Global Pulse

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  • Tea, opera and friendship brew cultural connections in Los Angeles

    Tea, opera and friendship brew cultural connections in Los Angeles

    On the occasion of International Tea Day, the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles opened its doors to a diverse cross-section of attendees—from government officials and cultural creators to academics and local residents—for an immersive celebration that wove together traditional Chinese tea art, performing arts and grassroots dialogue, with the goal of strengthening mutual understanding between the Chinese and American peoples.

    One of the event’s standout guests was Ghaffar Pourazar, a performer widely known by his affectionate nickname the “Western Monkey King”. Born to Azerbaijani-Iranian parents and raised in the United Kingdom, Pourazar once built a career as a computer animator in London. That all changed in 1993, when the then 32-year-old saw a Peking Opera performance for the first time, and made the life-altering decision to pivot entirely to the study and performance of the traditional Chinese art form.

    “I put away my other life. I said goodbye to my friends and my family. I said I want to do this,” Pourazar shared during the celebration, after performing a stirring excerpt from *Uproar in Heaven*, the classic Peking Opera retelling of *Journey to the West*. For Pourazar, the iconic Monkey King character is far more than a stage role: it mirrors his own decades-long journey of chasing a cross-cultural passion. “The monkey follows the dream, and that’s why I love this character, but also that is why Chinese people love this character,” he explained.

    Over decades of dedicated practice, Pourazar has become a leading cross-cultural ambassador for Peking Opera, drawn to the art form’s one-of-a-kind fusion of martial arts philosophy, acrobatics, vocal performance and dramatic storytelling. “For hundreds of years, Chinese culture has brought the philosophy of martial arts like tai chi together with opera action,” he noted. “The actors are not only able to sing and dance, but they’re also martial acrobats.” Today, his deep bond with Chinese culture is a core part of his personal identity: “I am Azerbaijani, Iranian, British, I was raised in England, but I feel more Chinese than others,” he said.

    Beyond performances, the event centered tea—an iconic Chinese cultural export that organizers framed as both a symbol of shared history and a practical platform for people-to-people dialogue. In his opening remarks, Guo Shaochun, Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles, emphasized tea’s unique role as a bridge between cultures, and expressed hope that the event would help more Americans gain nuanced insight into Chinese culture and the Chinese people’s shared aspirations for a better life.

    Attendees had the chance to sample a range of Chinese teas, including aged Pu’er from Yunnan province, a region celebrated for its centuries-old tea cultivation traditions and diverse ethnic cultural heritage. Guo highlighted that just as Chinese people have long cherished tea and American people favor coffee, the two nations each hold distinct cultural traditions, lifestyles and values. Rather than creating division, he argued, these differences should be celebrated as a source of mutual enrichment.

    “The people of China and the United States are both great peoples,” Guo said. “It is these differences that make our world rich and colorful, and inspire us to better understand and appreciate one another.” He also referenced the recent high-level meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump during Trump’s state visit to China, noting that both leaders had reaffirmed their commitment to building a constructive China-US relationship rooted in strategic stability.

    Leticia Perez, a member of California’s Kern County Board of Supervisors, reaffirmed her support for continued people-to-people and economic collaboration between the two nations. “I’m a big fan of Chinese culture,” Perez said. “I want to reaffirm my own commitment to be part of the ongoing conversation of peace building and mutually beneficial economic cooperation between the United States and China.” She also praised China’s consistent call for peace and cooperation amid rising global geopolitical tensions.

    The full day of cultural programming included additional performances of traditional Chinese folk songs and instrumental pieces played on the pipa and bamboo flute, alongside hands-on demonstrations of Chinese calligraphy and traditional dough figurine folk art. Senior tea master and Chinese tea culture ambassador Luo Ping guided attendees through a formal traditional tea ceremony, walking guests through the classification of Chinese teas and explaining their deep cultural roots and documented health benefits.

    For many American attendees, the event offered a rare, intimate opportunity to engage with Chinese culture beyond mainstream media narratives. Joshua Goldhaber, vice-dean of graduate research education at Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University, said he left with a new appreciation for tea’s cultural meaning and the shared values of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. “It was a very warm feeling,” Goldhaber said. “I look forward to more opportunities to immerse in Chinese culture and educational exchange.”

