarter of a thousand years of history, and its successive presidents, cannot do it, and they don't understand why they have to do it.

On March 28, local time, "No King" protests broke out in Washington and other places in the United States.

Not good at introspection and ignorant of history, the United States often does not know who it is or what it is doing. For example, in the United States now under Trump's administration, all kinds of nonsense and misbehavior have turned the world upside down, and the United States itself has lost its direction.

The most popular criticism of the United States is that it is driven by hegemonism. Even if it objectively created the "Pan-American Peace", it subjectively intends to pursue unipolar hegemony. No matter what Trump's United States wants to do, in the final analysis, it still pursues some kind of hegemony, so it must oppose it. This kind of criticism is also simplistic and ignores the complexity of world politics.

What is the United States doing today? What is the relationship between Trump’s MAGA movement and the United States in history? Answers need to be sought from a larger historical perspective.

Imperial system and international system

A basic fact of human history is that most civilizations are the history of the rise and fall of empires, rather than the history of the coexistence of nations. Generally speaking, when the empire flourishes, the autonomous regions within the territory will maintain unified order under the central power, and there will be general peace and prosperity; but once the central power weakens, order will be difficult to maintain. Historical laws show that at this time there are usually uprisings or large-scale civil wars in border areas, and the old empire gradually collapses due to internal and external difficulties, poverty and weakness. The next new empire will be reborn in the long-term melee between states.

For ordinary people, no matter how central power is established or how the empire expands, orderly peace and prosperity are always good, and disorderly war and chaos, when the people are in dire straits, are always bad. In Chinese cultural tradition, the former is called the "Peaceful Age", the latter is called the "Troubled Age", and the transitional period from the latter to the former is called the "Peaceful Age". Traditional Chinese people believe that history is nothing more than the repeated reincarnation of these three "eras". The best hope is that the new "peaceful era" will be more lasting, more prosperous, and broader. The recently popular TV series "The Peaceful Years" tells a typical episode of reincarnation that occurred during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period between the two "peaceful ages" of the Tang and Song Dynasties. There are many similar episodes in Chinese history.

But the history of Europe is completely different. Since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, the last "peaceful age" in this region has ended. Since then, there have been endless "turbulent times" and occasional "peaceful times", but it has never been able to create a more lasting, more prosperous and broader "peaceful age". It is this special history that finally forced out a new type of order from countless wars in Europe, in which countries that are independent in their own affairs maintain a situation of no war and no peace through the balance of power between them.

Since there is no major war for the time being, this situation is better than the "Troubled Times". Moreover, since it is not unified under the central power, the state of separate countries standing side by side has led to constant conflicts, and there is no prospect of a "peaceful era". In modern terminology, this particular situation is called the "international system," as opposed to the more general "imperial system."

The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 was the first realization of this "international system" in Europe. After the brutal and bloody "Thirty Years' War", Europe's "Thirty Years' War" came to the brink of mutual destruction, with a quarter of the total population lost. With the "halcyon" out of reach, the "international system" was established as a temporary armistice. Numerous independent political systems have explored a set of international rules to control themselves and mitigate conflicts by signing peace treaties. No one among them is strong enough to defeat all other opponents, thus forming a "balance of power."

In essence, this is not an invention, but a compromise with reality by all parties as a last resort. It is based on a system of independent states that do not interfere in each other's internal affairs and curb their ambitions through a general balance of power. In that world at that time, this "international system" was just a temporary arrangement made internally by European countries that were trapped in the quagmire of "the colonial times" and were unable to extricate themselves. In other parts of the world, the "imperial system" continues to operate on its own track, unaffected at all.

Can the draft resolution on escorting the Strait of Hormuz promoted by Bahrain and other countries be passed by the Security Council? Why is it said that China has informed Bahrain in advance that it will use its "one-vote veto" power? Will France also side with China and Russia at a critical moment?

According to Observer.com's news on April 3, Reuters and the New York Times reported, citing multiple sources, that on April 3, local time, the United Nations Security Council plans to vote on a draft resolution on escorting the Strait of Hormuz, led by Bahrain and supported by Gulf Arab states and the United States. The core is to authorize member states to use "all necessary defense means" to protect merchant ships.

