Summary: Hainan province is focused on developing a modern industrial system with local characteristics, emphasizing technological and industrial innovation. Key initiatives include upgrading traditional industries and developing strategic emerging industries like aerospace and biomedicine. The province is leveraging its free trade port policies and unique geographical advantages to foster collaboration between government, industry, academia, and research institutions. Specific areas of focus include the petrochemical industry in Danzhou, biomedicine in Haikou, and the aerospace and seed breeding industries in Wenchang and Yazhou Bay, respectively. Hainan aims to become a hub for innovation and high-tech industries.
Summary: In a congratulatory letter to Iraqi President Rashid, the rotating chair of the Arab League summit, Xi Jinping hailed the League's 80-year commitment to Arab unity, regional peace, and development. Xi noted the increasing complexity of the Middle East and emphasized the Arab states' role in promoting development and justice. He also highlighted the flourishing China-Arab relations, referencing the upcoming second China-Arab States Summit in 2026, which will be held in China. Xi affirmed China's commitment to supporting Arab nations and building a stronger China-Arab community with a shared future.
Summary: Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of supporting disabled people at the Seventh National Self-Improvement Models and Advanced Aid-to-the-Disabled Commendation Conference, calling them "an important force in advancing Chinese-style modernization." He urged for improvements to the social security system and care services for the disabled to ensure their rights and promote their development. Several individuals who work with and for the disabled community expressed their commitment to improving the lives of the disabled and helping them integrate into society. The article highlights efforts to empower disabled individuals through employment, education, and technological assistance. There is no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi inspected Hebei's Tangshan, emphasizing the importance of studying and implementing Xi Jinping's directives on Party conduct and the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulation. He stressed problem-oriented approaches and strict standards in this study campaign, urging tailored guidance for different levels and sectors. Cai emphasized addressing formalism and reducing burdens on基层 cadres so that they can better serve the masses. He also highlighted integrating study with practical work, such as rural revitalization and grassroots governance, and strengthening Party building in emerging fields. The article makes no mention of the United States or US-China relations.
Summary: This article discusses Zhejiang province's "sweet potato economy" (地瓜经济), a development model emphasizing both local roots and outward expansion. Drawing on remarks made by Xi Jinping during his time in Zhejiang, the article highlights the importance of Zhejiang businesses venturing out to access global resources and markets, while remaining rooted in the province. It emphasizes Zhejiang's efforts to improve its business environment through effective governance and market mechanisms. The article also touches upon Zhejiang's focus on innovation, branding, and high-quality development to enhance its competitiveness. Ultimately, Zhejiang aims to enhance its role in global resource allocation and international competition.
Summary: The UMeng Mountain Bridge on the Na (Yong) Qing (Long) Expressway in Guizhou underwent static load testing on May 17th to assess its structural integrity and load-bearing capacity before final acceptance. The bridge has a main span of 270 meters and a design speed of 100 km/h. It is expected to improve the road network, facilitate travel, and promote local economic and social development. The bridge opening is not expected to have any immediate impact on the United States or U.S.-China relations. The article was reported by the Xinhua News Agency and the photographer was Tao Liang.
Summary: The article highlights Anta's commitment to innovation and high-quality manufacturing, exemplified by its athletic wear appearing on Olympic podiums. Anta emphasizes technological advancement in its products, with significant investment in R&D to achieve breakthroughs like its "nitrogen technology." The company is focused on upgrading manufacturing through high-end products, intelligent production, and environmentally friendly practices. Anta seeks to establish itself as an international brand, acquiring foreign brands like FILA and Arcteryx, and expanding its global presence through international partnerships, design centers and stores. The United States is mentioned as one of the countries where Anta has established design centers.
Summary: Faced with U.S.-China trade friction that reduced U.S. orders, Shandong-based Fette Garment Co. diversified its export markets to countries like Canada, Japan, and South Korea. The company increased its focus on new markets after the U.S. reduced its market share in China in 2018. By 2023, over half of the company's products were sold to new markets outside the U.S., with U.S. exports falling to less than 10% of their total in early 2024. Fette Garment also invested in technological innovation and process improvements to increase production efficiency and product value. The company plans to further expand into the domestic market and "Belt and Road" countries like Pakistan and Malaysia.
Summary: The Luoyang Museum is attracting younger audiences through immersive experiences like the "A Night Exploring Antiquity" event, which includes live performances and interactive elements. To achieve this, the museum is partnering with cultural and creative enterprises to develop innovative programs. The museum prioritizes historical accuracy and social impact while aiming for popular appeal. Luoyang is also implementing policies to incentivize museums to develop creative cultural products, allocating revenue towards museum development and staff incentives. This initiative aims to transform museums from passively preserving artifacts to actively engaging with the public.
Summary: A cinema in Guiyang, Guizhou province, is boosting local consumption by offering discounts at nearby businesses, such as a spicy chicken restaurant, to customers who present movie ticket stubs. This initiative, part of a broader plan to stimulate consumption, aims to transform the cinema into a landmark and leverage moviegoers to drive growth in tourism and other sectors, with the cinema experiencing a 50% increase in revenue. The cinema is also partnering with over 300 businesses to integrate transportation, accommodation, dining, retail, and scenic spots, which boosted food and accommodation consumption by 45% in March. Local officials are actively collecting online feedback to optimize tourism services and attract more visitors through unique events.
Summary: The article depicts farmers in Wuhu, Anhui province, using combine harvesters to harvest rapeseed in a field. The image accompanies the article. There is no mention of any official statements, accompanying individuals, or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: China's technology service industry is experiencing rapid growth, with the transaction value of technology contracts reaching 6.8 trillion yuan in 2024, a 11.2% year-on-year increase, according to a recent press conference held by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Wei Wei, Director of the MIIT's Department of Science and Technology, noted that the revenue of large-scale technology service enterprises grew by an average of 12.3% annually from 2019 to 2023. MIIT is establishing a standards committee for the technology service industry, focusing on technology transfer, enterprise incubation, and technology promotion. Lu Xianshi, Director of the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center of MIIT, mentioned plans to cultivate more high-level, specialized incubators, especially in emerging fields like AI and biomedicine. These efforts are aimed at supporting technological innovation, industrial upgrading, and the development of new quality productive forces.
Summary: The article highlights Anta's commitment to innovation and upgrading its production, transforming into a high-tech company that produces sports apparel. Anta is focused on high-end products, intelligent manufacturing, and green production, aiming to move from quantity to quality. The company emphasizes its brand building through both independent innovation and international collaboration, including acquiring foreign brands and expanding into international markets. Anta aims to establish itself as a global brand by increasing cooperation with international events and sports stars. Anta has already opened multiple stores in Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Summary: Following the Seventh National Self-Improvement Model and Advanced Disability Assistance Commendation Conference, Xi Jinping issued important instructions emphasizing that people with disabilities are a crucial force in advancing Chinese-style modernization. He urged for the improvement of social security and care service systems for people with disabilities to safeguard their equal rights and promote their overall development. Several individuals, including model workers and officials from various sectors, expressed their commitment to implementing Xi's instructions in their respective fields, ranging from education and sports to community service and technology. The focus was on empowering disabled people and creating a supportive environment for them to integrate into society. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The Financial Regulatory Administration reported that at the end of Q1, loans to inclusive small and micro businesses increased by 12.5% year-on-year, reaching 35.3 trillion yuan. Inclusive agricultural loans reached 13.7 trillion yuan, an increase of 795.5 billion yuan since the beginning of the year. While commercial banks saw a slight increase in non-performing loan ratio to 1.51%, overall credit asset quality remained stable, with net profits reaching 656.8 billion yuan. Insurance companies maintained sufficient solvency, with a comprehensive solvency ratio of 204.5%. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: A team of Chinese agricultural experts, led by Liu Dejun, is working at the China-Suriname Agricultural Technology Cooperation Center to improve farming practices in Suriname. The team has introduced new varieties and techniques, such as corn-soybean intercropping, and provided training to local farmers like Salina, leading to increased crop yields and a shift in agricultural understanding. Suriname's government aims to modernize agriculture and create organic brands for the international market through its cooperation with China. According to Jia Jinyi, Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Suriname, this is the first agricultural aid project since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and has benefited more than 6,500 farmers. Surinamese parliamentarian Wang Chuanrui noted that the Chinese experts are changing Surinamese perceptions of agriculture.
Summary: A Chinese agricultural technology assistance project in Suriname has significantly boosted crop yields and farmer incomes through a "technology training + local adaptation" model. China's agricultural cooperation with Suriname and other Latin American countries focuses on capacity building, sustainable cooperation, and systematic empowerment, shifting from simple technology transfer to creating technology promotion networks. Current cooperation is expanding from traditional agricultural trade to full industry chain collaboration, including the introduction of tropical crop planting experience. As smart agriculture gains importance, China and Latin America will expand cooperation in areas such as remote sensing monitoring and precise planting.
Summary: Xi Jinping reiterated China's commitment to high-level opening-up and welcomes multinational corporations to invest in the Chinese market, signaling confidence in China's economic prospects despite global headwinds like unilateralism and protectionism. The article highlights China's economic growth, innovation, and efforts to improve visa policies to facilitate international exchanges. China emphasizes its dedication to win-win cooperation through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative with Latin America and strong trade partnerships with ASEAN and the EU, rejecting unilateralism. The article positions China as a stable and attractive investment destination, contrasting it with protectionist tendencies elsewhere in the world, although the US is not specifically mentioned.
Summary: The article, authored by the Chinese ambassador to Qatar, highlights the strong and growing strategic partnership between China and Qatar, noting that Qatar firmly adheres to the One China principle. Bilateral trade has increased significantly, with China remaining Qatar's largest trading partner. Qatar has become a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) dialogue partner and is actively participating in its activities, including attending the SCO summit in Kazakhstan. The article emphasizes the importance of multilateralism and cooperation in international affairs and expresses China's willingness to deepen cooperation with Qatar within the SCO framework to promote global peace and development. There is no mention of the United States in this article.
Summary: Li Shulei, a member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, met with Tunisian President Kais Saied in Tunis. Li conveyed Xi Jinping's greetings and expressed China's willingness to work with Tunisia to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen political mutual trust, and promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Saied reiterated Tunisia's adherence to the One China principle and support for China's efforts to achieve national reunification. During the visit, Li also met with the Tunisian Prime Minister, the Speaker of the National Assembly, and the Chairman of the National Council of Regions and Districts.
Summary: German sinologist Helwig Schmidt-Glintzer (培高德) stated in an interview that under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, China has achieved a historic transformation, becoming the world's second-largest economy, and lifting over 700 million people out of poverty. He emphasized the importance of international cooperation to address global challenges and praised China's initiatives promoting peace and cooperation. Schmidt-Glintzer believes the concept of a "community of common destiny for mankind" aligns with the interests of all nations. Finally, he expressed optimism about the future of the Belt and Road Initiative and his work to promote German-Chinese cooperation in education. There was no discussion or allusion to the United States or U.S.-China relations within this article.
Summary: NPC Standing Committee Vice Chairman Xiao Jie visited Nepal from May 14-17, meeting with Prime Minister Oli, Speaker Ghimire, Chairman Dahal, and Deputy Speaker Rana. Xiao stated China is willing to work with Nepal to deepen political mutual trust and strengthen exchanges between legislative bodies. The Nepalese side reiterated its commitment to the One China principle and opposition to anti-China activities within its borders. Xiao also attended the "Mount Everest Dialogue," expressing China's willingness to address climate change through a shared future for mankind.
Summary: CCP delegation led by Deputy Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee Chen Zhou visited Slovakia from May 15th to 17th. Chen met with Direction-Social Democracy (Smer-SD) party chairman and Prime Minister Robert Fico, as well as leaders from Smer-SD and HLAS-SD, along with senior government and parliamentary officials. Chen promoted Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era during his visit. Both sides expressed their commitment to implementing the consensus reached by the leaders of both countries. They also committed to deepening party-to-party exchanges and cooperation in various fields.
Summary: A seminar on AI capacity building, co-hosted by the Foreign Ministry and Tsinghua University, was held in Beijing from May 12-17. Thirty-seven representatives from 34 countries and international organizations attended the seminar, which focused on the fair and inclusive global development of AI and promoting international cooperation in the field. The seminar was presented as implementing the Global AI Governance Initiative and the UN resolution on strengthening international cooperation in AI capacity building. Participants also visited relevant companies in Beijing.
Summary: China Telecom and Lao Telecommunications Co. (ETL) launched the Tiantong satellite-to-mobile service in Laos, marking its official implementation. The launch included the signing of a cooperation agreement between China Telecom Satellite and ETL to facilitate satellite communication technology applications within Laos. A "Tiantong Satellite Hundred Villages Connectivity" plan was initiated to improve emergency communication capabilities in remote Lao villages via satellite communication services. The Tiantong satellite system is described as China's independently constructed mobile communication system.
Summary: At the invitation of Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Mexican Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Marcela Guerra Castillo will lead a delegation to China from May 19th to 23rd. The article provides no further details about the visit's agenda or potential discussions. There is no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: During the "May Day" holiday, Nanjing held a trade fair to help local export-oriented firms expand into the domestic market, with the goal of accelerating the integration of domestic and foreign trade. Several e-commerce platforms like Suning.com and JD.com are providing online and offline support to these companies. Nanjing is also assisting companies in exploring new foreign markets, such as through a partnership with Made-in-China.com, which helped a car parts company enter the Guatemalan market. One company, Aidu Auto Technology, previously reliant on the North American market, has seen a 50% increase in foreign sales this year due to expanding into new markets.
Summary: The fourth China Spokesperson Forum, hosted by the State Council Information Office and Renmin University, convened in Beijing with over a hundred spokespersons and experts. Discussions centered on "improving the spokesperson system and enhancing the effectiveness of press releases," highlighting the role of press conferences in boosting confidence, addressing concerns, and promoting China's image following the 20th Party Congress. The forum emphasized the importance of aligning the spokesperson system with China's modernization goals, as identified as a key reform task by the 20th Third Plenary Session. Participants stressed the need to integrate political considerations, understand public sentiment, and improve media literacy in news dissemination. The forum also called for coordinated efforts to create a comprehensive and multi-layered communications strategy.
Summary: The article describes the scenic beauty of the Erhai ecological corridor in Panxi Village, Yinqiao Town, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, noting its attractiveness to tourists. The focus is on the visual appeal of the location. The article does not appear to mention any political figures or US-China relations.
Summary: The 2025 World Digital Education Conference concluded in Wuhan, with the release of China's first "Smart Education" White Paper. The white paper outlines the development, strategy, practices, and achievements of China's digital education and announces the launch of "National Education Digitalization Strategy Action 2.0." The white paper highlights the accumulation of resources on the National Smart Education Platform, including courses for primary, secondary, vocational, higher, and lifelong learning. The white paper declares 2025 as the first year of smart education.
Summary: This article discusses Zhejiang's "sweet potato economy" (地瓜经济), a model emphasizing both local roots and outward expansion. It highlights how Zhejiang encourages businesses to "go out" to access resources and markets, promoting high-level opening-up and upgrading open platforms like the Ningbo-Zhoushan port. The article emphasizes the importance of a supportive environment with effective governance, streamlined processes, and innovation-driven policies for businesses. It also stresses the need for companies to focus on core competencies, innovation, and branding to improve competitiveness. The goal is to enhance Zhejiang's global influence and competitiveness through increased resource allocation, innovation, and international trade.
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Summary: The article highlights efforts to protect and promote the cultural significance of the Great Wall of China. It focuses on three individuals: a volunteer ("Rocket Man") who educates children about the Great Wall, an oil painter (Tian Fengyin) who showcases the Great Wall in international exhibitions, including one at the Louvre, and a photographer (Li Shengcheng) who documents the Great Wall's changes over decades. These individuals aim to preserve and share the story of the Great Wall. It emphasizes the importance of local communities in protecting the Great Wall, as well as the cultural pride and economic benefits that come with it. The article makes no mention of the United States.
Summary: The article emphasizes the historical and cultural significance of the Great Wall, highlighting its embodiment of Chinese wisdom and national spirit. It details ongoing preservation efforts, shifting from restoration to preservation, and the integration of modern technologies like drones for monitoring. The piece stresses the importance of understanding and showcasing the Great Wall's value, promoting cultural confidence and international exchange through tourism and cultural events. It notes the need for more in-depth research to build a comprehensive value system for the Great Wall, facilitating its cultural dissemination and regional development. The author also mentions the Great Wall is a bridge between China and the rest of the world.
Summary: Zhang Yajie, a fourth-generation inheritor of Tianjin dough modeling, discusses the evolution of the art from children's toys to collectible handicrafts, focusing on the unique artistic characteristics of Tianjin dough modeling, particularly its depiction of ancient female figures. This style originated with Lei Lianji, a civil engineer, who sought to create figures for architectural models and eventually mastered the craft after learning from a street vendor. Subsequent generations refined the techniques and materials, achieving translucent colors and delicate details. Zhang now teaches the craft in schools, aiming to promote Tianjin dough modeling as a cultural symbol for external exchanges. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to provide an accurate and concise summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics.
Summary: This article highlights the trend of young, educated individuals returning to rural China to modernize agriculture and boost rural revitalization. It presents three examples: a young woman using technology to improve farming practices, a team of agriculture PhDs providing scientific expertise to vegetable farmers, and a college graduate developing agritourism. These individuals are implementing modern techniques, increasing farmer incomes, and attracting more young talent to rural areas. Local governments are also providing policy support and financial incentives to encourage this trend. The article emphasizes the potential of rural areas for young people and the importance of integrating modern knowledge with traditional agriculture.
Summary: The article highlights the increasing role of young people and technological innovation in modernizing China's agricultural sector, specifically citing examples in Hunan, Guizhou and Zhejiang. It emphasizes how these efforts are transforming traditional farming practices and creating new economic opportunities in rural areas through ecological tourism and other new models. The piece advocates for creating supportive environments to attract and retain young talent in rural areas, ensuring their professional development and social security. It frames this movement as both a response to national development goals and a pursuit of personal fulfillment for young people. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: According to Nanjing University of Finance and Economics President Cheng Yongbo, increasing numbers of young people are returning to rural areas due to policy support, resource advantages, and the potential of digital technologies and new economic models in agriculture. He suggests that the government should focus on improving training programs and policy support to help young people overcome challenges such as a lack of professional knowledge. He also mentions that building platforms that integrate resources such as government, businesses, and research institutes could promote cooperation and assist young entrepreneurs. Cheng suggests that there should be a focus on modernizing agriculture and developing rural e-commerce to help rural areas develop.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to be able to create the summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics.
Summary: The article discusses the rapid advancements in humanoid robot technology in China, highlighting improvements in areas like motion control, environmental perception, and human-machine interaction, largely due to advancements in AI and manufacturing. The piece emphasizes that these technological advancements have allowed for more complex movements and improved abilities to navigate real-world environments. It notes China's growing humanoid robot industry, which is benefiting from a large domestic market, diverse application scenarios, and government support. The article concludes by calling for understanding and acceptance as the technology continues to develop, recognizing that failures are part of the innovation process.
Summary: This article provides information about an unspecified topic. No names of Chinese officials are mentioned, nor are their activities or statements outlined. The article also contains no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations. Given the limited information, a more detailed summary is impossible. The page layout was designed by Zhang Fangman.
Summary: Wu Yueshi, director of the Chinese Academy of Arts Xieyi Painting Academy Art Committee, reflects on his 70-year artistic career at the opening of his exhibition "Zhi Dao Gong Xing – Wu Yueshi Eighty Years of Painting and Calligraphy" at the China Art Museum. He emphasizes the importance of humility and continuous learning, even in old age, drawing inspiration from the older generation of artists. Wu stresses that "xieyi" (写意) embodies Chinese understanding and expression of the world, and that artistic exploration requires both personal effort and the opportunities provided by the times. He concludes by expressing his dedication to lifelong learning and artistic practice.
Summary: In anticipation of the 2025 International Museum Day, the article discusses how art museums are responding to the digital revolution by integrating technologies like AI and big data into their operations and exhibitions. Zhejiang Art Museum, which co-authored the "Public Art Museum Digital Service Specifications," has been a leader in this effort, incorporating digital technology into exhibitions and creating a national digital platform for collections. The article emphasizes the importance of art museums in cultivating aesthetic awareness and promoting Chinese aesthetic values in the digital age. It argues that museums should focus on the value of "beauty" and aesthetic education to promote social development. The integration of aesthetics is considered a way to combat technological alienation and stimulate innovation.
Summary: A Chinese professor of Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts & Design discusses his work on innovative design and artistic practices related to ancient Chinese characters like oracle bone script (甲骨文) and bronze inscriptions (金文), displayed at the Musée Champollion in France. The exhibition, held in conjunction with the 2025 UN Chinese Language Day, showcases the historical depth and modern vitality of Chinese civilization through creative expressions of ancient characters, aiming to build a cultural bridge between China and the rest of the world. The professor emphasizes the importance of understanding the philosophical, aesthetic, and cultural context of Chinese characters for successful innovation, citing examples such as the "Double Happiness" design for weddings and the "Only I Know Satisfaction" (唯吾知足) auspicious pattern. He also notes the expanded cultural space of textual narrative design with the changes in media and the importance of combining ancient characters with contemporary aesthetics to transmit Chinese culture to young people.
Summary: The "Source and Purity" oil painting exhibition at the Kangde Art Museum showcases 139 works by 85 artists to explore the essence of realistic oil painting versus mere image replication in the age of AI. The exhibition emphasizes the artist's subjective observation, emotional selection, and creative re-shaping of the subject, drawing on the "Disegno" concept of imaginative reconstruction. It aims to rediscover the unique artistic language and aesthetic appeal of oil painting, tracing its development in China and highlighting the dedication of generations of artists to the "source" and "purity" of the art form. The show highlights how Chinese oil painting interprets realism by integrating elements of Chinese aesthetics and connecting with various modern art movements, demonstrating a Chinese perspective on contemporary oil painting. It champions the value of human creation in the face of machine-generated images, offering a space for visual and spiritual engagement.
Summary: This query is a request for summarization, but no article was provided. I cannot provide a summary without the article content. Please provide the article so I can fulfill your request.
Summary: This article discusses the history and unique characteristics of Chinese watermark woodcut bookplates, a fusion of European bookplate traditions and Chinese printing techniques. These bookplates, blending Western aesthetics with Chinese ink wash painting, serve as both a decoration for books and a personal connection between the owner and their collection. Recent exhibitions and workshops aim to promote the art form, highlighting its ability to reflect Chinese culture and the inner world of the book collector. The author suggests strengthening the research, creation, and exhibition of bookplates to further promote the spiritual pursuit of "reading, collecting, and loving books." The challenges and opportunities facing bookplates amid the rise of digital reading and AI painting are also mentioned.
Summary: The Chengdu Natural History Museum's design embodies a recent trend in museum architecture of responding to its context. The museum's exterior evokes the snow-capped mountains and boulders of western Sichuan. Design elements such as a "dinosaur box" suspended from the "boulder" represent the difficult Shu roads, while waterways and reflecting pools reflect Chengdu's history of water management. The design seeks to merge regional culture, urban vitality, and the museum's mission.
Summary: This article provides contact information for the *People's Daily* forum section, including the email address msfk@peopledaily.cn. It also credits Zhao Siru with the page layout design. There is no mention of statements or actions of Chinese officials, nor any discussion of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
By: 本报记者 赵 鹏 周亚军
Blue skies and white clouds, swaying coconut palms, beaches bathed in the setting sun... these are the unique hallmarks of Hainan. Today, Hainan has a "new calling card": commercial rockets frequently roar into the sky, tens of thousands of acres of fine seeds are used for breeding year-round, and scientific research fleets return fully loaded from the ocean...
Based on its unique resource endowments and basic conditions, Hainan has highlighted its own characteristics, supplemented and extended its industrial chains in recent years, cultivated a petrochemical new material industry with an output value of hundreds of billions of yuan, completed its first commercial aerospace launch, and achieved an annual output value of over 18 billion yuan in the seed industry, taking solid steps in upgrading its industries.
In December 2024, when General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) listened to the work reports of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and the Hainan Provincial Government, he pointed out: "Efforts should be made to build a modern industrial system with Hainan's characteristics and advantages. Promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, and promote the leading industries such as tourism, modern service industry, high-tech industry, and tropical characteristic high-efficiency agriculture to supplement and extend the industrial chain, optimize and upgrade."
