Up to 100 expats working in Beijing attended an annual tea party at the city’s well-known Maliandao “tea street” on June 17, despite the sweltering heat that had lingered for days.

This tea party was the fourth to be held by the Beijing municipal government and also the latest in the “Beijing Salon – Experience Beijing” series of activities, which also feature Peking opera, martial arts, Chinese kites, and the sampling of Beijing’s local tourism resources, among others.

It highlighted scented tea and floral art, which locals insist is a good match with traditional tea culture. In comparison, previous three tea parties focused more on the various types of tea grown in China, the appreciation of tea sets and the traditional process of brewing different teas.

Tea is a very important part of Chinese culture, so that holding a tea party each year can help popularize it among expats, according to the organizer.

Most attendees were glad to learn how tea is the most popular drink across China, as well as being widely consumed elsewhere in the world, although with different traditions.

The expats agreed that jasmine tea, which is the most popular type in Beijing, was the tastiest. During the activity, they had a chance to make it by mixing jasmine buds and petals with green tea leaves in a 3-10 ratio.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Beijing sent a handful of people, including the diplomats’ children, to the tea party. Among them was Consul Lilia Somoilova. She said she had long been interested in Chinese culture. In her understanding, Chinese tea, especially green tea, tends to be plainer, but purer than that produced in Western style.

This simplicity and purity, she said, could also be found in Chinese floral arrangements and traditional Chinese music.

At least 26 people were injured on a China Eastern Airlines flight, including four in serious condition, after the plane hit strong turbulence en route from Paris to Kunming Sunday.

The injured are being treated in two hospitals in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province after the plane, light MU774, landed safely at 8:50 a.m. Sunday at Kunming Changshui International Airport.

“We felt strong turbulence twice and minor turbulence three times. The process lasted about 10 minutes,” said a passenger surnamed Zhang, who suffered a minor injury and is receiving treatment at Yunnan First People’s Hospital.

A number of passengers were thrown from their seats and some were hurt by falling luggage, causing bone fractures, scalp lacerations, soft tissue injuries and other light wounds, according to the passengers and hospitals.

“We applauded when the plane landed safely. We feel lucky the plane did not crash,” said an injured passenger surnamed Shang.

A Chinese naval fleet sailed out of a port in south China’s Hainan Province Sunday for a scheduled military exercise with the Russian navy in St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

The fleet consists of one destroyer, one frigate, one comprehensive supply ship, ship-borne helicopters and marines.

The drill is part of an annual program which aims to consolidate and advance the Sino-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, and deepen friendly and practical cooperation between the two militaries.

Code-named the “Joint Sea 2017” drill, it will also improve coordination between the two navies on joint defense operations at sea.

According to consensus reached by the two countries, the two navies are scheduled to hold military drill in waters of the Baltic Sea in late July and then the Sea of Japan and Okhotsk in middle September.

This year’s drill aims to jointly carry out rescue missions and protect the safety of economic activities at sea.

Police in northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have arrested 34 suspects in connection with illegal gun manufacturing and trading, according to regional police.

Police in Ordos city seized 41 hunting rifles, 175 semi-finished guns and a large number of bullets.

In March, police from Ordos City Public Security Bureau found a parcel containing suspected gun parts when inspecting the postal sector, leading to the arrest of a gun buyer surnamed Zhang.

Police continued their investigation and destroyed a gun manufacturing site in Yulin city, Shaanxi Province. A suspect surnamed Xie and his son were arrested and a set of gun making equipment and several guns were seized.

Police recently arrested another 24 gun purchasers in Shaanxi and areas of Inner Mongolia in connection with the case.

China bans the manufacturing and sale of guns, with members of the general public not allowed to own them.

Anyone found guilty of owning a gun can face up to seven years in prison.