Briefly

Forum celebrates spirit of goddess

The 10th Global Mazu Culture Forum opened on Meizhou Island in Fujian province on Sunday, with global experts hailing the ancient Chinese sea goddess as a unifying force for peace, sustainability and cross-cultural dialogue. Former political leaders from foreign countries, United Nations officials and domestic experts emphasized how Mazu's core values of virtue, charity and love resonate across continents, offering a blueprint for addressing modern challenges such as climate change and inequality. The event, cohosted by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and other key bodies, featured 11 synchronized meetings worldwide. Born as Lin Mo in Putian in 960 AD, Mazu earned reverence for her selfless acts of rescuing fishermen.

Criminal cases see significant decline

The number of criminal cases in China in 2024 hit the lowest level this century, marking a 25.7 percent decrease year-on-year, according to an annual report. The report highlights the efforts made by Chinese police in cracking down on crimes and safeguarding public safety, as well as the country's development of related legislation last year. The full text of the Annual Report on the Rule of Law in China (2024), which is organized in 16 sections with about 60,000 Chinese characters, was released by the China Law Society last week. The publication of this report in both Chinese and English marks the 17th consecutive year it has been made available to a global audience.

China Daily