Bearing in mind the entrustment and striving for progress, Hainan is guarding the foundation of the real economy, adhering to the simultaneous promotion of the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and the opening of new tracks for strategic emerging industries and future industries, with the goal of "facing seeds, facing the sky, facing the sea, facing green, and facing numbers," and making every effort to build a modern industrial system with Hainan's characteristics and advantages.
Following the path of green development, Hainan continues to supplement and extend its industrial chains, focusing on promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries.
Danzhou City (儋州市) is an industrial town in Hainan. Taking the Hainan Refining & Chemical million-ton ethylene project as its leader, Danzhou is simultaneously promoting green transformation and extending the industrial chain. Seizing the favorable opportunity of the national offshore wind power industry layout, Danzhou has established a wind power industrial park and is using wind power to inject green energy into the petrochemical industry. Yangpu Petrochemical New Material Industrial Park (洋浦石化新材料产业园) is rapidly gathering a group of downstream enterprises in petrochemical new materials and hydrogen energy manufacturing.
According to reports, compared with 2006, the output value of Yangpu Petrochemical New Material Industrial Park has increased fivefold, and the energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of added value has decreased by 30%. In the past three years, the excellent rate of ambient air quality in the park has remained above 99%.
Leveraging the policy advantages of the Free Trade Port, Hainan is accelerating the integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, allowing the innovation chain and industrial chain to seamlessly connect.
Haikou National High-tech Zone (海口国家高新区) gathers more than 90% of the province's pharmaceutical companies. Making good use of the "three synchronizations" (medical technology, equipment, and drugs synchronized with international advanced levels) policy of international pharmaceutical and medical device technology in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone (博鳌乐城国际医疗旅游先行区), accelerating the clinical application of innovative drugs and medical devices, and establishing innovative drug and medical device service stations to accelerate the effectiveness of approvals, Haikou National High-tech Zone is helping generic drugs transform into innovative drugs, and is blazing a new path of "Lecheng research and use + Haikou production." In 2024, Haikou National High-tech Zone added 45 foreign-funded enterprises, and the output value of biomedicine exceeded 21.5 billion yuan, laying a solid foundation for the "Haikou Pharmaceutical Valley" (海口药谷) to achieve an output value of 100 billion yuan in biomedicine.
"Previously, we were doing product exports, but now it is high-tech exports," said Li Zhen (李臻), general manager of Hainan Sinopharm Saiming Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (海南先声再明医药股份有限公司). "At the beginning of this year, our independently developed innovative drug was reverse-acquired by an international pharmaceutical company."
Focusing on the "three degrees" (temperature, dimension, and depth) characteristics, Hainan is accelerating the cultivation and development of new quality productive forces.
In Wenchang International Aerospace City (文昌国际航天城), the International Star-Rocket Collaborative R&D Center and the International Satellite Advanced Manufacturing Center are accelerating construction, and it is estimated that 1,000 satellites will be produced annually after they are put into operation. Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City (崖州湾科技城) has shifted from the construction stage to the functional release stage. The accumulated number of biosafety certificates for breeding obtained by enterprises in the park accounts for 20% of the national total, and the variety approvals are close to 1/4 of the national total. With the Yazhou Bay Biological Breeding Innovation Industry Alliance (崖州湾生物育种创新产业联盟) as the traction, innovative entities such as national laboratories, universities, and leading enterprises are working together in collaborative research, achievement transformation, and industrial innovation to form a joint force.
Feng Fei (冯飞), Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee, said that Hainan will give full play to the superimposed advantages of the opening-up policy, application scenarios, and unique location of the Hainan Free Trade Port, continuously deepen the collaborative innovation of "government, industry, academia, research, and application," promote resource integration, power integration, and functional aggregation, continuously improve the industrial chain and supply chain, and build a modern industrial system with Hainan's characteristics and advantages.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 17th. On May 17th, President Xi Jinping (习近平) sent a congratulatory letter to Iraqi President Rashid, the rotating chair of the Arab League Summit Council, congratulating him on the opening of the 34th Arab League Summit Council meeting in Baghdad.
Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that since its establishment 80 years ago, the Arab League has always been committed to promoting the unity and self-reliance of the Arab world, actively voicing the common voice of Arab countries, and promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Middle East. At present, the world is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century, and the situation in the Middle East is undergoing complex changes. Arab countries adhere to independence and self-determination, promote development and revitalization, and safeguard fairness and justice, playing a positive role in strengthening the momentum of the Global South.
Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that in recent years, relations between China and Arab countries have flourished, setting a model for unity and cooperation among developing countries. In December 2022, I and the leaders of Arab countries jointly attended the first China-Arab States Summit and unanimously agreed to fully build a China-Arab community with a shared future oriented towards the new era. In 2026, the second China-Arab States Summit will be held in China, and I believe this will become another important milestone in the history of China-Arab relations. China and Arab countries both insist on viewing each other's relations from a strategic and long-term perspective. Looking to the future, China will always be a trustworthy friend and partner of Arab countries, and will firmly stand on the side of the just cause of Arab countries. China is willing to work with Arab countries to deepen political mutual trust, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, and enhance cultural exchanges, and work together on the road to modernization, building a higher-level China-Arab community with a shared future.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 易舒冉
People with disabilities are a "particularly difficult group," and the cause of people with disabilities is a "springtime undertaking."
On May 16, the Seventh National Self-Improvement Model and Advanced Commendation Conference for Assisting the Disabled was held in Beijing (北京). General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) made important instructions, providing fundamental guidelines and pointing out the direction for promoting the comprehensive development of the cause of people with disabilities, which has aroused enthusiastic responses in the whole society. Everyone said that it is necessary to conscientiously implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important instructions, further improve the social security system and care service system for people with disabilities, effectively protect the equal rights and interests of people with disabilities, promote the comprehensive development of the cause of people with disabilities, and write a happy answer sheet for the "springtime undertaking" with heart and affection.
"People with disabilities are an important force in advancing Chinese-style modernization."
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "People with disabilities are an important force in advancing Chinese-style modernization, and they are also a particularly difficult group that needs special care and attention."
"On the road to study, I have received a lot of care and help from others. Although I cannot see, I am still brave enough to pursue my dreams. I will actively pursue my life dreams and make my own contributions to the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation." Huang Ying (黄莺), a national self-improvement model and doctoral student at the School of Safety Science and Emergency Management of Wuhan University of Technology (武汉理工大学), said. A high fever at the age of two caused Huang Ying (黄莺) to lose her sight, but she bravely faced the difficulties and challenges in life and became a role model for many young people.
Chen Minyi (陈敏仪), a national self-improvement model and athlete at the Guangdong Dongguan Disabled Persons Sports Training Center (广东省东莞市残疾人体育训练中心), became disabled due to illness. After becoming involved with wheelchair archery, she put in efforts that ordinary people could hardly imagine. "I will continue to work hard in training, pursue my dreams on the archery field, win glory for the country, and contribute my strength to the cause of sports for people with disabilities in China."
"General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) deep concern and earnest entrustment for people with disabilities have greatly encouraged us. I will do my best to contribute to the revitalization of the ancient Great Wall." Mei Jingtian (梅景田), a national self-improvement model and villager of Shixia Village (石峡村), Badaling Town (八达岭镇), Yanqing District (延庆区), Beijing (北京), is a hearing-impaired person. He has been voluntarily protecting the Great Wall since the 1980s. Cleaning up weeds, picking up garbage, and stopping uncivilized behavior are all part of his daily work. Under the leadership of Mei Jingtian (梅景田), more than 80 villagers have joined the volunteer team to jointly protect the Great Wall.
"Effectively protect the equal rights and interests of people with disabilities and promote the comprehensive development of the cause of people with disabilities."
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "On the new journey, we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, further improve the social security system and care service system for people with disabilities, effectively protect the equal rights and interests of people with disabilities, and promote the comprehensive development of the cause of people with disabilities."
"The General Secretary's important instructions have given us a deeper understanding of promoting the comprehensive development of the cause of people with disabilities. The key to doing a good job in the work of people with disabilities is to change our mindset, shift from 'passive assistance' to 'active empowerment,' and try every means to help people with disabilities enhance their self-confidence and self-esteem, so that every person with a disability can equally integrate into society and realize their life value." Yin Hua (银花), Chairman of the Alxa League Disabled Persons Federation (阿拉善盟残联) in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (内蒙古自治区), said.
In the severely disabled person care center in Zhumadian City (驻马店市), Henan Province (河南省), the life, care, and rehabilitation problems faced by severely disabled people are solved in a "one-stop" manner, realizing "caring for one person and warming one household." "We will conscientiously implement the spirit of the General Secretary's important instructions, always focus on improving the quality of life of people with disabilities, promote their comprehensive development, help them better integrate into society to carry out work, and strive to provide more high-quality services for people with disabilities," said Xu Da (徐达), Deputy Director of the Zhumadian City Disabled Persons Federation (驻马店市残联).
"Next, we will continue to expand job opportunities suitable for people with disabilities, help more people with disabilities achieve employment and increase income, and be trustworthy and reliable confidants and close friends of people with disabilities," said Huang Wei (黄伟), Chairman of the Xixiangtang District Disabled Persons Federation (西乡塘区残联) in Nanning City (南宁市), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区).
"Actively create a good atmosphere and environment in the whole society for understanding, respecting, caring for, and helping people with disabilities."
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Party committees and governments at all levels must attach great importance to the work of people with disabilities, continuously improve the quality of public services for people with disabilities, and actively create a good atmosphere and environment in the whole society for understanding, respecting, caring for, and helping people with disabilities."
Self-taught sign language to serve the hearing-impaired, leading the creation of a "silent police station," mediating disputes involving the hearing-impaired... He Qiao (何巧), a national advanced individual in the work of people with disabilities and instructor of the Hongyan Police Station (红岩派出所) of the Shapingba District Branch (沙坪坝区分局) of the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau (重庆市公安局), insists on doing practical things, solving difficulties, and doing good deeds for people with disabilities. "We must consciously implement the spirit of the General Secretary's important instructions into our actions, base ourselves on our own work, and help friends with disabilities share the fruits of social development," said He Qiao (何巧).
Xu Peng (徐鹏), a national advanced individual in the work of people with disabilities and professor at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (电子科技大学), felt a sense of mission after attending the commendation conference. "I want to further apply the brain-computer interface and artificial intelligence technologies involved in my daily research to better solve the practical problems faced by people with disabilities, so that more friends with disabilities can enjoy the convenience brought by technology."
"Bank of Communications (交通银行) has supported the cause of people with disabilities for many years. In this process, my colleagues and I have been deeply moved by the spirit of people with disabilities who are physically disabled but determined and self-improving. We will further innovate the 'finance + public welfare' model to help people with disabilities, and help more people with disabilities share the fruits of economic and social development," said Mei Ying (梅颖), representative of the National Advanced Collective in the Work of People with Disabilities and staff member of the Corporate Culture Division of the Party Committee Propaganda Department of Bank of Communications (交通银行党委宣传部企业文化处).
"Next, I will continue to deeply cultivate special education, so that more special children can receive dignified and quality education, and help each special child bloom with the brilliance of life," said He Zhifang (何智芳), a national advanced individual in the work of people with disabilities and vice principal of the Foshan Rehabilitation Experimental School (佛山市康复实验学校) in Guangdong Province (广东省).
Return to TopThe Xinhua News Agency, Shijiazhuang (石家庄), May 17th. Cai Qi (蔡奇), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, inspected and guided the in-depth implementation of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation through study and education in Tangshan (唐山), Hebei (河北) Province, from May 16th to 17th. He emphasized the need to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on strengthening the Party's work style, adhere to problem-oriented approaches and strict standards, promote learning, investigation, and rectification in an integrated manner, strengthen classified guidance in light of the actual conditions of different levels, regions, fields, and industries, and promote the deepening and solid implementation of study and education.
Cai Qi visited Chenjiapu Town (陈家铺镇) and Houjiaqiao Village (侯家桥村) in Yutian County (玉田县), Zhongshan Road Street (中山路街道) in Caofeidian District (曹妃甸区), and Shanxibeili Community (山西北里社区) in Lubei District (路北区) to visit grassroots cadres and the masses and learn about the situation of convenient services. He pointed out that the study and education should be more practical as it goes to the grassroots level. Grassroots Party members and cadres should combine the promotion of comprehensive rural revitalization and the strengthening of grassroots governance with forging a strong work style, strengthening their sense of responsibility, and focusing on correcting the problems of hidden and variant forms of the "Four Winds." It is necessary to continue to rectify formalism to reduce the burden on the grassroots and allow grassroots cadres to free up more energy to do practical things for the masses. At Shougang Jingtang United Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. (首钢京唐钢铁联合有限责任公司), he pointed out that enterprise study and education should be closely integrated with production and operation, grasping both and promoting both. At the Tangshan Municipal Party Committee (唐山市委) and Yutian County Party Committee (玉田县委) Social Work Department, he called for taking the study and education as an opportunity to grasp Party building in emerging fields, strengthen Party building to lead grassroots governance, and do a good job in uniting and serving the masses. At the Tangshan Municipal Party Committee, Caofeidian District Committee, and Yutian County Committee organs, Cai Qi visited the special working class for study and education, emphasizing the need to adhere to adapting to local conditions, strengthening grassroots guidance, grasping learning transformation in a targeted manner, and organizing investigations of problems and centralized rectification.
Cai Qi pointed out during the symposium that carrying out study and education is a key task of Party building this year. It is necessary to run the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on strengthening the Party's work style and the Central Eight-Point Regulation (中央八项规定) and its implementation rules throughout the entire process, to implement the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation 锲而不舍 (qiè ér bù shě - "carve without stopping," to persevere; to keep carving even if the material is hard), to carry it through from the province, city, county, and village, and to promote the correction of the "Four Winds" and the establishment of new trends to extend to the grassroots. The investigation of problems should be specific and in-depth, paying attention to soliciting opinions from the masses, and the higher-level Party organizations and working class should strengthen the review and control. Members of leading bodies at all levels should take the initiative to recognize problems and formulate precise rectification measures. Centralized rectification should be real and tough, adhering to solving whatever problems there are, focusing on rectifying whatever problems are prominent, and grasping the implementation of each item. Resolutely rectify the "eating and drinking style," infringement of the interests of the masses, lack of responsibility, and inaction, and severely deal with and hold accountable those who violate discipline against the wind. It is necessary to grasp typical reports and strengthen warning education. The guidance group should adhere to high standards and strict requirements, closely rely on the local and unit Party committees (Party groups) to carry out work, answer the same questions and exert efforts in the same direction, and promote the implementation of rectification and remediation. Party committees (Party groups) at all levels should consolidate leadership responsibilities, focus on grasping the study and education of leading cadres, newly promoted cadres, young cadres, and cadres in key positions, and resolutely guard against formalism and “一阵风” (yī zhèn fēng - "a gust of wind," a brief, intense effort that quickly fades). Special working classes for study and education at all levels should strengthen coordination and supervision. It is necessary to promote the normalization and long-term mechanism of work style construction and ensure high-quality development with a good work style.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者
Located in the southeast, Zhejiang's advantage lies in its open and inclusive environment.
The tendrils of the sweet potato extend in all directions to absorb more sunlight, rain, and nutrients, but its tubers are always at the base. The extension and expansion of the tendrils ultimately ensure that the tubers grow stronger and larger...
During his time working in Zhejiang, Comrade Xi Jinping scientifically expounded the theory of the "sweet potato economy," profoundly pointing out that "we must jump out of Zhejiang to develop Zhejiang, and while vigorously introducing various factors, we must also reach out to other provinces and countries, using external resources and external markets to achieve greater development."
The more open, the more development; the more development, the more open. The "sweet potato economy" theory reveals the dialectical relationship between "rooting in one place" and "open development."
"Relying on the advantages of my country's super-large-scale market, attracting global resource elements with the domestic cycle, enhancing the linkage effect of the domestic and international markets and the two types of resources, and improving the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党).
Consistent and advancing with the times.
Jumping out of Zhejiang to develop Zhejiang, guided by the "sweet potato economy" theory, the Zhejiang economy has risen from the ground and grown vigorously in openness, forming a "sweet potato economy" model that is more resilient, more dynamic, and more competitive.
In the season when vegetation flourishes, reporters stepped onto the land of Zhejiang (浙江), feeling the new atmosphere of the "sweet potato economy" being upgraded.
Looking at the tendrils—
Achieving greater development in a larger space
For sweet potatoes to grow well, the tendrils must extend further. Today, open development has become Zhejiang's conscious action.
"On the first day of the event, we received an order for $40,000," said Cha Jiaqi (查嘉琪), general manager of Pinhu Dake Children's Vehicle Co., Ltd. (平湖市大可童车股份有限公司), who followed Zhejiang's first batch of "thousands of groups and ten thousand enterprises to expand the market and increase orders" action abroad. This year, more than 1,000 groups and 10,000 enterprises will be organized to "go global."
"Going global" is already a compulsory question for Zhejiang's development today, but it was once a multiple-choice question that plagued Zhejiang.
At the beginning of the new century, China officially joined the World Trade Organization, and Zhejiang, which connects to all rivers and seas, ushered in a huge era of opportunity. Many private enterprises hoped to "go global" to achieve better development. However, there were different views on whether Zhejiang merchants should go global, and many people worried that a large number of Zhejiang merchants developing abroad would cause the Zhejiang economy to become "hollowed out."
"We must correctly understand, actively promote, and be optimistic about this." Xi Jinping (习近平), then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, had a clear attitude: Our enterprises go out, actively connect with Shanghai (上海), actively participate in the western development and the transformation of old industrial bases in Northeast China and other regions, and actively participate in the competition in the international market. Building our grain bases, energy and raw material bases, and production and processing bases outside the province and abroad is not a capital outflow or a relocation of enterprises. This is the need to allocate resources in a larger scope and achieve greater development in a larger space. It is the need to "jump out of Zhejiang to develop Zhejiang and base ourselves on the whole country to develop Zhejiang."
"The metaphor of the 'sweet potato economy' naturally unified the ideas of all parties, and everyone had a more intuitive and profound understanding of the development of the Zhejiang economy." Xu Guanju (徐冠巨), chairman of Transfar Group Co., Ltd. (传化集团有限公司), recalled that Comrade Xi Jinping's words made the vast number of Zhejiang merchants feel more confident and more willing to make more contributions to the development of the Zhejiang economy from the bottom of their hearts.
Today, more than 6 million Zhejiang merchants are located in China, and more than 2 million Zhejiang merchants are heading to the world, like sweet potato tendrils spreading all over the world, absorbing more sunlight, rain, and nutrients.
Following the road guided by the "Double Eight Strategy," Zhejiang insists on high-level "going global" to make a name for itself and high-quality "bringing in" to strengthen Zhejiang, and continues to promote the upgrading of open platforms.
Unblocking the main artery makes the tendrils more stretched.
At Chuanshan Port Area (穿山港区) of Ningbo Zhoushan Port (宁波舟山港), the "Jia Hua Ningbo" cargo ship is quietly berthed, and 325 containers of lithium batteries are being hoisted in an orderly manner, ready to be shipped to Europe.
At the same time, in Zhenhai Port Area (镇海港区) of Ningbo Zhoushan Port (宁波舟山港), a 10,000-ton bulk carrier has slowly berthed, and important raw materials needed to manufacture lithium batteries are entering China through Ningbo Zhoushan Port (宁波舟山港).
The "new three" are sold all over the world, and high-quality resources are gathered in China. Such wonderful stories of "buying globally and selling globally" are vividly staged on the land of Zhejiang every day, becoming a vivid portrayal of the "sweet potato economy."
"The port is a key hub for resource integration and opening up." The staff of Ningbo Zhoushan Port (宁波舟山港) have a clear understanding of the significance of the port in building a new development pattern.
Transportation plays an active role in the process of high-level opening up. Ningbo Zhoushan Port's cargo throughput has remained the world's first for 16 consecutive years, the China-Europe train has operated more than 10,000 trains, and the cargo and mail throughput of Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport (杭州萧山机场) ranks among the top in the country... Today, a series of open hub bloodlines are unblocked, making the "sweet potato economy" full of vitality.
On March 17, the Zhejiang Free Trade Zone Data Cross-border Service Center (浙江自贸试验区数据跨境服务中心) was officially launched; on March 26, the "Yiwu-Ningbo Zhoushan Port-Wilhelmshaven" direct European fast logistics channel was successfully opened... Since the beginning of this year, Zhejiang has frequently taken actions to open up and develop, and has made every effort to promote the upgrading of the "sweet potato economy." Zhejiang takes Ningbo Zhoushan Port (宁波舟山港) as the leader, implements measures such as vigorously promoting the construction of a world-class strong port, accelerating the construction of a China-Europe train assembly center, and steadily promoting the construction of a strong civil aviation province, so as to better enhance the global radiation role of the open hub.
Creating new advantages makes the tendrils stronger.
Starting from the center of Zhoushan City (舟山市) and heading northwest, a series of storage tanks and winding pipelines gradually come into view. Here is located China's first and the world's second "island-type" petrochemical base - Zhoushan Green Petrochemical Base (舟山绿色石化基地).
Zhoushan (舟山), which does not produce a drop of oil, has gathered more than 10,000 oil and gas companies and built a trillion-level oil and gas industry chain. Bringing about this change is the establishment of the Zhoushan Area (舟山片区) of the China (Zhejiang) Free Trade Pilot Zone (中国（浙江）自贸试验区).
Since its establishment in 2017, the Zhejiang Free Trade Pilot Zone (浙江自贸试验区) has insisted on taking a differentiated and characteristic path. At present, the Zhoushan Area (舟山片区) has formed 330 characteristic institutional innovation achievements and practical cases, 146 national firsts, and 32 national replications and promotions, and has initially built a closed-loop reform and innovation system for the entire oil and gas industry chain.
Taking the road of reform, eating the food of opening up, and playing the innovation card... Zhejiang (浙江), which has a small land area and relatively scarce natural resources, regards institutional supply as its greatest development advantage. The Free Trade Pilot Zone (自贸试验区) has taken the lead in realizing the empowerment and expansion of the area in the country, and has been approved as the first national bulk commodity resource allocation hub. Up to now, it has accumulated more than 200 national first achievements, and 3 national-level economic development zones have entered the top 10 in the country.
Deepening a new round of Yiwu International Trade Comprehensive Reform (义乌国际贸易综合改革), promoting free trade zones, development zones, comprehensive bonded zones, etc. to strive for advancement, and building a high-standard bulk commodity resource allocation hub... Zhejiang (浙江) is taking firm steps in better connecting with international high-standard economic and trade rules and gathering global high-end resource elements.
Seizing new opportunities makes the tendrils more resilient.
Hangzhou's (杭州) white shoe cleaner, Jiaxing's (嘉兴) bags, Ningbo's (宁波) home appliances, Wenzhou's (温州) clothing... In Yaowang Technology's (遥望科技) live broadcast room, live streamers are working hard to promote characteristic products from all over Zhejiang (浙江).
With the help of low-cost office space, special entrepreneurship funds, e-commerce support policies, and industrial chain resource integration support provided by Yuhang District (余杭区) of Hangzhou City (杭州市), Yaowang Technology (遥望科技) has continued to deeply cultivate the digital economy and has grown into a leading enterprise in the live broadcast e-commerce industry in Zhejiang (浙江), building a "star + celebrity" composite anchor matrix. "With the help of digital empowerment, we can innovate more consumption scenarios and sell Zhejiang manufacturing to more distant places," said Wang Wenhui (汪文辉), co-president of Yaowang Technology (遥望科技).
If goods are sold well, they must be delivered quickly. Cainiao Group (菜鸟集团), an e-commerce logistics enterprise native to Zhejiang (浙江), has taken advantage of the "Yushang Going Global" action. Today, its global supply chain has operated more than 40 overseas warehouses in 18 countries and regions in Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific, providing domestic and foreign brands and merchants with full-channel, end-to-end supply chain management solutions and warehousing and distribution operation services, helping brands in multiple industry fields such as auto parts, home appliances, and furniture to accelerate their overseas expansion.
