China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Tuesday announced decisive measures against Canada, including plans to initiate dispute settlement proceedings at the WTO and launch an anti-discrimination probe, after Canada's decision to impose hefty additional tariffs on Chinese products, including electric vehicles (EVs), steel and aluminum.

The significant measures against Canada are due to the "extremely vicious" actions taken by Ottawa against Chinese products without any factual basis or due process, Chinese experts said. The Chinese measures, in line with Chinese laws and WTO rules, could result in further steps to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, if Ottawa moves forward with the tariffs, experts said.     

Among the measures is a decision to initiate dispute settlement proceedings against Canada's additional tariffs against Chinese EVs and other products at the WTO to safeguard the interests of Chinese industries.

In addition, China will launch an anti-discrimination investigation into Canada's decision of imposing additional tariffs on Chinese EVs, steel and aluminum, based on Article 7 and Article 36 of China's Foreign Trade Law.

Article 7 of China's Foreign Trade Law stipulates that in the event that any country or region applies prohibitive, restrictive or other like measures on a discriminatory basis against China in respect of trade, China may, as the case may be, take countermeasures against the country or region in question. And Article 36 of China's Foreign Trade Law states that the authority responsible for foreign trade under the State Council may conduct investigation with regard to relevant matters, including the matter that requires investigation for implementing Article 7.

This is the first time China has launched an anti-discrimination investigation of its kinds, which could lead to further actions based on the results of the investigation, according to Zhou Xiaoyan, vice president of the China Council for International Investment Promotion. 

"Investigative authorities will make a final ruling based on the results of the investigation," Zhou told the Global Times on Tuesday, noting that China could take corresponding actions, if any country or region is found to have taken discriminatory actions against China.  

The MOFCOM also said on Tuesday it will take subsequent measures based on the actual situation.

Liang Ming, director of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation's Institute of International Trade, said China could take all necessary measures against Canada in accordance to relevant laws, given the malicious nature of Canada's discriminatory actions against Chinese products. 

"In taking such actions, Canada clearly had a political motive and blindly followed the step of the US," Liang said, noting that Canada's tariff rate of 100 percent against Chinese EVs was also arbitrary without any factual basis or investigation. 

"Canada's actions are extremely arbitrary, vicious and reckless," Liang said, adding that while Canada's actions will not affect China's foreign trade and stable economic growth, "the nature of Canada's actions is extremely vicious, which set bad examples for other countries and will have a negative impact on global free trade." 

Also on Tuesday, the MOFCOM announced that China will launch an anti-dumping investigation into canola seeds imported from Canada, in response to industry concerns and in order to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the domestic enterprises.

In 2023, Canada's exports of canola seeds to China reached $3.47 billion, increasing 170 percent year-on-year, even as prices continuously dropped, according to the MOFCOM. Affected by Canada's unfair competition, Chinese domestic industries continue to suffer losses, the ministry said.    

In addition, China also plans to launch an anti-dumping probe into relevant chemical products from Canada, the MOFCOM announced.

"China's attitude is very clear and it will take all necessary measures to defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," the MOFCOM said on Tuesday, while announcing the measures.

Unlike Canada's move that is politically motivated and out of the WTO framework, the measures taken by the Chinese side are made in response to the industry requests and concerns and are based on WTO rules as well as with clear reference from corresponding laws and regulations of China, experts said.

"If a WTO member's dumping of products to another member has caused damage to the latter's domestic industry, the latter under WTO rules could launch anti-dumping investigations," Zhou said. "This is normal practice."

From selling stones to selling scenery, Yucun, a former small mining village in Anji county, East China's Zhejiang Province, has transformed from a polluting miner to an environmental steward. 

The example of Yucun is a vivid display of China's green transition effort and a successful balance between economic growth and ecological protection as China is moving forward by ramping up more efforts in all areas of socioeconomic development so as to accomplish the goal of building a Beautiful China, which is stressed in the key meeting in July.

Mines in Yucun village have been converted into rapeseed fields and lotus ponds, creating picturesque landscapes. 

This green transition represents a vivid example of making low-carbon development sustainable amid the country's efforts on ecological protection. The green growth model also put President Xi Jinping's vision of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" into practice.

At present, Yucun has afforested more than 500 mu (33 hectares) of the previous mining area and has planted about 3,000 mu of trees, lifting the forest coverage rate from under 70 percent in 2005 to a current 95 percent, according to official statistics. 

How it happened?

In the 1990s, Yucun relied on blasting mountains to build lime kilns, set up brick and cement factories, and once became the richest village in Anji county. However, this prosperity came at the cost of the local environment.

