A tour bus filled with travelers passed by a bustling construction site in a suburb of Tanzania's Zanzibar, adorned with posters of Chinese companies and where Chinese engineers were busy at work. One American tourist couldn't help but wonder: why are there so many Chinese in the local area?

That is the question that is also befuddling officials in Washington. As China and Africa have fostered closer partnership in many fields and China's engagement in this continent becomes deeper and wider, some Western countries have started to not only smear their cooperation, but also called for competition to be stepped up with China in Africa. Such hyping and calling for competition have intensified just ahead of the 2024 Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The key distinction between China and the US in their engagement with Africa is that Beijing has taken a reciprocal and more empathetic approach, allowing it to better understand the needs of the continent and tailor its collaboration accordingly. This stands in contrast to the traditional carrot-and-stick approach used by some Western countries to coerce African nations into serving their own interests, according to experts.

This year's FOCAC will be held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced last month.

The theme of the summit is "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future," Hua said, adding that leaders of FOCAC's African members will attend the summit at the invitation of the forum.

The upcoming FOCAC summit marks another grand reunion of the China-Africa big family post-COVID pandemic, and has been hailed by Chinese and African experts as a milestone opportunity to chart the course for enhanced cooperation in the future.

Ahead of the highly-anticipated gathering, some foreign media have launched another wave of campaign hyping China's cooperation with Africa, with reports on issues ranging from sensationalizing Chinese loans to China's green product exports to the continent.

The National Interest, an American magazine, published an article saying that China is winning the Global South as a provider of a large amount of public goods for developing countries, including African ones.

In recent years, US officials have also called for Washington to prioritize efforts to match China's influence among the Global South. Speaking at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing last month, Ben Cardin, a Democratic senator and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the US needs to offer the Global South an alternative to China.

Closer cooperation

A new Gallup report released in April this year shows median approval ratings for the US in Africa slipped from 59 percent in 2022 to 56 percent in 2023. Of the four global powers surveyed, the US was the only one not to see its image improve across Africa in 2023. Meanwhile, China's approval in the region rose six percentage points, from 52 percent in 2022 to 58 percent in 2023, two points ahead of the US.

There are vast differences in the quality of the engagement with the West, spearheaded by the US and the engagement with China, Mwangi Wachira, a former economist with the World Bank and an advisor for the Kenyan government, told the Global Times.

The Chinese engagement shows thoughtfulness. It gives us say in what we are doing, in contrast to the Western institutions, Wachira noted.

"You [China] can put yourself in my shoes…You can look at things from my perspective. Not always true from the Western side," said Wachira.

China's cooperation with Africa differs from the US' in its essence. While China offers equal and mutually beneficial partnerships that contribute to the development of these nations, the US often employs a carrot-and-stick approach to coerce for support in its own interests, and treats these countries as tools in a geopolitical competition, said Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Experts said geopolitical struggles are not what African countries want, and if the US really cares, it can find vast potential for cooperating with China on this continent, not competition, said Song.

Apart from trade, African scholars also praised China for its assistance in building infrastructure in Africa, Chinese companies' contribution to local development and how China's development model can present valuable insights that can guide African countries and other Global South economies in shaping a more prosperous and inclusive future.

The cooperation between Africa and China and that of Africa and the West differ mainly in how African preferences are addressed, Endalkachew Sime, PhD student at Peking University, ex-state minister of planning and development of Ethiopia and ex-secretary general of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, told the Global Times.

"For specific projects, particularly in infrastructure, African countries find that their needs and priorities are better met through Chinese cooperation. It's not just about financing; it's also about training and capacity building," said Sime.

Take the companies as an example. Once Chinese companies establish operations in Africa, they hire local people, offer training skills and raise local people to the management level, said Wachira.

The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics began on Friday in Paris, France.

China's veteran shooter Li Yuehong won his maiden gold at his thrid Olympics after victory in men's 25m rapid fire pistol here on Monday.

The 34-year-old made 32 hits in the final to secure the fifth shooting gold for powerhouse China. 

​Li won bronze at both Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo Olympics.

China's Xu Shixiao and Sun Mengya defended their Olympic title in the women's canoe double 500m final at the Paris Olympics on Friday.

