Competitors highlight smooth organization, vibrant atmosphere at Asian Beach Games in Sanya

Athletes competing at the ongoing Asian Beach Games in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, are noting the event's smooth organization alongside the host city's vibrant atmosphere.

Being held from April 22 to 30, the Games feature 14 sports, 15 disciplines and 62 events. It is the second time China has hosted the Asian Beach Games after the 2012 edition in Haiyang, east China's Shandong Province.

Participants pointed to smooth technology deployment at the Games and the welcoming atmosphere in Sanya.

"It's not my first time [to come to China]. We were here in 2023, I think, for the Asian Games. That was really good. It was really high-tech. Everything was smooth. Right now, everything is super smooth for the Asian Beach Games. It never ceases to impress us and we hope to live up to this in 2028, because Philippines will host the Asian Beach Games for 2028 and it puts pressure on us to live up to this expectation, to be honest," said Marc Alexander Lim, a member of Philippines Jiu-Jitsu Team.

"It's my second time to China, but first time here in Sanya. It (China) is a beautiful country, beautiful people, very nice culture. We're enjoying it a lot and the competition here is very well-organized. So yeah, it's good," said Hadi El Chabib, a member of Lebanon Beach Volleyball Team.

The Games mark the first time Hainan has hosted a continental-level beach sports event. It is also the first major international sporting event since the island-wide Hainan Free Trade Port was inaugurated last December.

Competitors highlight smooth organization, vibrant atmosphere at Asian Beach Games in Sanya

China's renewable energy sector registered steady growth in both installed capacity and power generation in the first quarter of this year, according to the National Energy Administration.

In the first quarter, China added 58.93 million kilowatts (kW) of new renewable energy installations, accounting for 70 percent of the total newly installed power capacity nationwide. The additions included 1.42 million kW of hydropower, 15.77 million kW of wind power, and 41.19 million kW of solar photovoltaic (PV) power.

Renewable power generation also saw significant gains, providing strong support for the country's electricity demand.

In the first quarter, China generated 882.9 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity from renewables, representing 37.1 percent of the country's total electricity output. This figure is roughly equal to the combined power consumption of China's tertiary sector and urban-rural households during the same period.

Wind and solar power generation reached approximately 580.9 billion kWh in the first three months, making up more than 23 percent of the nationwide electricity consumption.

China's renewable energy posts steady growth in Q1