    Douglas Smith, a visual effects supervisor with experience working on both Hollywood and Chinese film productions, echoed that optimism for future cross-cultural and creative collaboration. “Communication between countries is always the best thing that can happen,” Smith said. “Misunderstandings happen with the lack of communication, so whenever that can happen, it’s a very positive thing.”

  • Exceptionally early heat wave shatters records and brings deaths in Europe

    Exceptionally early heat wave shatters records and brings deaths in Europe

    An extraordinary early-season heatwave is sweeping across large swathes of Western Europe, breaking long-standing temperature benchmarks, forcing emergency responders into action, and leaving multiple people dead amid widespread government warnings of life-threatening risks. The extreme heat, which has arrived far earlier than typical seasonal peaks, has put both communities and infrastructure under unaccustomed strain, as climate experts link the off-season extreme weather to accelerating global warming.

    In the United Kingdom, the unprecedented heat delivered the hottest May day in the nation’s recorded history on Monday, with thermometers reaching 34.8°C (94.6°F) at London’s Kew Gardens. This reading obliterated the previous 91-year-old record of 32.8°C (91.4°F), which had stood shared since 1922 and 1944. The extreme conditions extended overnight, with London logging a rare “tropical night” where temperatures never dropped below 20°C (68°F), offering no reprieve from the swelter. Forecasters with the UK Met Office projected temperatures in southern England could climb as high as 35°C (95°F) on Tuesday.

    The brutal heat has already resulted in fatalities across the UK. Police confirmed a 13-year-old boy died Monday after getting into distress while swimming in a reservoir near Halifax, in northern England. In the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, firefighters worked around the clock to contain a large out-of-control grass fire that broke out on Arthur’s Seat, the iconic rocky hill that overlooks the city, sending large plumes of dark smoke billowing over the urban area.

    For London commuters returning to work after a three-day holiday weekend that drew crowds to beaches, parks and public pools, Tuesday brought fresh misery. Many underground carriages lack air conditioning, leaving rush-hour passengers sweltering in the stagnant heat. Train service to and from the busy Waterloo Station was further disrupted by a smoke incident on the tracks.

    UK health officials have activated an amber health alert covering most of the country through Wednesday morning, warning of elevated health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups including elderly people who are more susceptible to heat stroke and dehydration. Unlike warmer-climate nations, the UK’s historically mild temperatures mean most residential homes, schools and commercial buildings are not equipped with air conditioning, leaving millions without a reliable way to cool down. The early arrival of the extreme heat has also heightened water safety risks: the annual summer lifeguard patrol schedule at popular coastal swimming spots has not yet begun, leaving unguarded waters more dangerous for thrill-seekers looking to cool off.

    Across the English Channel, France is also facing record-breaking heat for the month of May, with temperatures soaring well above 30°C (86°F) across most of the nation. French government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon confirmed at least seven deaths have been linked to the extreme heat so far: five people drowned while trying to cool off, and two others died during organized sports competitions. On the country’s Atlantic coast, where popular beaches face persistent risks from powerful riptides, emergency responders handled a surge of water rescues over the weekend, including two fatal drownings on Sunday at resorts in the Gironde region. Regional prefect Sophie Brocas issued an urgent call for beachgoers to practice “the utmost caution” in the dangerous conditions.

    Climate scientists have long warned that human-caused global warming is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events across the globe. Today, these unprecedented, deadly weather events are striking at uncharacteristic times of year and in regions unaccustomed to such extremes, expanding the population exposed to preventable heat-related harm.

  • Yomiuri Giants baseball manager Abe resigns after arrest over allegedly assaulting his daughter

    Yomiuri Giants baseball manager Abe resigns after arrest over allegedly assaulting his daughter

    In a sudden development that has sent shockwaves through Japan’s professional baseball community, 47-year-old Shinnosuke Abe has stepped down from his post as manager of the iconic Yomiuri Giants, one of the nation’s most storied sports franchises, following his arrest on allegations of assaulting his teenage daughter. The incident unfolded on Monday at Abe’s Tokyo residence, where he intervened to break up a physical altercation between his two daughters. According to the Yomiuri newspaper — the parent company that owns the Giants — Abe grabbed his 18-year-old elder daughter by the collar and threw her to the ground during the intervention. He later admitted to losing his temper during the confrontation, confirming the core of the allegation against him.

