Quanzhou-made Olympic merchandise shines on Paris stage

A range of Olympic merchandise from Quanzhou, an innovation-driven manufacturing city in East China's Fujian Province, is making a prominent appearance at the Paris Olympic Games this summer, distinguished by its exquisite design, complex manufacturing process, and eco-friendly attributes.

Quanzhou-based Anta Sports, China's leading sportswear producer and a key sponsor of the Chinese sports delegation, has created innovative designs for the Chinese athletes' victory ceremony uniforms at the Paris Olympics.

The uniforms feature traditional Chinese motifs, such as dragon scale patterns and intricate embroidery. Furthermore, the use of eco-friendly materials, including recycled nylon, has reduced the carbon footprint of the clothing production by over 50 percent.

The design of the game shoes for Chinese weightlifters has also been improved. Each pair now weighs approximately 1.2 kilograms but can withstand over a ton of pressure, roughly equivalent to the weight of 14 adults.

"When weightlifters need to exert their explosive power, the shoes help them lift heavy weights more securely. This year, we made some technical improvements to the shoes, enhancing the stability performance of the shoes for supporting lifting movement by nearly 50 percent. We invest over a billion yuan (about 138 million U.S. dollars) each year in research and development, with a total investment of nearly six billion yuan (about 828 million U.S. dollars) to date," said Christina Li, vice president of Anta Group.

Another Quanzhou-based company, Peak Sports, supplies sportswear for Olympic teams from 11 countries at the Paris Games, including Brazil, Belgium, and New Zealand.

In addition, over 200,000 souvenirs featuring the Paris Olympic mascot "Phryge," including resin figurines, keychains, and other official merchandise, are all produced in this manufacturing city.

"We were officially authorized to produce seven types of Olympic resin figurines and two types of key chains this time. The quality standards for Olympic products are strict, and the manufacturing process is complex. Our products have gained strong approval from the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee," said Jiang Lingyan, business manager at Quanzhou Nanyang Arts and Crafts Co., Ltd.

According to Quanzhou Customs, exports of sports goods and equipment from Quanzhou reached 550 million yuan (approximately 76 million U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2024, marking a 59.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

So far this year, Quanzhou has exported 73 batches of Olympic-related sportswear and other products, amounting to approximately 743,000 items.

Quanzhou-made Olympic merchandise shines on Paris stage

A high-level mediation team from the African Union (AU) Commission has been dispatched to Juba, capital of South Sudan, to try to ease the rising tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, and help resolve the current political crisis in the country.

Riek Machar and several senior officials have been detained since clashes erupted in January between the South Sudan People's Defense Forces and the opposition fighters.

Machar was accused of instigating violence in Nasir in the northern part of the country.

The mediation team says it plans to engage Machar, but that meeting is yet to take place.

The AU is urging South Sudanese political leaders to resolve the current disagreement through dialogue.

Machar heads the largest opposition group that has an armed wing in the country, known as SPLM/A-IO.

South Sudan's government says it's still investigating Machar for being allegedly involved in clashes between government troops and armed civilians affiliated to SPLM/A-IO in Nasir.

"The mandate of the RTGoNU (the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity) is simple; that we stop war, we form a revitalized government of national unity so that we return security, sustainable peace in the country," said Martin Elia Lomuro, South Sudan's Minister of Cabinet Affairs.

Meanwhile, Machar's party members are calling on president Kiir to order the release of their leader.

The group argues that the arrest of Machar means the 2018 peace deal which ended five years of violence in the country has partially collapsed.

The government reaffirms its commitment to the implementation of the 2018 peace deal.

It says Mr. Machar is in conflict with the law and that the implementation of the peace deal should not be used as cover to commit crime. However, until now, South Sudanese law enforcement agencies have not charged Machar with any offense in a court of law.

South Sudan, which became independent in 2011, signed a peace deal in 2018 that ended a civil war between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar. Nearly 400,000 people died in the civil war.

Relations between Kiir and Machar, who have dominated South Sudan's politics for decades, remain strained. The clashes and latest political tensions between the two leaders have unsettled many citizens and the international community.

AU dispatches Panel of Wise to address ongoing instability in South Sudan