Paralympics show love, compassion at a time of challenge and conflict

The 17th Summer Paralympic Games opened at the Place de la Concorde in Paris on Wednesday evening.

About 4,400 athletes from a record 168 delegations are participating in the 11-day Games, to which China has sent 284 athletes, 95 of them first-time Paralympians, to compete in 302 events. All of them, through their unyielding struggle, will interpret the Paralympic values of "courage, determination, inspiration and equality".

Unlike the Olympic Games, the Paralympics are not just a sporting event, but also an arena for profound dialogue about courage, perseverance and inclusiveness, as athletes challenge physical disabilities to become legends.

The Paralympic Games have been trying to increase global awareness about people with disabilities. They have changed the stereotype about people with disabilities and made respect for and understanding of them a mainstream perception. From the first Paralympic Games to Paris, countless Paralympic athletes have jointly strived to create records. They have also used their fighting spirit to change the fate of countless physically challenged people, casting the glory and change of the humanistic spirit of sports.

All Paralympic athletes have proved that physical limitations cannot limit the flight of their mind and their pursuit of dreams.

The Paralympic Games provide a stage for athletes with disabilities to pursue personal dreams and glory, while giving them a platform to change how society sees them. The support of all sectors of society, including the selfless dedication of volunteers, the generosity of sponsors, and the wide reach of the media, have combined to create an inclusive and encouraging environment, not only promoting the development of sports for people with disabilities, but also promoting the whole world to become open and inclusive, free of discrimination, and with love and respect.

However, in today's world, people in some countries and regions are still suffering from wars and conflicts. Be it the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Middle East crisis and the rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific under the instigation of external forces, they all tell people that the world is still not peaceful, something that runs counter to the global desire for peace.

At a time when regional conflicts and hotspot issues are still cropping up, the pursuit of peace, solidarity and progress shown by the Paralympic athletes should prompt all to think about a common thread that binds all mankind.