Seizing new opportunities for the development of the digital economy, in recent years, Zhejiang (浙江) has adhered to "live broadcast + platform + cross-border e-commerce" to promote the high-quality development of cross-border e-commerce, accelerate the construction of new digital trade market platforms, gather new cross-border e-commerce digital trade entities, cultivate new digital trade formats, optimize the layout of collection warehouses, overseas warehouses, and other warehousing and logistics, and unblock the "buy globally, sell globally" cross-border trade channel.
Rooting in one place, focusing on the whole country, and heading to the world, facing the new situation and new requirements of open development, Zhejiang (浙江) is anchoring "enhancing resource allocation capacity, global radiation capacity, institutional innovation capacity, and international competitiveness," promoting high-level opening up to the outside world, striving to achieve "the best service, the lowest cost, and the highest efficiency," and effectively enhancing "the right to speak, the right to price, and the right to rules," and building a high-energy-level open and strong province.
Looking at the soil—
Promoting a better combination of an effective market and a capable government
"Only when the soil is good can the sweet potatoes grow well." When talking about the "sweet potato economy," the soil environment makes the people of Zhejiang (浙江) proud.
In terms of natural endowment, Zhejiang (浙江) cannot be considered superior, but in terms of the business environment, whether it is a multinational company or a small and micro merchant, a sentence that is often on their lips is, "This is a good place to do business."
How has Zhejiang (浙江) become the fertile ground for the growth of "sweet potatoes"?
From a small province in terms of resources to a large province in terms of economy, Zhejiang (浙江) has always promoted a better combination of an effective market and a capable government, continuously releasing market vitality, and allowing enterprises to "want to invest," "be willing to invest," and "dare to invest."
Good soil must first have temperature.
What kind of soil has temperature? Interviewed entrepreneurs give a standard - responsive to requests, undisturbed when there is nothing to do.
"The help of the Shangyu District Enterprise Service Center (上虞区企业服务中心) has allowed us to successfully enter the European market." At the beginning of February this year, a camera lens fill light device developed by Shaoxing Shangyu Green Digital Photography Equipment Co., Ltd. (绍兴上虞格林尔数码摄影器材有限公司) planned to be exported to Europe, but its own laboratory lacked professional testing equipment.
"If the certification cannot be completed on time, not only will the first batch of orders worth more than 1 million yuan be lost, but subsequent orders will also be seriously affected." Yan Wendong (严文栋), the person in charge of the enterprise, was at a loss.
After learning the news, the Shangyu District Enterprise Service Center (上虞区企业服务中心) immediately formed a cross-field special service team jointly participated by four departments including commerce, market supervision, science and technology, and economy and information, and customized an emergency solution for the enterprise, so that the product successfully passed the certification. Today, the first batch of orders has been delivered to European consumers.
"After finishing one thing, we will also ask you if you have anything else to do" "All kinds of subsidies and bonuses will be fully credited to the account at one time within a week after filling in the materials"... This spring, Zhejiang's (浙江) business environment has become "hot" again, and many entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs like Yan Wendong (严文栋) are talking about their personal experiences online.
"We insist on combining an effective market and a capable government. The government services are 'available when called, and available whenever called,' and the policy implementation is 'do what we say, and enjoy it directly and quickly.' We spare no effort to support the development of new industries, new models, and new formats, and strive to achieve 'responsive to requests, undisturbed when there is nothing to do,'" said a relevant person in charge of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee (浙江省委).
Good soil needs temperature, but also speed.
"As soon as the land auction hammer fell, the government's enterprise assistance commissioner contacted us to help us handle the various matters for the commencement of construction approval." At the construction site of Zhejiang Wanpin Electric Co., Ltd.'s (浙江万品电气有限公司) annual output of 1 million sets of Christmas lights project in Luqiao District (路桥区) of Taizhou City (台州市), Wang Ziqi (王子奇), the person in charge of the company, was full of surprises in his words amidst the roar of pile drivers.
As a seasonal product, festival lights, speed is the key to "going global." "From bidding for land to starting construction, we planned to spend 3 months, but now it only took 24 days. The government helped us 'grab' the time," Wang Ziqi (王子奇) counted on his fingers.
Approval closely follows the project's "run." Luqiao District (路桥区) focuses on the needs of accelerating the preliminary approval of projects and promotes 19 items from solving a problem to solving a class of problems and optimizing a class of services. "By exploring the implementation of 'delivery of land is delivery of certificate,' we can realize the simultaneous handling of land delivery and real estate registration, and promote the phased handling of construction permits, helping enterprises to advance the start of construction by at least 1-2 months," introduced Zhong Wei (钟巍), director of the Luqiao District Administrative Service Center (路桥区行政服务中心).
Not only in Luqiao (路桥), but all over Zhejiang (浙江) are focusing on promoting the value-added reform of government services to create a more superior business environment.
Yuhang District (余杭区) of Hangzhou City (杭州市) took the lead in creating a comprehensive service center and platform for enterprises (talents) as early as August 2023. Today, the platform has been upgraded to version 2.0, and the service functions continue to expand. For local enterprises, there is no need to declare, submit materials, or run errands to handle affairs. They only need to confirm that the information is correct with one click to realize the "proactive" delivery of preferential policies and the "unfelt" payment of funds.
"When brain-computer interface technology was still little known, the investment promotion personnel in Yuhang (余杭) flew more than 10,000 kilometers to find us in Boston, USA," said Han Biceng (韩璧丞), founder and CEO of Zhejiang Qiangnao Technology Co., Ltd. (浙江强脑科技有限公司).
Impressed by Yuhang's (余杭) keen insight into cutting-edge technology and the sincerity of traveling across the ocean, Han Biceng (韩璧丞) made up his mind to move the company's headquarters over.
Qiangnao Technology (强脑科技) has formed a cross-disciplinary research and development team covering brain science, artificial intelligence, medical devices, and other fields, and has more than 230 core invention patents in the field of brain-computer interface. The industrialization process is at the forefront of the world.
To make the "sweet potatoes" deeply rooted and leafy, the soil also needs depth.
In Yiwu (义乌), the export business of small commodities is very active, with a single-day customs declaration volume of more than 3,000 tickets, and most of them are declared in the form of market procurement trade. At the same time, the paperless customs declaration promoted by the customs has brought great convenience to foreign trade enterprises: after the implementation of the paperless reform of customs clearance, automation is realized in the examination and release links, and goods can be released 24 hours a day, which greatly improves the customs clearance efficiency of small commodity exports.
"The market procurement trade method solves the export trade problems of 'small orders, mixed goods, and many varieties' and no value-added tax invoices, reduces the threshold for foreign trade, and gives us more confidence to promote Yiwu small commodities to the world," said Cheng Li (程丽), the person in charge of Yiwu Dongcheng Customs Declaration Agency Co., Ltd. (义乌市东诚报关代理有限公司).
Yiwu (义乌), which has developed by eating the food of reform, pays attention to using the ideas and methods of reform to solve the troubles of growth, and constantly promotes reform to depth. After the market procurement trade method was implemented, Yiwu Customs (义乌海关) successively introduced a series of customs clearance facilitation measures, including 24-hour online customs declaration, simplified declaration, and intelligent card pass release, which greatly simplified the customs clearance process for small commodity exports.
Let the data run more and the enterprises run less. At present, most of Yiwu's (义乌) customs declaration documents have realized automatic computer review, realizing the transformation from on-site "face-to-face" customs clearance to online "point-to-point" customs clearance. The fastest customs clearance for low-risk goods only takes 1 second.
In 2024, Yiwu City (义乌市) exported 471.76 billion yuan through the market procurement trade method, an increase of 21.5% year-on-year, accounting for 80.1% of Yiwu City's (义乌市) total exports, and the contribution rate to Yiwu City's (义乌市) exports was 94.3%.
There is no end to comprehensively deepening reform. The market procurement trade method, as the result of the previous round of Yiwu's (义乌) international trade reform, has been promoted to 39 market pilots. In December last year, the new round of Yiwu's (义乌) international trade reform approved by the State Council (国务院) has the keyword "deepening." Facing the future, Yiwu (义乌) is making every effort to accelerate the solution to the problem of "buying globally" and iterating and deepening "selling globally" to realize the two-way butterfly transformation of "buying globally and selling globally."
"I am responsible for the sunshine and rain, and you are responsible for growing vigorously." Today, this has become the conscious action of party committees and governments at all levels in Zhejiang (浙江). As of the end of 2024, the total number of registered private enterprises in Zhejiang Province (浙江省) reached 3,505,300, accounting for 92.06% of the total number of enterprise entities.
The more standardized the government's actions, the more effective the market's role. The coordinated efforts of the "visible hand" and the "invisible hand" allow the fertile soil to continuously nourish the "sweet potato," making its roots strong and its vines lush.
Looking at the tuber—
Continuously improving the quality, efficiency, and core competitiveness of enterprises.
The private economy is Zhejiang's "golden business card" for high-quality development.
"Developing the 'sweet potato economy' and strengthening ourselves by growing the tuber is a fundamental strategy." Along the way, Zhejiang's private entrepreneurs have deeply understood that only when the roots are firmly and deeply planted can they thrive and branch out.
"Enterprises are the main players in business, and the internal driving force for enterprise development is paramount." In February of this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized at a symposium for private enterprises, "We must unswervingly follow the path of high-quality development, adhere to our main business, strengthen the real economy, strengthen independent innovation, transform the mode of development, and continuously improve the quality, efficiency, and core competitiveness of enterprises."
Lush foliage depends on developed roots. Only by practicing internal skills can we better go global.
As Zhejiang's greatest characteristic, greatest resource, and greatest advantage, private enterprises have been working hard in recent years to plant their roots deeper, accumulating a stronger foundation for lush foliage, blossoming, and bearing fruit.
A coin, engraving the power of focus.
Under the golden sunshine, photovoltaic panels are neatly arranged and shining brightly... This is the pattern on the commemorative coin issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Finance, which is engraved with the Aswan Benban Solar Park project, undertaken by the Zhejiang private enterprise Chint Group (正泰集团).
Thanks to Chint's world-leading photovoltaic power generation technology, the photovoltaic project was quickly implemented and generated benefits, which was highly affirmed by the Egyptian government. Moreover, Chint also unreservedly taught the technology of photovoltaic construction, maintenance, and repair to local Egyptian employees.
From a family workshop with 8 employees to a smart energy system solutions provider with more than 50,000 employees worldwide, today, Chint Group (正泰集团) has more than 30 manufacturing bases, more than 20 international logistics centers, and more than 2,300 global distributors.
Behind the lush foliage is the focus on the real economy, adherence to the main business, and innovation-driven development. "Chint has always focused on the main business of 'electricity,' first, not being greedy, second, not being lazy, doing our best, acting according to our ability, and doing our own job in a down-to-earth manner," said Nan Cunhui (南存辉), founder of Chint Group (正泰集团).
Focus is an important secret to the growth of the "sweet potato." Only by adhering to the main business and strengthening the real economy can the "sweet potato" be deeply rooted and thrive.
Highly focused on business, with the proportion of revenue from the primary business basically maintained above 90% in the past 5 years... The "2024 Zhejiang Province Large-Scale Private Enterprise Development Report" released by the Zhejiang Federation of Industry and Commerce believes that Zhejiang's large-scale private enterprises have four major development characteristics, the first of which is "adhering to the main responsibility and main business, and continuously promoting the steady development of enterprises."
A spoonful of salt, witnessing the persistence of innovation.
In the exhibition hall on the first floor of the Transfar Building (传化大厦), the dazzling array of chemical products is overwhelming, but the most eye-catching is "a spoonful of salt."
In 1987, Transfar (传化) initially focused on liquid soap, which was in great demand in the market. The washing effect was good, but the viscosity was not enough. Although the product was not difficult to sell, Xu Chuanhua (徐传化), the founder of the company, insisted on overcoming the technical difficulties.
Transfar (传化) invited a "Sunday engineer" who asked for 4,000 yuan. After bargaining, the deal was made for 2,000 yuan. This amount was equivalent to all of Transfar's (传化) start-up capital, and the technology purchased was only a spoonful of salt.
Having suffered from a lack of technology, Transfar (传化) people are determined to take the road of scientific and technological innovation.
Through product innovation, Transfar Group's (传化集团) textile chemicals business has accelerated its move towards becoming the world's number one; through technological innovation, Transfar Group (传化集团) has broken the long-term monopoly of Dutch, Japanese, and other companies, and supplied rare earth rubber to the world's top ten tire companies... In the past three years, Transfar Group (传化集团) has maintained an annual compound growth rate of 50% in technology investment and 30% in innovation investment.
Only by standing at the forefront of technology can we better "go global." In 2024, the total R&D investment of the top 200 private enterprises in Zhejiang was 265.953 billion yuan, with an average of 1.33 billion yuan per enterprise. Currently, Zhejiang is implementing a three-year action plan to strengthen the main position of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, striving to increase the R&D intensity of industrial enterprises above designated size to more than 3.4% and cultivate more than 8 enterprises to enter the world's top 500 in enterprise R&D investment.
A brand, marking the height of quality.
Unbranded razors have a wholesale price of more than 20 yuan abroad, while branded ones can be sold for more than 60 yuan - in the eyes of Yiwu (义乌) merchants, it is more cost-effective to do business with brands.
Yiwu (义乌) small commodities radiate to more than 230 countries and regions around the world, but most of them are OEM products, and it is difficult to sustain solely relying on quantity and price. Merchants are eager to build brands directly to consumers.
Going overseas together to create brands. Starting this year, the "Yiwu Good Goods" (义乌好货) brand overseas collection store, which gathers more than 5,000 kinds of goods from more than 190 brands selected from the Yiwu International Trade City (义乌国际商贸城), is exported overseas in the form of a whole store model.
In January, the world's first "Yiwu Good Goods" (义乌好货) store opened in Yiwu (义乌) local, and signed orders worth 120 million yuan on the first day; 8 days later, the world's second store was located in Kenya, East Africa; in February, the first European store was located in Venice, Italy... "At present, the collection store has received a total of 439 intended customers from global consultations, and the number of cooperative countries has reached 11 countries. Within 3 months, it has helped more than 190 brands increase their performance by more than 100 million yuan," He Lihong (何犁红), the young president of the Yiwu Brand Development Promotion Association (义乌市品牌发展促进会), told reporters.
In Zhejiang, the power of brands and the advantages of quality are recognized by more and more enterprises. A brand matrix mainly composed of "Pin Zi Mark Zhejiang Manufacturing" ("品字标浙江制造"), "Zhejiang Export Famous Brand" ("浙江出口名牌"), "Pin Zi Mark Zhejiang Agricultural Products" ("品字标浙江农产"), "Time-Honored Brand" ("老字号") trademarks, and Zhejiang cultural tourism has initially achieved results, helping Zhejiang enterprises enhance product competitiveness and better explore domestic and international markets.
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Hollowing out wood to make boats and cutting through the waves, the earliest dugout canoe in China unearthed at the Xiaoshan Kuahuqiao Site (萧山跨湖桥遗址) tells the story of ancestors 8,000 years ago with their hearts set on the distance, exploring rivers and seas.
"A small boat can also cross the ocean," openness is deeply rooted in the genes of Zhejiang people.
"Continuing to write new chapters in deepening reform and expanding opening up," remembering General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) earnest entrustment during his inspection in Zhejiang, Zhejiang has deeply practiced the "sweet potato economy" theory, continuously expanding new momentum for opening up to the outside world and expanding new advantages in the development of an open economy. The "sweet potato economy" in the land of Zhejiang has lush vines, strong roots, and abundant fruits.
(Reporters Yu Jianbin (余建斌), Wu Qiuyu (吴秋余), Liu Junguo (刘军国), and Qi Zhiming (齐志明) of this newspaper)
Return to TopOn May 17, the Wumeng Mountain Bridge (乌蒙山大桥), a key control project of the Guizhou Na (Yong) Qing (Long) Expressway, underwent a static load test to verify the structural stress performance and actual bearing capacity of the bridge, providing a scientific basis for the completion acceptance of the bridge. The main span of the Wumeng Mountain Bridge (乌蒙山大桥) is 270 meters, and the design speed is 100 kilometers per hour. After opening, it will further improve the road network structure, facilitate public travel, and help the local economy and society achieve high-quality development.
Xinhua News Agency reporter Tao Liang (陶亮) photo
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王 政 邱超奕
During the Paris Olympics, the "Champion Dragon Suit" developed by Anta (安踏) frequently appeared on the podium. Also helping Chinese athletes win medals are Anta's (安踏) "Zhen Yue (振岳)" weightlifting shoes, "Ben Lei (奔雷)" boxing shoes, and "Fei Yang (飞扬)" taekwondo shoes, a series of sports equipment that combines technology and aesthetics.
During the National People's Congress (全国两会) in 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized while participating in the deliberation of the Fujian (福建) delegation: "Doing business is not just about making money. It is our duty to focus on real industries with a dedicated and undistracted mind."
Anta (安踏) started as a family workshop-style factory in Jinjiang City (晋江市), Quanzhou (泉州), Fujian (福建), and has always adhered to its main business, gradually growing into China's (中国) leading and one of the world's top international sporting goods groups.
Seeking Innovation, Turning Shoes and Apparel into High-Tech Products
Two pairs of sports shoes spanning more than 30 years witness Anta's (安踏) innovative pace of "Keep Moving."
In the 982 Creative Space located at Anta's (安踏) headquarters in Jinjiang City (晋江市), a pair of white sports shoes with a simple design and red and blue stripes in a glass display case attracts attention.
"This is the eighty-second product launched by Anta (安踏) after its establishment in 1991, shoe number 982. Anta (安踏) pioneered the use of professional computer design posters, which were rare at the time, and this shoe became Anta's (安踏) first popular product," said Li Ling (李玲), Vice President of Anta Group (安踏集团). Naming this place 982 Creative Space is to not forget the original intention and dare to innovate.
In the Gobi Desert (戈壁滩) of Northwest China (中国西北), an Anta (安踏) innovation activity attracted the attention of netizens.
Two humanoid robots of the same model, parameters, and starting point ran in different running shoes. After 10 minutes, the robot wearing Anta (安踏) C10 Pro running shoes was a full 189 meters ahead.
Zheng Zhiyi (郑志艺), head of Anta's (安踏) Sports Science Laboratory, revealed the secret: "This running shoe uses an integrated flying woven process, weighs less than 200 grams, and the insole is equipped with an enhanced version of 'Nitrogen Technology' midsole, which has better rebound performance, and the front and rear palm separation design, angle, thickness and other parameters have been professionally adjusted, making it a favorite 'forefoot king' for professional long-distance runners."
Walking into the Anta (安踏) Sports Science Laboratory, high-tech equipment such as a three-dimensional motion capture system, foot scanner, and plantar pressure tester are readily available. R&D personnel continue to carry out applied research in sports biomechanics, sports medicine, and other fields. "We treat shoes and apparel as technological products, carry out a large number of innovative experiments, explore the different performance of different equipment in various sports, and continuously develop products with stronger performance and higher quality," said Zheng Zhiyi (郑志艺).
"A pair of shoes and a piece of clothing also contain new quality productive forces and high technology," said Lai Shixian (赖世贤), co-CEO of Anta Group (安踏集团). Anta's (安踏) R&D expenditure has exceeded 5% of sales costs for many consecutive years, promoting the breakthrough of a number of cutting-edge technologies 'from 0 to 1', such as the new generation of sports shoe midsole technology developed over 3 years - Nitrogen Technology. General foaming technology is expensive and difficult to mass produce. Anta (安踏) organized material experts to jointly tackle key problems and mastered nitrogen supercritical foaming technology, which significantly reduced mass production costs while making the energy return rate of the shoe midsole exceed 90%.
Regarding innovation as the foundation of enterprise survival, Anta (安踏) has built an open innovation ecosystem network involving 6 global design and R&D centers, more than 70 universities and research institutions, more than 250 experts, and more than 800 suppliers. Anta's (安踏) cumulative number of national patent applications ranks among the top of Chinese (中国) sports brands.
Promoting Transformation, Promoting High-End, Intelligent, and Green Development
High-end, intelligent, and green are important paths for the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing and its transformation from large to strong.
Anta (安踏) Works Collection White Label Store settled in Taikoo Li (三里屯太古里), Sanlitun (三里屯), Beijing (北京). Anta's (安踏) first zero-carbon mission store opened in Wukang Road (武康路), Shanghai (上海). Jiangsu's (江苏) first Super Anta (安踏) new image store welcomed guests in Nanjing (南京)... "We serve mass consumers with diverse products and rich channels, and at the same time, we are also making efforts in product high-end," said Lai Shixian (赖世贤). In recent years, Anta (安踏) has developed the "Champion Series" high-end products, laid out new stores in mainstream business districts in first- and second-tier cities, and promoted professional sports equipment of Olympic quality to more consumers through highly professional and high-quality image design.
Intelligence is another highlight of Anta's (安踏) transformation and upgrading. Stepping into Anta (安踏) Tongan (同安) Intelligent Factory, a criss-crossing hanging system runs through three floors, accurately delivering clothing materials of different categories, colors, and sizes to each workstation. On the production line, advanced equipment such as air convection intelligent down filling rooms and 360-degree rotating fully automatic template machines operate efficiently. On the large screen, monitoring indicators such as the number of orders received, the number of deliveries, and the capacity achievement rate jump in real time.
"From cutting, sewing, ironing to sorting and packaging, we have created an intelligent production line with efficient and integrated connection of the entire process. A production line can simultaneously produce more than 50 kinds of clothing, and the data command center formulates a production plan for each piece of clothing, accurately controlling each process and equipment," said Li Jinsheng (李金胜), Production Director of Anta Group (安踏集团) Tongan (同安) Apparel Department. It used to take more than 3 days to make a piece of clothing in the traditional way, but now it only takes 3 hours. After in-depth digitalization and intelligent transformation, Anta's (安踏) product design cycle has increased by 30%, the supply chain fast response cycle has accelerated by 10 days, and the production cycle of self-operated factories has been shortened by 25%.
Looking at greening again. Anta Group (安踏集团) has put forward clear green development goals, and the proportion of sustainable materials will exceed 50% by 2030. "Today, Anta's (安踏) 'Storm Armor' windbreaker, 'Air Armor' jacket, champion running shoes and other mid-to-high-end products use a large number of recycled materials, and achieve green and low-carbon in the production and packaging links, taking a sustainable green development path," said Lai Shixian (赖世贤).
Creating a Brand, Actively Expanding into the International Market
"Today's China (中国) produces more than 70 billion pieces of clothing annually, and the global share of textile and apparel exports has remained at about 1/3 for many years, and the scale is already the world's first, but it still lacks well-known international brands," said Lai Shixian (赖世贤). Anta (安踏) realized the importance of brands very early on. Only by creating brands can we effectively avoid low-level and homogeneous competition and promote enterprises to transform from "scale and quantity type" to "quality and efficiency type."
Improving brand strength relies on both independent innovation and international cooperation. As early as 2009, Anta Group (安踏集团) acquired the Chinese (中国) business of the foreign brand FILA (斐乐) and transformed it into a sports fashion brand. Combined with its own strong channel capabilities, it comprehensively upgraded the store image, product allocation, etc., and quickly became popular among consumers, drawing a "second growth curve" for Anta (安踏).
In recent years, while vigorously "bringing in," Anta Group (安踏集团) has also actively promoted brands to "go out." On the one hand, it "borrows a boat to go to sea" by acquiring foreign brands such as Arc'teryx (始祖鸟) to rapidly promote overseas business; on the other hand, it "builds a boat to go to sea" by promoting the Anta (安踏) main brand to enter the international market, strengthening cooperation with international events and sports stars, and increasing its visibility.
Anta Group (安踏集团) already has 15 domestic and foreign brands, with foreign employees accounting for 22%. It has opened hundreds of stores in Thailand (泰国), Malaysia (马来西亚), Vietnam (越南), and other places, established design centers in the United States (美国), Japan (日本), South Korea (韩国), and other places, and formed management teams in Europe (欧洲), the Middle East and Africa (中东非), Central Asia (中亚), Southeast Asia (东南亚), and other places, and can mobilize global resources to serve brand development.