  • Four killed as school minibus collides with train in Belgium

    Four killed as school minibus collides with train in Belgium

    A devastating early-morning collision between a passenger train and a school minibus in the small Belgian town of Buggenhout has left four people dead, including two schoolchildren and two adult staff members, authorities have confirmed. The crash unfolded just after 8 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) at a manned level crossing in the town, which sits northwest of Brussels near the city of Aalst, according to federal police spokesperson An Berger.

    At the time of impact, the minibus was transporting seven children, one driver, and one adult chaperone en route to a local special education secondary school. Berger confirmed that no physical injuries were reported among passengers and crew on the train, though one individual on board received medical care for acute shock following the incident.

    Photographs captured at the accident scene show the mangled minibus resting on its side off the tracks, a stark visual of the tragedy that has shaken the local community. Belgian Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke, who first confirmed that the crossing’s safety barriers were already lowered at the time of the collision, offered his immediate condolences to all those affected. “My first thoughts are with the victims,” Crucke said in a statement shortly after the crash.

    Flemish Education Minister Zuhal Demir also echoed the sorrow of national and regional leaders, sharing her reaction on public social media. “What heartbreaking news,” Demir wrote. “My thoughts are with all the victims, their families and everyone closely involved.” Local emergency services rushed to the scene immediately after the collision to extract casualties and secure the area, with investigations into the exact cause of the crash now underway.

  • Several hurt in a crash between a train and a minibus, Belgian police say

    Several hurt in a crash between a train and a minibus, Belgian police say

    BRUSSELS – A dramatic collision between a passenger train and a minibus transporting children has left multiple people injured in northern Belgium, federal law enforcement officials confirmed Tuesday. The crash unfolded at an unprotected level crossing close to the small municipality of Buggenhout, located roughly 30 kilometers northwest of the country’s capital city. As of Tuesday afternoon, the full sequence of events leading to the incident remained unconfirmed, with authorities still working to piece together how the crash occurred. Federal police have confirmed that “several people” sustained harm in the collision, but declined to share additional information, including the full extent of injuries or the identities of those involved. Local private broadcaster VTM, however, has reported that a number of fatalities have been recorded at the scene, though official confirmation of this detail is still pending. A multi-disciplinary response team, including public prosecutors, forensic investigators, and national transport safety experts, was dispatched to the crash site shortly after the incident to launch a full investigation into the cause. In a public statement posted to social media, Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin offered his reaction to what he described as a devastating loss. “I feel great sadness over the tragic accident in Buggenhout, where a school bus was struck by a train,” Quintin wrote. “My thoughts are with the victims and all of their families and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.” The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, with emergency services remaining on site to coordinate response efforts through Tuesday afternoon.

  • Robots in Hubei to get life-cycle tracing ID numbers

    Robots in Hubei to get life-cycle tracing ID numbers

    As China’s humanoid robot industry surges ahead to capture a dominant share of the global market, a pioneering new initiative in central China’s Hubei province is set to create the country’s first full-lifecycle digital identity system for humanoid robots, addressing critical gaps in industry standardization and safety oversight.

    The program, led by the Hubei Humanoid Robotics Innovation Center based in Wuhan, will assign a unique 29-character alphanumeric ID to every registered humanoid robot, embedding core static information ranging from the robot’s brand origin, manufacturing enterprise, product model, and serial number to factory filing records, hardware specifications, and intelligence rating. Modeled after the national ID system used by Chinese citizens, every robot’s identification code is permanently unique, with 11 extra characters added to accommodate industry-specific tracking needs.

    Unlike basic product labeling, the digital ID enables end-to-end traceability across the robot’s entire working life. Beyond static manufacturing details, the system logs dynamic information including routine maintenance histories and deployment application scenarios. A cloud-based management platform also allows authorized stakeholders to access real-time performance data at any time, including readings on joint wear and tear, battery health, and operational accuracy, according to Liu Chuanhou, the innovation center’s chief operating officer.

    “In the event of a robot malfunction, we can pull its full operational logs and maintenance records via the unique ID to quickly locate the fault, confirm accountability, and complete efficient repairs,” Liu explained. The ID system also streamlines the secondary market for robots: when a robot is transferred to a new user, the new owner can verify full performance and service histories directly through the ID, eliminating the need for costly redundant testing and boosting reuse efficiency.

    On May 11, the innovation center completed the first round of product filing applications and coding trials with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The first batch of participating enterprises includes major players across Hubei’s entire humanoid robot industrial chain, including Optics Valley Dongzhi, GLRoad, Hubei Qirobotics, Jingchu Humanoid Robot, HandX, Guanggu Haribit, and Maxnova.

