Qingming Celebration, Century Baby Dies, ABCF Bus Tour ABCF Week 14 Update

Cultural celebration of Qingming attracts a crowd in Beijing - CGTN
A cultural feast merging tradition and modern flair gathered professional performance troupes, community art groups and elementary school students in Beijing's Chaoyang District to share the stage on April 4, the first day of the three-day Qingming festival holiday period.

China ‘century baby’ born at midnight on January 1, 2000, dies from heart attack at 25 | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)
Heartbroken mother says her ‘world has fallen apart’ as she calls for formal investigation into ‘serious medical accident’ without elaborating.
China’s so-called century baby has died at 25 from heart attack and is being remembered as a talented artist.
From the moment she arrived in the world at midnight on January 1, 2000, Xie Yueqian made national headlines.
Her birth marked the beginning of a new era for China, and she was affectionately referred to by the media as “the first girl of China in the 21st century”.
Xie’s mother, a secondary school teacher surnamed Yue, gave her daughter the nickname Qianqian, which symbolised crossing the millennium and embracing China’s bright future.
From an early age, Xie showed artistic talent and was known for her cheerful, lively personality, according to The Paper.

Young Chinese woman faces high rent, pays US$7 a month to sleep in office toilet | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)
Woman spends night in 6-square-metre space with sink and two squat conveniences, cleans living quarters regularly as others use during day.
…Yang said the toilet remains clean and odour-free, and she feels safe as the company is under 24-hour surveillance.
She also said that she never locks the door and has never had anything go missing.
Yang’s female boss, Xu, acknowledged the challenges of being young and independent, even letting her stay at her home for a while.

US cyber expert Wang Xiaofeng took Singapore job before FBI raids: university letter | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)
University staff protest decision to ‘summarily terminate’ Wang: ‘Silence fuels suspicion and distrust and makes shared governance harder’
US cybersecurity expert Wang Xiaofeng planned to join a university in Singapore before the FBI raided his homes on Friday, according to a letter from the employer of the tenured professor.
In the letter from the provost of Indiana University, Bloomington (IUB) obtained by Indiana Public Media, Wang, a professor of computer science, engineering and informatics, was told that the university “has decided to terminate your employment effective immediately”.

ABCF Anniversary Bus Ride
 

Forthcoming ABCF activities
The ABCF hosts a conference jointly with a visiting delegation from Yantai City, Shandong Province, China on the topic “Islands cooperation for a zero-carbon future” on Monday, April 7, 2025. Attendance is by invitation only.
The ABCF and the Returned Students Association of Barbados are inviting all past, current and prospective students of Chinese universities to join us for a special webinar on May 30/31 (Barbados/Beijing time) to share ideas about how our associations can better serve your needs.
The seventh in the series of joint youth forums organised by the ABCF and the Zhejiang International Studies University (ZISU) in Hangzhou, China takes place by Zoom on July 4/5 (Barbados/Beijing) on the topic of feminism.
Mark your calendar and stay tuned for details.

 This weekly newsletter is put together by DeLisle Worrell, President of the ABCF. Visit us at Association for Barbados China Friendship | (abcf-bb.com).
Thanks to everyone who sent contributions for this week’s Update. Please send items of interest to me via the contact page at ABCF-BB.com or to info@DeLisleWorrell.com.
The Update is on a break for the remainder of April. The next issue appears on the first weekend of May.