The pair stormed to victory with an Olympic best of 1 minute and 52.81 seconds, 1.49 seconds ahead of Ukraine's Liudmyla Luzan and Anastasiia Rybachok. Canada's Sloan Mackenzie and Katie Vincent took the bronze.

From the heats and semifinals to the final, they broke the Olympic record three straight times, underlining their dominance in the canoe sprint event. 

Despite tailwinds creating some of the roughest conditions yet, Xu and Sun had an impressive start. However, the Canadian team kept the competition tight before falling behind in the final stretch.

Since pairing up in 2019, the Chinese duo have maintained an undefeated record in major international competitions. They have won three consecutive Canoe Sprint World Championships and claimed the gold medal in the sprint event at the Tokyo Olympics, marking the first-ever Olympic gold for the Chinese canoe spring team. 

Reflecting on her Olympic journey, Xu said winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics could have marked a perfect ending to her career, but she felt a strong attachment to her nearly flawless partnership with Sun. 

"After the Tokyo Olympics, I could have retired, but I wanted to make my life even more fulfilling. Finding a great partner is rare, and I hope to stay with my partner and become the first women in canoe sprint to win Olympic gold in two consecutive Games," said the 32-year-old Xu, who plans to retire after the Paris Games. 

On Thursday, China's Liu Hao and Ji Bowen claimed gold in the men's canoe double 500m final. 

Team China secured qualification for all 10 events in the canoe sprint discipline for the Paris Games, underscoring China's strength and depth in the sport.

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation issued a draft rule on Friday confirming the penalty benchmark for monopolistic behavior by companies, ranging from 1 million yuan ($139,600.5) to 4 million yuan, based on the degree of violation of the nation’s anti-monopoly laws. 

The draft rule shows there is an improving market regulation system in China, Liu Dingding, a veteran industry observer, told the Global Times on Friday.

The preliminary amount of the fines will be determined in stages. For cases without the effect of severely excluding or restricting market competition, the preliminary fines will be set at 2.5 million yuan. 

Business entities that report their monopolistic practices to the market regulator and that take measures to rectify the situation will be exempted from penalties. 

China’s State Council, the cabinet, unveiled revised rules on January 26 this year for declaration standards in this area.

The revised rules are meant to ease market access, reduce institutional transaction costs, make anti-monopoly and law enforcement oversight more efficient, and promote mergers and acquisitions, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Chinese analysts warned that Manila is likely to be more proactive in the South China Sea to undermine the goodwill of China in calming tensions, after a senior official from the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs said a provisional arrangement on humanitarian resupply of living necessities to a Philippine warship illegally grounded at Ren'ai Reef may be subject to future review.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro said the understanding with China did not compromise the Philippines' South China Sea position and could be re-evaluated if needed. "The review will be there. When that will be is subject to further discussion," Lazaro told Reuters on the sidelines of a congressional hearing.

The provisional arrangement with the Philippines on humanitarian resupply of living necessities to a Philippine warship illegally grounded at Ren'ai Reef was reached in July after China engaged in a series of consultations with the Philippines on managing the situation at Ren'ai Reef.

The two sides agreed to jointly manage differences on maritime issues and work toward de-escalation in the South China Sea, which observers regard as a promising step to calm tensions in the region.

The comment from the senior Philippines official and the recent provocations in other islands of South China Sea clearly reflects that the Philippines has no intention to diminish the tensions, Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The Philippines is planning to send a second coast guard vessel to anchor in the lagoon in China's Xianbin Jiao (also known as Xianbin Reef) in the South China Sea in an attempt to construct a forward deployment base in the form of a semi-permanent floating platform, the Global Times learned from a source familiar with the matter on Wednesday.

Manila is attempting to expand its illegal occupation of China's Xianbin Jiao, a move that seriously violates China's territorial sovereignty, Chinese experts said, noting that China will not let this take place.

Manila does not cherish China's efforts to deescalate the tension by allowing humanitarian resupply of living necessities to the Philippine warship illegally grounded at Ren'ai Reef, and is even behaving boldly by inciting a series of flare-ups over the South China Sea, Chen said.