Lai Shixian (赖世贤) introduced that after long-term exploration, Anta (安踏) has developed three core competitiveness: multi-brand collaborative management capabilities, multi-brand retail operation capabilities, and global operation and resource integration capabilities, "**心无旁骛** (xīn wú páng wù - "no distractions," single-minded; focused)" which not only allows more excellent international brands to land in China (中国), but also enables Anta's (安踏) unique business model to empower overseas markets.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王 者
The tailor skillfully operates the equipment, and with precise cuts, pieces of fabric fall neatly; the seamstresses' fingers fly, and fine stitches nimbly move between the fabrics, and garments quickly take shape... As night falls, the reporter arrives at Feite Garment Co., Ltd. (费特制衣有限公司) in the Xiajin Economic Development Zone (夏津经济开发区), Shandong (山东), and the production workshop is still a busy scene.
After passing quality inspection, this batch of clothing will be folded, packaged, labeled, and shipped to countries such as Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. Tian Chunli (田春丽), the person in charge of the company, said that after the release of the joint statement on China-U.S. economic and trade consultations, American customers came to inquire, "Now our products are exported to more than 10 countries, and orders are scheduled until September. With orders in hand, we are not flustered, and we will focus on doing our own thing at our own pace."
In the past few days, facing the U.S.'s abuse of tariffs, Feite Garment is much more composed than it was many years ago. Tian Chunli (田春丽) has two sources of confidence in her heart.
The first source of confidence comes from the "ice-breaking" of new markets.
Feite Garment is a knitted garment production enterprise mainly producing infant and children's clothing, and its products are mainly sold overseas. "For a long time, the United States was the company's largest market, and we cooperated with many local brands. U.S. orders once accounted for more than 95% of the company's total exports," said Tian Chunli (田春丽).
In 2018, during the China-U.S. economic and trade friction, American customers reduced their market share in China, and some brands' offices in China successively withdrew. The company's exports were affected, and orders dropped sharply. Feite Garment did not sit idly by, but took the initiative to seek change and start to break through.
"We cannot put all our eggs in one basket. We invested more resources and energy in other markets to seek diversified and stable trade channels," Tian Chunli (田春丽) said. Since 2019, the company has frequently participated in textile exhibitions in countries such as Germany, France, and Japan to promote its products. "Sometimes we don't speak the language, so we use translation software to communicate with customers, and we won many orders with product quality and sincerity."
Actively going overseas to break through, market development has achieved results. In 2023, more than half of the company's products were sold to new markets other than the United States; in the first two months of this year, the company's exports to the United States were 340,000 yuan, and the proportion dropped to less than 10%.
The second source of confidence comes from technological innovation and cost reduction and efficiency increase.
Good products can win new markets. In recent years, the company has focused on technological breakthroughs, innovated processing technology, and used traditional pure polyester materials to process baby cotton fabric products, which have good antibacterial, anti-odor, and stain-resistant effects, and are welcomed by major markets, and the added value has also been greatly improved.
Tian Chunli (田春丽) introduced that the company has also established an agile manufacturing and flexible production supply chain through intelligent transformation, realizing the whole process management from order decomposition to process scheduling, which can monitor equipment status, capacity load, and process parameters in real time, and the production efficiency has increased by more than 20%.
Shandong (山东) is a major province in China for textile and apparel exports, and there are many companies like Feite Garment. Zhang Linchen (张琳琛), associate professor at the School of Economics of Shandong University of Technology (山东理工大学), suggested that enterprises should strengthen the development of international markets to make the market structure more diversified, expand new forms of cross-border e-commerce, and build an international marketing system. On the other hand, they should cultivate new quality productive forces and seize the high end of the value chain. "In terms of policy support, we should strengthen risk prevention and control, such as building an export early warning platform to enhance enterprises' adaptability and compliance capabilities. We should give full play to the bridging role of industry associations to promote cooperation and exchanges within the industry and jointly cope with external risks," said Zhang Linchen (张琳琛).
Looking to the future, Tian Chunli (田春丽) has two expectations in her heart.
"One is that our products can enter the domestic market more." Not long ago, Xiajin County (夏津县) organized textile companies to participate in the 2025 China International Textile Yarn (Spring and Summer) Exhibition in Shanghai (上海). Tian Chunli (田春丽) met several domestic merchants and plans to cooperate in the future. "The second is to explore the 'Belt and Road' market and complete the company's market 'ice-breaking' in countries such as Pakistan and Malaysia," said Tian Chunli (田春丽). "In the second half of the year, I plan to visit more countries and sign more orders."
[Editor's Comments] It is better to change than to wait - facing the complex and volatile external environment, more and more foreign trade companies choose to go towards problems and meet difficulties, without complaining or blaming others, and never 坐以待毙 (zuò yǐ dài bì - "sit and wait for death," to sit and wait for one's doom; to await destruction instead of fighting back).
Finding opportunities in new markets, attending trade fairs and expos non-stop, promoting products and seeking cooperation to foreign merchants with translation software; improving their own strength, paying for research and development and innovation, and spending great efforts to increase product added value and improve the digital level of the industrial chain... It is not easy to run a business, and such perseverance and resilience are admirable.
"Focus on doing your own thing at your own pace." This determination of thousands of enterprises will surely make the road ahead, which may not be smooth, more calm and confident.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 张文豪
As dusk gathers and the lights come on, the museum exhibition halls transform into miniature theaters. With each step, the scenery shifts, offering glimpses of graceful dances and the calls of merchants from the Western Regions…
During the "A Night Exploring the Past and Present" event held at the Luoyang Museum (洛阳博物馆) in Henan (河南), visitors were divided into six groups and guided along a carefully designed route to experience the millennia of prosperity of the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties.
During the "May Day" holiday, Luoyang's various museums, memorial halls, and other cultural and museum venues received a total of 695,000 visitors, an increase of 3% compared to the same period last year.
How are cultural and museum venues continuously expanding their service space?
"Analyzing visitor demographics, we found that young people under the age of 35 account for a large proportion," said Sun Haiyan (孙海岩), Deputy Director of the Luoyang Museum (洛阳博物馆). To further attract younger audiences, it is necessary to create disruptive innovation, immersive experiences, and mobile-based communication.
During the Spring Festival holiday, the Luoyang Museum (洛阳博物馆) launched a new night tour initiative. Guides swapped their daytime work clothes for Ru skirts and capes, narrating the stories behind the cultural relics. The trial operation was fully booked, giving the museum confidence to explore further.
Recognizing its limited resources, the Luoyang Museum (洛阳博物馆) contacted seven related cultural and creative enterprises. "Incorporate scripts, live performances, and bring the cultural relics to life," one company's proposal successfully won the bid.
The plan was revised five times to find the greatest common denominator. One of the museum's collections, a stone Bixie (辟邪) from the Eastern Han Dynasty, was said to have originated from an imperial tomb. "Without authoritative confirmation, we cannot draw conclusions lightly to create gimmicks." In Sun Haiyan's (孙海岩) view, it is necessary to balance market response with social benefits. "Museums can have internet fame, but they cannot lose their professional attributes."
The market determines the effectiveness. In just one week after the new project was launched, tickets for each show were sold out in advance. "Exclusive guides transformed into historical guides, and professional actors performed the cultural relic stories, as if witnessing history in person," praised Luo Huanhuan (罗欢欢), a tourist from Beijing (北京).
During the "May Day" holiday, the "A Night Exploring the Past and Present" event added music and dance elements, and set up interactive sessions such as knowledge quizzes, further enhancing the immersive experience for visitors.
In Luoyang (洛阳), the "museum + company" operation model is constantly unlocking more new experiences, activating the spring water of cultural and museum consumption.
The Luoyang Ancient Tombs Museum (洛阳古墓博物馆) launched a fantasy tour, where visitors walk through the tomb passages with brick carvings and murals to learn about historical stories; in the Sui and Tang Grand Canal Cultural Museum (隋唐大运河文化博物馆), the long-idle lecture hall was transformed into a drama stage, and the boatmen's chants floated out of the sail-shaped roof...
At the same time, a series of incentive and guarantee measures are also being followed up: Eight departments in Luoyang (洛阳) jointly issued the "Several Measures on Promoting the Development of Cultural and Creative Products in Pilot Museums," encouraging museums to adopt independent development, cooperation, authorization and other methods to provide more high-quality cultural and creative product supply; the income obtained by the first batch of five pilot museums through cultural and creative development projects will be used for the development of cultural and museum undertakings and personnel incentives, and up to 30% of the net income can be used for personnel incentives.
The "Special Action Plan for Boosting Consumption" proposes to support tourist attractions and cultural and museum units to expand service projects, reasonably extend business hours, and expand reception scale.
"In the past, museums were 兼职做爆款，主责在守摊 (jiān zhí zuò bào kuǎn, zhǔ zé zài shǒu tān - "part-time create hits, main responsibility is to guard the stall," meaning museums focused more on preservation than innovation). Now, the enthusiasm of cultural and museum workers has been better mobilized," said Zhao Xiaojun (赵晓军), Director of the Luoyang Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics (洛阳市文物局). "By excavating and transforming unique collections, museums can bring more surprises to everyone."
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 马跃峰 程 焕
Movie tickets and spicy chicken, seemingly unrelated, are closely "stuck" together.
In Guiyang (贵阳), Guizhou (贵州), the spicy chicken restaurant opened by Hong Biwen (洪碧文) is not far from Yuejie Cinema (越界影城). Customers can get a discount on their meal by showing their movie ticket stub.
"The cinema is popular, and the small shop benefits from it. The turnover has increased by 50% compared with the same period last year!" Hong Biwen (洪碧文) said with a smile.
In Guiyang (贵阳), a movie ticket is like a key, unlocking a variety of experiences such as "eating, living, traveling, shopping, and entertainment."
The "Special Action Plan for Boosting Consumption" proposes to strengthen the construction of service supply capacity and support service consumption scenario innovation, business integration, and industrial agglomeration. Hu Lin (胡琳), Director of the Guiyang Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism (贵阳市文化和旅游局), said: "We are working hard to make Yuejie Cinema (越界影城) a city landmark and tourist attraction, turning movie-watching 'traffic' into consumption 'retention', and helping to form a new cultural tourism and sports consumption boom."
Located in Yunyan District (云岩区), Yuejie Cinema (越界影城) has the widest giant screen in Asia at 32.16 meters, equipped with a new generation of 4K laser projection system and 12.1-channel surround sound, first-class hardware equipment, which makes it popular. This year, more than 300,000 people have come for a screen, 40% of whom are from outside the province.
"This is the most glorious time in the 7 years since its opening." Chen Kaifang (陈开放), general manager of Yuejie Cinema (越界影城), is happy but also worried, "How can we maintain the heat and turn 'internet celebrity' into long-term popularity?"
Accurately analyze customer sources and innovate diversified consumption scenarios.
Yuejie Cinema (越界影城) has increased the number of screenings, opened "midnight shows," extended the screening time of films, and launched a new virtual reality cinema.
Guizhou (贵州) intangible cultural heritage performances also give the audience unexpected surprises. Outside the screening hall, a burst of ethereal and melodious singing floats in. The Qiandongnan Dong (黔东南侗族) Grand Song team, which participated in the dubbing of the film "Ne Zha," is performing the original sound. After watching the movie, Yang Xueni (杨雪妮), a movie fan, felt that the trip was **不虚此行** (bù xū cǐ xíng - "this trip was not in vain," the trip was worthwhile).
The integration of business, tourism, culture, sports, and health stimulates consumption vitality.
"Take a ticket stub to travel around Guiyang (贵阳)! Yunyan District's (云岩区) pampering of fans is not over yet." Li Li (李丽), a movie fan from Hunan (湖南), originally just wanted to see a movie, but was attracted by other consumption scenarios, "You can eat hot pot, drink coffee, go to bars, stay in hotels, and visit scenic spots with ticket stubs, enjoy discounts, and even get your movie ticket reimbursed for a buffet at a hotel."
"We focus on 'listening to advice' and have set up a special team to collect opinions from netizens at any time, and attract tourists with high-quality and distinctive activities and high-quality services." Zhou Wenjia (周文佳), Director of the Yunyan District Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism (云岩区文体广电旅游局), and his team have planned many "movie watching +" activities. Increase bus lines and night shuttle buses to facilitate everyone to go from the cinema to hotels and scenic spots; after watching the movie, tourists can run marathons, watch football games, and participate in movie-themed study tours.
The "ticket stub" of Yuejie Cinema (越界影城) is linked with more than 300 merchants of various types in Guiyang (贵阳), opening up the film and tourism integration industry chain of transportation, accommodation, catering, retail, and scenic spots, driving a 45% month-on-month increase in catering and accommodation consumption in March.
"Rushing to a city for a screen," Yuejie Cinema (越界影城) has brought about a wave of cultural tourism consumption. Guiyang (贵阳) is taking advantage of the situation to accelerate the creation of a cultural tourism consumption agglomeration area and form a complete industrial chain and industrial ecosystem.
Next to the cinema, a Yuejie Market (越界市集) integrating special cuisine, cultural and creative products, and intangible cultural heritage skills is taking shape. Looking around, popular blocks and business districts such as Qingyun Market (青云市集), Taiping Road (太平路), and Xinyin 1950 (新印1950) echo each other, realizing location linkage, commercial complementarity, and customer flow sharing.
Return to TopOn May 16, in Pingpu Town (平铺镇), Fanchang District (繁昌区), Wuhu City (芜湖市), Anhui Province (安徽省), farmers drove harvesters to harvest rapeseed.
Photo by Xing Chaoming (邢朝明) (Image China (影像中国))
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王 政 刘温馨
The national technology contract transaction volume reached 6.8 trillion yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 11.2%, maintaining double-digit growth for eight consecutive years. To date, 16,000 various types of technology-based enterprise incubators have been built, forming an incubation service system covering 95% of counties and above nationwide. The national industry-finance cooperation platform has helped companies raise over 1.1 trillion yuan. China's technology-based enterprise incubators are deployed in more than 50 countries and regions around the world, and a number of internationally renowned incubators have established branches in China... The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) recently held a press conference, highlighting the achievements in the high-quality development of the science and technology service industry.
The science and technology service industry is an emerging industry that uses modern scientific knowledge and technological means to provide intellectual services to society, focusing on the entire chain of scientific and technological innovation development and the efficient transformation of scientific and technological achievements. It has the characteristics of being talent-intensive, technology-intensive, having high industrial added value, and having a strong radiating and driving effect. By providing technical research and development, achievement transformation, consulting and training services, it supports the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, and is of great significance for developing new quality productive forces, building a modern industrial system, and promoting new industrialization.
"From 2019 to 2023, the revenue of enterprises above designated size in the science and technology service industry increased by an average of 12.3% annually, and the industrial scale has become larger," said Wei Wei (魏巍), Director of the Science and Technology Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部科技司司长). By comprehensively providing professional services such as technical consulting, experimental development, inspection and testing, and technology promotion, the science and technology service industry better supports the innovative development and transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. As of the end of 2024, the National Manufacturing Innovation Center has made breakthroughs in 672 key common technologies in the industry, applied for 7,077 invention patents, and achieved the transformation of 690 technological achievements.
Wei Wei (魏巍) said that, overall, after years of rapid development, China's science and technology service industry has reached a stage of development in which both rapid quantitative growth and effective qualitative improvement are taking place. At the same time, the accelerated breakthrough and application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence have also brought new opportunities for the science and technology service industry to improve quality and efficiency, transform and upgrade.
How to continuously promote the high-quality development of the industry?
Use high-quality standards to lead the high-quality development of the science and technology service industry. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) is forming a Ministry Science and Technology Service Industry Standardization Technical Committee (部科技服务业标委会) and compiling guidelines for the construction of a science and technology service industry standard system. It will systematically lay out standards in key areas such as technology transfer, business incubation, and technology promotion, and accelerate the formulation of urgently needed standards such as technical transaction service specifications, evaluation of technology transfer institutions, and competency requirements for technology managers.
Create more high-level and professional incubators. "Technology-based enterprise incubators directly participate in the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements, and accelerate the commercialization process from technology to products through incubation services," said Lü Xianshi (吕先志), Director of the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部火炬高技术产业开发中心主任). Next, management measures for incubators will be introduced, and follow-up support for tax policies will be provided. Focusing on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and quantum information, a number of excellent incubators will be laid out to accelerate the transformation and incubation of cutting-edge scientific and technological achievements. The construction of a national incubation "one network" will be accelerated to promote collaborative cooperation of cross-regional incubation resources.
In addition, the integration of industry and finance will be continuously deepened to guide long-term capital and patient capital to invest early, invest in small businesses, invest long-term, and invest in hard technology. The cultivation of a national unified technology market will be accelerated.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王 政 邱超奕
During the Paris Olympics, the "Champion Dragon Suit" developed by Anta (安踏) frequently appeared on the podium. Also helping Chinese athletes win medals are Anta's "Zhenyue (振岳)" weightlifting shoes, "Benlei (奔雷)" boxing shoes, and "Feiyang (飞扬)" taekwondo shoes, a series of sports equipment that combines technology and aesthetics.
During the National People's Congress (全国两会) in 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized when participating in the deliberation of the Fujian (福建) delegation: "Doing business and undertaking a career is not just a matter of making some money. It is our duty to do solid work and focus on the real economy."
Anta (安踏) started from a family-style workshop in Jinjiang City (晋江市), Quanzhou (泉州), Fujian (福建), and has always adhered to its main business, gradually growing into China's (中国) leading and one of the world's leading international sporting goods groups.
Seeking innovation, turning shoes and clothing into high-tech products.
Two pairs of sports shoes spanning more than 30 years have witnessed Anta's (安踏) innovative pace of "Keep Moving."
In the 982 Creative Motion Space at Anta's (安踏) headquarters in Jinjiang City (晋江市), a pair of white sports shoes with a simple design and red and blue stripes in a glass display case attracts attention.
"This is the eighty-second product launched by Anta (安踏) after its establishment in 1991, shoe number 982. Anta (安踏) pioneered the use of professional computer design posters, which were rare at the time, and this shoe became Anta's (安踏) first popular product," said Li Ling (李玲), Vice President of Anta Group (安踏集团). Naming this place 982 Creative Motion Space is to not forget the original intention and dare to innovate.
In the Gobi Desert (戈壁滩) of Northwest China (中国西北), Anta's (安踏) innovation event attracted the attention of netizens.
Two humanoid robots of the same model, parameters, and starting point ran in different running shoes. After 10 minutes, the robot wearing Anta (安踏) C10 Pro running shoes was a full 189 meters ahead.
Zheng Zhiyi (郑志艺), head of Anta Sports Science Laboratory (安踏运动科学实验室), revealed the secret: "This running shoe uses an integrated flying woven technology, weighs less than 200 grams, and the insole is equipped with an enhanced version of 'Nitrogen Technology' midsole, which has better rebound performance, and the front and rear palm separation design, angle, thickness and other parameters have been professionally adjusted, making it a favorite of professional long-distance runners as the 'King of the Forefoot'."
Walking into the Anta Sports Science Laboratory (安踏运动科学实验室), high-tech equipment such as three-dimensional motion capture systems, foot scanners, and plantar pressure testers are readily available. R&D personnel continue to carry out applied research in sports biomechanics, sports medicine, etc. "We treat shoes and clothing as technological products, carry out a large number of innovative experiments, explore the different performance of different equipment in various sports, and continuously develop products with stronger performance and higher quality," said Zheng Zhiyi (郑志艺).
"A pair of shoes and a piece of clothing also contain new quality productive forces and high technology," said Lai Shixian (赖世贤), co-CEO of Anta Group (安踏集团). Anta (安踏) has invested more than 5% of its sales costs in research and development for many consecutive years, promoting a number of cutting-edge technologies to achieve breakthroughs 'from 0 to 1', such as the new generation of sports shoe midsole technology developed over 3 years - Nitrogen Technology. General foaming technology is expensive and difficult to mass produce. Anta (安踏) organized material experts to jointly tackle key problems and mastered nitrogen supercritical foaming technology, which significantly reduced mass production costs and made the energy return rate of the shoe midsole exceed 90%.
Regarding innovation as the foundation of enterprise survival, Anta (安踏) has built an open innovation ecosystem network with 6 global design and R&D centers, more than 70 universities and research institutions, more than 250 experts, and more than 800 suppliers. Anta's (安踏) cumulative number of national patent applications ranks among the top of Chinese (中国) sports brands.
Promoting transformation, promoting high-end, intelligent, and green development.
High-end, intelligent, and green are important paths for manufacturing transformation and upgrading, from large to strong.
Anta (安踏) Works Collection White Label Store settled in Taikoo Li Sanlitun (三里屯太古里), Beijing (北京), Anta's (安踏) first zero-carbon mission store opened in Wukang Road (武康路), Shanghai (上海), and Jiangsu's (江苏) first Super Anta (安踏) new image store welcomed guests in Nanjing (南京)... "We serve mass consumers with diverse products and rich channels, and at the same time, we are also making efforts in product high-end," said Lai Shixian (赖世贤). In recent years, Anta (安踏) has developed the "Champion Series" high-end products, laid out new stores in mainstream business districts in first- and second-tier cities, and promoted professional sports equipment of Olympic quality to more consumers through high professionalism and high-quality image design.
Intelligence is another highlight of Anta's (安踏) transformation and upgrading. Stepping into Anta's (安踏) Tongan (同安) Intelligent Factory, the crisscrossing hanging system runs through three floors, accurately delivering clothing materials of different categories, colors, and sizes to each workstation. On the production line, advanced equipment such as air convection intelligent down filling rooms and 360-degree rotating fully automatic template machines operate efficiently. On the big screen, monitoring indicators such as the number of orders received, the number of deliveries, and the capacity achievement rate jump in real time.
"From cutting, sewing, ironing to sorting and packaging, we have created an intelligent production line with efficient and integrated full-process series connection. One production line can simultaneously produce more than 50 kinds of clothing, and the data command center formulates a production plan for each piece of clothing, accurately controlling each process and equipment," said Li Jinsheng (李金胜), Production Director of Anta Group's (安踏集团) Tongan Clothing Department (同安服装部). It used to take more than 3 days to make a piece of clothing in the traditional way, but now it only takes 3 hours. After in-depth digitalization and intelligent transformation, Anta's (安踏) product design cycle has increased by 30%, the supply chain fast response cycle has been accelerated by 10 days, and the production cycle of self-operated factories has been shortened by 25%.
Looking at greening again. Anta Group (安踏集团) has put forward clear green development goals, and the proportion of sustainable materials will exceed 50% by 2030. "Today, Anta's (安踏) 'Storm Armor' windbreaker, 'Air Armor' jacket, champion running shoes and other mid-to-high-end products use a large number of recycled materials, and achieve green and low-carbon in the production and packaging links, taking a sustainable green development path," said Lai Shixian (赖世贤).
Creating a brand, actively expanding into the international market.
"Today's China (中国) produces more than 70 billion pieces of clothing annually, and the global share of textile and apparel exports has remained at about 1/3 for many years, and the scale is already the world's first, but it still lacks well-known international brands," said Lai Shixian (赖世贤). Anta (安踏) realized the importance of the brand very early on. Only by making a brand can it effectively avoid low-level and homogeneous competition and promote the transformation of enterprises from "scale and quantity type" to "quality and efficiency type."
Improving brand strength relies on both independent innovation and international cooperation. As early as 2009, Anta Group (安踏集团) acquired the Chinese (中国) business of the foreign brand FILA (斐乐), and transformed it into a sports fashion brand. Combined with its own strong channel capabilities, it comprehensively upgraded the store image, cargo allocation, etc., and was quickly loved by consumers, drawing a "second growth curve" for Anta (安踏).
In recent years, while vigorously "bringing in," Anta Group (安踏集团) has also actively promoted the brand to "go out." On the one hand, it "borrows a boat to go to sea" by acquiring foreign brands such as Arc'teryx (始祖鸟) to rapidly advance overseas business; on the other hand, it "builds a boat to go to sea" by promoting the Anta (安踏) main brand to enter the international market and strengthening cooperation with international events and sports stars to build brand awareness.
Anta Group (安踏集团) has 15 domestic and foreign brands, with foreign employees accounting for 22%. It has opened hundreds of stores in Thailand (泰国), Malaysia (马来西亚), Vietnam (越南) and other places, established design centers in the United States (美国), Japan (日本), South Korea (韩国) and other places, and formed management teams in Europe (欧洲), the Middle East and Africa (中东非), Central Asia (中亚), Southeast Asia (东南亚) and other places, which can mobilize global resources to serve brand development.
