He agreed, however, that social interaction functions should be limited.
He also refuted claims that workers of smaller ethnic groups have been monitored at workplaces and that their customs and religious beliefs were suppressed.
He also noted that the most popular traditional wedding ceremonies in China in recent years feature a fusion of traditional Chinese elements with Western trends. Besides the traditional wedding rituals and lavish banquet dinners, a wedding in China is now considered incomplete without choreographed photo sessions and honeymoon trips.
He adds that one of the biggest problems in China's preschool education sphere is that teachers and parents tend to attach less importance to physical education than English, math and the other main subjects. He hopes that all the experts and scholars will share their innovative, forward-looking views on how to ensure a sound, balanced education for children in China and around the world.
Hawking's second contact with the city was a "virtual" visit in March last year. He was brought live to the Hong Kong Science Park for a 90-minute lecture through the use of augmented reality holographic technology.
He added that the deal is also generally in line with the main direction of China's deepening reform and opening up, as well as internal needs for advancing higher quality economic development.
上海网络排名优化
He also stressed that the passion of Chinese fans "has exceeded all expectations", and the exact number of Chinese fans attending the matches will be clear only after the end of the World Cup.
He added that Sino-Russian relations are the strongest they have ever been, which provides a solid platform for cooperation.
He also touted the municipal government's efficiency in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic by rolling out timely and effective measures to stimulate businesses.
He added that "while there are still underlying weak spots in the economy that have been slower to recover, the overall story is very positive, and China will come out of 2020 in a very strong position economically".