LET THE GAMES BEGIN

Torchbearers Su Bingtian （left） and Zhang Yufei at the opening ceremony of the 14th National Games in Xian， Shaanxi Province， on September 15. President Xi Jinping officially declared the games open during the ceremony.

The quadrennial athletic extravaganza features an Olympic-style program plus wushu， or Chinese martial arts. More than 12，000 athletes from all over China will compete in this years event， which will run until September 27.

Maritime Rescue Operation

A helicopter transfers a “person on the verge of drowning” during an unscripted maritime search and rescue drill in Hebei Province on September 13. The event， organized by the National Maritime Search and Rescue Center and Hebei Maritime Safety Administration， simulated an emergency of fishing boats sunk by strong winds to test and improve maritime search and rescue capabilities.

Human Rights

A latest human rights action plan was published on September 9， outlining the objectives and tasks of respecting， protecting and promoting human rights from 2021 to 2025.

Titled Human Rights Action Plan of China （2021-25）， the document was released by the State Council Information Office.

China has formulated and implemented three action plans on human rights since 2009. During this period， the Chinese people have prospered， their rights have become better protected， the policies and legal measures protecting the rights of particular groups have improved， and the legal protection of human rights by large， has been strengthened， read the plan.

The action plan lists a range of targets for the 2021-25 period. China will promote the free， well-rounded and common development of all individuals as the general goal， it said.

China has also fully participated in global human rights governance， making a major contribution to the international cause of human rights， it added.

China will engage itself in all work relating to the UN human rights mechanisms， propel the international community to establish a more just， reasonable and inclusive governance system， and work together to build a global community with a shared future for humanity， it added.

Legislative Election

The election of the seventh Legislative Assembly of the Macao Special Administrative Region （SAR） wrapped up on September 13， with preliminary results showing 14 candidates have won the directly elected seats； about half of these are new faces. Another 12 won the indirectly elected seats.