    Liu Jieni, business director at Maxnova, confirmed that several of the firm’s flagship humanoid robots have already completed unified coding and official filing. Most of the company’s robots are deployed across industrial manufacturing, commercial services, and professional demonstration training, and Liu said joining the national initiative aligns perfectly with the industry’s growing push toward unified standards.

    “Participating in this program not only helps us resolve existing compliance gaps and cut overall operation and maintenance costs, but it also clears the way for large-scale market expansion of our products,” Liu Jieni said. “At the same time, it lets us accumulate valuable data assets that further strengthen our core competitiveness and brand influence across the industry.”

    Recent industry data underscores the urgency and importance of the new traceability system. A report published in March 2026 by Beijing CCID Publishing and Media and China Electronics News shows that global humanoid robot shipments hit approximately 17,000 units in 2025, with the total global market valued at 2.88 billion yuan (around $424 million). Thanks to strong advantages in supply chains, core technologies, and diverse application scenarios, China now leads the world in the humanoid robot industry, the report found.

    China is home to more than 140 active humanoid robot manufacturers, with domestic shipments reaching 14,400 units in 2025 — accounting for 84.7% of total global supply. The country’s domestic humanoid robot market reached 1.55 billion yuan last year, representing 53.8% of the total global market value.

    But despite this rapid growth, the industry still faces systemic challenges. Many enterprises operate with incompatible, disconnected technical standards, and there has been no unified regulatory framework for product traceability, safety supervision, and cross-enterprise data circulation to date, Liu Chuanhou noted. The new ID initiative is designed to address these gaps, drive industry-wide standardization, and build a solid institutional foundation for the large-scale, high-quality development of China’s humanoid robot sector.

    As high-end intelligent equipment becomes increasingly integrated into industrial production and everyday public life, humanoid robots also carry underaddressed potential risks related to operational safety, data security, and ethical compliance. “In cases involving safety incidents or potential data hazards, the unique ID number supports rapid traceability and clear liability confirmation, helping prevent risks such as technology misuse and sensitive information leakage,” Liu Chuanhou added.

  • Russia maintains attacks on Ukraine as Kyiv warned to brace for possible major barrage

    Russia maintains attacks on Ukraine as Kyiv warned to brace for possible major barrage

    In a major escalation of aerial attacks on Ukraine, Russian forces launched more than 100 drones alongside two ballistic missiles against Ukrainian targets overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed Tuesday. The attack came just one day after Moscow issued explicit warnings of impending large-scale strikes on the Ukrainian capital, prompting evacuation calls for foreign nationals and diplomatic staff — a threat Ukrainian officials dismissed as nothing new to their experience of nearly three years of constant Russian attacks.

    On Monday, Russian authorities urged all foreign citizens, including diplomatic personnel stationed in Kyiv, to evacuate the capital immediately, advising local residents to avoid all military and government infrastructure amid preparations for what it called “systemic strikes” against the city. In a diplomatic readout, Russia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov raised the call for U.S. diplomatic evacuation during a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. While Rubio did not confirm whether the U.S. State Department would comply with the demand, he expressed concern during an official trip to India that the ongoing “terrible” conflict in Ukraine could spiral into further escalation.

    The current Trump administration has spent more than a year pursuing diplomatic efforts to end the full-scale war that began with Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. To date, those negotiations have produced no major breakthrough, and talks have been paused entirely as Washington redirects its strategic focus to the ongoing conflict with Iran.

    Despite Moscow’s stark warnings, no diplomatic missions have announced plans to withdraw from Kyiv. The European Union, French and Polish embassies have all issued public statements confirming they will remain in the capital. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry officials pushed back on Moscow’s threat assessment Monday, noting that the level of security risk to Kyiv and other Ukrainian urban centers remains unchanged from what the country has navigated for months and years. Russia has carried out continuous missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian population centers since the full-scale invasion began, they added, and Ukraine stands ready to provide additional security support to any diplomatic mission that requests it.

    Moscow framed its massive weekend attack — the largest single missile strike of 2025 — as retaliation for a deadly Ukrainian drone strike on a building in Starobilsk, a Luhansk region city under Russian occupation. Russia claimed the strike hit a college dormitory, but Ukraine’s General Staff corrected the account, confirming the target was the local headquarters of a Russian special military drone unit.

