Firefighters in Sanya City, south China's Hainan Province, swiftly cleared widespread debris caused by Typhoon Kajiki's powerful winds on Sunday and Monday, restoring traffic and mitigating potential hazards in the storm-battered resort city.
In the early hours of Monday, local firefighters sprang into action after receiving reports of trees toppling across major roads, including the stretch from Fenghuang Road to Sanya Phoenix International Airport. Braving fierce winds and rain, they used chainsaws and transport vehicles to clear 37 kilometers of debris to restore smooth traffic flow. So far, most affected roads are back to normal. On Sunday afternoon, high winds pushed an abandoned iron frame precariously close to the edge of a guesthouse rooftop in Haitang District. Local firefighters responded swiftly to the emergency call. They dismantled the hazardous structure and removed it to a secure area on the ground within minutes, averting a potential disaster.
China's national observatory activated a yellow alert -- the third-highest level in its four-tier color-coded weather warning system -- for Kajiki on Monday, forecasting gales and rainstorms in the nation's southern and southwestern regions through Tuesday. The National Meteorological Center (NMC) reported that as of Monday morning, Typhoon Kajiki was positioned in the southern Beibu Gulf waters, moving west-northwest at 15-20 km per hour with expected landfall in coastal Vietnam Monday night.
Sanya has been experiencing continuous rainfalls fluctuating in intensity since Sunday evening, with several road sections being blocked by fallen trees.
According to local authorities, a total of 16 roads have been affected by trees broken by the wind. Since last night, firefighting and rescue forces from other cities in the province have been rushing to Sanya to assist with urgent road clearance efforts.
Firefighters clear debris to ensure smooth traffic in Sanya City
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
