Rio de Janeiro-bound Chinese equestrian Alex Hua Tian, the only Chinese rider qualified for the upcoming Olympics, announced on July 26 he would take Don Geniro, a 9-year-old horse, to Brazil. He passed up Harbour Pilot C, a 17-year-old racing horse that had long been seen as Hua Tian's first choice. Hua Tian won the second leg of the Event Rider Masters with Don Geniro at the Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials in June.

Capital flight eases in first half of year

China's net foreign exchange purchase amounted to $173.8 billion in the first half of 2016. But its capital outflow significantly slowed in the April-June period, statistics released by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange indicate. After registering 124.8 billion in foreign currency in the first quarter, Chinese banks sold in the second quarter $49 billion more in foreign currency than they purchased. The monthly net purchase of foreign exchange declined from $54.4 billion in January to $12.5 billion in May and was at $12.8 billion in June. While international financial markets have remained stable and the US Federal Reserve has postponed its interest rate hikes, China's economic conditions also have remained sound.

Risks still facing nation's economy

China's economic growth still faces heavy downward pressure, a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee presided by General Secretary Xi Jinping heard on July 26. Participants agreed that in the second half of this year, the nation should continue to press ahead with supply-side structural reform, Xinhua News Agency reported. The report also said a proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy would be adopted, and various taxes and fees lowered to anchor economic growth and resolve potential financial risks. The meeting also decided that reform of state-owned enterprises and financial sectors should be deepened, key to the country's efforts to cut excessive production capacity.

Big circus expected to boost Hunan visits

Zhangjiajie, Hunan province, plans to create a performing center for a Russian-style grand circus in 2017. The project is an element of Sino-Russian tourism and cultural cooperation and a manifestation of the city's ambition to build itself into an international tourism destination. The circus would cover 43,000 square meters, with hotels covering another 24,000 sq m. Total investment is expected to reach 800 million yuan ($120 million; 108.5 million euros) and add 20 percent more tourist visits. Another 1.2 billion yuan will be spent building up the area as a Russian-style entertainment park.

Three held in protests at KFC restaurant

Three men have been detained for organizing protests to impede the operations of US fast-food chain KFC in Henan province, police said. The men "illegally organized netizens to block two KFC restaurants", according to a local police micro blog. A man surnamed Li was placed under administrative detention for 15 days, while the other two, surnamed Yuan and Liu, were detained for 13 days each. The incident was apparently triggered after a tribunal appointed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in a case against China over the South China Sea.

Stone collector finds fossil teeth