China secured its place at the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup with an 84-74 victory over the Czech Republic in the qualifiers in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, on Sunday.

The hosts broke an early 12-12 tie with a 9-0 run, bridging the first and second quarters.

Zhang Manman sank China's first three-pointer of the game with 7:09 remaining in the second period, helping the home side grab its first double-digit lead at 26-16. The advantage grew to 14 points after Chen Mingling made a layup, before Veronika Vorackova and Emma Cechova moved the Czech Republic back into contention. China led 37-30 at halftime.

Playing in her first major international competition, Chen Yujie sank a buzzer-beating floater as China stayed ahead 59-53 entering the final quarter.

China moved the ball well at the start of the fourth period, regaining a double-digit lead through Han Xu and Luo Xinyu's layups, respectively set up by passes from Yang Shuyu and Zhang.

The Czech Republic made a strong late charge, pulling within 70-68 on Natalie Stoupalova's second-chance bucket. Both sides traded shots from downtown on four consecutive possessions. Veteran guard Wang Siyu showcased her skills, scoring six points in a row in the last minute to help China close out the contest.

Wang led China with 14 points and Han added 12, while Yang and Luo contributed 11 apiece.

"We're not just satisfied with the qualification," China coach Gong Luming said after the win. "We want to go further, we want to be a better team, so this game is also a good test for us. They played hard and challenged us, and things went well, things went wrong, and we tried to stay together and play together. In the future, we want to play better basketball together."

In the day's other games, Brazil rallied from a 14-point deficit to edge Mali 76-73, while Belgium clinched its fourth straight win by extending South Sudan losing streak to four games 102-64.

Tuesday's final round of qualifying games will feature China facing Brazil, Belgium taking on the Czech Republic and South Sudan going up against Mali.

FIBA Women's World Cup qualifiers are being held across four competition zones from March 11-17, with four teams from each zone advancing to the World Cup.

In Wuhan, Belgium qualified directly as the European champions, leaving three spots up for grabs among the remaining five teams. After China clinched the second bid, the other two places will be contested by the Czech Republic, Brazil and Mali, with South Sudan already eliminated.

Imagine stepping into a world where ancient artifacts from one of China's oldest dynasties whisper tales of power and ritual. Imagine entering a sacred dream where lustrous jade and burnished bronze artifacts speak of the power they represented and the rituals they facilitated. Imagine encountering an ancient queen whose military prowess equaled her royal authority and spiritual stature.

This is the world of Sacred Shang, an immersive virtual exhibition that introduces crafts from China's Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC-1046 BC) through the story of Fu Hao – Shang queen, military general, high priestess and beloved wife of King Wu Ding.

Sacred Shang is part of China Crafted – the latest edition of CGTN's Art Series – that invites viewers to explore the beauty of ancient Chinese artifacts from four major dynasties: Shang, Han, Tang and Song.

Sacred Shang features timeless vessels from China's second dynasty, celebrated alongside those of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. It is about a civilization that gave the world one of its earliest writing systems – the oracle bone script, which has survived for over three millennia, as if honoring a silent promise to keep a love story alive across time. 

The oracle bones tell a surprisingly personal story: the king repeatedly consulted the spirits about Fu Hao's health and wellbeing, revealing her importance and offering a rare glimpse into life at the royal court.

Fu Hao's tomb, discovered in 1976 at Yinxu, Anyang, central China's Henan Province, contained over 1,900 artifacts, including ritual bronze vessels and weapons, jade ornaments, bone hairpins, and other cultural relics – each piece carrying a story.

The jade phoenix, for example, reflects elegance and symbolism, echoing the oracle bone character for phoenix. 

Jade hairpins and thumb rings mark adulthood and readiness for leadership, while bronze weapons, including battle-axes inscribed with Fu Hao's name, prove she commanded armies and led men in battle.

Sacred Shang also reveals how the Shang elite lived. Royal children were trained in rites, music, archery and strategy, preparing them to lead. 

Every object in Fu Hao's tomb reflects power, devotion and memory.

Bronze weapons show authority, ritual vessels record networks of family, allies and nobles, while jade artifacts preserve spiritual beliefs.

From bronze square dings to intricately inscribed axes, each piece connects the past to the present, carrying a story of legacy and remembrance.

Lastly, Sacred Shang includes an original video production that brings Fu Hao to life through a vivid animation as well as interviews with experts who reflect on the craftsmanship behind the Shang artifacts.

With Sacred Shang, history steps out of textbooks and into your world. Let's experience a realm of power, ritual and legacy forged in jade and bronze.

China kicked off their quest for a spot in the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup with an 81-68 victory over Mali at the qualifying tournament in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, on Wednesday.

Starting center Han Xu scored China's first nine points, but it was not until Yang Shuyu's jumper with 3:30 remaining in the first quarter that China built their first lead of the game. Towering teenager Zhang Ziyu's layup at the buzzer ended the period at 20-20.

Fielding Han and Li Yueru, both of whom just returned from overseas leagues, China had a 9-0 run at the start of the second quarter en route to a 35-29 halftime lead.

Rokia Doumbia made two consecutive three-pointers as Mali pulled within 43-42 midway through the third quarter, but Yang made an immediate response from downtown. The Chinese captain forced the opponents into a timeout with a fast break layup that set it at 51-44.

Zhang showed her strength in the paint, scoring four points in a row as China possessed a nine-point advantage going into the final frame.

Zhang's consistent attacks in the paint and Han's triples helped China stretch their lead to 12 points with seven minutes to play. Then Li followed with another shot beyond the arc. China maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way, and Li's three-point play with two minutes remaining effectively sealed the host's win.

Li had a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds. Han and Yang chipped in 14 points apiece.

"Though we won the game, the contact level was not as we expected. Our players need to be more physical, especially on rebounding," China coach Gong Luming said at the post-game press conference. "We want to learn our lesson from this game because we want to play more strong teams at international level in the future. This is a good learning process for our team."

Ahead of the 2026 Two Sessions, CGTN launched "Ask China," a global social media campaign to gather public opinion on the most important topics. Recent submissions include how China's AI can support domestic modernization while protecting biodiversity and whether these experiences can benefit other countries and regions. #ChinaAgenda2026 #TwoSessions2026 #AskChina #AIdevelopment