"Manila's strategy is in line with the US' 'Indo-Pacific Strategy.' We should be vigilant in case Manila takes more small steps clandestinely to incite tension and attempt to bargain with China," Chen said.

A Philippine Air Force NC-212 aircraft illegally intruded into the airspace over Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea on August 8, interfering with China's regular training activities despite repeated warnings from the Chinese side.

However, the Philippine Navy criticized the recent actions of the Chinese air force as "coercive, aggressive, and deceptive", media reports said.

"It is an old trick of the Philippines, taking a blatant provocation first and then portraying itself as a victim to the international community to gain sympathy," Chen said.

In light of the "cunning" tactics of the Philippines, observers emphasized the importance for China to maintain its redline.

In the event of additional provocations, China should increase surveillance not only around Ren'ai Reef but also at Xianbin Reef, Huangyan Island and other areas in the South China Sea.

The Fujian Coast Guard lawfully sent back four Taiwan fishing boat crew members on Tuesday, while another person suspected of illegal fishing remains under further investigation, according to a statement from the China Coast Guard (CCG).

The statement came after the Fujian Coast Guard seized a fishing vessel of Taiwan on July 2 for alleged illegal fishing activities. The mainland coast guard lawfully boarded and inspected the vessel in waters near the coastal city of Quanzhou, and found the vessel was carrying five crew members and 1,335 kilograms of fish.

Following a preliminary investigation, four crew members were found to have committed minor violations and were not held criminally responsible. They were arranged to return to Taiwan on Tuesday, the CCG confirmed.

According to the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, the captain surnamed Hong was still under investigation.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Tuesday that mainland authorities attach great importance to the protection of fishery resources and the maintenance of normal order in related sea areas. The mainland coast guard operated in accordance with the law, and also safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of the crew members.

According to the CCG on July 3, the Taiwan vessel violated the seasonal fishing ban, and the gear used was much smaller than the minimum mesh size required by regulations, posing a threat to marine fishery resources and the environment.

An interim government will be set up to run Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned Monday amid protests in the South Asian country, according to army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman.

Zaman made the remarks in a broadcast to the nation on state television on Monday afternoon. He said Hasina has resigned, which confirmed media reports earlier about Hasina's step-down.

"We will form an interim government," said the army chief.

There will be no need to impose a state of emergency if the situation gets better, said Zaman.

Hasina, 76, took office for her fourth straight five-year term as the country's prime minister in January this year after her ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party won a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections.

China's elderly care sector is ushering in an era of accelerated development  empowered by artificial intelligence (AI) innovations, with a variety of "AI + elderly care" solutions such as nursing robots, smartphones for seniors and other assisting digital technologies being increasingly adopted to provide better services at affordable prices for seniors.

China's aging population now represents a growing challenge, and government officials at all levels are making policy adjustments and adopting accommodative measures to deal with a constantly changing demographic structure. 

The Third Plenum of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee held in July vowed to ramp up efforts to refine the policies and mechanisms for developing elderly care programs and related industries, which is expected to create new opportunities for domestic and foreign enterprises, analysts said.

Developing the silver economy plays an important role in the country's active response to the aging population, expanding domestic demand and achieving high-quality development. Analysts predict that the number of people aged 60 and above will reach 500 million by 2050, which will unleash vast potential for a wide array of emerging industries and services.

Innovative services

During the World Artificial Intelligence Conference held in Shanghai in July, Shanghai-based Dataa Robotics unveiled its advanced humanoid robot - the XR4. The 5.5-foot, 75-kilogram robot can handle delicate tasks like baking bread, becoming a highlight at the event. 

"The application of AI in the field of elderly care is a long-term development process. The XR4 is a 'robot nanny' that is suitable for elderly care," Wang Bin, vice president of Dataa, told the Global Times. 

Wang said the company's robots have been deployed in a number of nursing homes in cities including Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, and Wuhan in Central China's Hubei Province.

No matter it is long-distance inquiry or guardian service or call service, Dataa robots provided outstanding performance, Wang said, noting that the combination of new technology and elderly care service could offer a new window for the development of the elderly care sector in China. With a rapidly aging population, there is a burgeoning demand in China for innovative and comprehensive elderly care services.

