The EU announced on Wednesday a formal anti-subsidy investigation into China-made electric vehicles (EVs). Analysts said that the probe could escalate into a discriminative "trade war against China's EV industry."

The rise of China's EVs has sparked unease within the EU, as China's competitiveness in the new automobile industry has constantly strengthened, an industry insider told the Global Times on Friday, on condition of anonymity.

"It is worth noting that the investigation was initiated in the absence of a written complaint from the industry in Europe. In other words, it could be seen as a potential trade war initiated by the EU," the insider said.

In recent years, China's EV industry has seen rapid development thanks to its unremitting technological innovation and building up of a complete industrial and supply chain. Chinese EVs have found favor among consumers, including those in Europe.

According to auto consultancy Inovev, 8 percent of new EVs sold in Europe as of September 2023 were imported from China, up from 6 percent in 2022 and 4 percent in 2021.

In 2022, Chinese automakers exported 545,244 new-energy vehicles (NEVs) to Europe, accounting for 48.66 percent of all NEV exports, data from the China Passenger Car Association showed.

According to CleanTechnica, 15 of the world's top 20 best-selling EVs in July were China-made.

The EU's anti-subsidy probe into Chinese NEVs is based on subjective assumptions, lacks sufficient evidence and goes against WTO rules, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Wednesday, responding to the EU decision to conduct the probe.

"We express strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the EU decision," the MOFCOM said in a statement posted on its website on Wednesday.

The EU requires negotiations with the Chinese side under extremely short notice and fails to provide effective materials for negotiation, which has seriously infringed on China's rights, according to the MOFCOM.

China urged the EU to exert caution in applying trade remedy measures, considering the big picture of maintaining the stability of global industrial and supply chains and the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, the ministry said.

"The EU should encourage deepened cooperation in the new-energy industry, which has NEVs as one of its spearheads, and create a fair, non-discriminatory and predictable market environment for the common development of the China-EU EV industry," the MOFCOM said.

The EU's probe was opposed by the German government and the business community there. German Minister for Digital and Transport Volker Wissing in September rejected possible punitive tariffs as a result of the European Commission's (EC) investigation into Chinese EV industry, according to German newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine.

On September 20, the German Handelsblatt published an article saying that EC President Ursula Von der Leyen's China policy is losing support and her tough stance is intended to win the approval of the US. Such a move would have a negative impact on German auto companies.

China's Shenzhou-14 crew, who have stayed at China's space station for half a year, have completed all the assigned tasks and will return to Earth in the coming days, the Global Times learned from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gansu Province on Friday.

The Shenzhou-14 spacecraft will land at night at the Dongfeng landing site in the Gobi Desert, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Global Times learned. The site conducted the last full-system integrated exercise for its search and rescue mission on Thursday.

The drill on Thursday further tested the site's organizational and implementation capabilities for spacecraft search and rescue missions. Currently, all special working groups at the landing site are ready to receive the return of Shenzhou-14.

Shenzhou-14 is the last mission of the three-step development strategy of China's manned space project, as well as the final episode of the construction stage of the China Space Station.

The fact that they will return at night time involves higher requirements for on-site rescue and risk prevention, the Global Times learned, as it would be more difficult to locate and reach the ship at night.

To prepare for the successful completion of the return, the landing site worked on a situation with the maximum of hardship, complexity, coldness and darkness, and made various plans for spacecraft tracking, return capsule recovery, and on-site rescue for astronauts.

A number of materials have been prepared including lighting and winter supplies. Training for extreme situations has also been carried out to ensure they can handle any kind of emergency during the process.

Early on Wednesday morning, six taikonauts of the Shenzhou-14 and -15 missions had their historic gathering in the China Space Station, marking a first in China's aerospace history, after the Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft was launched on Tuesday night.

The new faces of Shenzhou-15 will conduct a direct handover in orbit with their predecessors, which will take about five days, during which the Shenzhou-14 crew members will mainly prepare for their return to Earth, while the Shenzhou-15 crew will focus on setting up the space station's working status, adapting to the space environment and concluding the handover.