Lai Shixian (赖世贤) introduced that after long-term exploration, Anta (安踏) has developed three core competitiveness: multi-brand collaborative management capabilities, multi-brand retail operation capabilities, and global operation and resource integration capabilities, "which not only allows more international excellent brands to land in China (中国), but also allows Anta's (安踏) unique business model to empower overseas markets."
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 易舒冉
People with disabilities are a "group with special difficulties," and the cause of people with disabilities is a "cause of spring."
On May 16, the Seventh National Self-Improvement Model and Advanced Commendation Conference for Assisting the Disabled was held in Beijing (北京). General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) made important instructions, providing fundamental guidelines and pointing out the direction for promoting the comprehensive development of the cause of people with disabilities, which has aroused enthusiastic responses from the whole society. Everyone said that it is necessary to conscientiously implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important instructions, further improve the social security system and care service system for people with disabilities, effectively protect the equal rights and interests of people with disabilities, promote the comprehensive development of the cause of people with disabilities, and write a happy answer sheet for the "cause of spring" with heart and affection.
"People with disabilities are an important force in advancing Chinese-style modernization"
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "People with disabilities are an important force in advancing Chinese-style modernization, and they are also a special group with difficulties who need extra care and attention."
"On the road to study, I have received a lot of care and help from others. Although I can't see, I am still brave to pursue my dreams. I will actively pursue my life dreams and make my own contribution to the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation." Huang Ying (黄莺), a national self-improvement model and doctoral student at the School of Safety Science and Emergency Management of Wuhan University of Technology (武汉理工大学), said. A high fever at the age of two caused Huang Ying (黄莺) to lose her sight, but she bravely faced the difficulties and challenges in life and became a role model for many young people.
Chen Minyi (陈敏仪), a national self-improvement model and athlete at the Guangdong Dongguan Disabled Persons Sports Training Center (广东省东莞市残疾人体育训练中心), became disabled due to illness. After becoming involved with wheelchair archery, she put in efforts that ordinary people could hardly imagine. "I will continue to work hard in training, pursue my dreams on the archery field, win glory for the country, and contribute my strength to the cause of sports for people with disabilities in China."
"General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) deep concern and earnest entrustment to people with disabilities has greatly encouraged us. I will do my best to contribute to the revitalization of the ancient Great Wall." Mei Jingtian (梅景田), a national self-improvement model and villager of Shixia Village (石峡村), Badaling Town (八达岭镇), Yanqing District (延庆区), Beijing (北京), is a hearing-impaired person. He has been voluntarily protecting the Great Wall since the 1980s. Cleaning weeds, picking up garbage, and preventing uncivilized behavior are all part of his daily work. Under the leadership of Mei Jingtian (梅景田), more than 80 villagers have joined the volunteer team to jointly protect the Great Wall.
"Effectively protect the equal rights and interests of people with disabilities and promote the comprehensive development of the cause of people with disabilities"
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "On the new journey, we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, further improve the social security system and care service system for people with disabilities, effectively protect the equal rights and interests of people with disabilities, and promote the comprehensive development of the cause of people with disabilities."
"The General Secretary's important instructions have given us a deeper understanding of promoting the comprehensive development of the cause of people with disabilities. The key to doing a good job in the work of people with disabilities is to change concepts, transform 'passive assistance' into 'active empowerment,' and try every means to help people with disabilities enhance their self-confidence and self-esteem, so that every person with a disability can equally integrate into society and realize their life value." Yinhua (银花), Chairman of the Disabled Persons Federation of Alxa League (阿拉善盟), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (内蒙古自治区), said.
In the severely disabled care center in Zhumadian City (驻马店市), Henan Province (河南省), the life, care, and rehabilitation problems faced by severely disabled people are solved in a "one-stop" manner, realizing "caring for one person and warming one household." "We will conscientiously implement the spirit of the General Secretary's important instructions, always focus on improving the quality of life of people with disabilities, promote their comprehensive development, help them better integrate into society to carry out work, and strive to provide more high-quality services for people with disabilities." Xu Da (徐达), Deputy Director of the Zhumadian City (驻马店市) Disabled Persons Federation, said.
"Next, we will continue to expand job opportunities suitable for people with disabilities, help more people with disabilities achieve employment and increase income, and be trustworthy and reliable confidants and close friends of people with disabilities." Huang Wei (黄伟), Chairman of the Xixiangtang District (西乡塘区) Disabled Persons Federation in Nanning City (南宁市), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区), said.
"Actively create a good atmosphere and environment in the whole society for understanding, respecting, caring for, and helping people with disabilities"
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Party committees and governments at all levels must attach great importance to the work of people with disabilities, continuously improve the quality of public services for people with disabilities, and actively create a good atmosphere and environment in the whole society for understanding, respecting, caring for, and helping people with disabilities."
Self-studying sign language to serve hearing-impaired people, taking the lead in creating a "silent police station," and mediating disputes involving hearing-impaired people... He Qiao (何巧), a national advanced individual in the work of people with disabilities and instructor of the Hongyan Police Station (红岩派出所) of the Shapingba District (沙坪坝区) Branch of the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau (重庆市公安局), insists on doing practical things, solving difficulties, and doing good things for people with disabilities. "We must consciously implement the spirit of the General Secretary's important instructions into action, base ourselves on our own work, and help friends with disabilities share the fruits of social development." He Qiao (何巧) said.
Xu Peng (徐鹏), a national advanced individual in the work of people with disabilities and professor at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (电子科技大学), felt a sense of mission after attending the commendation conference. "I want to further apply the brain-computer interface and artificial intelligence technology involved in my daily research to better solve the practical problems faced by people with disabilities, so that more friends with disabilities can enjoy the convenience brought by technology."
"Bank of Communications (交通银行) has supported the cause of people with disabilities for many years. In this process, my colleagues and I have been deeply moved by the spirit of people with disabilities who are physically disabled but determined and self-improving. We will further innovate the 'finance + public welfare' model to help people with disabilities, and help more people with disabilities share the fruits of economic and social development." Mei Ying (梅颖), a representative of the National Advanced Collective for the Work of People with Disabilities and staff member of the Corporate Culture Division of the Party Committee Propaganda Department of Bank of Communications (交通银行党委宣传部企业文化处), said.
"Next, I will continue to deeply cultivate special education, so that more special children can receive dignified and high-quality education, and help each special child bloom with the brilliance of life." He Zhifang (何智芳), a national advanced individual in the work of people with disabilities and vice principal of the Foshan Rehabilitation Experimental School (佛山市康复实验学校) in Guangdong Province (广东省), said.
Return to TopBeijing, May 17 (Reported by Qu Xinming (屈信明)) The National Financial Regulatory Administration (金融监管总局) recently released data: At the end of the first quarter, the outstanding balance of inclusive small and micro enterprise loans from banking financial institutions was 35.3 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.5%. The outstanding balance of inclusive agricultural loans was 13.7 trillion yuan, an increase of 795.5 billion yuan compared with the beginning of the year.
In the first quarter, the original insurance premium income of insurance companies was 2.2 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 0.8%; indemnity and payment expenditures were 827.4 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.2%; and the number of new insurance policies was 24.9 billion, a year-on-year increase of 20.7%.
The credit asset quality of commercial banks is generally stable. At the end of the first quarter, the non-performing loan ratio of commercial banks was 1.51%, an increase of 0.01 percentage points from the end of the previous quarter. The risk compensation ability of commercial banks is generally sufficient. In the first quarter, commercial banks achieved a cumulative net profit of 656.8 billion yuan. The average capital profit margin was 8.82%, an increase of 0.72 percentage points from the end of the previous quarter. At the end of the first quarter, the balance of loan loss reserves of commercial banks was 7.2 trillion yuan, an increase of 227.3 billion yuan from the end of the previous quarter.
The solvency of insurance companies remains sufficient. At the end of the first quarter, the comprehensive solvency adequacy ratio of insurance companies was 204.5%, and the core solvency adequacy ratio was 146.5%.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 谢佳宁
China-Suriname Agricultural Technology Cooperation Center is located about one and a half hours' drive from Paramaribo (帕拉马里博), the capital of Suriname. When the reporter arrived, Liu Dejun (刘德军), the leader of the first phase project team and a vegetable introduction expert, was in the nearby experimental field, leading Chinese agricultural experts and local farmers to check the growth of crops. Liu Dejun (刘德军) was very pleased to see the fruits and vegetables carefully cultivated by the team blossom and bear fruit.
More than two years ago, when the Chinese agricultural technology expert team arrived in Suriname, they found that the land utilization rate here was extremely low. Most local farmers rely on traditional experience for planting, believing that once the seeds are sown, the rest can only be left to God. Farmers lack modern planting concepts and technologies, and local crop yields are very unstable. In 2022, after the launch of the China-Suriname Agricultural Technology Cooperation Center technical assistance project, the Chinese team established several specialties such as fruits and vegetables, edible fungi, and agricultural machinery, and carried out introduction and demonstration and training work in combination with local realities. They innovatively introduced new varieties and technologies such as corn and soybean intercropping, and cultivated a group of demonstration households with planting foundations, providing them with technical guidance and appropriate agricultural material support.
Shalina (莎莉娜) grew up on a farm, and her family has been growing crops such as peanuts and sweet potatoes, and fruits such as bananas. "When I heard that the Chinese agricultural technology expert team was coming, I curiously followed my friends to take a look. The first time I walked into the Agricultural Technology Cooperation Center, I was shocked - the peppers cultivated and planted by the Chinese experts were densely packed, while those in my home were sparse. From then on, I began to learn from the Chinese experts."
"We have trained farmers and students in pest and disease identification and green prevention and control, scientific fertilization, precision sowing and seedling raising, water-saving irrigation, high-yield cultivation, and variety selection, combined with field operations, etc., to improve farmers' technical level and agricultural production efficiency," said Liu Dejun (刘德军).
Under the guidance of Chinese experts, Shalina (莎莉娜) has learned a lot of planting techniques, including using fermented chicken and cow manure as fertilizer; when seedlings get sick, she doesn't always have to rush to spray medicine, but can also use natural methods to deal with it... The students and experts also established a chat group on social media, and everyone can ask the teacher for help at any time when they encounter problems. "I not only share the experience I have learned with my family, but also start trying to grow vegetable varieties that I have never been exposed to before," Shalina (莎莉娜) said excitedly, "I love the feeling of harvest, seeing the feedback from the land, which makes me feel full of joy."
Like Shalina (莎莉娜), many trainees who participated in the training brought the technology back to the village and taught it to more farmers, expanding the effect of the aid project. Linda (琳达), a staff member of the Para (帕拉) District Office of the Suriname Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, said: "Walking into the fields, you can feel that the Chinese training has brought us many agricultural technologies and concepts that we have never been exposed to - in the past, we thought that the bigger the fruit tree, the better, but now we know that proper pruning and proper management of seedlings will result in more and better quality fruits."
At present, the fruit and vegetable farms that the Chinese team focuses on guiding have a scale of more than 100 hectares, with a cumulative total of more than 200 on-site technical guidance sessions and nearly 350 trainees. The trainees come from all over Suriname. Some people take the bus every day to study, even if the round trip takes 3 hours, they are not willing to miss the opportunity to learn planting techniques from Chinese experts.
"Our goal is to enable Suriname to truly achieve agricultural self-sufficiency and sustainable development," said Liu Jingguo (刘经国), the team's melon and fruit expert. "We hope that after we leave, the farmers here will be able to independently use agricultural technologies and experience to confidently grow the land well."
"Three years ago, the place where the Agricultural Technology Cooperation Center is located was still a wasteland, but now it is full of greenery," said Wang Chuanrui (王传瑞), a member of the Suriname National Assembly. Chinese experts have not only brought modern technologies such as water and fertilizer integration and nutritional diagnosis, but also gradually changed the Surinamese people's understanding of agriculture. More and more farmers have mastered scientific planting methods through training, and the local agricultural output and quality have been significantly improved. "The Suriname government hopes to promote agricultural modernization through cooperation with China, create organic fruit and vegetable brands, and enter the international market," said Wang Chuanrui (王传瑞).
Jia Jinyi (贾金易), Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Suriname, said that the China-Suriname Agricultural Technology Cooperation Center is the first agricultural aid project since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. It has achieved remarkable results in technology introduction, crop introduction, infrastructure construction and personnel training. It has promoted 32 kinds of crops, benefiting more than 6,500 farmers, and laid the foundation for enhancing the local agricultural "blood-making" ability and promoting sustainable development.
(Reported from Paramaribo (帕拉马里博) by this newspaper)
Layout design: Wang Zheping (汪哲平)
Return to TopBy: 雅松·巴克
Suriname is sparsely populated with diverse agricultural models. The practicality and adaptability advantages of Chinese projects are prominent, injecting strong impetus into Suriname's agricultural modernization. The successful practice of the China-aided Suriname Agricultural Technology Cooperation Center's technical assistance project is a vivid microcosm of the upgrading of agricultural cooperation between Latin America and China. Through the "technical training + local adaptation" model, the project has changed Suriname's extensive farming tradition, significantly increased the yield of crops such as citrus and bananas, and increased the income of some farmers by more than 60%, verifying the transformation potential of Chinese agricultural technology in emerging market countries.
Agricultural cooperation between China and Suriname, as well as other Latin American countries and regions, has several characteristics: first, it is shifting from one-way technology export to capacity building, gradually forming a technology promotion network by providing basic training to officials and technicians; second, it is shifting from short-term assistance to sustainable cooperation, with expert teams stationed for long periods to solve practical problems; and third, it is shifting from single projects to systematic empowerment, directly linking increased production and efficiency with farmers' income.
Currently, agricultural cooperation between Latin America and China is breaking through the traditional scope of agricultural product trade and deepening into full industrial chain collaboration. China provides Latin America with advanced agricultural technology while introducing tropical crop planting experience, forming a two-way complement. As smart agriculture becomes a new focus of cooperation, the cooperation space between Latin America and China in areas such as remote sensing monitoring and precision planting will further expand.
The demand for agricultural modernization in Latin American countries is resonating with China's advantages in agricultural technology, capital, and markets. In the future, cooperation between the two sides needs to pay more attention to localized innovation, combining Chinese experience with Latin America's ecological diversity to jointly address food security challenges. Agricultural cooperation between Latin America and China is becoming a new paradigm of South-South cooperation, the core of which is to be effectiveness-oriented and build a mutually beneficial and win-win community of common destiny.
(The author is an official of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries of Suriname, interviewed and compiled by Xie Jianing (谢佳宁), a reporter of this newspaper)
Return to TopChina is committed to injecting positive energy into the world with its own certainty, always adhering to working with all countries to jointly promote global economic stability and growth, jointly resist unilateralism and protectionism, and achieve common development in mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
"China was, is, and will inevitably be an ideal, safe, and promising investment destination for foreign businesses. Believing in China is believing in tomorrow, and investing in China is investing in the future." Recently, President Xi Jinping (习近平) replied to a letter from the head of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China, once again releasing a clear signal that China is firmly committed to expanding high-level opening-up and welcomes multinational companies to deeply cultivate the Chinese market. Although the current world situation is turbulent, and the trends of unilateralism and protectionism are surging, believing in China and investing in China is still an international consensus, and the general trend of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win is unstoppable.
Trust stems from the solid promotion of high-quality development. China's economy, which embraces all rivers, has broad development space and unlimited vitality and potential. In the first quarter, China's economy achieved a growth of 5.4%. While consolidating the basic foundation of "stability" in the macro economy, it continued to expand the new space for "progress." During the same period, the added value of high-tech manufacturing above designated size in China increased by 9.7% year-on-year, and the added value of digital product manufacturing above designated size increased by 10.2% year-on-year. Innovation-driven development continues to release economic potential, and the global attractiveness of the Chinese market continues to increase. "China is not only an important market, but also represents the world's top innovation ecosystem." "Missing the Chinese market would be a huge loss." "Walking with China is walking with opportunities." Many well-known multinational corporate executives have publicly stated that high-quality development in China offers unlimited opportunities and they will be committed to long-term cooperation with China.
Trust stems from consistent openness and inclusiveness. Recently, China further expanded the scope of visa-free countries and announced the implementation of a visa-free policy for 5 countries including Brazil. From visa-free entry to "immediate purchase and immediate refund," China adheres to high-level opening-up to the outside world and continues to introduce more measures to improve the convenience of exchanges between Chinese and foreign personnel. During this year's "May Day" holiday, the number of foreigners entering and leaving the country increased by 43.1% year-on-year, and the sales of inbound tourism increased by about 90%. The popularity of "China tours" and "China shopping" continues to rise. Carmona, chairman of the Spain-China Friendship Association, said that the continuous optimization of visa policies is one of the signs that China is actively expanding its opening to the outside world, demonstrating China's confident, open, and inclusive national image.
Trust stems from the consistent adherence to cooperation and win-win results. In the face of the "headwinds" and "reversals" of economic globalization, China is firmly promoting the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, actively promoting bilateral, regional, and multilateral cooperation, promoting international macroeconomic policy coordination, jointly creating an international environment conducive to development, and jointly cultivating new drivers of global development. China and Latin America have implemented more than 200 infrastructure projects within the framework of jointly building the "Belt and Road" with high quality, creating millions of jobs. In 2024, the trade volume between China and ASEAN exceeded 980 billion US dollars, and they have been each other's largest trading partners for five consecutive years. China-Europe investment cooperation has entered a "two-way fast lane." As of the end of 2024, EU companies have cumulatively invested more than 150 billion US dollars in China, and China's cumulative direct investment in Europe is nearly 110 billion US dollars. China always embraces the world with an open attitude and seeks win-win results with all parties through cooperation.
"I believe that people with vision in the world will eventually understand that choosing China is choosing the future." A sentence from Simon Lichtenberg, the national founding chairman of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China, in a letter to President Xi Jinping (习近平) in his own name and on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, is the consensus of the international community. China is committed to injecting positive energy into the world with its own certainty, always adhering to working with all countries to jointly promote global economic stability and growth, jointly resist unilateralism and protectionism, and achieve common development in mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
Return to TopBy: 曹小林
China and Qatar have a long history of exchanges. More than 1,300 years ago, Chinese merchant ships, with their sails high and masts towering, sailed day and night, opening up the Maritime Silk Road to the Arabian Peninsula. Chinese porcelain and Qatari pearls, crossing the oceans, wrote a historical chapter of friendly exchanges between the two sides.
In 1988, China and Qatar officially established diplomatic relations. In 2014, President Xi Jinping (习近平) held talks in Beijing (北京) with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim (塔米姆), who was on a state visit to China. The two heads of state jointly announced the establishment of a China-Qatar strategic partnership. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the China-Qatar strategic partnership has made considerable progress, passed through a "golden decade," and practical cooperation between the two countries has reached a higher level.
China and Qatar have always treated each other with sincerity and lived in friendship, supporting each other in following a path of development that suits their own national conditions, and supporting each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. Qatar firmly adheres to the One China principle, firmly supports China's just position on human rights issues, and firmly supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. China and Qatar share similar positions on many major international and regional issues, maintain good coordination and cooperation in multilateral affairs such as the United Nations, and jointly voice justice in promoting the end of the conflict in Gaza.
In recent years, Qatar has actively participated in regional and international affairs, mediated hot issues, and worked with China to practice multilateralism, safeguard international fairness and justice, and contribute to world peace and development. In September 2022, Qatar officially became a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, actively participating in relevant exchanges and cooperation within the organization. In July 2024, Emir Tamim (塔米姆) attended the twenty-fourth meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦). Qatar sent representatives to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization National Green Development Forum and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization 2024 Ecological Year Forum, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization People-to-People Friendship Forum and the Friendship City Forum, and the China-SCO and Eurasian Region Youth Elite Exchange Dialogue. Many Qatari officials have stated that the international influence of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is constantly increasing, and its development prospects are broad. Joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will broaden Qatar's cooperation channels with member states in the fields of economy, energy, culture, and counter-terrorism. Qatar will maintain close communication and cooperation with member states.
Cooperation between China and Qatar in various fields is steadily advancing. The bilateral trade volume between the two countries increased from US$10.6 billion in 2014 to US$24.5 billion in 2023, an increase of more than 130%. From 2020 to the first three quarters of 2024, China has continuously maintained its position as Qatar's largest trading partner and largest export destination. Practical bilateral cooperation between China and Qatar has formed a new pattern with energy cooperation as the main axis, infrastructure construction as the focus, and financial investment and high technology as growth points, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries.
People-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Qatar are active. More and more Qatari youths are learning Chinese and love Chinese culture. Currently, four groups of Qatari youth students have traveled to China to participate in the "Chinese Bridge" summer camp. Qatar has become an increasingly popular destination for Chinese tourists traveling abroad. In 2024, the number of Chinese tourists entering Qatar reached 97,000, a year-on-year increase of 77%. The first pair of giant pandas in the Middle East, "Sihai" (四海) and "Jingjing" (京京), are growing up healthy and happily in Qatar, becoming envoys of friendship between the people of China and Qatar.
China and Qatar have deep political mutual trust, similar development concepts, and close integration of interests. Practical cooperation between the two countries in various fields will burst forth with greater vitality within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. China is willing to deepen cooperation with Qatar on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization platform, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, enrich the connotation of the China-Qatar strategic partnership, promote the "Shanghai Spirit," jointly promote world peace and development, and contribute more "SCO strength" to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
(The author is the Chinese Ambassador to Qatar)
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Tunis, May 17th (Reporters Huang Ling (黄灵) and Wang Yisheng (王一盛)) On May 15th, Tunisian President Kais Saied (赛义德) met with Li Shulei (李书磊), member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of the Central Propaganda Department (中宣部), who led a CPC delegation to Tunisia, in Tunis (突尼斯) .
Li Shulei (李书磊) conveyed President Xi Jinping's (习近平) cordial greetings to President Kais Saied (赛义德). Li Shulei (李书磊) said that in May 2024, President Xi Jinping (习近平) and you jointly announced the establishment of a China-Tunisia strategic partnership, which has drawn a new blueprint for the development of bilateral relations. China is willing to work with Tunisia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continue the traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen exchanges of experience in governance, promote the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" to achieve more results, deepen cooperation in culture, academia, tourism, media and other fields, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, and strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, so as to promote the steady and long-term development of bilateral relations.
Kais Saied (赛义德) asked Li Shulei (李书磊) to convey his best wishes to President Xi Jinping (习近平), saying that Tunisia attaches great importance to developing relations with China, admires China's remarkable development achievements, appreciates China's important role in international affairs, and thanks China for its long-term strong support for Tunisia's economic and social development. He emphasized that Tunisia adheres to the one-China principle and supports China's efforts to achieve national reunification and safeguard its core interests. Tunisia is willing to deepen the alignment of development strategies with China, strengthen cooperation in various fields such as economy and trade, culture, health, and infrastructure construction, and strengthen unity and cooperation to better benefit the people of both countries.
During his visit to Tunisia, Li Shulei (李书磊) also met with Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani (赞扎里), Speaker of the National Assembly Brahim Bouderbala (布德巴拉), and Chairman of the National Council of Regions and Districts, Ibrahim Derbal (达尔巴利), among others.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 刘仲华
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党), the Chinese nation has ushered in a historic leap from standing up, getting rich, to becoming strong, and China has become the world's second-largest economy. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, more than 700 million people in China have been lifted out of poverty, which is a remarkable achievement in human history," said German sinologist, Dr. Carsten Piegsa, in a recent interview with this reporter.
Dr. Piegsa has been studying Chinese history and culture for more than 30 years and has published several monographs. In the 1990s, he went to Beijing (北京) to study Chinese. In 2003, after graduating with a doctorate from the University of Hamburg (汉堡大学) in Germany, he participated in the Sino-German archival cooperation research project "Prussia-Germany and China." From 2010 to 2020, Dr. Piegsa served as the German director of the Confucius Institute (孔子学院) in Düsseldorf (杜塞尔多夫). He has also worked in teaching and research at Beijing Foreign Studies University (北京外国语大学) and Hunan Normal University (湖南师范大学).
