A grassroots-level basketball tournament has ignited the local night economy in Yiwu, a renowned global trading hub known as the "world's supermarket" in east China's Zhejiang Province, turning sports enthusiasm into real commercial gains.
The Village Basketball Association, known as "Village BA", would draw a large crowds to the Suxi Sports Park each evening, cheering on their favorite teams.
On the court, players would battle fiercely, delivering dazzling passes and dramatic goals sending the crowd into a frenzy with every score.
"The atmosphere here is amazing. I hope this tournament keeps growing and becomes a long-term tradition. I also hope that the basketball culture in Yiwu can get better and better," said Wang Guokang, a player for the Huzhai team.
More than 20 stalls have sprung up around the tournament site, offering grilled snacks, cold drinks, and local specialties. The festive atmosphere has virtually turned the area into a bustling night market.
"Business has been really good in the past few days. On the busiest evenings, I can sell over a hundred cups of drinks. We're trying to keep up with demand. Sometimes we even run out of ice," said Ma Huanle, a vendor.
Grassroots-level basketball tournament boosts night consumption in east China's Yiwu
A Japanese lawmaker has raised concerns over Japan's push to expand its military and its nuclear policy.
Responding to some politicians' dangerous tendency towards possessing nuclear weapons, Takara Sachika, a member of Japan's House of Councilors, said that Japan's push to strengthen its military, combined with what she called a misguided nuclear policy, not only heightens regional tensions but also directly threatens regional security.
"I think this is completely unacceptable. Japan is a country that has suffered atomic bombings and is one of the nations most aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. Yet such a country is openly discussing the issue of possessing nuclear weapons and even attempting to revise the principle of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons, one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This is an extremely serious problem," Takara said.
Takara said the Japanese government's tendency to expand its military capabilities is completely contrary to the Constitution.
"From the perspective of Japan's Constitution, Japan should never have adopted a policy of ensuring security by strengthening military capabilities. Yet today, enormous effort is being poured into military expansion, and that in itself is a serious problem," said the lawmaker.
At a Diet meeting in early November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that what she described as the Chinese central authorities' "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and suggested the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, drawing strong criticism worldwide.
Takara urged Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks as soon as possible.
"I think there is a very big problem with making such remarks that provoke other countries. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the facts as soon as possible and withdraw the relevant remarks," she said.
Japanese lawmaker criticizes nuclear weapons remarks as threat to regional security