Sitting atop a Long March-2F Y14 carrier rocket and carrying Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe - the third crew to enter China's Tianhe space station core module - Shenzhou-14 was launched on June 5 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Six months later, the Shenzhou-14 members have achieved a number of firsts, including the first in-orbit docking of two 20-ton space modules, the first time taikonauts entered the Wentian and Mengtian lab modules, and the first two-hour fast autonomous docking of a cargo spaceship.

According to Ji Qiming, spokesperson for the China Manned Space Agency, they have completed a variety of tasks. The crew coordinated with the ground to finish building the basic structure of the T-shaped space station. They have also undergone nine combo configurations, five rendezvous and docking maneuvers, two separations, and two translocation missions.

The Shenzhou-14 crew have also managed a large number of platform tests, as well as equipment maintenance and other tasks onboard the space station. They completed the unlocking and installation of experiment cabinets in two lab modules, and carried out a number of scientific and technical experiments as well as one "Tiangong classroom" space lecture.

In another ambitious step toward becoming a strong space power in the world, China will fully kick off the research and development of its Phase-4 lunar research project and planetary exploration project, as well as the development of the Chang'e-7 and Tianwen-2 probes, deputies of the national legislature political advisors from the space sector told the Global Times on Sunday during the ongoing two sessions. 

More than 60 launches are scheduled for the Long March carrier rocket series in 2023, and another major rocket family for commercial spaceflights - the Kuaizhou - will also have a tight schedule with 8-10 launches expected this year, the Global Times has learned from Feng Jiehong, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and head of Aerospace Sanjiang, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation.

The new-generation manned launch vehicle is set to make its maiden flight by 2027, while the new super heavy-lift carrier rocket - the Long March-9 - will debut around 2030, the Global Times has learned. 

Following the completion of its basic structure assembly, the China Space Station has entered normal operations mode and will welcome onboard the Xuntian space telescope before 2026, a task to be undertaken by a Long March-5B carrier rocket, Rong Yi, chief designer for the Long March-2F launch vehicle and a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, told the Global Times. 

As for commercial spaceflight in China, market demand has been growing rapidly in recent years. According to an Iresearch survey, China has announced 12 plans for small satellite constellation networks in the next five to 10 years, which will comprise more than 2,200 satellites. They are mainly remote sensing and communication satellites. 

If 8-10 satellites are released each launch, it will take nearly 300 missions to complete the task. 

In addition to the Jielong-3 solid-propellant rocket, the Long March-2C and Long March-11 will undertake international commercial spaceflight missions, Wang Xiaojun, head of the state-owned China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, told the Global Times. 

Wang revealed that China is developing a next-generation manned launch vehicle that will meet the long-term strategic need for manned lunar exploration. It will be capable of sending payloads of 70 tons into near-Earth orbit, and is expected to make its maiden flight by 2027.

It will be used to send a lunar surface lander and lunar landing spacecraft to the Lunar Transfer Orbit (LTO) using liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants, capable of carrying payloads of no less than 27 tons to the LTO. 

It will serve as an important strategic support to realize China's manned landing on the moon by 2030. 

Rong disclosed that a new-generation manned spacecraft and a moon lander are being developed. The spacecraft will be able to accommodate three astronauts to the LTO and return them to Earth, while the lander could allow two people to carry out scientific experiments on the lunar surface. 

The Earth-Moon space has become a new territory of manned activities in space for its rich material resources and unique environmental resources, which could become a new pillar of the national economy in the future as well as the "best sample" for studying the origin and evolution of the Earth. 

Yang Mengfei, chief engineer of the Chang'e-5 probe and member of the CPPCC National Committee, proposed at this year's two sessions that China should grasp this opportunity and build Earth-Moon space infrastructure to utilize those resources, which China has already has the ability to do. 

The new model super heavy-lift carrier rocket - the Long March-9 - is also under development. It will be a 10-meter-diameter, three-stage mega rocket with a height of 110 meters, capable of sending payloads of 150 tons into near-Earth orbit, 50 tons into the LTO and 35 tons to the Mars Transfer Orbit. The first flight of the Long March-9 vehicle can be expected around 2030.