Speaking of his connection with China, Dr. Piegsa said that he had been fascinated by ancient civilizations of various countries, including China, since he was a child. He began to truly learn Chinese at the University of Oldenburg (奥尔登堡大学). "At that time, the weekly Chinese class was the first step of my 'China journey'." While studying for his doctorate at the University of Hamburg, he began to devote himself to the study of ancient Chinese, modern Chinese, as well as Chinese history, geography, and philosophy.
"When I was studying, I went to China three times. After work, my visits to China became more frequent, and I visited China several times every year," Dr. Piegsa said. "I have witnessed the earth-shaking changes in China. In the past, it took a long time to travel by train in China, but now high-speed rail is convenient, fast, and travel is more comfortable." Dr. Piegsa said that China's developed highway system, towering buildings, and college students full of thirst for knowledge have all left a deep impression on him.
Dr. Piegsa's love for Chinese culture is evident. "My interest in Chinese civilization began with a thirst for knowledge. I studied Sinology 如饥似渴 (rú jī sì kě - "like being hungry and thirsty," describes someone with a great eagerness) so that I could gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and history." Dr. Piegsa believes that "in today's world, mutual understanding and exchange are more important than ever, and major political and economic problems can only be solved by countries working together." He said that the international community needs to establish platforms for communication and exchange of views. To address global challenges, China has proposed a number of initiatives to promote the world towards peace, understanding and cooperation, and has taken practical actions to promote international cooperation in various fields.
Dr. Piegsa believes that the degree of mutual connection and interdependence between countries has deepened unprecedentedly, and human beings live in the same global village and have become a community of shared future in which we are all interconnected. "Building a community of shared future for mankind is in the fundamental interests of the people of all countries in the world, represents the correct direction of future globalization, and is gaining recognition and support from more and more countries and people." Looking to the future, Dr. Piegsa believes that the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" (一带一路) has a bright future. "One of my current priorities is to promote cooperation between Germany and China in the field of education. I believe that there is great potential for relevant cooperation between the two countries."
(Reported from Berlin (柏林) by this newspaper)
Return to TopKathmandu, May 17 (Xinhua) (Reporter Yi Aijun (易爱军)) At the invitation of the Federal Parliament of Nepal, Xiao Jie (肖捷), Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, led a delegation to visit Nepal from May 14 to 17, and met with Prime Minister Oli (奥利), Speaker of the House of Representatives Ghimire (吉米雷), Chairman of the National Assembly Dahal (达哈尔), and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rana (拉纳), respectively.
Xiao Jie (肖捷) stated that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-Nepal relations have maintained a high level of development. China is willing to work with Nepal to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen political mutual trust, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between legislative bodies, and promote the continuous and in-depth development of the China-Nepal strategic partnership and practical cooperation in various fields. Xiao Jie (肖捷) also introduced the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, the Third Session of the 14th National People's Congress, and China's economic and social development.
The Nepalese side reiterated its firm adherence to the one-China principle, and that it will not allow any forces to use Nepalese territory to engage in anti-China activities, and expressed its willingness to strengthen high-level exchanges and exchanges between legislative bodies, deepen cooperation in jointly building the "Belt and Road," and promote Nepal-China relations to a new level.
Xiao Jie (肖捷) attended the "Mount Qomolangma Dialogue" and delivered a speech, stating that China is willing to uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and work with all parties to jointly address climate change.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Bratislava, May 17th. Chen Zhou (陈洲), Deputy Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, led a CPC delegation to visit Slovakia from May 15th to 17th. He met with Robert Fico (菲佐), Chairman of the Smer–SD party and Prime Minister, as well as leaders of the Smer–SD and Hlas-SD parties, senior government and parliamentary officials. The delegation also inspected local party organizations of Smer–SD, held discussions with think tanks, and thoroughly promoted Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想). Both sides expressed their willingness to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen inter-party exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and jointly promote the development of bilateral relations.
Return to TopThis report Beijing (北京), May 17th (Reporter Huan Xiang (宦翔)) The second phase of the Artificial Intelligence Capacity Building Seminar was held in Beijing (北京) from May 12th to 17th.
This seminar is a concrete action to implement the *Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative*, the UN General Assembly resolution on strengthening international cooperation in artificial intelligence capacity building, and the *Inclusive Plan for Artificial Intelligence Capacity Building*. It was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部), undertaken by Tsinghua University (清华大学), and co-organized by the Beijing Municipal People's Government (北京市人民政府). Thirty-seven representatives from 34 countries and international and regional organizations conducted in-depth exchanges on topics such as the fair and inclusive development of global artificial intelligence and the promotion of international cooperation in artificial intelligence, and visited relevant enterprises in Beijing (北京).
Return to TopAccording to Xinhua News Agency, Vientiane, May 17th (Reporters Zhao Xu (赵旭) and Ma Huaizhao (马淮钊)) China Telecom and Lao Telecommunications Company (ETL) held a press conference in Vientiane (万象), the capital of Laos (老挝), on May 16th to launch the Tiantong-Mobile Phone Direct Satellite Service, marking the official launch of the service in Laos (老挝).
Representatives from the Chinese and Lao governments, business circles, and the satellite industry chain attended the press conference. At the meeting, China Telecom Satellite Company and ETL signed a related cooperation agreement, and the two sides will jointly realize the convenient application of satellite communication technology in Laos (老挝).
The Chinese and Lao sides also jointly launched the "Tiantong Satellite Hundred Villages Connectivity" plan, which will comprehensively improve the emergency communication support capabilities of remote villages in Laos (老挝) through satellite communication services.
According to reports, the Tiantong satellite system is a satellite mobile communication system independently constructed by China, and is widely used in emergency communication, maritime communication, and communication support in remote areas.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 17th. At the invitation of Zhao Leji (赵乐际), Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, President Gutiérrez (古铁雷斯) of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico will lead a delegation to visit China from May 19th to 23rd.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 姚雪青
Yan Weiqiang (严卫强) frankly admitted that he did not expect to sell more than 5,000 orders during the "May Day" holiday.
On the evening of April 30, the "Foreign Trade Excellent Products, China Tour - Nanjing Exhibition and Sales Month" event opened on the square outside the Central Shopping Mall in the Xinjiekou (新街口) business district of Nanjing (南京), Jiangsu Province (江苏省). The booth of Nanjing Kekang Outdoor Products Co., Ltd. (南京可康户外用品公司) was crowded with people, and Yan Weiqiang (严卫强), the head of the company, acted as a salesman.
Taking out prime locations and prime booths to build a platform for foreign trade enterprises to expand domestic sales and allow high-quality foreign trade goods to stand in the spotlight... The exhibition and sales event will last until the end of May, with more than 60 high-quality foreign trade enterprises in the city entering a 1,300-square-meter exhibition and sales area (market). It is reported that Nanjing (南京) will also link up with other cities in the Nanjing Metropolitan Area (南京都市圈) this year to continue holding various types of exhibition activities to build a platform for foreign trade enterprises to expand sales channels.
"Thanks to such exhibitions, which help us expand the domestic market," said Yan Weiqiang (严卫强). The company has been facing some pressure recently, increasing promotional efforts on the one hand and adjusting product designs on the other.
Responding to the uncertainty of the external environment with its own certainty, and accelerating the promotion of the integration of domestic and foreign trade, all parties are working together.
"Open the Suning.com (苏宁易购) APP homepage, and you can see our products," said Ding Yong (丁湧), Minister of Marketing Department of Nanjing Conny Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (南京康尼智能技术有限公司). The company's main products are intelligent sports equipment and other products for export. "Now the platform provides many conveniences, and we are confident in expanding market space."
Recently, Nanjing (南京) has encouraged and supported key e-commerce platforms such as Suning.com (苏宁易购), Hema Fresh (盒马鲜生), and JD.com (京东) to help foreign trade enterprises simultaneously deploy online and offline by opening "Foreign Trade Excellent Products Zones," increasing online traffic support, and increasing offline store investment.
"Currently, we have contacted more than 100 foreign trade enterprises in Nanjing (南京), and more than 50 of them have reached cooperation intentions," said Wang Kui (王葵), President of the E-commerce Platform Business Department of Suning.com Group (苏宁易购集团). In the next step, we will further help foreign trade enterprises expand sales channels through reverse customization, large-order procurement, and other methods.
While exploring the domestic market, we are also developing new foreign trade markets. With multiple avenues, foreign trade enterprises are calm and composed.
Not long ago, the Nanjing (南京) business department, together with Made-in-China.com (中国制造网) under Nanjing Focus Technology Co., Ltd. (南京焦点科技股份有限公司), released the "Nanjing Excellent Products Online Zone" to build a "digital channel" for foreign trade enterprises to go overseas. As a comprehensive foreign trade service platform, Made-in-China.com (中国制造网) provided Nanjing Aidu Automobile Technology Co., Ltd. (南京爱度汽车科技有限公司) with precise advice - a certain car bumper is very popular in Guatemala. "This judgment is too accurate! Not long ago, we signed an order of 200,000 yuan with a large auto parts distributor there," said Wang Linjuan (汪林娟), the founder of the company, with a smile. This is the company's first entry into the Guatemalan market.
In the past, Aidu Automobile (爱度汽车) was highly dependent on the North American market. Now, actively exploring the domestic market and continuously expanding the foreign trade "circle of friends," the company's foreign trade sales have increased by about 50% year-on-year since the beginning of this year, with about 20% coming from new markets.
Focusing on accelerating the integration of domestic and foreign trade, Nanjing (南京) has established a "six lists" working mechanism, including a list of foreign trade export stagnant enterprises, to help enterprises solve problems and promote the stability and quality improvement of foreign trade.
In the first quarter of this year, Nanjing's (南京) total retail sales of consumer goods reached 232.3 billion yuan, an increase of 7.5% year-on-year; the total import and export volume to countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" increased by 7.3% year-on-year, of which exports increased by 24.6%.
"The domestic demand market is improving, and emerging markets are broad. It is crucial to do a solid job in improving products!" Wang Linjuan (汪林娟) said firmly.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 17th. On the 17th, the 4th China Spokesperson Forum, hosted by the Press Bureau of the Central Propaganda Department (中宣部) and Renmin University of China (中国人民大学), was held in Beijing (北京). More than one hundred spokespersons from central and state organs, local governments, and central enterprises, as well as some experts, scholars, and media representatives, gathered together to conduct in-depth exchanges on the theme of "Improving the Spokesperson System and Enhancing the Effectiveness of Press Conferences."
The forum believes that since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, focusing on boosting confidence and improving expectations, focusing on responding to concerns and building strength, focusing on guiding social emotions and resolving social contradictions, and focusing on telling China's story well and displaying China's image, the functional positioning of press conferences has become more accurate, and the role played has become more significant, powerfully serving the overall work of the Party and the country.
The forum emphasized that the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee listed "improving the spokesperson system" as an important reform task. Serving the overall situation of Chinese-style modernization construction, and making the spokesperson system more adaptable to the new development situation, new communication characteristics, and new expectations of the masses, is not only a major reform task that must be completed, but also an important opportunity to promote the high-quality development of press conferences.
The forum proposed that press conference work should improve its political stance and must run the requirement of emphasizing politics through the entire process and all aspects of the conference. It is necessary to innovate top-level design, strengthen rigid constraints, and organically integrate the spokesperson system into the modernization process of the national governance system. We must be good at standing from the perspective of the masses, using the language of the masses, and letting the Party's policies 飞入寻常百姓家 (fēi rù xún cháng bǎi xìng jiā - "fly into ordinary people's homes," to become widely known and understood by ordinary people). We must understand social conditions and public opinion, be familiar with work operations, improve media literacy, and demonstrate the demeanor of spokespersons in the new era. We must pay attention to overall coordination, form a joint force for release, and build an all-round, three-dimensional, multi-level voice matrix.
Return to TopOn May 16th, the Erhai Ecological Corridor (洱海生态廊道) in Panxi Village (磻溪村), Yinqiao Town (银桥镇), Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture (大理白族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省) boasts beautiful scenery, attracting many tourists to visit.
Chang Qi (常奇) Photo (Image China)
Return to TopThis newspaper's Wuhan (武汉) May 17th dispatch (Reporters Wu Dan (吴丹), Tian Doudou (田豆豆)) The 2025 World Digital Education Conference closed on the 16th in Wuhan (武汉), Hubei (湖北). The "China Smart Education White Paper" was released on-site, and the launch of the "National Education Digitalization Strategy Action 2.0" was announced.
According to reports, this is the first white paper released in China with "smart education" as its theme, including four chapters: development history, development strategy, practical exploration, and future prospects. It systematically reviews China's development concepts, ideas, measures, and achievements in digital education.
The white paper shows that the National Smart Education Platform continues to gather high-quality digital education resources, gathering more than 110,000 primary and secondary school resources, 11,300 vocational education online quality courses, 31,000 higher education quality online courses, and more than 2,000 lifelong learning courses. The white paper proposes that 2025 will be the first year of smart education.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者
The southeast boasts a strategic location, excelling due to its open and inclusive environment.
The tendrils of the sweet potato extend in all directions to absorb more sunlight, rain, and nutrients, but its tuber remains at the base. The extension and expansion of the tendrils ultimately serve to make the tuber grow stronger and larger...
During his time working in Zhejiang, Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) scientifically expounded the theory of the "sweet potato economy," profoundly pointing out that "we must jump out of Zhejiang to develop Zhejiang, and while vigorously introducing various factors, we must also reach out to other provinces and countries, using external resources and external markets to achieve greater development."
The more open, the more development; the more development, the more open. The "sweet potato economy" theory reveals the dialectical relationship between "rooting in one place" and "open development."
"Relying on the advantages of my country's super-large-scale market, attracting global resource elements with the domestic cycle, enhancing the linkage effect of the two markets and two resources at home and abroad, and improving the quality and level of trade and investment cooperation," General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Consistent and advancing with the times.
Jumping out of Zhejiang to develop Zhejiang, guided by the "sweet potato economy" theory, Zhejiang's economy has risen from the ground and grown vigorously in openness, forming a "sweet potato economy" model that is more resilient, more dynamic, and more competitive.
In the season when vegetation flourishes, reporters stepped onto the land of Zhejiang to feel the new atmosphere of the "sweet potato economy" being upgraded.
Looking at the tendrils—
Achieving greater development in a larger space
For sweet potatoes to grow well, the tendrils must extend further. Today, open development has become Zhejiang's conscious action.
"On the first day of the event, we received an order for $40,000," said Cha Jiaqi (查嘉琪), general manager of Pinhu Dake Children's Vehicle Co., Ltd. (平湖市大可童车股份有限公司), who followed Zhejiang's first batch of "thousands of groups and ten thousand enterprises to expand the market and increase orders" to go abroad. This year, more than 1,000 groups and 10,000 enterprises will be organized to "go out."
"Going out" has become a compulsory question for Zhejiang's development today, but it was once a choice that plagued Zhejiang.
At the beginning of the new century, China officially joined the World Trade Organization, and Zhejiang, which connects to all parts of the country and the sea, ushered in a huge era of opportunity. Many private enterprises hoped to "go out" to achieve better development. However, there were different views on whether Zhejiang merchants should go out. Many people worried that a large number of Zhejiang merchants developing abroad would cause Zhejiang's economy to become "hollowed out."
"We must have a correct understanding of this, actively promote it, and be optimistic about its success." Xi Jinping (习近平), then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, had a clear attitude: Our enterprises go out, actively connect with Shanghai (上海), actively participate in the development of the western region and the transformation of old industrial bases in Northeast China and other regions, and actively participate in the competition in the international market. Building our grain bases, energy and raw material bases, and production and processing bases outside the province and abroad is not a capital outflow or a relocation of enterprises. This is the need to allocate resources in a larger scope and achieve greater development in a larger space. It is the need to "jump out of Zhejiang to develop Zhejiang and base ourselves on the whole country to develop Zhejiang."
"The metaphor of the 'sweet potato economy' naturally unified the ideas of all parties, and everyone had a more intuitive and profound understanding of the development of Zhejiang's economy." Xu Guanju (徐冠巨), chairman of Transfar Group Co., Ltd. (传化集团有限公司), recalled that Comrade Xi Jinping's (习近平) words made the majority of Zhejiang merchants feel more confident and more willing to make more contributions to the economic development of Zhejiang from the bottom of their hearts.
Today, more than 6 million Zhejiang merchants are located in China, and more than 2 million Zhejiang merchants are heading to the world, like sweet potato tendrils extending in various places, absorbing more sunlight, rain, and nutrients.
Along the road guided by the "Double Eight Strategy," Zhejiang insists on "going out" to the world at a high level and "bringing in" to strengthen Zhejiang with high quality, and continues to promote the upgrading of open platforms.
Unblocking the main artery to make the tendrils more stretched.
At Chuanshan Port Area (穿山港区) of Ningbo Zhoushan Port (宁波舟山港), the "Jia Hua Ningbo" cargo ship is quietly berthed, and 325 containers of lithium batteries are being hoisted in an orderly manner, ready to be shipped to Europe.
At the same time, in Zhenhai Port Area (镇海港区) of Ningbo Zhoushan Port (宁波舟山港), a 10,000-ton bulk cargo ship has slowly docked, and important raw materials needed to manufacture lithium batteries are entering China through Ningbo Zhoushan Port (宁波舟山港).
The "new three items" are sold to all parts of the world, and high-quality resources are gathered in China. Such wonderful stories of "buying globally and selling globally" are vividly staged on the land of Zhejiang every day, becoming a vivid portrayal of the "sweet potato economy."
"The port is a key hub for resource integration and opening up." The staff of Ningbo Zhoushan Port (宁波舟山港) have a clear understanding of the significance of the port in building a new development pattern.
Transportation plays an active role in the process of high-level opening up. Ningbo Zhoushan Port's (宁波舟山港) cargo throughput has remained the first in the world for 16 consecutive years, the China-Europe Railway Express has operated more than 10,000 trains, and the cargo and mail throughput of Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport (杭州萧山机场) ranks among the top in the country... Today, a series of open hub bloodlines are unblocked, making the "sweet potato economy" full of vitality.
On March 17, the Zhejiang Free Trade Pilot Zone (浙江自贸试验区) Data Cross-border Service Center was officially launched; on March 26, the "Yiwu-Ningbo Zhoushan Port-Wilhelmshaven" direct European fast logistics channel was successfully opened... Since the beginning of this year, Zhejiang has frequently taken actions to open up and develop, and has made every effort to promote the upgrading of the "sweet potato economy." Zhejiang takes Ningbo Zhoushan Port (宁波舟山港) as the leader, implements measures such as vigorously promoting the construction of a world-class strong port, accelerating the construction of a China-Europe Railway Express assembly center, and steadily promoting the construction of a strong civil aviation province, so as to better enhance the global radiation role of the open hub.
Creating new advantages to make the tendrils stronger.
Starting from the center of Zhoushan City (舟山市) and heading northwest, a series of storage tanks and winding pipelines gradually come into view. Here lies China's first and the world's second "island-type" petrochemical base - Zhoushan Green Petrochemical Base (舟山绿色石化基地).
Zhoushan (舟山), which does not produce a drop of oil, has gathered more than 10,000 oil and gas enterprises of various types, building a trillion-level oil and gas industry chain. Bringing about this change is the establishment of the Zhoushan Area (舟山片区) of the China (Zhejiang) Free Trade Pilot Zone (中国（浙江）自贸试验区).
Since its establishment in 2017, the Zhejiang Free Trade Pilot Zone (浙江自贸试验区) has insisted on taking a differentiated and characteristic path. At present, the Zhoushan Area (舟山片区) has formed 330 characteristic institutional innovation achievements and practical cases, 146 national firsts, and 32 national replications and promotions, and has initially built a closed-loop reform and innovation system for the entire oil and gas industry chain.
Taking the road of reform, eating the food of opening up, and playing the innovation card... Zhejiang (浙江), which has a small land area and relatively scarce natural resources, regards institutional supply as its greatest development advantage. The Free Trade Pilot Zone (自贸试验区) took the lead in realizing the empowerment and expansion of the area in the country, and was approved as the first national bulk commodity resource allocation hub. Up to now, it has accumulated more than 200 national first achievements, and 3 national-level economic development zones have entered the top 10 in the country.
Deepening a new round of Yiwu International Trade Comprehensive Reform (义乌国际贸易综合改革), promoting free trade pilot zones, development zones, comprehensive bonded zones, etc. to strive for advancement, and building a high-standard bulk commodity resource allocation hub... Zhejiang (浙江) is striding forward in better connecting with international high-standard economic and trade rules and gathering global high-end resource elements.
Seizing new opportunities to make the tendrils more resilient.
Hangzhou's (杭州) white shoe cleaner, Jiaxing's (嘉兴) bags, Ningbo's (宁波) home appliances, Wenzhou's (温州) clothing... In Yaowang Technology's (遥望科技) live broadcast room, live streamers are working hard to promote featured products from all over Zhejiang (浙江).
With the help of low-cost office space, special entrepreneurship funds, e-commerce support policies, and industrial chain resource integration support provided by Yuhang District (余杭区) of Hangzhou City (杭州市), Yaowang Technology (遥望科技) has continued to deeply cultivate the digital economy and has grown into a leading enterprise in Zhejiang's (浙江) live broadcast e-commerce industry, building a "star + talent" composite anchor matrix. "With the help of digital empowerment, we can innovate more consumption scenarios and sell Zhejiang manufacturing to farther places," said Wang Wenhui (汪文辉), co-president of Yaowang Technology (遥望科技).
If goods are sold well, they must be delivered quickly. Cainiao Group (菜鸟集团), an e-commerce logistics enterprise native to Zhejiang (浙江), has leveraged the "Yushang Going Overseas" initiative. Today, its global supply chain operates more than 40 overseas warehouses in 18 countries and regions in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific, providing full-channel, end-to-end supply chain management solutions and warehousing and distribution operation services for domestic and foreign brands and merchants, helping brands in various industry fields such as auto parts, home appliances, and furniture to accelerate their overseas expansion.
Seizing new opportunities for the development of the digital economy, in recent years, Zhejiang (浙江) has adhered to "live broadcast + platform + cross-border e-commerce" to promote the high-quality development of cross-border e-commerce, accelerate the construction of new digital trade market platforms, gather new cross-border e-commerce digital trade entities, cultivate new digital trade formats, optimize the layout of collection warehouses, overseas warehouses, and other warehousing and logistics facilities, and unblock the "buy globally, sell globally" cross-border trade channels.
Rooting in one place, focusing on the whole country, and heading to the world, facing the new situation and new requirements of open development, Zhejiang (浙江) is anchoring "enhancing resource allocation capabilities, global radiation capabilities, institutional innovation capabilities, and international competitiveness," promoting high-level opening up to the outside world, striving to achieve "the best service, the lowest cost, and the highest efficiency," and effectively enhancing "the right to speak, the right to price, and the right to rules," and building a high-energy open and strong province.
Looking at the soil—
Promoting a better combination of an effective market and a capable government
"Only with good soil can sweet potatoes grow well." When talking about the "sweet potato economy," the soil environment makes the people of Zhejiang (浙江) proud.
In terms of natural endowments, Zhejiang (浙江) cannot be considered superior, but in terms of the business environment, whether it is a multinational company or a small and micro business, a phrase often on their lips is, "This is a good place to do business."
How has Zhejiang (浙江) become fertile ground for the growth of "sweet potatoes"?
From a small province in terms of resources to a large province in terms of economy, Zhejiang (浙江) has always promoted a better combination of an effective market and a capable government, continuously releasing market vitality and allowing enterprises to "want to invest," "be willing to invest," and "dare to invest."
Good soil must first have temperature.
What kind of soil has temperature? Interviewed entrepreneurs give a standard - responsive to requests and undisturbed when there is nothing to do.
"The help of the Shangyu District (上虞区) Enterprise Service Center allowed us to successfully enter the European market." At the beginning of February this year, a camera lens fill light device developed by Shaoxing Shangyu Green Digital Photography Equipment Co., Ltd. (绍兴上虞格林尔数码摄影器材有限公司) planned to be exported to Europe, but its own laboratory lacked professional testing equipment.
"If the certification cannot be completed on time, not only will the first batch of orders worth more than 1 million yuan be lost, but subsequent orders will also be seriously affected," said Yan Wendong (严文栋), the person in charge of the enterprise, with a frown.
