Editor's note: For centuries, the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China - namely the compass, gunpowder, papermaking and printing - have been celebrated as technologies that have made significant contributions to civilization. Today, novel technologies have once again shortened the physical and cultural distances between different parts of the world. In a video that went viral online recently, foreign students in China have redefined the four great inventions of the modern age: mobile payment, bike-sharing services, e-commerce and high-speed trains. While technically speaking, these are not purely Chinese inventions, there's no doubt that Chinese innovation has made these technologies even more important in a closely connected world. Let's take a look at some of these great inventions of the modern age. Clockwise from top left: German-born Thomas Derksen, an online celebrity with millions of Chinese fans on Weibo and other social media networks, buys a bus ticket using Alipay, enjoys a snack paid for with an app, rents an umbrella at Hangzhou East Railway Station, and buys a bouquet of flowers at Wushan Flower and Fish Market. [Photo/China Daily] 1. Mobile payment Foreigners in China laud the country's world-leading mobile payment industry and say apps have made life a lot more convenient than in their home countries. Mobile payment systems have grown into a lifestyle choice of Chinese people throughout their daily activities and interactions, following the rapid development of mobile payment services led by third-party payment companies. Twenty-eight-year-old German-born Thomas Derksen, an online celebrity with millions of Chinese fans on Weibo and other social media networks, recently posted a public letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Weibo and Facebook, calling for the promotion of a cashless economy in Germany. Derksen spent an entire day in Hangzhou, the capital of East China's Zhejiang province, last year without any cash or credit cards on hand. The German expatriate, who lives in Shanghai, admitted that it was something he could not imagine doing back home in Europe, but he breezed through the challenge using only his smartphone, which was installed with Alipay, the third-party payment app. create your own wristbandprintable wristbandscustom rubber band braceletsbracelet maker online
COLOMBO - The European Commission has allocated 300,000 euros in humanitarian funding to Sri Lanka to bring emergency assistance to communities affected by the recent floods, a statement by the EU in Sri Lanka said Friday. "This contribution from the EU will allow our partners on the ground to provide relief to the most-impacted families. This is an expression of solidarity from the European people to the people of Sri Lanka," said Christos Stylianides, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management. The EU-funded assistance will focus on the most pressing needs of the affected families in the immediate aftermath of the floods, including access to clean water and sanitation facilities, the provision of essential household items, as well as emergency shelter. The EU funding is being made available via the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) through its Small Scale Response mechanism. Additionally, the Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Center has activated its Copernicus mapping service upon request from the World Food Program. The Copernicus maps will focus on the Southern and Western areas of Sri Lanka that have been affected by the rains, the EU statement said. The death toll in Sri Lanka caused by major floods and landslides reached 206 on Friday with 92 people still missing, the Disaster Management Center said. Over 650,000 people have been affected while an estimated 100,000 people having been shifted to safe locations. Over 10,000 houses have also been fully or partially destroyed. Days of severe rains since May 26 caused major floods and landslides in at least seven districts of the country - the worst floods to hit Sri Lanka since 2003. International assistance has also poured into the country in addition to naval teams from India, Pakistan and China coordinating with the Sri Lanka Navy in the relief assistance.