In this year's government report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang at the first session of the 14th NPC on Sunday, Li elaborated on the fruitful achievements made in scientific and technological innovation in the past years including in areas of manned spaceflight, lunar and Martian exploration, and satellite navigation. 

Since the historic Shenzhou-8 mission in 2011, China's space refrigerators have soared beyond Earth to become an integral part of the country's manned space missions. This groundbreaking achievement shattered the long-time technological monopoly held by foreign nations, positioning China as the third country, following the US and Russia, to master the core technology of space refrigeration.

In an industrial park in Foshan, South China's Guangdong Province, the local government has harnessed cutting-edge aerospace technology to propel the development of intelligent medical refrigerators and cold-chain logistics, which has become a new engine driving economic growth in the region.

Specifically designed for space

What's special about refrigerators used in space is they're specifically designed for the space environment, allowing them to serve unique purposes compared to household refrigerators.

Given the highly specialized nature of the space environment, space refrigerators boast unparalleled performance that set them apart from traditional household models. In the microgravity environment of space where objects float, stability and convenient access must be ensured, analysts noted.

For one thing, manned space missions demand exceptional precision down to the gram, and that requires space refrigerators to be much lighter than household ones. Moreover, during the rocket launch phase, the Shenzhou spacecraft is subject to various extreme challenges such as vibrations, impacts, and noise, necessitating space refrigerators to be more stable and possess stronger structural integrity capable of withstanding momentary maximum accelerations of 12g for vibrations and 500g for impacts. This is equivalent to space refrigerators enduring instantaneous impacts 500 times their own weight.

Additionally, taikonauts in space need to handle multiple tasks at the same time. To lighten their workload, space refrigerators need to incorporate Internet of Things technology, so that taikonauts can control power on/off, temperature settings, and other operations using a handheld terminal similar to a PAD, a solution not even present at the International Space Station.

Combining these designs in medical coolers and cold-chain logistics, the local government of Foshan city's Nanhai District has successfully developed a series of technologies for multi-usage refrigerators as part of the "National Major Instrument Development Project," including low-power, high-efficiency refrigeration, high-density phase-change energy storage, intelligent temperature control, temperature distribution, and cold storage and insulation under extreme conditions.

The technology transfer of "space refrigerators" has demonstrated its effectiveness in Guangdong Province, aiding in addressing issues related to the last-mile delivery, monitoring, and management of vaccines and food transportation, the Global Times learned from the project manager.

Outstanding benefits

According to the smart cold storage system developer Genshu (Guangdong) Technology Co., Ltd., traditional cold storage facilities have a number of drawbacks such as high costs for energy, difficulty in maintaining a constant temperature, and the need for multiple transfers between warehouses during transportation due to their large sizes. In contrast, the smart cold storage system offers several benefits.

By leveraging intelligent manufacturing and aerospace technology, this system provides an innovative and advanced solution for cold-chain logistics for medical supplies such as vaccine.

For one thing, it allows for flexible sizing according to specific needs and eliminates the need for on-site construction. The system also offers significant cost savings compared to building and maintaining large cold storage facilities, Deng Yulin, founder of the company who is also a professor in the School of Life Sciences at the Beijing Institute of Technology and member of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), told the Global Times.

Each compartment of the refrigerator is equipped with information pallets that record all necessary data, including the items in store, temperatures and quantities, making it easier for transportation personnel to track and manage goods, Deng said.

Cloud monitoring further enhances control and transparency by providing real-time information about the location, handling, and opening of the containers.

Another key advantage of the system is the ability to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the transportation process.

Space materials are also used for weight reduction in the cold storage devices, meanwhile ensuring that different locations within the device can maintain the same desired temperature with minimal variation. "The technologies we have applied on these cold-chain storage units are even more advanced than those we use in space, as they have been remodeled to suit ground conditions," Deng told the Global Times.

Chinese researchers have made another new discovery while studying data acquired from China's Zhurong Mars rover, confirming that wind and sand activities on the Martian surface have recorded changes in the ancient Martian environment. The discovery, scientists said, may shed light on predicting future climate changes on Earth.

The research findings have been published online in the science journal Nature on Thursday, the China Lunar Exploration Project (CLEP) said on its official WeChat account on Monday. 