    A key vulnerability for Ukraine’s defense remains a critical shortage of air defense interceptors needed to stop Russian ballistic missile attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Monday. In a social media statement, Zelenskyy noted that advanced U.S.-manufactured air defense systems, which Ukraine relies on to counter Russian ballistic threats, are in short supply due to competing defense demands from the Iran war. “Unfortunately, there has been no progress for a long time with America on expanding the production of anti-ballistic capabilities,” Zelenskyy wrote. He added that Kyiv is now working closely with European partners to scale up domestic production of anti-ballistic defenses to meet battlefield needs.

    Despite the air defense shortfall, Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainian forces have made incremental battlefield gains in recent months that have allowed them to stabilize the 1,250-kilometer front line stretching across eastern and southern Ukraine, demonstrating that Kyiv’s military is able to hold its position against Russia’s larger force.

    Independent analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based security think tank, finds that Russia’s planned spring offensive is already struggling to make gains, as mid-range Ukrainian drone strikes repeatedly disrupt Russian rear-echelon supply lines. The think tank noted Monday that Moscow’s public warnings of massive upcoming strikes on Kyiv are largely a distraction tactic, designed to draw public attention away from poor Russian battlefield performance and growing domestic economic pressure caused by war spending and international sanctions.

    This report featured contributions from correspondent Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, and Elise Morton in London, and is part of AP’s ongoing coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war.

  • More climate records under threat as spring heatwave bakes western Europe

    More climate records under threat as spring heatwave bakes western Europe

    An unprecedented early-spring heatwave, driven by a massive African heat dome trapped over Western Europe by a persistent high-pressure system, has smashed all-time May temperature records across the continent, leaving at least seven people dead and forcing emergency restrictions on outdoor work. Temperatures this week have surged far above the seasonal averages normally seen only in the height of summer, confirming what climate scientists have warned for decades: human-caused climate change is turning extreme heat events into the new normal.

    On Monday, multiple Western European nations recorded their hottest May days in documented history. The United Kingdom’s Met Office confirmed a new national May high of 34.8°C at London’s Kew Gardens, a full two degrees hotter than the previous record set decades earlier. Across the Irish Sea, two Irish weather stations hit a record 28.8°C, while Scotland saw temperatures climb to 25°C — conditions that sparked a large grass fire near Edinburgh’s iconic Arthur’s Seat, sending plumes of smoke across the capital.

    In France, the heat was even more extreme. Meteo-France officially declared Monday the hottest May day since national temperature tracking began, with Paris’s Roland Garros tennis tournament seeing spectators swelter through 33°C conditions. Forecasts called for even higher mercury on Tuesday, with highs forecast to reach 33°C to 36°C across much of the country, and the abnormal heat expected to hold through the end of the week. The extreme warmth has already had deadly consequences: French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon confirmed Tuesday that at least seven deaths have been directly or indirectly tied to the heatwave, five of which were drownings.

    The deaths occurred as thousands of heat-fatigued residents flocked to beaches and coastal waters to cool off, despite the fact that most areas do not begin lifeguard patrols until July. For many beachgoers, the unseasonal heat brought unexpected risk. “We were just wondering this morning whether the beach was supervised,” Thomas Dupuy, who was visiting an Anglet beach with his two young non-swimming children, told AFP. “I’m extremely careful for myself, for my children… We know the currents can pull you out, the Atlantic beaches are dangerous.”

    The extreme conditions extend far beyond France and the UK. Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) warned that extraordinarily high temperatures for this time of year will persist across most of the country all week, with southwestern regions facing widespread tropical nights — when temperatures stay above 20°C — and peak highs of 36°C to 38°C between Wednesday and Friday. Further east, Italy’s Lazio region, which includes the capital Rome, implemented emergency rules banning prolonged outdoor work in direct sunlight between 12:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to protect workers from heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

    Climate scientists say the record-breaking heatwave is a clear demonstration of human-driven climate change already reshaping Europe’s weather patterns. A recent joint report from the European Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization confirms that since the 1980s, Europe has warmed twice as fast as the global average, and heatwaves have become increasingly frequent and severe across more than 95 percent of the continent. Greg Dewhurst, a meteorologist with the UK Met Office, told AFP that the surge in extreme May temperatures is “a good indication of climate change in action” and that such early-season heat events are increasingly likely to become “the new norm.” While the UK is forecast to see temperatures cool later this week, the early arrival of extreme heat has underscored the growing threat of climate-fueled weather extremes across the continent.