Extensive development has led to dust in the air and mud in rivers, villagers in Yucun told the Global Times. They recalled struggling with the question: Where is the way out? Balancing economic growth with environmental protection seemed like an impossible challenge to resolve. 

From 2003, Yucun closed, within three years, three limestone quarries and a cement factory, which at the time accounted for 95 percent of its annual income. 

In 2005, President Xi, then secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, visited Yucun, where he said that "mountains and rivers green are mountains of silver and gold," the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The site of the demolished cement factory was converted into a plantation, and a large area of land was turned into rapeseed fields and lotus ponds. In 2021, Yucun was named "Best Tourism Village" by the UN World Tourism Organization.

The unique scenery has attracted more tourists to the small village. Thanks to this travel boom, villagers soon made more money than when they relied on mining and cement. 

"Yucun was a village without famous sights and historical sites, and we were uncertain if we could develop local tourism," Yu Xiaoping, deputy Party chief of Yucun village, told the Global Times. "But time has proved that we were on the right path of transition from 'selling stones' to 'selling scenery' and balancing economic development with ecological protection."

"Tourism began to improve in 2006, when I made 300,000 yuan  ($42,189)," Pan Chunlin, a homestay owner in Yuncun, told the Global Times. 

Pan, a former tractor driver in the mining industry, opened his first homestay business in Yucun in 2005, which was also the first of its kind in the village. 
With Pan's success, other villagers have also turned to tourism, opening homestays and organizing fruit picking and canoe tours.

In 2023, Yucun welcomed 1.15 million tourists, realizing a tourism revenue of 55 million yuan ($7.7 million), according to official statistics.

At present, there are more than 100 guesthouses in Yucun. More than 70 percent of villagers are engaged in tourism-related industries, and the per capita annual income has grown from less than 8,000 yuan in 2005 to more than 70,000 yuan in 2023.

Green and beyond

Yucun also actively developed ecological agriculture products. In 2023, the sale of green agricultural products in Yucun exceeded 10 million yuan and were sold throughout the country via e-commerce platforms, domestic news site ceweekly.cn reported. 

At the same time, Yuncun introduced high-tech industries to promote sustainable economic development.

Currently, high-tech industries make up 30 percent of Yucun's economy, according to media report.

"We have been exploring the improvement and upgrading of bee species and bee breeding machines, in order to improve the quality of honey," a manager of a Yucun-based bee industry company told the Global Times.

Beautiful China on the way

"We will ramp up the green transition in all areas of economic and social development and improve the environmental governance system. We will prioritize ecological protection, conserve resources and use them efficiently, and pursue green and low-carbon development, with a view to promoting harmony between humanity and nature," read the resolution adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held in July. 

China has been committed to green and low-carbon development, which acts as a fundamental solution to ecological and environmental problems. The country has made remarkable achievements in ecological conservation and has taken major steps to build a beautiful China.

Over the past decade, China has achieved some historic breakthroughs in the development of green and low-carbon energy and has been moving toward building a clean, diversified, secure and resilient energy supply system, according to a white paper entitled "China's Energy Transition" released on Thursday.

Throughout the comprehensive green transformation, new growth drivers and advantages have been developed and strengthened, fueling China's ongoing high-quality development.

Warships of the Chinese and Singaporean navies have launched the harbor phase of a joint exercise ahead of the sea phase off the southern Chinese coast, a move experts said on Sunday displays how China and Southeast Asian countries can have military cooperation that contributes to peace and stability.

After the frigate Sanya and the minesweeper Hejian of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy as well as the frigate RSS Stalwart of the Singaporean navy assembled at a naval port in Zhanjiang, South China’s Guangdong Province on Thursday for the China-Singapore Exercise Cooperation 2024 joint maritime exercise scheduled from Friday to September 5, these vessels, together with the PLA Navy’s destroyer Zhanjiang, opened to the public as a part of the harbor phase of the exercise on Saturday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.

The harbor phase will last until Tuesday, after which the participating vessels will embark on the sea phase in waters off Zhanjiang, CCTV reported.

The exercise aims to consolidate a mechanism that sees the two navies host joint drills alternately in their countries every year, expand the drills’ the scale and influence, and build a good situation for China’s military cooperation with countries in Southeast Asia, the PLA Navy said in a press release.

The two sides will organize training courses including joint anti-surface strike, replenishment-at-sea, joint search and rescue, as well as VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure), Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson at China’s Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular press conference on Thursday. He noted that as it is the third edition of this exercise, this year’s drill will further enhance mutual trust and friendship, and promote pragmatic exchanges and cooperation.

A Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday that the frigates and the minesweeper sent by the two sides could serve to maintain the openness of key international shipping lanes in the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca, demonstrating the two navies’ capabilities in safeguarding peace and stability in the region.

It will set a good example for military exchanges and cooperation among Southeast Asian countries, especially the Philippines, against the background of tensions in the South China Sea, the expert said.

The Paris 2024 Olympics has embraced contemporary trends by featuring a growing number of niche and emerging sports, thus infusing the Games with youthful energy. As the Paris Olympics comes to a close, the popularity of outdoor sports such as BMX, mountaineering, bouldering, and kayaking continues to rise.
According to data from Meituan, a tech-driven retail company in China, the overall search volume for "outdoor sports" has surged nearly threefold compared to last year. Since July, searches for "bouldering" have increased by 62 percent, and group-buying orders have risen by 104 percent, with consumers aged 20 to 35 becoming the primary drivers of this growth.

Yang Gen, a government official from Chongqing's Development and Reform Commission, told the Global Times that this enthusiasm is reflected in consumer spending and the development of the entire sports industrial chain.

The National Development and Reform Commission and other departments in China recently issued measures to "create new consumption scenarios and cultivate new growth points." These measures include advancing the construction of sports parks and community fitness centers, developing high-quality outdoor sports destinations, and guiding and expanding sports leisure consumption.

Blending elements

New and engaging activities with low entry barriers and strong social elements are attracting many young people.

Data from DianPing, a platform focusing on consumer lifestyles in China, reveals that this summer, at least 400 million instances of participation in outdoor sports have been recorded in China, showing a notable trend toward broader participation and lightweight activities.

At the Paris Olympics, Chinese freestyle BMX rider Deng Yawen won the gold medal in her sport's debut. This victory has generated significant interest among the younger generation in BMX, a sport known for its visual appeal and fashion elements.

A customer service representative from a BMX club in South China's Guangdong recently shared that their summer enrollment has been excellent, with courses filling up within two weeks of opening. The club is expanding their biking park with new tracks.

"Outdoor sports blend various elements of sports, leisure, entertainment, ecology, and culture, effectively meeting the diverse needs for slow living, experiential, and personalized activities," Yang noted.

The new measures also include encouraging the organization of rural sports with agricultural themes and promoting activities such as "sports events in scenic areas, street districts, and business circles," "event-oriented travel," and "vibrant outdoor sports" to boost consumption.

"In response to national calls, we continue to offer international marathon events to provide diverse and personalized experiences. This marathon will be one of many upcoming outdoor projects aimed at bringing health and joy to the public," Zhi Luxun, General Manager of China International Trade Center, the initiator of Beijing International Marathon events, told the Global Times.

Surfing's inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and its continued presence in Paris 2024 highlight the Olympics' support for emerging sports, significantly boosting surfing's global visibility and interest.

In many coastal cities, tourists have embraced new marine activities, grabbing surfboards and hitting the waves, transitioning from merely "watching the sea" to "playing in the sea" and enjoying the unique charm of this sport.

"The leisure and social attributes of outdoor sports greatly enhance their popularity. From the data, outdoor sports will exhibit trends of diversification and personalization in the coming years," Yang said.
Supporting facilities

Camping is a major highlight in outdoor sports. Some regions are enhancing camping base facilities and offering a variety of outdoor sports activities, including mountaineering, hiking, racing, and equestrian sports around the campsites, to improve the consumer experience.

According to Meituan and DianPing, the transaction volume for leisure camping-related categories on their platforms has increased nearly threefold, with keywords like "camping base" and "outdoor camping barbecue" becoming popular.

In the Tengger Desert of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, thousands of tents are scattered across the sand, within well-planned and fully equipped desert campsites. These sites offer various activities such as desert off-roading and sandboarding, and young people can relax and enjoy stargazing with friends after their adventures.

"When engaging in outdoor activities, it is better to avoid exercising during the hottest hours of the day, as UV rays are particularly strong at this time and can cause skin burns and even retinal damage," Luo Chaofan, a rehabilitation therapist at the National Health Commission told the Global Times.

Luo reminded that due to high summer temperatures, outdoor exercise causes the body to lose water very fast, thus it is usually recommended to replenish electrolytes and sugar with some sports drinks before and during exercise. "Sudden and extreme weather is prone to occur in these months. When you are outdoors, once the weather changes suddenly, you should stay away from ravines and steep slopes as soon as possible and go to open areas to prevent uncontrollable risks such as thunder, landslides, and falling rocks," Luo added.