Among planets in the solar system, Mars is considered to be the most similar to Earth. Scientists believe that the current state and evolutionary history of Mars may represent the "future of Earth." Therefore, the study of Martian climate evolution has long been a topic of great interest, and wind and sand activity have shaped the extensive distribution of sand dune features on the Martian surface.

"Wind and sand activities can be said to have recorded the characteristics of the late evolution and recent climate environment of Mars, as well as the process of its climate change. However, due to the lack of detailed and systematic scientific observations in situ and at close range, we still know very little about the process," said Li Chunlai, a research fellow at the National Astronomical Observatory of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In order to address this scientific question, researchers used high-resolution cameras, navigation terrain cameras and multispectral cameras among others on the Zhurong rover to conduct joint remote sensing and close-range investigations in the landing area on the Red Planet. 

Through in-depth analysis, the researchers discovered significant evidence of changes in the wind regime in the Zhurong landing area. 

The evidence shows good consistency with the ice-dust cover layers found in high latitudes on Mars, indicating that the Zhurong landing area may have experienced two major climate stages marked by changes in wind direction, with a nearly 70-degree shift from northeast to northwest. 

The wind-sand accumulation transformed from crescent-shaped bright dunes to longitudinal dark sand ridges.

This climate change occurred approximately 400,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age on Mars, scientists said, according to the CLEP. It is believed to have been caused by variations in the axial tilt of Mars, which resulted in a global climate transition from an ice age to an interglacial period.

Li said that this research has contributed to our understanding of the ancient climate history of Mars, providing a new perspective for the study of Mars' ancient climate and important constraints for global climate simulations on Mars. It may even provide insights for the future climate evolution of Earth, Li said. 

The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi have strongly condemned an attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a project at Gwadar port, Pakistan on Sunday morning. 

The convoy was ambushed by bombs and gunshots on their way from the airport to the port at 9:17 am Sunday local time, according to a statement released by the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi on Sunday. No injuries or casualties were reported in the attack. 

The convoy of three SUVs and a van, all bulletproof, carried 23 Chinese personnel, the Global Times learned from one of the Chinese personnel. 

An IED exploded during the attack and the van was shot at. A picture obtained by the Global Times shows the bulletproof glass on the window of a van belonging to the Chinese convoy cracked from the attack, and there were bullet holes on the windows. 

All the personnel concerned have been properly relocated, according to the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan.

The Embassy and the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi on Sunday night strongly condemned the act of terrorism, and asked the Pakistani side to severely punish the attackers and to take practical and effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals, institutions and projects. 

The Consulate General activated the emergency response plan immediately, reminding local Chinese nationals, enterprises and projects to be more vigilant, upgrade security initiatives, prevent security risks, closely monitor the security situation and ensure safety.

The Chinese Embassy and Consulate General urged Chinese nationals in Pakistan to maintain high vigilance, safeguard life and property safety, and strictly control large-scale gathering activities due to the severe security situation. 

China will continue to work with Pakistan to jointly address the threat of terrorism and effectively protect the security of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan, said the embassy in a statement. 

Pakistani security forces killed one terrorist and three others were injured during a security clearance operation in Gwadar, local media outlet Daily Pakistan reported Sunday. After getting intelligence about the presence of militants, security forces cordoned off the area and started a search operation to find other militants, according to Daily Pakistan. 

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to media reports.

Chinese personnel have been targeted by terror attacks by Baloch militant groups many times. 

In April 2022, a terror attack against the shuttle bus used by Karachi's Confucius Institute killed three Chinese teachers and their local driver, for which the BLA took responsibility.

In August 2021, two children were killed and three were wounded in an attack targeting Chinese nationals in Gwadar.

In July 2021, a shuttle bus blast in Pakistan that killed nine Chinese and four Pakistanis was confirmed to be a terrorist attack. 

In April 2021, a deadly car bomb explosion that rocked a hotel which was hosting the Chinese ambassador in Quetta, Bolochistan province killed five people, for which Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility. 

