Mainland warns DPP over arms spending

The mainland has criticized the rising defense expenditures made by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), saying that the island's ruling party is using weapons purchases to pursue secession and resist national reunification, according to Zhang Han, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

"Our resolution to settle the Taiwan question and achieve national reunification remains rock-solid, and our capability is indestructible. We sternly warn the DPP authorities that reunification of the motherland is unstoppable. Buying however many weapons is a futile attempt; it will only hasten the defeat of 'Taiwan secessionist force,' and bring it to the judgment of history and justice," said Zhang.

A dazzling lineup of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies was on display at an immersive tech fair that just concluded on Tuesday in Guangzhou City, south China, captivating visitors with true-to-life and thrilling game experiences.

Held inside the China Import and Export Fair Complex, the three-day World VR/AR/XR/MR Industry and Smart Glasses Exhibition drew exhibitors from around the world to showcase their hottest immersive products, and tech enthusiasts couldn't wait to test the gadgets and gear firsthand.

"I just experienced the VR skydiving. The sense of weightlessness is very strong, and my experience is fantastic. It feels like real skydiving, but you can't stay for too long, as it's so real that you might get a bit dizzy," one visitor said.

A local company presented several products including a dome-screen theater that delivers glasses-free 3D visuals ideal for tourist attractions.

"The highlight is that we have turned the track-based theater into a dome theater. It offers a 3D audio-visual experience with 8K high-definition images. Our exclusive footage is incredibly sharp, and we've added immersive motion effects along with special effects like wind, rain, thunder, snowflakes, and bubbles," said Liu Jiale, sales manager of the exhibiting company.

The company landed an overseas order on the very first day of the expo, and saw a steady stream of curious visitors stopping by to try out the products.

Another overseas company showcased a VR large-space arena that allows multiple visitors to experience it at once. The game has already attracted players from 35 countries and regions.

"We come here every year to introduce new games. We have many clients, both Chinese and international, from countries like Kazakhstan, Spain, France, and many others. We offer seven VR games with new maps, and our games currently support eight foreign languages," said Denis, the company manager.

China is now home to over 35,000 VR firms, and the whole VR industry is forecast to exceed 350 billion yuan (about 50 billion U.S. dollars) by 2026.