  • Watch: Bridge collapses and car swept away in China river

    Watch: Bridge collapses and car swept away in China river

    A dramatic bridge collapse incident in Xiaogan, a city located in central China’s Hubei Province, has resulted in a passenger vehicle being swept away by a rushing river – but all people inside the car managed to evacuate to safety before the structure gave way, local reports confirm.

    Footage captured by onlookers shows the moment the bridge section fractured and collapsed into the water below, pulling the unsuspecting vehicle down with the collapsing infrastructure. Emergency response teams were quickly dispatched to the scene to assess the damage, search for any potential missing persons, and begin evaluating next steps for clearing the wreckage and restoring river crossing access for local residents.

    Preliminary local investigations are ongoing to determine the root cause of the collapse, with early hypotheses pointing to possible prolonged erosion from heavy seasonal rainfall that weakened the bridge’s supporting structures. No injuries or fatalities have been reported in connection with the incident, a outcome that local authorities have described as a stroke of good fortune.

    The collapse has disrupted local transportation networks in the affected area, prompting officials to implement temporary detour routes for passenger and freight traffic while planning for reconstruction gets underway. Authorities have also launched a broader inspection of similar aged bridges across the region to identify potential safety hazards and prevent similar structural failures from occurring in the future.

  • China executes man for murdering prominent gaming tycoon

    China executes man for murdering prominent gaming tycoon

    Nearly four years after the sudden, shocking death of iconic Chinese gaming billionaire Lin Qi, the man convicted of his murder has been executed, closing a high-profile case that sent ripples through the global entertainment and gaming industries.

    Xu Yao, a former lawyer who once worked closely with Lin on high-stakes media projects, was put to death on May 21 following his 2024 death sentence handed down by the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court. The court had previously labeled Xu’s premeditated crime as “extremely despicable”, and Yoozoo Games, Lin’s eponymous company, officially confirmed the execution in a public statement released this Tuesday.

    The tragic chain of events that ended Lin’s life at 39 traces back to a bitter professional falling out in 2020. Just after Xu helped Lin secure a landmark adaptation deal with streaming giant Netflix for Liu Cixin’s globally beloved *Remembrance of Earth’s Past* (better known as *The Three-Body Problem*), Lin made the decision to reassign core business leadership responsibilities of the franchise subsidiary to other executives, sidelining Xu. Bitter and resentful over the shift, Xu hatched a lethal plot: he disguised a toxic substance as over-the-counter probiotic supplements and gave them to Lin.

    Lin began feeling unwell in early December 2020 and sought medical care, but he died nine days after being admitted. At the time of his death, the Hurun China Rich List estimated his net worth at approximately 6.8 billion yuan, equal to around $941 million. Police took Xu into custody just days after Lin was hospitalized. Investigations also revealed that Xu’s poisoning scheme did not end with Lin: several other colleagues who came into contact with the toxic substances also fell ill, though none suffered fatal injuries.

    Lin founded Yoozoo Games, a Shanghai-based gaming development studio that rose to international prominence with its hit strategy title *Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming*. Beyond gaming, Lin pivoted to expanding intellectual property rights for major science fiction properties, and in 2018 he tapped Xu to head Three-Body Universe, the dedicated subsidiary created to manage all projects tied to the *Three-Body* franchise. The company secured the film and television adaptation rights for Liu Cixin’s trilogy, and ultimately struck the deal with Netflix that led to 2024’s breakout hit series adaptation of *3 Body Problem*. The series quickly became one of the streaming platform’s most-watched original releases of the year, and Lin was posthumously credited as an executive producer for his foundational work bringing the project to life.

    In this week’s statement confirming Xu’s execution, Yoozoo Games offered a formal reflection on the case: “Justice has ultimately been served. We deeply mourn Mr. Lin and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family. As colleagues who fought alongside him, all members of the company are grateful for the impartiality of the judicial process.”

    One of the non-fatal victims of Xu’s poisoning also shared a reaction with Chinese publication *Economic Observer*, writing on social media that “Justice comes in the end, even if it’s late”. Lin’s sudden death in 2020 sent shockwaves through the global gaming and entertainment sectors, where he was widely recognized as a visionary entrepreneur who bridged Chinese creative IP and global audiences.