China's first cross-boundary National Games opens with splendor, unity

Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the 15th National Games open Sunday evening at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center in Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province, marking the first time the country's premier multi-sport event has been jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

The opening ceremony, attended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry and IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach, blended official proceedings with cultural performances, showcasing the vitality of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, one of China's most open and economically dynamic regions.

The ceremony began at 20:00. An eight-member guard of honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army 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.

The flag procession concluded with the raising of the national flag to the sound of the national anthem.

Chinese national flags were raised simultaneously on Sunday in the main stadium in Guangzhou, as well as in Hong Kong and Macao.

President Xi declared the Games open at 20:43.

Then, the flag of the National Games and the flag of the 15th National Games were raised.

The event then moved into an arts and sports performance themed "Shared Roots, Shared Heart, Shared Dream," which integrated athletic elements, artistic expression, and cutting-edge technology to vividly interpret the Games' slogan "Passionate National Games, Vibrant Greater Bay Area."

This was followed by the highly anticipated torch relay and cauldron lighting ceremony.

The torch for the 15th National Games, which had been relayed simultaneously across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao since November 2, finally arrived at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center.

Amid great excitement, twelve torchbearers carried the torch in a relay.

Asian men's 100m record holder Su Bingtian, Olympic fencing gold medalist Cheung Ka-long, and Asian Games wushu gold medalist Li Yi jointly ignited the National Games cauldron.

The opening ceremony drew to a close at 21:27 to the tune of the theme song of the Games.

The 15th National Games, running from Nov 9 to 21, is co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, marking the first time the Greater Bay Area has jointly hosted the country's premier multi-sport event.

First held in 1959, the National Games is China's largest multi-sport event.

This edition features 34 sports and 419 events in the competitive program, as well as 23 sports and 166 events in the mass participation program.

China's first cross-boundary National Games opens with splendor, unity

China's first cross-boundary National Games opens with splendor, unity

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