In 2018, the BLA attacked the Chinese Consulate-General in Karachi in south Pakistan, during which two police officers were killed. In May 2017, 10 workers were killed by two gunmen on motorbikes, which the BLA claimed was a response to the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The purpose of this BLA-planned terrorist attack is no different from the previous terror attacks against Chinese personnel, mainly because it wants to impact China-Pakistan cooperation, especially the CPEC, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times.

The terrorist group deliberately set the attack in August as the CPEC had just celebrated the 10th anniversary of its cooperation in July and was hoping to take advantage of a period of change in the administration in the country.

Qian noted that although the ongoing unrest in Balochistan has limited the Pakistani government's presence in the province, the Pakistani government managed to protect Chinese personnel from being harmed in this attack, which demonstrates the strength of their protection. The attack will not affect the continued construction of CPEC in the future, he said.

Together with other nine departments, the National Health Commission (NHC) has launched a one-year campaign to crack down on corruption in the healthcare sector across the country, focusing on "key few" and key positions in the pharmaceutical industry to ensure high-quality development of the medical and healthcare sector, the NHC announced on Tuesday.

Since China started the sweeping anti-corruption drive in the public health sector in mid-July, at least 176 Party secretaries or heads of hospitals had been put under investigation as of Saturday, according to media estimates.

Strengthening the anti-corruption work in the healthcare field is an important content of promoting the high-quality development of the pharmaceutical industry, and an important part of improving the construction of the pharmaceutical governance system.

In recent years, some people in key positions have been guilty of accepting kickbacks, bribery and profiteering, among other crimes, thereby seriously diluting the dividends gained from the reform and development of the pharmaceutical industry and eroding the rights and interests of the people. This not only hinders the reform and development of medical, insurance and pharmaceutical undertakings, but also jeopardizes the interests of the vast majority of people in the field of medicine and health, the NHC said on Tuesday.

The one-year campaign covers the entire chain of production, circulation, sales, use and reimbursement in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as pharmaceutical administrative departments, industry associations, medical and health institutions, pharmaceutical production and operation enterprises, and medical insurance funds, according to the NHC.

This concentrated campaign will focus on six aspects: administrative departments in the field of medicine using power for profiteering; the "key few" and major key positions in medical and health institutions; sales representatives for drugs, equipment, and consumables; social organizations that accept the management and guidance of administrative departments that use their position for self benefit; illegal acts by pharmaceutical enterprises during purchases and sales; and medical staff in violation of the standards for integrity, the NHC said.

Recently, some media outlets have reported on the suspension and postponement of some academic conferences due to the anti-corruption campaign. However, the NHC responded that what needs to be remedied is the illegal behavior of fabricating academic conferences out of thin air, carrying out illegal benefits transmission, or illegally sharing the sponsorship fees of academic conferences.

Medical experts said that the anti-corruption campaign in the sector this year is different from previous campaigns, as it is sweeping and more vigorous than ever.

Corruption in the medical sector is a serious issue that affects the credibility of the healthcare system and the interest of patients, said Zhong Chongming, an expert from the China Health Culture Association.

As the medical anti-corruption campaign has received widespread attention, some social platforms have exposed several corruption cases. In one case, Xu Bo, the director of the cardiac catheterization room at Fuwai Hospital, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, was investigated by the discipline inspection team of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the NHC of the State Supervisory Commission for suspected serious violations of discipline and law. At present, the case is still under investigation.

After confirming with related departments, the NHC said that online rumors about Xu using the opportunity of surgeries, consumables, and participation in the procurement of medical equipment bidding to accept bribes of up to 1.2 billion yuan ($165.6 million) are seriously inconsistent with the current investigation of the case.

A group of diplomats from nine countries, including Fiji, Mongolia and the Seychelles, visited northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Monday to Saturday to discover the beauty of this stunning part of China.

In the six days, they visited several iconic sites in Xinjiang, including the International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, the world heritage site of Tianchi Lake, the Grape Valley in Turpan, and the ancient city of Kashgar.

Xinjiang is a wonderous place with majestic scenery, friendly residents, and fully protected traditional culture, and it is worth being recommended to the whole world, the diplomats said.