After learning the news, the Shangyu District (上虞区) Enterprise Service Center immediately formed a cross-field special service team jointly participated by four departments, including commerce, market supervision, science and technology, and economic and information, to customize emergency solutions for enterprises, so that the products successfully passed the certification. Today, the first batch of orders has been delivered to European consumers.
"After completing one thing, we will also ask you if you have anything else to do," "Various subsidies and bonuses will be fully credited to the account at one time within a week after filling in the materials"... This spring, Zhejiang's (浙江) business environment became "hot" again, and many entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs like Yan Wendong (严文栋) talked about their personal experiences online.
"We insist on combining an effective market with a capable government. The government services are 'available when called upon' and the policy implementation is 'as good as its word and directly accessible'. We spare no effort to support the development of new industries, new models and new formats, and strive to achieve 'responsive to requests and undisturbed when there is nothing to do'," said a relevant person in charge of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee (浙江省委).
Good soil needs temperature and speed.
"As soon as the land auction hammer fell, the government's enterprise assistance commissioner contacted us to help handle various matters for the commencement of construction approval." At the construction site of Zhejiang Wanpin Electric Co., Ltd.'s (浙江万品电气有限公司) annual production of 1 million sets of Christmas lights project in Luqiao District (路桥区) of Taizhou City (台州市), the company's person in charge, Wang Ziqi (王子奇), was full of surprises in his words amidst the roar of pile drivers.
As a seasonal product, speed is the key to "going overseas" for festive lights. "From bidding for land to starting construction, we planned to spend 3 months, but now it only took 24 days. The government helped us 'grab' time," Wang Ziqi (王子奇) counted on his fingers.
Approval closely follows the project's "run". Luqiao District (路桥区) focuses on the needs of accelerating the preliminary approval of projects, etc., and promotes 19 items from solving a problem to solving a type of problem and optimizing a type of service. "By exploring the implementation of 'delivery of land is delivery of certificate', we can realize the simultaneous handling of land delivery and real estate registration, and promote the phased handling of construction permits, helping enterprises to advance the start of construction by at least 1-2 months," introduced Zhong Wei (钟巍), director of the Luqiao District (路桥区) Administrative Service Center.
Not only in Luqiao (路桥), but all parts of Zhejiang (浙江) are focusing on promoting the value-added reform of government services to create a more superior business environment.
Yuhang District (余杭区) of Hangzhou City (杭州市) took the lead in building a comprehensive service center and platform for enterprises (talents) as early as August 2023. Today, the platform has been upgraded to version 2.0, and the service functions continue to expand. For local enterprises, they do not need to declare, submit materials, or run errands to handle affairs. They only need to confirm that the information is correct with one click to realize the "proactive" delivery of preferential policies and the "unfelt" payment of funds.
"When brain-computer interface technology was still little known, the investment promotion personnel of Yuhang (余杭) flew more than 10,000 kilometers to find us in Boston, USA," said Han Bicheng (韩璧丞), founder and CEO of Zhejiang Qiangnao Technology Co., Ltd. (浙江强脑科技有限公司).
Touched by Yuhang's (余杭) keen insight into cutting-edge technology and the sincerity of traveling across the ocean, Han Bicheng (韩璧丞) made up his mind to move the company's headquarters here.
Qiangnao Technology (强脑科技) has formed a cross-disciplinary research and development team covering brain science, artificial intelligence, medical devices, and other fields, and has more than 230 core invention patents in the field of brain-computer interface, and the industrialization process is at the forefront of the world.
To make the "sweet potato" deeply rooted and leafy, the soil also needs depth.
In Yiwu (义乌), the export business of small commodities is very active, with a daily declaration volume of more than 3,000 tickets, and most of them are declared in the form of market procurement trade. At the same time, the paperless customs declaration promoted by the customs provides great convenience for foreign trade enterprises: after the implementation of the paperless customs clearance reform, automation is realized in the examination and release links, and goods can be released 24 hours a day, which greatly improves the customs clearance efficiency of small commodity exports.
"The market procurement trade method solves the export trade problems of 'small orders, miscellaneous goods, and many varieties' and no value-added tax invoices, reduces the threshold for foreign trade, and makes us more confident to promote Yiwu's (义乌) small commodities to the world," said Cheng Li (程丽), the person in charge of Yiwu Dongcheng Customs Declaration Agency Co., Ltd. (义乌市东诚报关代理有限公司).
Yiwu (义乌), which has developed by eating the food of reform, pays attention to using the ideas and methods of reform to solve the troubles of growth, and constantly promotes reform to a deeper level. After the market procurement trade method was implemented, Yiwu Customs (义乌海关) successively introduced a series of customs clearance facilitation measures, including 24-hour online customs declaration, simplified declaration, and intelligent card pass release, which greatly simplified the customs clearance process for small commodity exports.
Let data run more and enterprises run less. At present, most of Yiwu's (义乌) customs declaration documents have realized automatic computer review, realizing the transformation from on-site "face-to-face" customs clearance to online "point-to-point" customs clearance. The fastest customs clearance for low-risk goods only takes 1 second.
In 2024, Yiwu City (义乌市) exported 471.76 billion yuan through the market procurement trade method, an increase of 21.5% year-on-year, accounting for 80.1% of Yiwu City's (义乌市) total exports, and the contribution rate to Yiwu City's (义乌市) exports was 94.3%.
There is no end to comprehensively deepening reform. The market procurement trade method, as the result of the previous round of Yiwu's (义乌) international trade reform, has been promoted to 39 market pilots. In December last year, the State Council approved Yiwu's (义乌) new round of international trade reform, and the key word is "deepening." Facing the future, Yiwu (义乌) is making every effort to accelerate the solution to the problem of "buying globally" and iterating and deepening "selling globally" to realize the two-way butterfly transformation of "buying globally and selling globally."
"I am responsible for sunshine and rain, and you are responsible for growing vigorously." Today, this has become the conscious action of party committees and governments at all levels in Zhejiang (浙江). As of the end of 2024, the total number of registered private enterprises in Zhejiang (浙江) reached 3,505,300, accounting for 92.06% of the total number of enterprise entities.
The more standardized the government's actions, the more effective the market's role. The coordinated efforts of the "visible hand" and the "invisible hand" allow the fertile soil to continuously nourish the "sweet potato," strengthening its roots and flourishing its vines.
Looking at the tubers—
Continuously improving the quality, efficiency, and core competitiveness of enterprises
The private economy is Zhejiang's "golden business card" for high-quality development.
"Developing the 'sweet potato economy' and strengthening ourselves and our tubers is a fundamental strategy." Along the way, Zhejiang's private entrepreneurs have deeply understood that only when the roots are solid and deep can they grow vigorously and branch out.
"Enterprises are the main players in business, and the internal driving force of enterprise development is paramount." In February of this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized at a symposium for private enterprises, "We must unswervingly follow the path of high-quality development, adhere to our main business, strengthen the real economy, strengthen independent innovation, transform the mode of development, and continuously improve the quality, efficiency, and core competitiveness of enterprises."
Luxuriant foliage depends on developed roots. Only by practicing internal skills can we better go global.
As Zhejiang's greatest characteristic, greatest resource, and greatest advantage, private enterprises have been working hard in recent years to deepen their roots, accumulating a stronger foundation for luxuriant foliage, blossoming, and bearing fruit.
A coin, engraving the power of focus.
Under the golden sunshine, photovoltaic panels are neatly arranged and shining brightly... This is the pattern on the commemorative coin issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Finance, which is engraved with the Aswan Benban Solar Park project, which was undertaken by Chint Group (正泰集团), a private enterprise in Zhejiang.
Thanks to Chint's world-leading photovoltaic power generation technology, the photovoltaic project was quickly implemented and generated benefits, which was highly affirmed by the Egyptian government. Moreover, Chint also unreservedly taught the construction, maintenance, and repair technologies of photovoltaics to local Egyptian employees.
From a family workshop with 8 employees to a smart energy system solutions provider with more than 50,000 employees worldwide, today, Chint Group (正泰集团) has more than 30 manufacturing bases, more than 20 international logistics centers, and more than 2,300 global distributors.
Behind the luxuriant foliage is the focus on the real economy, adherence to the main business, and innovation-driven development. "Chint has always focused on the main business of 'electricity,' first, not being greedy, second, not being lazy, doing our best, doing what we can, and doing our own thing in a down-to-earth manner," said Nan Cunhui (南存辉), the founder of Chint Group (正泰集团).
Focus is an important secret to the growth of the "sweet potato." Only by adhering to the main business and strengthening the real economy can the "sweet potato" be deeply rooted and grow vigorously.
Highly focused on business, with the proportion of revenue from the primary main business basically maintained at over 90% in the past 5 years... The "2024 Zhejiang Province Scaled Private Enterprise Development Report" released by the Zhejiang Federation of Industry and Commerce believes that Zhejiang's scaled private enterprises have four major development characteristics, the first of which is "adhering to the main responsibility and main business, and continuously promoting the steady development of enterprises."
A spoonful of salt, witnessing the persistence of innovation.
In the exhibition hall on the first floor of the Transfar Building (传化大厦), the dazzling array of chemical products is overwhelming, but the most eye-catching is "a spoonful of salt."
In 1987, Transfar (传化) initially focused on liquid soap, which was in great demand in the market. The washing effect was good, but the consistency was not enough. Although the product was not difficult to sell, Xu Chuanhua (徐传化), the founder of the company, insisted on overcoming the technical difficulties.
Transfar (传化) hired a "Sunday engineer" who asked for 4,000 yuan. After bargaining, the deal was made for 2,000 yuan. This amount was equivalent to all of Transfar's (传化) start-up capital, and the technology purchased was only a spoonful of salt.
Having suffered from the lack of technology, Transfar (传化) people have strengthened their determination to take the road of scientific and technological innovation.
Through product innovation, Transfar Group's (传化集团) textile chemicals business has accelerated its march towards the world's number one; through technological innovation, Transfar Group (传化集团) has broken the long-term monopoly of Dutch, Japanese, and other companies, and supplied rare earth rubber to the world's top ten tire companies... In the past 3 years, Transfar Group (传化集团) has maintained an annual compound growth rate of 50% in technology investment and 30% in innovation investment.
Only by standing at the forefront of technology can we better "go global." In 2024, the total R&D investment of the top 200 private enterprises in Zhejiang was 265.953 billion yuan, with an average of 1.33 billion yuan per household. Currently, Zhejiang is implementing a three-year action plan to strengthen the main position of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, striving to increase the R&D intensity of industrial enterprises above designated size to more than 3.4% and cultivate more than 8 enterprises to enter the world's top 500 in enterprise R&D investment.
A brand, marking the height of quality.
Unbranded razors wholesale for more than 20 yuan abroad, while branded ones can sell for more than 60 yuan - in the eyes of Yiwu (义乌) merchants, it is more cost-effective to do business with brands.
Yiwu's (义乌) small commodities radiate to more than 230 countries and regions around the world, but most of them are OEM products, and it is difficult to sustain solely relying on quantity and price. Merchants are eager to build brands directly to consumers.
Going overseas together to create brands. Starting this year, the "Yiwu Good Goods" (义乌好货) brand overseas collection store, which brings together more than 5,000 kinds of goods from more than 190 brands selected from the Yiwu International Trade City (义乌国际商贸城), is exported to overseas countries in the form of a whole store.
In January, the world's first "Yiwu Good Goods" (义乌好货) store opened in Yiwu (义乌) local, and signed orders worth 120 million yuan on the first day; 8 days later, the world's second store was located in Kenya, East Africa; in February, the first European store was located in Venice, Italy... "At present, the collection store has received a total of 439 intended customers from global consultations, and the number of cooperative countries has reached 11 countries. Within 3 months, it has helped more than 190 brands increase their performance by more than 100 million yuan," He Lihong (何犁红), the young president of the Yiwu Brand Development Promotion Association (义乌市品牌发展促进会), told reporters.
In Zhejiang, the power of brands and the advantages of quality are recognized by more and more enterprises. A brand matrix mainly composed of "Pin Zi Mark Zhejiang Manufacturing" ("品字标浙江制造"), "Zhejiang Export Famous Brand" ("浙江出口名牌"), "Pin Zi Mark Zhejiang Agricultural Products" ("品字标浙江农产"), "Time-Honored Brand" trademarks ("老字号"), and Zhejiang cultural tourism has taken initial shape, helping Zhejiang enterprises enhance product competitiveness and better explore domestic and international markets.
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**刳木为舟** (kū mù wéi zhōu - "hollowing out wood to make a boat," describes the primitive method of boat-making, symbolizing exploration and pioneering spirit), riding the waves, the earliest dugout canoe in China unearthed from the Xiaoshan Kuahuqiao Site (萧山跨湖桥遗址) tells the story of ancestors 8,000 years ago with distant dreams and exploring rivers and seas.
"A small boat can also cross the ocean," openness is deeply rooted in the genes of Zhejiang people.
"Continue to write new chapters in deepening reform and expanding opening up," bearing in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) earnest entrustment during his inspection in Zhejiang, Zhejiang has deeply practiced the "sweet potato economy" theory, continuously expanding new momentum for opening up to the outside world and expanding new advantages in the development of an open economy. The "sweet potato economy" in Zhejiang is flourishing with strong roots and fruitful results.
(Reported by Yu Jianbin (余建斌), Wu Qiuyu (吴秋余), Liu Junguo (刘军国), and Qi Zhiming (齐志明), reporters from this newspaper)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 郑海鸥 何思琦 李卓尔
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "The Great Wall is a representative symbol of the Chinese nation and an important symbol of Chinese civilization, embodying the Chinese nation's spirit of self-improvement and the patriotic feelings of unity and unyieldingness."
On May 14, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) replied to the villagers of Shixia Village (石峡村), Badaling Town (八达岭镇), Yanqing District (延庆区), Beijing (北京市), encouraging them to "protect the Great Wall as they protect their homes." To deeply study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important instructions, various regions are vigorously promoting the protection of the Great Wall. More and more people are approaching the Great Wall with a sense of mission and responsibility to "protect and inherit this historical and cultural heritage," using their full enthusiasm to promote Great Wall culture, tell Great Wall stories, and encourage more people to understand and protect the Great Wall.
With continuous efforts and sustained dedication, we will surely be able to pass on this precious wealth left by our ancestors from generation to generation.
-- Editor
Telling Great Wall Stories to Children
"My name is 'Rocket Man,' and I am a Great Wall protection volunteer from 'Great Wall Station,' a public welfare organization that has been established for 26 years."
At Badaling School (八达岭学校) in Yanqing District (延庆区), Beijing (北京市), the first lesson of the "Great Wall Culture Lecture Hall" began. Zhang Jun (张俊), the founder of "Great Wall Station (长城小站)," introduced himself and told the students about the "origin of the Great Wall." What was the initial prototype of the Great Wall? How was this great project gradually realized from conception? The children listened with fascination.
Carrying a large backpack, with a tent on the left and a tripod on the right, Zhang Jun's (张俊) gear was like a mobile "rocket" when walking in the mountains along the Great Wall. Over time, the name "Rocket Man" became well-known.
From seeing the Great Wall to loving the Great Wall, from loving the Great Wall to protecting the Great Wall, Zhang Jun's (张俊) footprints have spread along the Great Wall in 11 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities over the past 26 years.
"At the beginning, the purpose of creating a public welfare website like 'Great Wall Station (长城小站)' was to share knowledge, photos, and routes of the Great Wall with everyone. At that time, there were no electronic maps, and we relied entirely on paper maps and fragmented descriptions to find traces of the Great Wall," Zhang Jun (张俊) said.
In May 1999, "Great Wall Station (长城小站)" went online. A group of people who love the Great Wall gathered together.
At the same time, the "Station People" held fixed offline gatherings every Wednesday, bringing washed and sorted photos, and everyone shared their discoveries and details about the Great Wall with great enthusiasm.
Some bricks were falling off, some parts were missing... The subtle changes of the same section of the Great Wall within a few months or even weeks were discovered by this group of attentive people.
"Although our strength is not great, we always have to do something." The "Station People" quickly reached a consensus, and the transformation of "Great Wall Station (长城小站)" began.
The protection of the Wulonggou Great Wall (乌龙沟长城) in Laiyuan (涞源), Hebei (河北) was the first step. "The first time we went to the Wulonggou Great Wall (乌龙沟长城), its preservation was very good. The city wall was made of stone, and the crenellation wall was very complete. But not long after, when the 'Station People' went to check in, they found that large areas of the crenellation wall had collapsed," Zhang Jun (张俊) recalled.
It turned out that the children in the village learned that scorpions could be sold for money, so they pried open the cracks in the Great Wall to catch scorpions. "This incident touched us very deeply. They didn't know that they were guarding the Great Wall, and they thought the Great Wall was only the Badaling (八达岭) section in Beijing (北京)," Zhang Jun (张俊) said.
True Great Wall protection cannot rely solely on a group of people who love the Great Wall; the protection of the villagers living at the foot of the Great Wall is even more important.
In 2004, "Great Wall Station (长城小站)" launched the "Living by the Great Wall (家住长城边)" project. This was a bold attempt and a warm action. The "Station People" went into the villages to take photos of the villagers, produce Great Wall brochures and cards, donate books and picture books to schools near the Great Wall, organize volunteers to tell Great Wall stories to the children, and also planned essay competitions.
"Share your Great Wall photos and experiences with friends; take away trash to maintain the cleanliness of the Great Wall; dissuade people from carving on the Great Wall; donate a book to children; report any suspected damage to the Great Wall immediately..." In 2016, "Great Wall Station (长城小站)" launched the "Five Things Everyone Can Do for the Great Wall (人人能为长城做的五件事)" initiative. Protecting the Great Wall can start from the things around us and from every individual.
"Love the Great Wall, love life. Use the internet and images to protect the Great Wall." This is a slogan of "Great Wall Station (长城小站)," and it is also the lifestyle of this group of "Station People." They interpret their love for the Great Wall with their actions.
Painting the Great Wall for the World
At the beginning of this year, an art exhibition entitled "The Great Wall, the Spirit of China (万里长城 中国精神)" was held in the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, France. Nearly 20 oil paintings of the Great Wall showed different scenery of the Jiankou (箭扣), Simatai (司马台), and Badaling Great Wall (八达岭长城) in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Visitors from all over the world stopped to admire the magnificent posture of the ancient Great Wall.
The artist who created these works is Tian Fengyin (田凤银), a Chinese oil painter specializing in Great Wall themes. For more than 30 years, she has traveled tens of thousands of kilometers, created more than 800 oil paintings on the theme of the Great Wall, and held nearly 60 solo exhibitions on the theme of the Great Wall in 26 countries. "The Great Wall is a part of my life. I want to use my paintbrush to let the whole world know its story," Tian Fengyin (田凤银) said.
Born in Huairou (怀柔), Beijing (北京), Tian Fengyin (田凤银) grew up in Yushuidong Village (鱼水洞村) at the foot of the Great Wall. "We often played hide-and-seek and read books on the Great Wall, and we would lie down and take a nap when we were tired," she recalled. When she was in junior high school, she fell in love with painting and began to sketch the Great Wall in her notebook. With the changing seasons, wind, frost, rain, and snow, the Great Wall was new every time she painted it.
In 1988, Tian Fengyin (田凤银) was admitted to the Fine Arts Department of Capital Normal University (首都师范大学). In her sophomore year, the oil painting teacher asked each student to choose a creative theme, and Tian Fengyin (田凤银) chose the Great Wall.
"If there were no Great Wall, I would not have applied for the fine arts major in the college entrance examination." Tian Fengyin (田凤银) said with a firm tone when talking about her choice at that time, "I want to use my paintbrush to paint my hometown well and paint the Great Wall well."
"How can such a thin girl control the theme of the Great Wall?" Tian Fengyin's (田凤银) decision was unanimously opposed by teachers and students. To paint the magnificence of the Great Wall, one needs a solid foundation in landscape painting. And the Great Wall, built on steep mountains, is even more of a test for sketching.
The first time Tian Fengyin (田凤银) went to Jiankou Great Wall (箭扣长城) to sketch, she took a bus to Xibadaohe (西八道河) and walked 8 li (里) to Xizhazicun Village (西栅子村) at the foot of the Great Wall. "It was getting dark at that time, and I could only stay at the home of a local villager," Tian Fengyin (田凤银) said. "The next day, the elder sister-in-law of the family where I stayed got up early to make breakfast for me and also baked some white flour pancakes for me to take with me on the road."
The girl, weighing more than 80 jin (斤), carried dozens of jin (斤) of painting equipment and climbed for more than 4 hours before finally reaching the Jiankou Great Wall (箭扣长城). When she stood on the top of the mountain and looked at the autumn colors inside and outside the Great Wall, Tian Fengyin (田凤银) couldn't recover for a long time. Setting up her easel, Tian Fengyin (田凤银) forgot the time and kept painting until she couldn't see the canvas clearly, and then she realized that it was already dark.
"At that time, I suddenly realized that I couldn't go down the mountain, but if I didn't go down the mountain, I might freeze to death on the mountain." When Tian Fengyin (田凤银) was cold, hungry, and scared, the elder sister-in-law and the villagers went up the mountain to find her. "It was these simple and kind villagers at the foot of the Great Wall who saved me." Tian Fengyin (田凤银) is still full of gratitude.
She paints not only the magnificent scenery of the Great Wall but also the people who live at the foot of the Great Wall. In Tian Fengyin's (田凤银) "Hometown Feelings (乡情)" series, villagers plow, cultivate, and graze cattle at the foot of the mountain, and the Great Wall lies quietly on the distant mountain, guarding the village.
May is the season when chestnut flowers are in full bloom, and the fluffy flowers hang down like ears of grain. "When I was a child, my father often took us to wear chestnut flowers, and after roasting them with fire, we put them on the windowsill to smoke mosquitoes," Tian Fengyin (田凤银) said. In autumn, the mountains and plains are full of chestnut trees covered with heavy chestnut burrs, and the villagers are busy harvesting and selling chestnuts.
"Chestnuts are sweet and condense the sweat of the villagers." With the sweetest memories of her childhood, Tian Fengyin (田凤银) created "Chestnut Flowers Fragrant Inside and Outside the Great Wall (长城内外栗花香)," which was collected by the Louvre in 2006.
Tian Fengyin's (田凤银) paintings combine the harmony and freehand beauty of Chinese landscape painting with realism, taking large mountains and large rivers, achieving vastness and breadth, exhausting the subtleties of vegetation, and observing the warmth and coldness of colors. "In the early days, I pursued the true restoration of the Great Wall. Later, I wanted to express the spirit of the Great Wall through painting. It is a symbol of the cohesion of the Chinese nation," Tian Fengyin (田凤银) said.
Long-term Observation in the Lens
In Dingbian County (定边县), Shaanxi (陕西), Li Shengcheng (李生程) is still excited to climb the Great Wall again. Having just recovered from a serious illness and being over seventy years old, his physical strength and energy are not as good as before, but he still insists on accompanying photography enthusiasts from afar to climb the Great Wall, photograph the Great Wall, and talk about the Great Wall. Li Shengcheng (李生程) said excitedly: "Since last year, the whole society has paid more attention to the Great Wall, and the protection of the Great Wall and the inheritance of Great Wall culture have ushered in a good time. We who live at the foot of the Great Wall are full of happiness."
Dingbian County (定边县) has been a borderland since ancient times, and the Sui (隋) and Ming Great Wall (明长城) ruins meander through it. Li Shengcheng (李生程), a member of the China Great Wall Society (中国长城学会) and the former director of the Anbian Town Cultural Station (安边镇文化站) in Dingbian County (定边县), holds a camera and has walked the Great Wall four times for a long time and a long distance. He has taken tens of thousands of photos of the Great Wall for more than 40 years and has become a well-known "Great Wall Expert (长城通)." The Shaanxi Northern Great Wall Museum (陕北长城博物馆) is the result of his investigation, collection, photography, sorting, and collection.
The seven characters of "Shaanxi Northern Great Wall Museum (陕北长城博物馆)" were inscribed by the famous Great Wall expert Luo Zhewen (罗哲文). On both sides of the entrance passage of the museum, large photos of Jiayuguan (嘉峪关) and Shanhaiguan (山海关) are hung on the earthen walls, which were taken by Li Shengcheng (李生程) when he walked the Great Wall in 2006. The exhibition area is not large, but the content is very rich. More than 60 exhibition cabinets and thousands of pictures tell the story of the protection of the Great Wall in northern Shaanxi.