Recently, Shanghai launched a comprehensive action plan to revolutionize elderly care services in the city, aiming to harness cutting-edge technology to enhance the quality of life for seniors and emerge as a global leader in technological innovation and industrial advancement in elderly care by 2027.

Specifically, the plan highlights the integration of AI, calling for the development of AI models and algorithms for voice, facial, emotion and motion recognition and environmental perception.

"The overall development of the silver economy in China remains in its infancy. The silver economy involves all industries, and the scale, structure and quality of eldercare products and services must be transformed and improved to be suitable for the aged," Yuan Xin, deputy head of the China Population Association and a demographist from Nankai University in North China's Tianjin, told the Global Times.

The integrated development of AI in eldercare industry will bridge the digital divide for the elderly, Yuan said.

According to a report released by the China Research Center on Aging, the country's elderly care services have growing market demand, involving healthcare management, technology aid for the elderly, and financial support for the industry.

Market potential

"The development of silver economy has become an important task for China to actively deal with the aging population problem, expand domestic demand, and strive for high-quality development," Yuan said.

Yuan projected that people aged 60 and above in China will likely reach 520 million by 2050, accounting for over 40 percent of the country's population. He called for a scientific decision-making process based on real demographic structural changes, when formulating new policies.

In January, the State Council, the country's cabinet, published a document on the development of the silver economy - the first use of the term in the central government document - as the country aims to unlock rapid development of potential in the silver economy, will draw investment from foreign enterprises.

It said that efforts should also focus on nurturing new business models to govern smart health and elderly care, as exemplified by the development of nursing and housekeeping robots, along with biotech solutions that help alleviate age-related illnesses. Meanwhile, financial institutions are encouraged to launch more products to aid the elderly.

"Due to drastic demographic changes, it is urgent and strategically important for China to actively promote the development of the silver economy," said Zhou Maohua, an economist from China Everbright Bank.

Zhou said there are shortages in the supply of high-quality elderly care services, and filling up for the shortages will help improve the well-being and unlocking vast domestic market potential. As a result, developing the silver economy will help accelerate China's economic recovery and the economy's long-term sustainable development.

According to a study report provided by market consultancy iiMedia Research to the Global Times, China's elderly care market grew by 16.5 percent to reach 12 trillion yuan in 2023, and could reach 13.9 trillion yuan in 2024 and more than 20 trillion yuan by 2027.

With China's silver economy is becoming increasingly digital and intelligent, a growing number of foreign enterprises have recently increased their investment in the sector. For example, Chinese pension insurer Guomin Pension & Insurance Co announced in June that German investment firm Allianz Global Investors GmbH will become a strategic investor in Guomin, pending approval by the National Financial Regulatory Administration.

"Allianz Global Investors is committed to the growth in China, we are dedicated to exploring suitable business opportunities and partnerships in this important market," the company told the Global Times in an interview.

After well-known Chinese woman swimmer Zhang Yufei expressed her craving on Monday for Luosifen, or river snail rice noodles, a beloved street food in Liuzhou city, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local officials wasted no time in making her wish a reality.

Zhang clinched one silver and five bronze medals at the Paris Olympic Games, totaling six medals. In an interview after a pool competition in Paris, she expressed her strong desire to savor the delicious flavors of Luosifen. 

Director of the Liuzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Yang Zhigang, who learnt of the news, said he would "arrange it right away."

The bureau then organized a shipment of Luosifen, which was sealed and sent to Zhang's hometown in East China's Jiangsu Province. On the sealed side of the express delivery receipt, in addition to the printed address and name, there is a special inscription that reads "Bringing glory to the country. You have worked hard!" paying tribute to Zhang ad other Olympic athletes, as reported by local media.

This shipment of Luosifen, representing the sentiments of the people of Liuzhou, is expected to be delivered on Thursday, according to media reports, as Zhang will be able to enjoy the delicious Luosifen as soon as she returns home.

According to media reports, five vehicles carrying 125 boxes totaling 1,000 bags of Luosifen also set off from Liuzhou on Tuesday, and will be delivered to Beijing in three days.