MAJESTIC SCENERY

Crystal Gale P. Dampil, a diplomat of the Philippines in China, said this was her first trip to Xinjiang, and she grew excited about her tour as she looked out of the airplane window at the beautiful scenery below.

Anne Lafortune, ambassador of Seychelles to China, said Tianchi Lake is one of the most beautiful places she has ever seen, and she will happily act as an 'ambassador' for Xinjiang, recommending it to her friends.

Lafortune said she looks forward to more exchanges between the two countries in the future so that more tourists from Seychelles will visit Xinjiang.

Lafortune was also deeply impressed by the fruit grown in Xinjiang. She said she has never had such sweet fruit, and it will surely be one of the enduring memories of her life.

While visiting the ancient city of Kashgar, Tuvshin Badral, Mongolia's ambassador to China, joined in experiencing the making of nang, a kind flatbread typical of the region. He said that Xinjiang's food is varied and tastes great, adding that he hopes the two countries will have more food and cultural exchanges in the future.

FRIENDLY PEOPLE

While visiting Turpan, Ben Yacoub Adel, a counselor with the Tunisian Embassy in China, said he could feel the optimism and friendliness of the people of Xinjiang, both in their homes and in the streets.

In the ancient city of Kashgar, Luis Lopez, an Ecuadorian diplomat in China, was invited to dance with a young boy by the roadside. Their dancing attracted many tourists, who gathered around and took photos.

Lopez said that the people in Kashgar are full of energy and their dancing is very distinctive. He said he could see many fine qualities of Chinese culture in the peaceful and happy lives of the local people of all ethnic groups.

Wherever the group went in Xinjiang, they were warmly welcomed by local residents, said Jong Hyon U, a minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Embassy in China.

FULLY PROTECTED CULTURE

The delegation also visited the Xinjiang Museum, which boasts a collection of precious artifacts unearthed in Xinjiang. The artifacts capture the precious moments of history and the museum has preserved them well, said Manasa R. Tagicakibau, Fiji's ambassador to China.

While visiting a Buddhist grottoes site in Turpan, the group hailed China's efforts on protecting cultural heritage. Tuvshin Badral of Mongolia said the grottoes, built a thousand years ago, are milestones of history, incorporating religions and cultures, and China's experience in the preservation of cultural relics is worth learning from.

The delegation also visited a village known for making ethnic musical instruments for over 150 years. Keri Abrams, a diplomat of Guyana in China, said she truly felt the charm of intangible cultural heritage as she watched the traditional cultural program performed with unique Chinese instruments. China's efforts on protecting and developing cultures deserve praise, she said.

Thanks to the Chinese government's inheritance and protection of intangible cultural heritage, the traditional music and the exquisite instruments have been well preserved, said Manasa R. Tagicakibau of Fiji, adding that he hopes this valuable experience will be used as a point of reference around the world.

As telecom fraud has become increasingly rampant along the southwestern border of China, multiple regions in Southwest China's Yunnan Province have launched a new round of intensive anti-fraud campaigns. Officials warned that if individuals are lured to scam dens on the border, they may be sold "like pigs" and subjected to torture, or even face life-threatening situations. 

To combat cross-border crime, the Mekong River joint patrol consisting of law-enforcement authorities from China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand are actively taking action, which experts said are necessary and crucial in cracking down on illegal activities, given the complex security situation in border areas and the high mobility of criminal gangs. 

With the exposure of a series of scams under the guise of high-paying overseas jobs and the surprise hit movie No More Bets revealing the inner workings of online gambling fraud, the topic has drawn widespread attention among the Chinese public and particularly from public security services in Yunnan, which neighbors Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam and has been one the main locations of these crimes. 

According to data released by Yunnan's capital city of Kunming, from January to December 2022, the proportion of fraud cases involving overseas phone numbers accounted for 22 percent of the total in the city. So far in 2023, these cases have reached 14 percent of the total.

Various localities in Yunnan have issued warnings in recent days, noting that once people are smuggled to foreign countries, it is not well-paid jobs that are waiting for them but scam dens, where they will be forced to engage in illegal activities. Personal freedom is certainly restricted, and they will be required to complete large amounts of fraud tasks every day. Failure to complete the tasks may result in torture such as forced fasting, electric shocks and beatings. 

