标签： Asia

The community of living Nanjing Massacre survivors has diminished further with the passing of Guan Shunhua at age 101 on Wednesday. Her death reduces the officially registered survivor count to just 21 individuals, according to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders.

Born in 1925, Guan experienced the horrific events of 1937 when Imperial Japanese forces captured Nanjing. Her family initially evacuated north to Huaian, Jiangsu Province, before the invasion but returned to the devastated capital approximately one month later. They sought refuge in the designated safety zone on Ninghai Road, yet tragedy still struck when her uncle was killed by Japanese troops outside Zhongshan Gate.

The historical context of her passing recalls one of World War II’s most brutal chapters. Following the December 13, 1937 capture of Nanjing, Japanese forces conducted six weeks of systematic violence that resulted in approximately 300,000 Chinese civilian and military casualties.

This declining population of firsthand witnesses has prompted significant efforts to preserve their testimonies. China’s national legislature established December 13 as the official memorial day for massacre victims in 2014. Concurrently, the government has implemented comprehensive documentation projects, creating both written and video records of survivors’ accounts.

International recognition came in 2015 when UNESCO inscribed documents related to the Nanjing Massacre onto its Memory of the World Register, ensuring global awareness of these historical events.

China has unveiled a comprehensive national guideline to transform urban environments into safer, more inclusive spaces designed specifically for children’s needs and perspectives. The landmark policy document, jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Working Committee on Children and Women, establishes a framework for integrating child-centered approaches across all aspects of urban planning and public services.

The initiative builds upon successful pilot programs that have already benefited over 110 million children across 116 Chinese cities by the end of 2025. Rather than maintaining these as temporary city-level experiments, the new guideline institutionalizes child-friendly development as a permanent, nationwide mechanism that will guide policy through the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) and beyond.

According to Wei Yifang, an associate researcher at the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, the guideline represents a holistic approach covering both urban and rural children through integrated policies, public services, rights protection, and living environments. The framework mandates that all public policies must incorporate children’s perspectives, with local governments required to prioritize children’s development in resource allocation and policymaking decisions.

Key implementation measures include adapting public spaces to better serve children’s needs through increased sports facilities, entertainment venues, and creative use of underutilized urban areas. Transportation systems will undergo significant upgrades, with public buses, subways, and transit hubs incorporating child-friendly features. Ride-hailing platforms will prioritize families with young children, while railways and airlines will enhance services for infants and unaccompanied minors.

The healthcare sector will see substantial improvements, including the incorporation of HPV vaccines into national immunization programs offering free vaccinations to girls aged 13 and above. Medical facilities will establish 24-hour emergency channels for children under three with critical conditions. Educational institutions will open sports facilities during holidays, while scenic areas will expand discounted admission policies for minors.

Notable progress has already been achieved in several municipalities. Over 20 major cities, including Beijing, have raised height limits for free subway rides to 1.3 meters. Shanghai and Shaoxing have introduced dedicated child-friendly subway lanes, while Wenzhou and Zhuhai have relaxed restrictions on the number of children traveling free with adults.

The initiative represents China’s commitment to creating visible, tangible improvements in children’s daily lives through attention to both major policy frameworks and seemingly small but crucial practical matters, ultimately aiming to build warmer, more welcoming environments for children and their families nationwide.

While millions journeyed home during China’s Spring Festival travel rush, an elite team of railway divers conducted critical underwater inspections in near-freezing conditions along the Xinyan Railway connecting Henan and Shandong provinces. These specialized technicians from China Railway Jinan Group’s emergency rescue and survey unit—the nation’s sole professional railway bridge diving team—braved turbid waters with near-zero visibility to ensure the structural integrity of vital transportation infrastructure.

Equipped with over 20 kilograms of gear, 28-year-old diver Gao Jiawang described operating in absolute darkness at 5-meter depths where “my fingers act as my eyes.” His scratched diving mask bears witness to numerous encounters with submerged obstacles and rebar. This year, however, the human divers gained a technological partner: an advanced underwater inspection robot capable of fish-like swimming and gecko-style adhesion to pier surfaces. The machine employs high-definition cameras and sonar to rapidly identify potential issues in turbulent waters, allowing divers to focus manual inspections on critical areas identified during robotic preliminary screening.

The 46-member unit represents a unique fusion of diving expertise and engineering specialization. Beyond underwater proficiency, members must master bridge structural knowledge, interpret complex blueprints, operate specialized equipment including underwater cameras, and maintain emergency skills such as underwater welding and cutting. Many have pursued additional certifications including welding engineering and dive supervision during off-hours.

“Every dive presents unique challenges,” noted Gao, whose deepest dive approaches 20 meters. “Northern waters require ice-breaking operations in winter, southern rivers conceal dangerous undercurrents in summer, mountain streams carry rolling rocks, while plain rivers accumulate deep silt.” Divers routinely face potential entanglement in fishing nets, equipment failures, and sudden torrents, requiring maintained calm judgment in extreme conditions.

To date, the team has inspected over 400 railway bridges across 18 provincial-level regions, building an invaluable database of underwater structural information. During peak travel periods, operations intensify within strict two-to-three-hour windows between train services. “The most gratifying moment,” Gao reflected, “is hearing trains safely crossing after our inspection—it fills me with immense pride.”