We use only essential cookies and statistical cookies. We do not use any third-party cookies for advertising tracking or cross-site behavioural profiling.
Essential cookies (no consent required) — These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are generally set only in response to actions made by you, such as: Language preference: remembering the language you selected (e.g. English, Chinese) so it remains consistent as you navigate between pages. Load balancing: ensuring the website servers can handle access requests stably. Security protection: helping detect and defend against malicious access attempts (e.g. DDoS attacks). Because these cookies are necessary for the site to operate, we do not need your consent. You can block them via browser settings, but this may prevent some site functions from working.
Statistical cookies (based on your consent) — These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the website, such as counting visits, popular articles, and time spent on pages. We use first-party analytics tools (no data is transmitted to any third party) and anonymise IP addresses. Data collected: anonymous page views, click heatmaps, browser type, access source (search engine or direct link). Purpose: to optimise content layout, improve site performance, and identify topics of most interest to readers. Retention: statistical logs are retained for no more than 90 days. Statistical cookies are only activated if you have consented. You can opt out using the methods described in Section 4.