Vietnam's sole athlete at 2025 Asian Winter Games aims to break barriers in winter sports

A sole athlete from Vietnam is set to compete at the ongoing 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games, determined to break barriers for a tropical country in the world of winter sports.

Duong Truong Lap, Vietnam’s sole representative, is joined by his coach and the chef de mission, representing three generations of winter sports athletes from the country. Together, they have traveled to Harbin for this historic moment.

For an athlete from a tropical nation like Vietnam, competing in short track speed skating presents a significant challenge.

"In Vietnam, we only have two ice rinks, and they're small., so Lap often travels to neighboring countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines for training camps organized by the International Skating Union," said Quang Vinh Ngo, head of mission for the team.

Lap said his journey began with inline speed skating, but he quickly fell in love with short track speed skating.

"It's like flying on the ice, especially when your hands touch the surface," he said.

The team members are in Harbin for the first time, busy taking photos, exploring the crowds, buying equipment, and doing plenty of shopping.

Despite the chilly minus 20 degrees Celsius temperatures, Team Vietnam is determined to give their best on the ice, sharing their passion with other tropical countries.

"We hope the winter game (sports) in Vietnam can be developed faster, stronger, and Vietnam will be a member of the winter sport in the world," said Vo Huu Vinh Nguyen, the team's coach.

Running from February 7 to 14 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the 9th Asian Winter Games has gathered 1,275 competitors from 34 countries and regions, making it the largest edition of the Games in history in terms of participation.

Vietnam's sole athlete at 2025 Asian Winter Games aims to break barriers in winter sports

Vietnam's sole athlete at 2025 Asian Winter Games aims to break barriers in winter sports

China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) reviewed a record number of new drug registration applications in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 16.2 percent, with antineoplastic drugs accounting for the largest share, according to the administration.

In 2024, the NMPA evaluated a total of 18,259 drug registration applications, a figure that reflects the vitality of China's innovation in drug research and development.

"The record number of reviewed drug applications is a clear sign of China's rapidly growing biopharmaceutical industry. The approval of high-quality new drugs not only gives Chinese patients more and better treatment options, but also shows China's increasing role in the global pharmaceutical market, offering more Chinese solutions to patients around the world," said Yuan Lijia, a staff member at the Center for Drug Evaluation under the NMPA.

Notably, in 2024, applications for clinical trial and market approval of new anti-tumor drugs ranked first among all chemical drugs and biologics, accounting for even half of the total.

"In 2024, anti-tumor drugs made up the largest share of approved clinical trial applications, with over 41 percent being chemical drugs and more than 55 percent being biologics. Throughout the year, anti-tumor drugs also led in the number of innovative drugs approved, with both chemical drugs and biologics surpassing 36 percent," said Geng Ying, an official with the center.

In 2024, China approved the market entry of 48 innovative drugs and 65 innovative medical devices. Its number of drugs in development ranked second globally, and several domestically developed drugs gained approval for global markets.

China's new drug registration applications hit record high in 2024