At the same time, the report mentioned that according to information provided by intelligence officials, as the three permanent members of the Security Council, China, Russia and France, clearly oppose any wording authorizing the use of force, and there are also differences among other member states, the prospect of passing the draft is slim.

United Nations Headquarters

Due to the aggressive behavior of the United States and Israel, Iran had to close the Strait of Hormuz in response, which worried the Gulf countries that relied on the strait for oil exports. In addition, Iran's attack on the US military caused collateral damage to some Gulf countries. Therefore, Arab countries hope to open the Strait of Hormuz by force, firstly to facilitate smooth shipping, and secondly to retaliate against Iran.

As the rotating president of the Security Council this month, Bahrain has taken the lead in drafting the draft resolution. On April 2, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister called on the Security Council to show a unified stance in voting on the draft resolution and to decisively respond to Iran’s control of international navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Even so, Bahrain called on the Security Council to unify its position, but the possibility of the draft resolution being passed is slim. At least nine Security Council members need to vote in favor during the vote, and no one of the five permanent members will use their veto power. China has already euphemistically expressed its opposition to the adoption of the draft resolution.

security council

On April 2, the Chinese Foreign Minister made it clear during a phone call with the Bahrain Foreign Minister that the actions of the United Nations Security Council should help ease the situation, stop the war and resume talks, but should not endorse illegal war actions, let alone add fuel to the fire.

In a phone call with the Saudi Foreign Minister on the same day, the Chinese Foreign Minister once again emphasized that "if the war continues, the Straits will be unsafe. The top priority is to focus on a ceasefire and an end to the war as soon as possible. The actions of the United Nations Security Council must avoid escalation of confrontation and cannot legitimize unauthorized military operations. Otherwise, there will be endless troubles, and small and medium-sized countries will bear the brunt, especially."

In fact, China has clearly informed Bahrain and Saudi Arabia that it will express its opposition to the relevant draft resolutions and will use its "one-vote veto" power when necessary. China believes that the Security Council should play a role in promoting a ceasefire and an end to the war, rather than adding fuel to the fire and exacerbating the situation, let alone legitimizing the illegal aggression of the United States and Israel. This opening will have a negative impact.

iranian missiles

Strictly speaking, China's statement is very realistic. The Gulf countries are aiding the evil and supporting the US and Israel's armed invasion of Iran. They are not contributing to peace. On the contrary, they are destroying the foundation of peace in the Middle East and betraying the foundation of their own future peace.

The reason is very simple. If Iran completely collapses, the Middle East will lose a force that can check the United States and Israel, and the security of the Gulf countries will face greater threats. The greed of the United States and Israel's brutality are obvious to the world. Only by promoting unity through dialogue with Iran can the Gulf countries resolve the crisis and achieve long-term peace in the Middle East.

In addition, Russia does not want the war in the Middle East to expand or spill over. It is basically certain that it will vote against the draft resolution led by Bahrain. Otherwise, if the conflict continues, Russia will not be able to bear the global inflation.

Macron

As for France, on the one hand, it is of course to demonstrate its different attitude from the United States and to show that Europe has an independent stance. On the other hand, Iran has demonstrated a 4,000-kilometer strike capability. If Europe provokes Iran, it may cause unnecessary trouble. For practical considerations, France will undoubtedly side with China and Russia.

In the public impression, Ivanka Trump has always presented a calm and restrained image. However, in a podcast called "CEO Diary" broadcast on April 9, local time, the 44-year-old America's richest daughter rarely lost control of her emotions in front of the camera. She choked up and cried several times, describing the family changes and psychological pressure she had encountered in the past few years.

In this interview, the core of what Ivanka talked about was the sudden death of her mother, Ivana Trump.

In 2022, the Czech woman who was once active in New York's upper class accidentally fell and died at home at the age of 73. The official cause of death was injuries resulting from a fall.

For Ivanka, this is not only the grief of losing a loved one, but also a sudden blow. She admitted that "the feeling of losing a parent is completely different," especially when there was no warning, and the impact was even more profound.

However, the death of his mother was not the only blow. Around the same time, her husband, Jared Kushner, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer again and underwent surgery. The news was equally heavy for the entire family.

In fact, Kushner had been ill during his tenure in the White House, and the second surgery occurred shortly after his mother's death. The combination of multiple pressures made Ivanka admit that during that time, "life was undergoing drastic changes."

