All competition venues for the upcoming ninth Asian Winter Games are now ready as the 100-day countdown to the event began on Wednesday.
The Asian Winter Games are set to take place in China's northernmost province of Heilongjiang from Feb 7-14 in 2025.
The major international winter sports event comes just two years after China hosted the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
Approved by the Olympic Council of Asia, the upcoming Games will feature six sports, 11 disciplines, and a total of 64 events.
Five venues for ice sports have been established in downtown Harbin, a city known for its ice culture, while eight venues for snow sports are situated at Yabuli Ski Resort.
The venues have already received athletes for training sessions, and a total of 14 test events are scheduled from September to January next year.
"My immediate impression of the rink is that the temperature is very comfortable, both on the ice and the room temperature. This conducive setting will help us get into the zone and improve our performance," said skating athlete Wangjing Ziqian.
All 13 competition venues utilize energy-saving and environmentally friendly materials as well as low-carbon technologies, relying on existing facilities for maintenance and renovation without large-scale demolition and construction.
For the snow sports that will be held at Yabuli, all related renovation projects for the venues have also been completed and inspected, with a variety of test events expected to be carried out sequentially after snowmaking concludes in mid-December.
"All competition venues for the ninth Asian Winter Games are fully equipped and in place. Currently, various test events are steadily progressing. Next, based on the results of these test events, we will optimize and adjust the facilities and equipment of the venues to ensure that participating athletes achieve better competition results while providing spectators with an enhanced viewing experience," said Lyu Rongsheng, construction manager of the Games.
Venues for 9th Venues Asian Winter Games completed
The Japanese society should do soul-searching regarding its history of aggression and adhere to the pacifist constitution, said Shiradori Hiroshi, a professor of the Hosei University, in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) in Tokyo on April 30.
He said the government's recent move to discuss revising the three security documents deserve particular attention as the country's foreign and security policies have already witnessed major changes.
"People outside of the country hold that Japan's post-war image as a 'peace state' is now facing a major shift. Against the backdrop of tremendous changes in its foreign and security policies, the revision of the three security documents deserves particular attention. There lacks public debate in terms of the procedure, with policy changes decided unilaterally at Cabinet meetings. It is necessary to fully explain to the public as to whether such a practice is proper," said Hiroshi.
The Japanese government held its first expert panel meeting to discuss revisions to the three security documents at the Prime Minister's Office on April 27, local media reported.
Japan's current National Security Strategy and two related documents, formulated in 2022, were designed to cover the next 10 years, but the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has decided to move up the timetable to accelerate the revision process.
Increasing defense spending is one of the key topics of the meeting, according to Kyodo News.
Hiroshi said this year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, or Tokyo Trials, and the Japanese society must do soul-searching regarding its history of aggression in WWII, when it brought enormous catastrophes on Asian countries.
"Eighty years have passed since the opening of the Tokyo Trials. Japan inflicted enormous suffering on Asian countries during WWII, which should serve as an opportunity for the soul-searching. It is exact on the basis of countless sacrifices that Japan's post-war pacifism and its identity as a 'peace state' took shape. On this 80th anniversary, it is necessary for Japan to re-examine and do soul-searching regarding its history," said Hiroshi.
The Japanese government's effort to revise the pacifist constitution is widely opposed by the public.
On Sunday, around 50,000 people gathered at Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park, chanting slogans and holding banners against the government's push for constitutional revision and military expansion, the largest turnout of its kind in recent years.
Japan should adhere to pacifist constitution: scholar