If they want to return to China, they are required to pay exorbitant "compensation" and "ransom" up to millions of yuan; if they fail to complete their tasks, they may be sold "like pigs" and even face life-threatening situations, said the warnings.

A Chinese national who has been living in Myanmar for almost 10 years told media on Wednesday that Chinese students studying abroad have become the new targets for scams, as they may not have timely access to the latest information at home and in turn have lower vigilance against scam calls.

Joint patrols with neighboring countries were launched on Tuesday as a fleet consisting of five law-enforcement vessels - three from China, one from Laos and one from Myanmar - departed from the Jingha Port in Yunnan as part of efforts to combat cross-border crimes arising from gambling scams in the Mekong River basin, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Six suspects of telecom fraud were handed over by Myanmar to the Chinese police at Yangon International Airport and escorted back to China on Wednesday. One of the suspects is a key figure in a gambling fraud syndicate and a prime target in the crackdown, media reports said.

In June, the first batch of six suspects involved in fraud cases in Myanmar were returned to China.

Experts noted that as transnational gambling fraud is even more lucrative than drug trafficking and very difficult to eradicate, it is necessary and crucial for countries in the region to collaborate in targeted operations. 

Wu Fei, an expert on Southeast Asia studies, pointed out that some fraud groups are scattered in remote areas of northern Myanmar and have connections with gangs involved in the "Golden Triangle" drug trade, making it more difficult to combat them. After they establish a foothold in underdeveloped regions, these fraud groups can "stimulate" local economies and thus prompt the protection and even involvement of local officials, Wu told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

As many hideouts are located in border areas with strong mobility and networks in Southeast Asia, it is extremely challenging for a single country to conduct operations such as victim rescue or gathering information about crime hotspots, Wu noted. 

The importance of combating cross-border fraud and related crimes lies not only in maintaining a country's image but also in ensuring the development of tourism and international trade. 

This is particularly concerning as the tourism industry is a vital sector for many Southeast Asian countries, the expert said.

What's more, the worrisome security situation may also hamper the timely restoration of people-to-people exchanges in the post-pandemic period, causing unnecessary misunderstandings and conflicts.

The Chinese, Thai, and Laotian ambassadors to Myanmar held a trilateral meeting to coordinate efforts in combating gambling fraud, according to a notice issued by the Chinese Embassy on Tuesday.

The three parties unanimously agreed that the current prevalence of gambling fraud in the region seriously undermines the safety of people's lives and property. They are fully coordinating with Myanmar authorities to conduct investigations and rescue operations, as well as assisting Myanmar in intensifying efforts to combat fraud syndicates. 

China has dealt with more than 36,000 corruption-related cases impacting the public interest in the first half of 2023, with more than 52,000 individuals receiving criticism, education, assistance, or punishment, China's highest supervisory and anti-corruption authority announced on Monday.

Discipline inspection and supervisory authorities at all levels have consistently strengthened their inspection covering the implementation of policies supporting the public interest while punishing acts of embezzlement, misappropriation, false reporting and extortion, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the National Commission of Supervision.

The top anti-graft watchdog vowed to eliminate corruption at the grassroots level in areas such as employment and entrepreneurship, education and healthcare, pensions and social security, ecological and environmental protection, workplace safety, food and drug safety, law enforcement, and judicial fields. 

The top anti-corruption authority emphasized the need to strengthen frontline research and closely monitor prominent issues which impact people's livelihoods to address public concerns, giving the example of solving the corruption problem in handing out subsidies to villagers in the city of Baoshan of Southwest China's Yunnan Province and providing financial relief to low income people in the city of Longyan in East China's Fujian Province.

Anti-corruption authorities in East China's Zhejiang Province and Southwest China's Guizhou Province have made full use of big data to deepen grassroots governance of public interest issues. On an updated online supervision platform, the public can submit requests and understand how cases are processed. 
As China highlighted dealing with corruption as it related to public interest, the National Health Commission launched a one-year campaign to crack down on corruption in the healthcare sector across the country earlier in August, focusing on a "key few" in the pharmaceutical industry to ensure high-quality development of the country's medical and healthcare sector.