It was against this background that she made a decision that had hardly been mentioned publicly in the past and proactively sought psychological treatment. She said that she had always been accustomed to "being strong" and "self-digesting", but during that period, she realized that just suppressing emotions was not a healthy way, so she chose to face her inner fluctuations through professional help. She emphasized that psychotherapy is not a sign of weakness, but a way of taking responsibility for one's own state. "I want to make sure that I am really good at being strong."

It is worth noting that this emotional outpouring also occurred after an important turning point in her life. After leaving the White House, Ivanka gradually faded away from the core of politics and chose to devote more energy to family life. It is generally believed that this change has allowed her to withdraw from a highly stressful public role, but it has also given her more time to face her previously suppressed emotions and pressures.

Ivanka also talked about the assassination attempt on her father, Donald Trump, in the summer of 2024.

"I was shocked and scared, and I just wanted to protect my children," she said. "When I saw the Secret Service agents carrying my father off the stage and the bullet grazing his ear, I vaguely thought that my father would survive. I didn't believe that the worst had happened, and thankfully, it didn't."

Ivanka also added details, saying that at around 2 a.m. the day after the incident, she saw her father returning from the hospital to his estate in Bedminster, New Jersey. “You can’t take anything for granted in life, and I’ve learned this through countless experiences.”

Ivanka also stressed that she had no hatred for those who tried to harm her father, even months later when a second gunman tried to shoot her father at a golf club in Florida. "What's the point of having a negative attitude about the world? There's a lot of ills in the world, and I think it's hard to forgive, but life itself is a gift."

On April 9, local time, Melania Trump, the first lady of the United States, walked into the lobby of the White House "menacingly". With an expressionless face, she was preparing to issue a statement to protect her reputation and directly respond to the rumors of connection caused by the documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that have been declassified in recent years. This public statement was a rare initiative by Melania, which quickly became the focus of global media.

The 55-year-old Melania wore a gray Prada dress with dark red snakeskin pattern Christian Louboutin high heels. She stood in front of the podium in a simple and neat look, and she also looked quite aura.

Melania made it clear in her statement: "I never had anything to do with Epstein. I was never his friend. I was not a victim of Epstein."

She further pointed out, "Epstein did not introduce me to Trump. I met my husband by chance at a party in New York in 1998." Regarding the email exchanges with Ghislaine Maxwell mentioned in the document, she said those were just "polite, trivial notes" and not a deep friendship. She stressed that all claims linking her to Epstein were "totally false," calling them a "despicable smear campaign" and "political attacks" and demanding "these lies must end today."

In addition, Melania also insisted that she had "never participated in any activities related to Epstein" and had "never boarded his plane or been to his private island."

The direct background of this statement is the large number of Epstein documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice from January to February this year. The documents include old photos, social records and some testimonies from the late 1990s to early 2000s.

Part of the content shows that Melania appeared at parties together when her husband, Epstein, and Maxwell belonged to the same upper-class social circles in New York and Palm Beach. In addition, a 2002 email record shows that Melania mentioned a magazine report about Epstein in her reply to Maxwell and expressed her desire to go to Palm Beach. In another 2019 FBI interview record (released in 2026), a former assistant claimed that "Epstein introduced Melania to Trump."

Melania's public statement immediately attracted attention. Some observers believe that Melania's rare public statement reflects her tendency to more actively protect her personal image in her second term; other voices point out that the first lady chose to speak out at this time against the backdrop of the continued disclosure of Epstein's files, which will help clarify long-standing speculation.

There have been no new legal charges or subsequent investigations against Melania herself, and there is no evidence in any public documents that she was involved in any criminal activity.

Melania’s statement also once again drew public attention back to the complex history of the Epstein case. Epstein died in prison after being arrested in 2019. During his lifetime, he had interactions with many powerful people through social networks.

Melania emphasized that she and Trump were introduced to each other in 1998 by modeling agent Paolo Zampoli (pictured), which is consistent with the Trumps' long-standing public statements.

Regarding a series of issues related to the port, it was clearly Panama who was at fault first, but recently, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama started complaining first.

