馬國為許V圖Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated recently after US President Donald Trump threatened to deal with the DPRK with "fire and fury" last month

誌安The Philippines under Duterte has tried to develop an independent foreign policy rather than being a US puppet most of the time馬國為許V圖Since becoming Philippines president in June 2016, Rodrigo Duterte has refused to be used by the US to advance its strategy

誌安That was certainly not the policy under Obama when he launched the US pivot-to-Asia policy, trying to gang up US allies on China馬國為許V圖And on global economic status, about half of Filipinos (49 percent) say that the US is still the leading economic power, but that is down from 66 percent who said so in 2015誌安The survey released on Sept 21 bore a title saying people in the Philippines still favor the United States over China, but that the gap is narrowing馬國為許V圖This represents a dramatic shift since that question was last asked in 2015誌安Such an independent policy is dealing a heavy blow to those who still view the relationship between the three countries as zero-sum

馬國為許V圖Some even believe that he would not able to serve the full six-year term誌安And overall, the perception gap between the US and China in the Philippines is narrowing馬國為許V圖The 79-year-old never expected when he was browsing the internet that day that he would uncover a piece of family history dating back some 140 years

誌安"It was a picture I had never seen before and my instinct told me that the subjects could be my great grandparents," he told China Daily馬國為許V圖According to Watt, the unique wedding photograph documents the moment of the start of the prominent Nie family in China誌安"The groom, Nie Jigui, served as Shanghai's Governor from 1890 to 1893, died in 1911 and was buried in Hunan, while the bride, Zeng Jifen, died in 1942 and was buried in Shanghai馬國為許V圖Not to mention, in an exhibition some 3,500 miles away from where he lived

Portrait of a womanWhen New York-based Raymond Watt came across an article on the BBC news website about a Chinese photography exhibition in the UK last November, he was shocked, to say the least"Today, Beijing is a vastly different place and the early photographs presented a perspective on the city which had never been previously available

The country, which gained independence from the United Kingdom in April 1961, remains one of the least developed in the worldIt has eight surgical operation rooms and 300 patient bedsThe Chinese Navy's hospital ship Peace Ark arrives on Tuesday in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on an eight-day mission to deliver free medical services to 2,000 people in the West African nationThe visit marks the first time the ship has visited West Africa, Xinhua said

[Photo/Xinhua]The Chinese Navy's hospital ship Peace Ark is providing humanitarian medical services to the people of Sierra Leone during an ongoing port call in the West African nation, Chinese media reportedThe vessel arrived on Tuesday in Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital and largest city, which is a major port on the Atlantic OceanA nurse from China draws blood as part of an examination of a boy on the Peace Ark on Sept 21,2017Sierra Leone is the second destination for Peace Ark in its "Harmonious Mission 2017" tour

Medical personnel began examining and treating local residents immediately, Xinhua News Agency reportedIt carries a total of 115 doctors and nurses, most of them from the People Liberation Army's Naval Medical University and Navy General Hospital

Each day hundreds of Sierra Leone residents line up outside Peace Ark waiting for their turn to be diagnosed by Chinese doctors, the report said, noting that at least 2,000 residents would receive medical services during the ship's eight-day stay in FreetownThe Peace Ark left a naval port in China's Zhejiang province on July 26 to carry out its 155-day goodwill mission

It docked in Djibouti from August 23 to 31 and treated thousands of locals, Xinhua said, and made stops in Spain and Sri Lanka for resupplyOne of the world's largest hospital ships, the Peace Ark is 178 meters longSince it was commissioned in 2008, the vessel has visited 31 countries, providing free medical services to tens of thousands of people"My Changsha dream is slowly being realized, but I still have a bigger dream"Despite the long distance, I was very excited that I could visit Jackie Chan and Jet Li's hometown," Luc saidIn 2013, he married a Chinese girl, Guo Hongyan, who gave birth to a baby

"If everything goes well, our office can be launched in September," he added"Changsha is a well-known city for entertainment — offering an opportunity for Luc, who has a great talent for singing and dancing

Changsha is my second hometown, and my family is the biggest highlight of my time in Changsha," he saidHis star rose when the entertainment industry gave him a chance to showcase his talents on TV

"Our confederation has held a discussion with the Changsha National High-tech Industrial Development Zone to start an office in their international science and technology business platform," Luc introducedHe has a Chinese name, Mao Lyuke, which is famous in Changsha

I hope I can play a role in promoting win-win cooperation between Changsha and Benin, China and Africa," Luc said in an interviewFor the past 17 years, he has lived in Changsha, capital of Hunan province in central ChinaThe confederation aims to build a bridge between China and Benin, with the help of the Belt and Road InitiativeHe can cook Hunan dishes, make kung fu tea and even sing Huagu Opera, a Chinese opera originating in Hunan province

"If enterprises in China or Benin want to explore the market in the other country, the confederation can help them understand the targeted country's market conditions and regulations"We plan to have another baby next year," Luc said, smiling while talking about his family

Now, besides his art career, he also serves as a representative for the National Confederation of Employers of BeninHe is not a foreigner anymore — more like a Changsha local

In 2000, when he worked for a construction company in Benin, Luc got a chance to study in China with funding from the Chinese governmentShortly after making a name for himself, Luc fell in love

"I hope my children can finish their education here just like Changsha kidscomHis sense of humor has made him a frequent guest on variety TV shows, like Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, CCTV's Foreigner in China and Avenue of Stars"You can speak Chinese!""I can also speak Changsha dialect!"The man you see in pictures can do more than speak the Changsha dialectHe acts as a singer, a host and works on his own documentary projects

When he performed a section of a famous Peking Opera on a TV talent show in 2005, he caused quite a stirFile photo shows Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte supporters gather during a vigil backing the anti-drugs crackdown at the Luneta park in metro Manila, Philippines February 25, 2017

Philippine law enforcers seized the drugs around midnight and it took less than four hours for the cross-border operation to be implementedNoting that the anti-drug cooperation between China and the Philippines has gone through a long history and achieved fruitful results, the two sides said the current cooperation has entered an increasingly good period

With regard to the May 25 bust of a drug trafficking ring and seizure of 604 kilograms of crystal meth, according to the meeting, the Chinese Customs officials discovered the attempt to smuggle the illegal drugs into the PhilippinesThe Chinese officials were from China's National Narcotics Control Commission and Ministry of Public Security while Philippine officials were from Philippines' Dangerous Drugs Board and Bureau of Customs