Spring Festival watched by 1.3B worldwide
The 2022 Spring Festival Gala was broadcast on the China Media Group's channels and platforms this week reaching a record 1.296 billion worldwide, with 7.133 billion engagements on CMG's online platforms.
The show included three Chinese tai chi masters practicing the ancient form of exercise on some of China's tallest skyscrapers in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing, showcasing the beauty of the centuries-old art form.
CNN and BBC launched special sections about the Chinese Spring Festival on their websites to introduce the festival, culture and traditional customs to overseas audiences.
Volkswagen expands Chinese production plans
Volkswagen will be able to build 1 million electric vehicles a year in China in 2023, thanks to a new plant in east China's Anhui Province.
CEO of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand Ralf Brandstaetter confirmed a joint venture with automaker Anhui Jianghui, saying the new plant will add 300,000 electric cars a year to its current operation in China.
Scientists develop new anti-depressant compound
Chinese scientists designed two new compounds that can relieve depression without side-effects of hallucination. While further clinical trials need to take place before the drug can be administered to humans, scientists were excited to discover a new binding place on the brain's receptors that are linked to a pathway that does not cause hallucinations, according to the study published Friday in the journal Science.
Chinese scientists developed two compounds that can relieve depression without causing hallucination. /CFP
Nine different types of artificial snow designed for Beijing 2022
Nine different types of artificial snow will be used for the first time at an Olympics specially designed for different events. Icy snow, a form of skiing snow, reduces friction on the track surface, and plays an important role in improving athletes' performances, protecting their bodies and prolonging their sports careers.
China started its snow and ice research later than other countries and had little experience holding international snow and ice events, not to mention possessing the technology required, said Wang Feitang, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
The snow storage scheme created by Wang's team has already been implemented at several ski resorts and events, including the International Ski Federation Cross-Country World Cup and will also now make its Olympic debut.
China wins opening Olympic match
The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing officially gets underway on February 4 but earlier in the week competitors in the curling took to the ice for the round robin qualifiers and China registered a win. In their first competitive event Team China's Fan Suyuan and Ling Zhi beat Swiss pair Martin Rios and Jenny Perret 7-6 in the opening round of the mixed doubles curling.
Fan was a speed skater before joining the curling team. She and her partner Ling, who are both first-time Olympians, only started competing together during the Olympic Trials.
China's Fan Suyuan (L) and Ling Zhi won their opening mixed doubles curling match against Switzerland./CFP
New anti-doping test for Beijing 2022
The China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) has reiterated its "zero tolerance" policy on doping as a new blood test makes its formal appearance at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
The dried blood spot testing, used at last year's Tokyo Olympics for trials, only takes a few drops of blood from the athletes' fingertips to dry on blotting paper, which will allow the scientists to analyze certain substances.
"China has joined the development of an innovative testing method to detect banned substances in dried blood and the new method was born from a joint international project, which will have great potential to aid the fight against doping," said CHINADA director Chen Zhiyu.
Energy market unification planned for 2025
China has announced plans to unify its nationwide energy market to shore up the stability of the grid and avoid a repeat of the problems that led to blackouts in October and November last year.
The new system will ensure provincial and regional markets cooperate, which would improve the allocation of energy to the grid, according to guidelines jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration.
Chinese authorities aim to fully complete the nationwide electricity market trading system by 2030 when renewable energy generation will be integrated to market transactions.
The largest three power producers reported losses for the third quarter of 2021 amid soaring coal prices and price caps for consumers so the latest announcement to regulate supply should be good news for the utility companies.
An international research team led by Chinese scientists discovered 100-million-year-old fossil flowers preserved in amber. /Xinhua
100 million year old flower discovered
Scientists have ascertained that some of the flora found on the Southern tip of Africa have remained relatively unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs and it is all thanks to a discovery in China.
An international research team led by Chinese scientists has discovered 100-million year old fossil flowers preserved in amber that are almost identical to the modern Phylica species, growing near Cape Town, South Africa.
The study has been published in Nature Plants, a scientific journal that publishes primary research papers concerning all aspects of plant biology, technology, ecology and evolution.
Women's team qualifies for soccer World Cup
China's women's soccer team qualified for the 2023 World Cup by defeating Vietnam 3-1 on Sunday. The win came in the quarter final of the Asian Confederation Cup. Now China are into the semi-finals they will be granted automatic qualification for the World Cup, to be held in Australia next year.
Wild Siberian tiger cubs filmed in northeast China
Five wild Siberian tiger cubs were spotted in northeast China's Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces ahead of the Lunar New Year. The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park estimated the cubs were between two and three months old.
"Because tiger cubs are weak and can't open their eyes right after their birth, the mother tigers would hide their kids until they are about two months old before taking them outside," said Feng Limin, from the Monitoring and Research Center for Tigers and Leopards.