According to a Reuters report on April 9, local time, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino tried to ease tensions with China that day and adopted a downgraded stance. The day before, Panamanian Foreign Minister had publicly criticized China, claiming that China's increase in inspections of Panamanian ships was an act of "tit for tat retaliation" in response to Li Ka-shing's Hong Kong Cheung Kong Hutchison Group (CK Hutchison) losing its port franchise in the country.

"We have no intention…of friction with China," Mulino added during a visit to the port of Balboa on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal. "I hope…that this tension will cool down…so that we can return to normalcy in our political relations and reach a consensus that this is an issue that will eventually be resolved."

When asked about the so-called "Panamanian ships being detained in Chinese ports", Mulino said that such inspections are not uncommon in the global shipping industry, and said that other major ship registration places, including Liberia and the Marshall Islands, are also affected by similar trends. He added that Panama was still assessing the situation.

"These inspections have nothing to do with political retaliation," Mulino's statement was completely different from the Panamanian Foreign Minister's argument the day before. However, he also claimed that Panama had "expressed concerns" to China about this and hoped to verify the basis on which China inspected and detained ships.

On April 9, local time, Panamanian President Mulino delivered a speech after inspecting the Port of Balboa. Reuters

According to Reuters, as early as last month, the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) claimed that it was paying close attention to the surge in the number of Panamanian-registered ships detained in China, and hyped that the surge "exceeded historical norms."

Mulino's latest statement appears milder than the previous remarks by Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha.

On April 8, local time, Martinez-Acha claimed at a conference in Paraguay that China had increased the number of inspections and seizures of Panamanian-flagged ships due to the Panamanian court’s adverse ruling against CK Hutchison.

"Panama respects the legitimate sovereignty of all countries. We just ask for the same treatment." Martinez-Acha pretended to be innocent.

And long before Martinez-Acha made these remarks, the United States had already "prepared" for him.

On April 2, local time, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio issued a statement saying, "China's recent actions against Panamanian-flagged ships have raised serious concerns about the use of economic means to undermine the rule of law in Panama." He also repeatedly speculated that "detentions, delays or other actions that impede the passage of ships will undermine the stability of global supply chains, increase costs for businesses and consumers, and undermine people's confidence in the international trading system."

In this regard, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the relevant remarks by the United States are completely fabricated and confuse right and wrong. The United States has repeatedly made irresponsible remarks, which can only expose its intention to occupy the canal.

"Who is blatantly destroying the neutral status of the Panama Canal and undermining the stability of the global supply chain through unilateral bullying and coercion? It is fair and clear! China's position on the relevant port issues in Panama is clear and will firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," Mao Ning said.

In 1997, Panama Port Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, obtained a 25-year concession for the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, which were later renewed. However, under pressure from U.S. President Trump, the Supreme Court of Panama declared in January this year that the contract authorizing Panama Ports Company to operate Panama Port Terminal was invalid on the grounds of so-called "unconstitutionality."

Afterwards, on February 23, the day when the relevant ruling came into effect, the Panamanian government forced its way into the two ports and took over the administrative and operational control of the two container terminals. Three days later, Panamanian authorities suddenly launched a search at the Panamanian Port Company office and confiscated company documents and materials.

At present, the Panama government has taken temporary measures to maintain port operations and granted an 18-month transitional concession arrangement, allowing Danish Maersk Terminal Group to take over the Port of Balboa, and TIL Panama, a subsidiary of Mediterranean Shipping Company, to operate Cristobal Port.

Reuters pointed out that the background of this dispute was the United States' pressure on Panama to curb China's influence around the strategic artery of the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal carries 5% of the world's maritime trade volume and has become the focus of geopolitical games in recent years.

On March 24, local time, Panama Port Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, issued a statement stating that one month after the Panamanian government illegally took over two container terminals and occupied their assets, the company's losses continued to expand, and the amount of the claim had been raised to more than US$2 billion in international arbitration.

However, the Panamanian government has the courage to do things, but not the courage to take responsibility. According to reports, Panamanian President Mulino refused to comment on CK Hutchison’s arbitration claim, insisting that the matter “does not fall under the jurisdiction of the government.”

Compared with Panama's evasiveness and vagueness after making relevant unreasonable rulings, China's position is clear. Previously, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the ruling was contrary to Panamanian laws approving relevant franchise rights. The company will retain all rights, including litigation and legal procedures, and China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.