NEW ITTF EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

NEW ITTF EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Liu Guoliang， President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association （CTTA）， was elected executive vice president of the International Table Tennis Federation （ITTF） at the Annual General Meeting of the sports world governing body held in Houston， the U.S.， on November 24.

Born in 1976， Liu began playing table tennis at 6. He was only 15 when he made the Chinese national team in 1991. He became the first Chinese player to win all titles at major world tournaments in 1999.

Liu was appointed head coach of Chinas mens team in 2003 and later took charge of Team China as chief coach in 2013. He became CTTA president at the end of 2018 and was named World Table Tennis Council chair in June 2020.

Liu was an influential force behind the newly created China-U.S. mixed double teams， which made their debut at the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships taking place in Houston from November 23 to 29.

Teenage Mental Health

Guangming Daily November 29

China will include depression screenings in students regular health checks to prevent psychological problems， according to a recent announcement by the Ministry of Education.

Study shows that as they enter adolescence， students can experience mood swings due to physical development， environmental changes， academic pressures and interpersonal relationships. Preventing the onset of mental disorders among teenagers requires the establishment of a scientific mechanism that includes screening and analysis.

Also， society at large should enhance the popularization of psychological wellbeing under an improved framework of laws， policies and supervision.

The mental health status of students will also be recorded on a platform to offer timely interventions if they show any signs of psychological problems. High-risk groups， as identified by a related monitoring index system， can receive more support， including policy preferences. In addition， vulnerable groups， such as children with disabilities， should receive special attention with increased and more targeted guidance.

Esports： Real Sports？

China Newsweek November 29

EDward Gaming， one of Chinas largest esports associations， beat defending champion Damwon KIA from the Republic of Korea 3：2 in the League of Legends 2021 World Championship in Icelands capital Reykjavik on November 8.

To the surprise of many fans， the sports channel of state broadcaster CCTV first launched a weekly program themed on esports as early as 2003. It introduced the latest games， software， player interviews and international events. Today， some still consider esports as the gimmick of video games.

Video games are the main carriers of esports， which cannot represent the whole industry， according industry insiders.

Yet the games， thanks to a winning combination of advanced technology and creativity， have expanded across various categories. Only those with outstanding qualities in different categories can further develop into esports events.

Huang Mingyue， a pro-gamer， practices 14 hours a day and has stress injuries from years of excessive training. Being professionally active in the esports sector comes with the responsibility of putting on a good performance that enhances spectator experience.

The esports industry has created an operation system， decreasing dependence on gaming manufacturers. Besides events in various forms and at different levels， it has embraced a mature business model involving sponsor investment， event operation， broadcasting and other derivative products. In 2020， the global esports industry generated$1.1 billion in revenue， according to Newzoo， a firm focusing on video games and esports analysis.

Innovative Behavior

Peoples Daily November 29

The annual National Science and Technology Award was unveiled in November， including 13 projects by 14 small and medium-sized enterprises （SMEs）. Their presence accounted for over 10 percent of award-winning enterprises， indicating SMEs are capable of providing strong impetus for scientific and technological innovation.

SMEs usually face high operational costs and feature very limited risk management structures. Only by developing core technology and equipment can they stand their ground in the competitive market.

Many of the award-winning SMEs have cooperated with universities， integrating education， research and production. This innovative model can prove a remedy for their funding deficiencies and boost research and development capabilities. Supported by universities and institutions alike， SMEs can obtain cutting-edge technologies and accelerate utilization of scientific research results.

To further build on the foundations laid， authorities must create platforms for the communication between enterprises and research institutes. Meanwhile， SMEs should also reinforce their comprehensive proficiencies to boost cooperation with universities and research institutes.

MACAO BILLIONAIRE DETAINED

Alvin Chau Cheok Wa， a Macao business mogul， was detained on allegations of criminal associations， illegal gambling and money laundering， announced police in Macao Special Administrative Region （SAR） on November 27.

According to the Judiciary Police under the SAR Government at a press conference， the suspects， including 47-year-old Chau and others， all confessed to inviting mainland residents to engage in online gambling and subsequently laundering the illegal gains through clandestine networks.

Chau is former chairman and former executive director of Macaos casino operator Suncity City Group Holdings Ltd. The company formally announced his stepping down on December 1.

The gaming industry in Macao is subject to relevant laws. Suspected legal violations are to be further examined and Chau will be transferred to the local prosecutors office for further investigation.

“Developing Xiongan New Area in Hebei and the sub-city center [Tongzhou in Beijing] are two major strategic measures in the integrated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region， which aims to find a new model for the growth of heavily populated areas， through improved use of space and a better economic structure.”

Cong Liang， deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission， at a news conference on December 1

“Local governments need to choose more market-oriented methods such as carbon tax and trading， instead of administrative interventions， to foster structural reforms and avoid too sharp a decline in energy supply that could constrain production activities.”

Wang Yiming， Vice Chair of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges， in an interview with China Daily on December 2

“I look forward to our two countries deepening their fruitful relationship and continuing to improve the lives of future generations together， whether it be through trade， new sustainable technologies， regulatory innovations， or even in space.”

Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri， the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to China， in an article published on CGTNs website on December 2

“In China， the healthcare system… has increased demographic coverage and is continuing to improve. This will create an enormous market.”

Valtero Canepa， head of Bracco Group China， in an interview with Xinhua News Agency on December 1