Emergency services in Shanghai and Jiangsu Province in east China have intensified relief efforts to support residents in tiding over the turmoil caused by Typhoon Bebinca.
Bebinca, the 13th typhoon of this year, made landfall in Shanghai at about 07:30 Monday, according to the Shanghai central meteorological observatory.
At landfall, the maximum wind speed near the eye of the storm reached approximately 42 meters per second.
Bebinca, believed to be the strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai in a span of 75 years, has unleashed gales and torrential rain in the city.
Braving the ferocious storm, a heartwarming scene unfolded in Xuhui District of the city. As strong gusts and driving rain blew parcels from a delivery scooter all over the ground, the delivery worker struggled against the storm, desperately trying to gather the scattered items.
A passing police car stopped to help, with officers loading the parcels onto their vehicle and delivering them to the designated parcel station.
As Bebinca progressed into the neighboring Jiangsu Province on Monday, cities across the region experienced winds exceeding level 10, prompting immediate action from emergency services, including the fire departments and power utilities, to ensure public safety.
Firefighters in Yangzhou City in central Jiangsu, quickly sprang into action after receiving calls for help. They have been working tirelessly to remove objects at risk of falling from heights and clear fallen trees to reduce potential hazards.
Meanwhile, a 10-kilovolt power line in the city was damaged by the severe weather, causing widespread outages. Power repair crews braved the elements and, after over an hour of tough slog, they successfully restored electricity to the affected areas.
China's National Meteorological Center has forecast heavy to torrential rains in northern Zhejiang, Shanghai, Anhui, southern Jiangsu, and Henan from Tuesday to Wednesday due to the impact of Bebinca.
East China cities make tough slog to mitigate devastation from Typhoon Bebinca
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
