Athletes and fitness enthusiasts from 37 delegations across the country made a grand entrance at the opening ceremony of China's 15th National Games in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Sunday evening.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan attended the ceremony.
The ceremony began at 20:00 as an eight-member guard of honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) solemnly escorted China's national flag into the stadium with a steady stride.
The flag of the National Games of the People's Republic of China and the flag of the 15th National Games were then carried in.
Delegations representing China's provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, as well as various sports associations, marched into the venue to the warm applause from the crowd.
Xi and Peng greeted the athletes, who enthusiastically waved their hands in response.
The Games, scheduled from Nov 9 to 21, is co-hosted by Guangdong Province and the neighboring Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, marking the first time that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has co-hosted the country's premier multi-sport event.
First held in 1959, the National Games is China's largest multi-sport event.
The 15th National Games feature 34 sports with 419 events in the competitive program, and 23 sports with 166 events in the mass participation program.
Delegations make grand entrance as China's 15th National Games opens
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' separatist moves to stoke cross-Strait hostility are unpopular and doomed to fail, said Zhang Han, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing on Wednesday.
Zhang made the comments at a regular press conference in response to a media query about recent inappropriate remarks by Chiu Chui-cheng, head of the so-called "mainland affairs council", regarding the Chinese mainland's policy of advancing high-quality cross-Strait integrated development".
"Our fellow Taiwan compatriots are our kith and kin. Over the years, acting on the principle that 'people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are all of the same family', we have actively promoted cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, deepened the integrated development across various fields, and made steady progress in implementing policies that provide equal treatment to Taiwan compatriots. These efforts have continuously yielded new results, fully demonstrating our goodwill in seeking benefits for Taiwan compatriots and our sincerity in advancing the peaceful and integrated development of cross-Strait relations. Such endeavors have been met with strong support and wide acclaim from our Taiwan compatriots. Driven by its separatist pursuit of 'Taiwan secession', the DPP authorities are deeply fearful of closer ties between people across the Strait. They have deliberately fanned the flames of confrontation and antagonism, while resorting to slander and obstruction against anything that helps develop cross-Strait relations and benefits people on both sides. Such moves are deeply unpopular and are bound to fail," she said.
DPP's moves to stoke cross-Strait hostility unpopular, doomed to fail: spokeswoman
