普罗米修斯

一 |     (ECNS) -- Offshore duty-free sales in south China's Hainan Province totaled 21.6 billion yuan (about $3 billion) in the first seven months of 2026, up 17.9% year on year, according to data released by Haikou Customs on Wednesday.    The number of shoppers reached 3.111 million, up 11.9%, and 17.653 million items were purchased, up 6.9%, the data showed.        The 27th Hainan Island Carnival was held across the province from July 18 to August 2. During the carnival, major shopping districts, scenic spots and duty-free shops in Hainan rolled out night markets and themed pop-up events, with several concerts by well-known singers held simultaneously.    To capitalize on the influx of visitors, several duty-free shops in Sanya launched exclusive benefits during the concert periods, including free shuttle buses, special discounts, fan-exclusive coupons and branded blind box gifts. These initiatives created new consumption scenarios that integrated live experiences with the broader "culture + tourism + duty-free" ecosystem.    With the deepening of Hainan's Free Trade Port operations and the continued expansion of international flight routes, a growing number of overseas tourists have joined the shopping boom. The "Sanya-Prague" route is China's first passenger route operating under Seventh Freedom of the Air rights.    Since its launch last December, the route has been in stable operation for more than six months.    Anna, a traveler from the Czech Republic, purchased a beauty gift set and Chinese tea at the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex. She said it is hard to find such a wide variety of products in the Czech Republic, and the prices are also more affordable than in Europe.    "With more students traveling to and from Hainan during the summer break, we have timely added products popular among students, such as cosmetics, luggage and electronics, and launched various promotions to improve their shopping satisfaction," said Zhong Shihua, a sales manager at the Global Premium (Haikou) Duty Free City.    (By Tang Yuxian)                    。    

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian
"By avoiding reflection on the lessons of history in his speech and downplaying responsibility for aggression, Sanae Takaichi has taken a major step backward on historical issues, once again exposing the sinister intentions of the Takaichi administration to cover up, distort and whitewash the history of aggression, which has drawn strong condemnation and widespread opposition from various quarters," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday when asked to comment on Takaichi's war memorial address on August 15, which marks the 81st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II.
Lin added that on the day marking Japan's defeat and surrender, Takaichi offered a ritual donation to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine, while senior officials and politicians including Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also visited and paid their respects there, further intensifying the vigilance of Asian neighbors and the international community over Japan's future direction. 
Lin also cited remarks by some people of insight in Japan, noting that a country that fails to reflect on its past cannot gain trust, and that the defense minister's actions amount to support for wars of aggression.
Lin stressed that this year marks the 81st anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trial. Only by facing up to history and drawing lessons from it can we avoid repeating past mistakes and going astray again.
"We once again urge Japanese policymakers to earnestly heed the voices of justice from within Japan and the international community, deeply reflect on their responsibilities, make a clean break with militarism, and refrain from going further down the wrong path," Lin said.
Global Times
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