CHINA’S TOP GO PLAYER

　　hinese go player Ke Jie defeated Republic of Korea （ROK） player Park Jung Hwan on August 18， making it the eighth consecutive year that China has won the Nongshim Cup.
　　Go is a strategic board game originating in China with a history of over 2，500 years. Known offi cially as the Shinramyun Cup World Baduk Championship， the Nongshim Cup is the only international team championship and invites fi ve players from China， the ROK and Japan， and is one of the world’s most anticipated go competitions.
　　The 23-year-old Ke is the youngest seven-time champion in the history of the game and is currently considered the world’s best go player. In 2017 Ke played against AlphaGo， an artifi cial intelligence go program by Google. The face-off between Ke and AlphaGo was one of China’s most talked-about news events in 2017， attracting hundreds of millions of views on social media and considerable attention to the game globally.
　　Ke， who has been playing go professionally since the age of 10， was honored by the General Administration of Sport in China in 2015 with the title of World-Class Athlete.

Safety of Tourist Spots

　　Beijing Youth Daily August 21
　　One tourist has been confirmed dead and six others were injured after a collision on a glass slide in Tiger Canyon tourist area in Benxi， Liaoning Province in northeast China， on August 19. The accident is believed to have been caused by stormy weather.
　　Safety and security are vital to providing quality service in tourism. More than any other economic activity， a successful tourism destination depends on being able to provide a safe and secure environment for visitors， especially during festivals or holidays. Emergency measures according to changes in the weather or other unforeseen circumstances are compulsory legal requirements that must be strictly met by scenic attractions.
　　Tourist spots should be closed when the weather or ground conditions are bad， including times of typhoon， heavy rains， thunderstorms， or mountain torrents. Moreover， first-aid kits should be on hand at more locations in case tourists need emergency assistance or treatment. If an emergency occurs， they must respond quickly to avoid damage or injuries.
　　Apart from bad weather， weak regulation of tourist spots and poor supervision by local governments have exposed the poor management in some tourist spots. One major problem is that few administrators， tourism service providers and tourists are equipped to handle increased risks and dangers. 　　This accident should teach scenic spot administrators and operators as well as tourists to pay greater attention to safety issues.

Still Attractive to Global Investors

　　People’s Daily Online August 18
　　Foreign direct investment （FDI） has been a major booster for the Chinese economy. Recent data from the Ministry of Commerce shows FDI into the Chinese mainland， in actual use， expanded by 15.8 percent year on year in July， marking the fourth consecutive month of positive FDI growth. Ministry data also showed FDI in China’s non-fi nancial sector grew 0.5 percent year on year to 535.65 billion yuan （$77.16 billion） in the fi rst seven months of this year.
　　The global economy has entered a recession due to the novel coronavirus disease（COVID-19） pandemic. It has prompted many countries to strengthen their already tightened scrutiny of foreign investment. They have imposed restrictions on communication， transportation， and logistics， affecting transnational business activities and international economic cooperation. Responding to these challenges， China has taken steady steps to continue opening up of its economy.
　　The recent rebound in China’s domestic consumer economy has made it a haven for U.S. companies， helping them offset the damage caused by tumbling sales at home and enabling them to capitalize on the economic rebound that has accompanied China’s recovery from the virus.
　　The COVID-19 pandemic will not change China’s role as an attractive investment destination due to its fl exible and robust economy. The package of measures China has rolled out to encourage and support foreign investment， including trimming the negative list， optimizing the business environment， and strengthening intellectual property protection， will help secure China’s role as a magnet for FDI. The Chinese market is large and there is still a great deal of room to grow.
　　The country will step up efforts to implement new economic policies amid the containment of COVID-19 and will continue to promote a higher level of opening up to the outside world， further improve the business environment， and continue to play its due role in stabilizing the global industrial chain and supply chain.

Capability to Prevent And Combat Disasters

　　Guangming Daily August 20
　　The Chinese nation has been fighting against natural disasters for thousands of years and has accumulated valuable experience. The need to live in harmony with nature should be underlined， the ability to prevent and combat natural disasters should be modernized， and a stronger shield against natural disasters should be further forged. 　　In order to improve the capability to prevent and combat disasters， it is necessary for local governments to coordinate the efforts of all relevant departments to guarantee the safety of the people. Moreover， while integrated management of natural disaster principles is common， the measures are different from one place to another depending on social， economic， climatic， and geophysical conditions. Local governments should work with all sectors of society to strengthen monitoring and forecasting of fl oods so that their forces can be deployed more effi ciently and effectively.
　　It is also necessary to detect and remove hazards in a timely manner， safeguard people’s lives and property， and assist with relief and reconstruction efforts. Key work such as longterm plans and reforming policy systems must be intensifi ed. To help disaster-hit regions overcome difficulties， an established mechanism should be in place that allows local authorities to apply for disaster relief and makes relief operations more timely and effi cient.

FORMER MOUTAI GENERAL MANAGER JAILED FOR TAKING BRIBE

　　An intermediate people’s court in Guizhou Province， southwest China， has found Liu Zili， former General Manager of leading Chinese liquor maker Kweichow Moutai Group， guilty of receiving bribes on August 24. The court sentenced Liu to 11 years and six months in prison and fi ned him 1 million yuan （$144，600）.
　　His illegal gains， worth about 18.54 million yuan （$2，68 million）， were also confiscated， the Qiannan Intermediate People’s Court said in its verdict.
　　From 2008 to 2018， Liu took advantage of his positions within the company to seek profi t for others in matters such as obtaining management rights of Moutai liquor and approving quotas for purchasing the liquor. He took bribes directly or through his wife or daughter in return， the court said.
　　Liu was arrested on suspicion of taking bribe in September last year and was expelled from the Communist Party of China in the same month.
　　“A new cold war is against the world development trend. And I think countries in the world are not going to be behind this mentality.”
　　Chinese State Council and Foreign Minister Wang Yi， in remarks during a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio in Rome on August 25
　　“The pandemic and the U.S. decision to exit the Paris Agreement provide a unique opportunity to promote environmentally friendly development through strengthening EU-China cooperation.”
　　Adriel Kasonta， former Chairman of the International Affairs Committee at the London-based think tank Bow Group， in an article in China Daily on August 26
　　“Irrespective of the outcome though， the message of the legal challenge and TikTok is clear： The behavior of the Trump administration is damaging to the credibility of the rule of law in the U.S.”
　　Tom Fowdy， a British political and international relations analyst， in a commentary on the U.S. ban on China’s short-video app TikTok， published by CGTN on August 25
　　“Leaving silent carriers and asymptomatic close contacts untested would not bring the total infection numbers down， as some U.S. officials wish. It will eventually lead the situation into a vicious circle.”
　　Wang Guangfa， a respiratory expert at Peking University First Hospital， commenting on the U.S. novel coronavirus disease situation to Global Times on August 20