The Formula One Chinese Grand Prix kicked off on Friday afternoon, which is expected to attract nearly 200,000 spectators from China and abroad.
Scheduled for three days, the grand prix sees this season's first Sprint Qualifying -- just one hour after Friday's Free Practice One (FP1).
Chinese contestant Zhou Guanyu, who drives for Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, has finished the qualifying at the 10th place (P10) behind Valtteri Bottas, his team mate. Both the Kick drivers have a chance to score points at Saturday's Sprint by finishing at the top eight starting from P9 and P10. After a four-year absence, the Shanghai International Circuit has made a welcome return to the F1 calendar for the 2024 season, with the venue also hosting the first Sprint weekend of the campaign.
Some of Zhou's home fans say they have a very high expectation on Zhou.
"I came from Wuxi of Jiangsu Province to watch the F1 Grand Prix, and we finally have our first F1 driver. I feel so proud," said a spectator.
"In fact, we have been looking for the answer since 2004: when will F1 have a Chinese driver? In fact, Zhou Guanyu gave us a very correct answer, a very detailed answer. I hope Zhou has a very good performance in China," said a spectator.
"We are from Slovakia with our friends, and this is really a special day. I'm here for the first time, but I'm very excited to see the show," said another spectator.
Friday's sessions are followed by the Sprint and Qualifying for the Grand Prix on Saturday, and the Grand Prix itself at 15:00 on Sunday, along with a drivers' parade and live performances at the opening ceremony.
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Chinese Grand Prix which was first launched in 2004. As one of the world's three major sports event, the tickets for the Chinese Grand Prix were sold out seconds after the sale started on official channel.
F1 Chinese Grand Prix starts in Shanghai after 5-year absence
China urges the United States to stop utilizing the World Health Assembly (WHA) to create confusion on issues related to China's Taiwan region, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday in response to the U.S. strong support for Taiwan's observer status at the WHA this year.
The statement by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which "strongly encourages" the World Health Organization (WHO) to invite to Taiwan to participate as an observer at this year's WHA, seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiqués. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes it, said the spokesperson in a statement posted on the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Noting that there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, the spokesperson said China's position on the Taiwan region's participation in the activities of international organizations, including the WHO, is consistent and clear: it must be handled under the one-China principle, which is also a basic principle enshrined in United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1.
As the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan have stubbornly stuck to the separatist position, the political foundation for Taiwan region's participation in the WHA no longer exists. The U.S. statement presents this matter in a misleading way essentially to connive at and support Taiwan separatist activities, said the spokesperson.
Stressing that the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and the Number One red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations, the spokesperson urged the U.S. to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiqués, observe international law and the basic norms governing international relations, act on the U.S. leader's commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence," "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," stop using the WHA to create confusion on Taiwan-related issues, and avoid sending wrong signals to Taiwan separatist forces.
Enjoying extensive support from the international community, the one-China principle is where global opinion trends and where the arc of history bends. There's no denying or stopping of that trend, said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson also warned that any attempt to play the "Taiwan card" and use Taiwan to contain China will meet firm opposition by the international community and is doomed to failure.
China urges U.S. to stop using World Health Assembly to create confusion on Taiwan-related issues
