Chengdu ramps up rehearsals as 12th World Games draws near

With one month until the 12th World Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, venue construction and opening ceremony rehearsals are making headway, marked by a successful full-element integrated rehearsal on Monday. Scheduled for August 7 till 17, the 12th World Games will hold its opening ceremony at Chengdu's landmark Tianfu Eaves, Asia's largest wooden structure, stretching 430 meters long, towering 32 meters high, and spanning 16 meters wide.

Qiao Wei, head scriptwriter for the opening and closing ceremonies, highlighted the significance of incorporating this landmark into the event.

"Tianfu Eaves was not built specifically for the World Games. It is an inherent part of the city. What we have done is leveraging the existing space and facilities, integrating the cityscape and people's daily lives into this grand event," said Qiao.

The venue for the World Games also incorporates many technological elements, such as two enormous electronic screens. Utilizing advanced high-brightness and ultra-high-resolution display technologies, the screens have been precisely positioned to guarantee unobstructed viewing from any seat in the venue.

"Not all spectators will be seated in the stands and some will sit on the grass lawn, enjoying the event in a fully open-air environment," said Huang Peiling, deputy chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies.

The opening ceremony maximizes the use of existing urban spaces, allowing spectators to not only enjoy competitions but also to immerse themselves in Chengdu's unique natural and cultural scenery.

"We aim to showcase a multifaceted Chengdu, to showcase the daytime and night time sceneries of Chengdu, which is to fully present an opening ceremony surrounded by actual sceneries," said Qiao.

The 12th World Games will feature 255 events across 60 disciplines and 34 sports. Around 5,000 athletes from an estimated 110 countries and regions are expected to take part, including approximately 330 Chinese athletes - the country's largest-ever delegation to the World Games.

Chengdu ramps up rehearsals as 12th World Games draws near

Nicaragua's co-foreign minister Valdrack Jaentschke has warned that militarism must never be allowed to rise again, as Japan's recent moves to lift its arms export ban and revise the pacifist Constitution continue to draw international concern.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, where Japan's Class-A war criminals from World War II were brought to justice.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Valdrack Jaentschke voiced his concern that today's world order is being undermined by interventionism and other challenges.

"It is necessary for us to remember that after the end of World War II, countries worked hard to build a new international order based on international law. However, regrettably, more than 80 years later, we are seeing that this once explored and attempted order is being challenged by interventionism, a confrontational mindset, and tendencies like 'might makes right.' These are precisely the conditions that gave rise to fascism and militarism in the past, which ultimately led to the tragedy of World War II," he said.

He said the international community has a responsibility to pursue a new international order -- one fundamentally grounded in peace.

"Looking back at the history more than eight decades ago and comparing it with today's reality, it is our responsibility to recognize that the world should, and must, build a new international order that is more just, fairer, rooted in international law, based on a logic of mutual benefit and shared success, and fundamentally grounded in peace," said the minister.

"Today, as we revisit the Tokyo Trials, it is meant to remind the world that such a tragedy must never be repeated -- and that we must do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. We must stop that dark world -- born from militarism, interventionism, and fascism -- from ever returning," he said.

Nicaraguan FM warns of militarism revival