"I was born here, at the foot of Wulidun (五里墩) in Anbian Town (安边镇)." Pointing to a yellowed black and white photo of the Great Wall pier, Li Shengcheng (李生程) recalled, "I climbed up and down the Great Wall since I was a child, and listened to my grandmother tell some stories about the Great Wall. I felt that the Great Wall was both familiar and mysterious."
In the 1980s, Li Shengcheng (李生程), who graduated from the fine arts major, became obsessed with photography and inadvertently aimed his camera at Wulidun (五里墩). "That kind of historical depth and the echo of the years shocked me." Later, his photos of the Great Wall won many awards, "which also made more people pay attention to the Great Wall and inspired my confidence in taking pictures of the Great Wall."
Taking pictures of the Great Wall itself, recording the changes of the Great Wall, and taking pictures of the lives of people inside and outside the Great Wall... Li Shengcheng (李生程), who works at the cultural station, is busy all day long.
"I grew up at the foot of the Great Wall, what else can I do?" Li Shengcheng (李生程) had a bold idea - to walk the Great Wall in northern Shaanxi and record the whole process.
He set off as soon as he said it. "The luggage weighed a full 38 jin (斤), and my heart was full of enthusiasm." In 1992, Li Shengcheng (李生程) set off from Fugu County (府谷县), from east to west, lasting 108 days, walking about 1,500 kilometers, walking and taking pictures... When he was hungry, he would take a bite of dry food, and when he was sleepy, he would knock on the door of the villagers' homes. "The villagers were touched by my spirit of walking the Great Wall alone and took good care of me."
During the trek, Li Shengcheng (李生程) used his knowledge of cultural relics to take photos and record with black and white and color cameras, and tried to number each pier. The numbering record of 1,115 piers, 30,000 words of investigation notes, and more than 10,000 photos, this trek not only gave Li Shengcheng (李生程) a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the Great Wall and the local customs of the Great Wall, but also left valuable historical data.
"It's not enough to shoot." In the following decades, Li Shengcheng (李生程) climbed the Great Wall again and again, and sorted out and published 6 albums, filmed documentaries, and actively promoted the legislative work of Great Wall protection... "I deeply feel that the work of Great Wall protection is gradually deepening, and the concept of Great Wall protection is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people."
In Li Shengcheng's (李生程) lens, those once-damaged city walls are gradually being repaired, and the surrounding endless yellow sand has also turned into patches of green. What is even more touching is the smiling faces of the villagers at the foot of the Great Wall. "Their pockets are bulging, and their lives are better! Relying on the Great Wall resources, they have embarked on the road to prosperity, and everyone has moved from cave dwellings to brick houses." Li Shengcheng (李生程) said that the villagers spontaneously protect every brick and tile of the Great Wall and strive for a better life.
In the meantime, a group of elementary school students walked into the museum, and there were exclamations of praise during the visit. Li Shengcheng (李生程) said with full expectation, "The Shaanxi Northern Great Wall Museum (陕北长城博物馆) is an education base for many schools, and it has planted the seeds of protecting the Great Wall and inheriting the Great Wall culture in the hearts of many children."
Now in the museum, Li Shengcheng's (李生程) daughter, Li Miaomiao (李苗苗), is busy up and down. "I hope to continue my father's career, drive more people to understand the Great Wall and protect the Great Wall, and pass on this precious wealth left by our ancestors from generation to generation," Li Miaomiao (李苗苗) said.
(Qu Wangye (瞿王烨) participated in the writing)
Return to TopBy: 汤羽扬
Having undergone thousands of years of tempering, the Great Wall is undoubtedly a magnificent architectural miracle and unparalleled historical and cultural landscape in human history. It embodies the profound wisdom and cultural genes of the Chinese nation and has special historical and cultural value. It is a spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation.
For thousands of years, affected by natural climate change and long-term human activities, the Great Wall has changed from its original complete architectural form to the current form of ruins, mainly relics and remains, with vastly different appearances. In 1952, the Chinese government organized and launched the first batch of Great Wall protection and maintenance projects, including Juyongguan (居庸关), Badaling (八达岭), and Shanhaiguan (山海关). To this day, the Great Wall protection project has continued uninterrupted. From complete form restoration to incomplete form reinforcement, to the original site protection, the concept and technological exploration of Great Wall protection have never stopped for more than 70 years. The concept of Great Wall site protection, where preservation is better than maintenance, maintenance is better than repair, and repair is better than reconstruction, has reached a consensus, and the technical methods of Great Wall site protection are still being continuously explored and improved. In recent years, the implementation of multi-dimensional scientific and technological means such as Great Wall emergency protection, research-based protection, digital protection, preventive protection, drone monitoring, daily inspection and maintenance, and social participation in protection has provided comprehensive solutions for the effective protection of heritage under environmental climate change, and the overall development of Great Wall heritage protection is improving. We should also realize that the Great Wall is the cultural heritage most threatened by disasters. We must continue to increase the protection of the Great Wall and its environment with an attitude of being responsible to history and the people, so as to preserve the Great Wall heritage with its original historical appearance for future generations.
The Great Wall is not only a material heritage, but also accumulates profound historical, cultural significance and spiritual connotation. It is a common and valuable asset of mankind. The research, interpretation, and display of the value of the Great Wall are of great significance for demonstrating the self-confidence of the Chinese nation and promoting Chinese civilization.
In the 1950s, the Badaling Great Wall (八达岭长城) took the lead in opening to the public. Great Wall tourist areas such as Shanhaiguan (山海关) and Jiayuguan (嘉峪关) have played a positive role in the world's understanding of China. The Great Wall is not only a tourist destination that people yearn for, but also a place for cultural exchange, a stage to show contemporary China to the world, and a bridge and link to promote friendship between China and foreign countries. In recent years, the construction of the Great Wall National Cultural Park has been steadily advancing. Many provinces and cities have launched "Great Wall Culture +" cultural tourism brands, carried out a series of cultural tourism activities, opened Great Wall theme museums and exhibition halls, held academic forums, creative competitions, live performances, sports activities, published books, etc., forming a Great Wall cultural communication upsurge, and drawing the general public closer to the Great Wall.
Compared with the Great Wall protection project, the research and practice of Great Wall value excavation and value interpretation system construction started relatively late, and it is necessary to speed up the comprehensive, systematic, and in-depth research on the value of the Great Wall. Combining the natural, historical, construction, artistic, cultural, and scientific characteristics of the area where the Great Wall is located, tell the stories of the Great Wall, historical stories, and contemporary stories, establish a scientific and complete multi-value system of the Great Wall, explore multi-mode opening paths through clear interpretation themes and rich display methods, drive the integrated utilization and coordinated development of resources along the Great Wall, promote the dissemination and exchange of Great Wall culture, and let the ancient Great Wall radiate a new look of the times.
The Great Wall has witnessed the Chinese nation's ideal and pursuit of harmonious coexistence, the peaceful awareness of guarding the homeland, the spirit of self-improvement, and the indomitable patriotic feelings. Protecting the Great Wall and passing on this precious wealth left by our ancestors from generation to generation is our unshirkable responsibility.
(The author is a professor at Beijing University of Architecture (北京建筑大学) and executive vice president of the Beijing Great Wall Culture Research Institute (北京长城文化研究院).)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 龚相娟
"In the past, dough figurines were only the size of fingers, stuck on bamboo sticks for children to play with. Now, dough sculptures are more than a palm's length tall, standing in bookshelves and on desks, becoming beloved handicrafts or collectibles." Zhang Yajie (张亚杰), the fourth-generation inheritor of Tianjin (天津) dough sculpture (pictured, photo provided by the interviewee), pointed to a half-foot-tall ancient court lady, a recently completed work on her workbench.
The court lady's skirt billows like clouds, her sleeves fluttering. Illuminated by the light, she exhibits the artistic characteristics of the school of "clothes as thin as gauze, hair as fine as silk, flowing and dynamic patterns on the clothes, and figures as beautiful and lifelike." Especially that touch of translucent color, which holds the secret to the century-old inheritance of Tianjin (天津) dough sculpture.
Dough sculpture, commonly known as "捏面人" (niē miàn rén - "pinching dough figures"), is made by shaping flour mixed with pigments into different shapes. In ancient times, it was mostly used for sacrifices and celebrations, but later gradually entered the public eye and became a traditional Chinese folk handicraft. Tianjin (天津) dough sculpture is characterized by its elegant colors, realistic shapes, delicate craftsmanship, and profound artistic conception. Among these, the court lady figure is particularly famous. All of this originated a century ago with a civil engineer's "obsession with sandboxes."
In the 1940s, student Lei Lianji (雷连吉) studied civil engineering and wanted to add some "atmosphere" to his architectural model sandbox. He tried using paper, wood, and cloth to make figure models, but none were ideal. One day, he encountered an artisan, Master Li (李师傅), selling dough figurines on the street. The Monkey King (孙悟空) and Pigsy (猪八戒) on the bamboo sticks were sculpted very vividly. These dough figurines were the right size to place in the sandbox, but the subject matter did not match the style of the sandbox. Could he customize figures that matched the style of the garden architecture? Master Li (李师傅) replied, "I can't do it." So Lei Lianji (雷连吉) bought some dough and figurines and went home to study them himself. This study lasted a lifetime.
Without a teacher to guide him, Lei Lianji (雷连吉) could not grasp the essentials. He wanted to go back to the stall to observe and learn, but found that Master Li (李师傅) was no longer in the same place. They met again a year or two later. During the war, Master Li (李师傅), suffering from hunger, cold, and illness, collapsed on the roadside. Lei Lianji (雷连吉) recognized him and took him home for treatment. Master Li (李师傅) then passed on the craft of dough figurine making, which he had relied on to survive in Tianjin (天津) for 20 years, to Lei Lianji (雷连吉).
A bowl of medicine exchanged for a teacher-student relationship. Master Li (李师傅) became the founder of Tianjin (天津) dough sculpture, and later generations respected him as "Master Li (李师)." The second-generation inheritor, Lei Lianji (雷连吉), inherited and innovated the dough figurine craft, improved the tools and techniques for making dough figurines, and introduced sculpting techniques, changing from mainly hand-pinching to a combination of pinching and sculpting. The basic shape is kneaded by hand, and the details are meticulously carved with tools. The sideburns of the court ladies and the scales of the armor of the military generals are all vividly displayed. He placed the dough figurines in the sandbox, accompanied by miniature landscapes of mountains, rocks, and plants, creating a virtual and real artistic conception. Since then, Tianjin (天津) dough sculpture has evolved from a children's toy to an ornamental handicraft.
Modulating the dough, designing and preparing, making and shaping, air-drying and finishing, a single dough sculpture work generally takes thirty to forty hours, completed through 4 processes and more than 20 steps. The traditional method of preserving dough figurines is to use Chinese herbal medicines, but the Chinese herbal medicines themselves have color, and the resulting dough is dull and not transparent enough. This problem was left to the next generation.
Wang Di (王玓), the third-generation inheritor of Tianjin (天津) dough sculpture, spent decades studying the characteristics of dough. She experimented with dozens of reagents and finally found a suitable dough preparation agent, which made the "black dough" become "translucent jade light," which also made the court lady dough sculpture works created by Wang Di (王玓) even more exquisite.
"My teacher likes painting and sculpture. She draws inspiration from meticulous brushwork painting. Based on dough sculpture themes such as opera and mythological figures, she created the unique Tianjin (天津) dough sculpture theme of ancient court ladies as the protagonist, and emphasized the creation of artistic conception in the works, making the dough sculpture works more artistic," said Zhang Yajie (张亚杰). The elegance of the gauze skirt in the wind, the softness of the hair, the lightness of the petals, and the texture expressed by the translucent dough are stronger. From then on, the thin, light gauze and the moist, jade-like appearance in the dough sculpture works are no longer a luxury.
In 2021, Tianjin (天津) dough sculpture was selected as a national intangible cultural heritage representative project. Zhang Yajie (张亚杰) was encouraged by this and taught dough sculpture skills in the studio, which allowed the inheritance of Tianjin (天津) dough sculpture to break the single-teacher inheritance model and move towards a diversified path. With the support of the Hexi District (河西区) Cultural Center, he went to primary and secondary schools, elderly universities, and other types of schools, providing fun and differentiated teaching according to different age groups.
Looking at the works in the display cabinet, Zhang Yajie (张亚杰) said that he will work hard to do a good job in inheritance and innovation in the future, so that Tianjin (天津) dough sculpture can become a bright business card for foreign exchanges.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 孙 超 苏 滨 窦瀚洋
Xi Jinping (习近平), General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, pointed out: "We are now promoting rural revitalization, which requires a large number of talents and high-quality labor. Our young people and intellectuals should also flow in both directions."
Today, on the vast rural land, young people are integrating their personal ideals into the cause of comprehensive rural revitalization, and the countryside is providing a stage for young people to realize their value. The countryside and young people are attracting and complementing each other.
Starting today, this edition launches a series of reports titled "Youth Observation: Two-way Engagement Between Countryside and Youth," which deeply explores the opportunities the countryside provides for young people and the changes young people bring to the countryside, tells the stories of young people and the countryside growing together, showcases the youthful power of comprehensive rural revitalization, and explores the beautiful future of common development between the countryside and young people, in order to inspire readers to think more about rural development and youth growth.
-- Editor
Comprehensive rural revitalization is inseparable from agricultural modernization. Recently, reporters approached several new farmers and listened to them tell stories about devoting themselves to agricultural modernization, helping rural industrial revitalization, and promoting the development of new quality productive forces in agriculture.
"Agricultural Second Generation" Lets Technology Go to the Fields
During the spring plowing season, in Sanhe Village (三合村), Huatang Town (华塘镇), Beihu District (北湖区), Chenzhou (郴州), Hunan (湖南), a tractor is dragging a rotary tiller, stirring up rolling waves of mud. Scattered mud spots hit Luo Yu (骆雨), a 28-year-old female machine operator and head of Chenzhou Guji Agricultural Co., Ltd. (郴州谷稷农业有限责任公司). After returning to her hometown for three years, she has long been accustomed to such scenes and enjoys them.
As the daughter of a large grain grower, Luo Yu, an "agricultural second generation," returned home three years ago to take over the industry. In her opinion, the vast countryside is where the future value lies, but as soon as she returned, Luo Yu was "taught a lesson" by reality: her father's 4,000 mu of farmland were scattered in 5 townships, and in some "palm-sized fields," harvesters could not even turn around; some terraced fields were "hope-for-rain fields," and guaranteed harvests were a luxury.
The "relying on the weather" nature of agriculture made Luo Yu realize that there was a lot of room for improvement in traditional farming methods. "To make growing grain profitable, we must reorganize the production model and let more technology 'go to the fields'," Luo Yu said.
Based on the local terrain characteristics, Luo Yu proposed integrating adjacent plots of less than 1 mu into standard plots of about 4 mu, transforming inefficient terraced fields, and building supporting irrigation ditches and hardened machine farming roads. Her husband used his expertise to set up a drone fleet, achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the plant protection process.
The effect was immediate. "In Shishantou Village (石山头村), a 230-mu abandoned terraced field produced 276,000 jin of rice in the same year after renovation, creating an economic value of 400,000 yuan," Luo Yu said.
"Going it alone won't make a difference; we must find ways to achieve economies of scale." Luo Yu absorbed farmers into the company she led to establish, uniting their efforts.
Unified procurement of agricultural materials reduced fertilizer costs by 28%, unified channel sales increased the rice purchase price by 0.3 yuan per jin, and "shared agricultural machinery" provided farmers with lower-priced socialized services for cultivation, planting, management, and harvesting. In 2024, the company managed more than 60,000 mu of farmland on behalf of others, leading 2,000 households to increase their average income by 15,000 yuan.
In 2024, Luo Yu also founded an agricultural machinery training class, training more than 100 agricultural machinery operators for the town. Currently, Guji Agriculture has cultivated 12 new farmers born in the 1990s and attracted 4 college students to return to their hometowns.
"Agricultural machinery is stored in the open air, which affects its service life. However, building a factory faces the problem of land use red lines." After Luo Yu raised this issue, relevant leaders of Beihu District brought the competent departments to the village to hold an on-site meeting, clarified the policies, and legally and compliantly solved this old problem. The company's agricultural service center has developed rapidly, saving farmers more than 3 million yuan in production costs.
There is also a series of comprehensive support policies to help people like Luo Yu, who are doing a good job as the "leading geese" in industrial revitalization in rural areas. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Hunan Province (湖南省农业农村厅) issued relevant documents to provide comprehensive support to the "leading geese" in terms of "strengthening industrial connection support," "strengthening financial insurance services," and "improving incentive and guarantee measures." Not long ago, Luo Yu won the title of "Top Ten Talents for Returning to Hometowns and Starting Businesses in Chenzhou City" (郴州市十大返乡入乡创新创业人才). "With the 300,000 yuan bonus, I plan to purchase rice processing equipment to extend the industrial chain and increase added value."
In recent years, Chenzhou City has launched "52 New Talent Policies" (人才新政52条) to improve the policy system for returning to hometowns and starting businesses, proposing to train 3,000 rural leaders and high-quality farmers every year, and providing recognition and rewards for outstanding rural talents. The constantly fulfilled talent policies bring a full sense of gain to new farmers.
Doctoral Team Helps Farmers Grow Vegetables
After the Qingming Festival, in the greenhouses of Huangcang Community (黄仓社区), Haibian Street (海边街道), Weining Yi, Hui and Miao Autonomous County (威宁彝族回族苗族自治县), Bijie City (毕节市), Guizhou (贵州), a new season of radishes is waiting to be harvested.
"This is no ordinary radish; it's an experimental radish grown by doctors." Jiang Xian (江先), a large grower, rushed to join the fun, widening his eyes and stepping forward to watch. "The greenhouse is divided into many grids. I heard that some are fertilized to the maximum, and some are reduced in order. The harvested radishes must also be sorted, packaged, tested, and analyzed to find the balance point between fertilizer and yield and efficiency."
Due to natural conditions such as low latitude, high altitude, and little sunshine, Weining County's alpine cool vegetables are well-known, but they once lacked scientific and technological support, and their momentum in terms of agricultural efficiency and farmers' income increase was insufficient.
Time goes back 6 years. After graduating with a doctorate at the age of 30, Li Jingwei (李经纬) joined Guizhou University (贵州大学) and joined the doctoral team established by Professor Zhang Wanping (张万萍) of the College of Agriculture to make up for the technological shortcomings of the vegetable industry. In the month he joined the company, Li Jingwei went straight to Weining.
At that time, he happened to catch up with the county's Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau for research and came to a cabbage planting base. Li Jingwei took a closer look and saw that many cabbages had a big crack. She directly asked, "Who tore the vegetables open?" As soon as she finished speaking, there was laughter at the scene.
"Oops! I made a fool of myself!" Li Jingwei reacted to the moist soil and muddy ponds. Weining County had recently experienced drought and little rain, and a sudden heavy rain caused the cabbage to absorb water too quickly, and the cell tissue could not bear it for a while, and it would naturally crack. "I learned it in the book, but I haven't used it yet. I suffered from the disconnect between theory and practice." In the next three months, Li Jingwei studied silently and brought advanced productivity to the fields.
"The doctoral team has a total of 10 people, all of whom are young people. They can endure hardships and are dedicated. Everyone has the same interests." Zhang Wanping said that according to the vegetable varieties in Weining County, members formed small teams. Yan Jianmin (闫见敏) attacked "yam," Li Wei (李伟) attacked "ginger," Yi Weijie (易维洁) attacked "taro," and Li Jingwei attacked "cauliflower" and was responsible for disease and pest control. In the process of optimizing varieties and serving the industry, they strive to become leaders in a certain vegetable single product or a certain link.
Variety selection, soil testing and formula, seedling planting... While researching and tackling key problems, Li Jingwei organized training for enterprises, cooperatives, large growers, and agricultural technicians, explaining every link of vegetable planting, guiding them to plant scientifically, and connecting with modern agriculture.
In Weining County alone, the doctoral team has successively promoted more than 10 new varieties of cabbage, Chinese cabbage, onion, red cabbage moss, etc. Today, technology services also cover Guiyang (贵阳), Qiannan (黔南), Zunyi (遵义) and other places. "Both yield and quality have been improved, and there is more room for farmers to increase their income. It's different to grow vegetables with technology!" Zhao Jun (赵军), head of Weining County Lingyun Planting and Breeding Professional Cooperative (威宁县凌云种植养殖专业合作社), said with emotion, looking at the standardized vegetable base.
Once, in a vegetable base in Weining County, the radish suddenly wilted and the roots swelled, as if it had contracted a disease. Li Jingwei initially determined that it was cruciferous clubroot.
"This disease is highly contagious and can easily lead to crop failure. We must race against time and quickly take samples back to school to do a series of experiments such as physiological activity to determine which physiological race it belongs to." Li Jingwei said that although it was determined to be the most toxic type, fortunately, a special preparation was used in time to recover some losses.
While promoting preparation control, Li Jingwei also selected several vegetable bases in the local area to continue carrying out disease-resistant variety trials to improve the disease resistance of vegetables from the source. "The new varieties launched are particularly popular, and the research results have also been successfully published."
With the efforts of the doctoral team, growers have gradually used bio-bacterial fertilizers, reduced the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and paid attention to improving soil structure. In particular, tail vegetable treatment, farmers have slowly learned to use it to ferment and produce organic fertilizer, which is low in cost, less polluting, and has good fertilizer efficiency.
It is necessary to plant well and manage well. Li Jingwei is promoting green prevention and control of diseases and insect pests, including immune induction technology, biological prevention and control of major diseases and insect pests, etc., which helps to improve the quality of agricultural products, increase market competitiveness, and promote increased production and income for farmers.
"The vast countryside has unlimited potential and is a big stage for young people to start businesses!" Li Jingwei looked forward to it.
College Students Return Home to Run Farms
These days, the peach trees at Nanye Farm (南野农庄) in Dingzhai Village (丁宅村), Dingzhai Township (丁宅乡), Shangyu District (上虞区), Shaoxing City (绍兴市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省) are full of fruit.
With knee-high rubber shoes on her feet and pruning shears in her hand, Wang Yuanyuan (王园园) walks through the peach forest, occasionally raising her hand to prune excess peach branches and small fruits. "Pruning excess branches and fruits will result in better quality fruits."
After graduating from China Agricultural University (中国农业大学) with a bachelor's degree in 2013, Wang Yuanyuan chose to return to her hometown to develop. When she heard that a college student was going home to raise pigs and grow land, neighbors were both curious and puzzled.
"My original intention was to use what I learned to do something for my family." Wang Yuanyuan said that she majored in animal science at university. At that time, the village's breeding industry was booming, and her father planned to set up a pig farm, so she volunteered to go home to help.
However, in the first few years of returning to her hometown, Wang Yuanyuan's rural entrepreneurship was not smooth. "I have successively tried large-scale pig farms, farmhouses, homestays, orchards, etc., but they are not very ideal." Wang Yuanyuan analyzed and summarized afterwards that on the one hand, she had too little experience and limited information channels; on the other hand, at that time, the villagers had heavy traditional agricultural concepts, and some new ideas and concepts had to be slowly adapted to.
Seeing the green mountains and clear waters of Dingzhai Township, Wang Yuanyuan planned to eat rural tourism. She transferred more than 200 mu of land, invested more than one million yuan, and set up "Nanye Farm" to improve the infrastructure in the mountains and successively introduced high-quality breeding varieties such as golden honey peaches and Xianju native chickens (仙居土鸡).
"My idea is to walk on 'two legs'. I not only want to seize the urban market with high-quality agricultural products, but also develop special agricultural experience activities such as fruit picking and crop adoption and planting, and develop rural tourism." Wang Yuanyuan said that the farm has gradually explored a path of "ecology + sustainability", driving 8 idle laborers in the village to join the farm, with an average annual income increase of nearly 40,000 yuan per person.
Under her leadership, the villagers' minds have also become active. The village has successively built waterfront container homestays, cafes, rural hotels, etc. Dingzhai Village has built Datong Farm (大通农场), Longlin Dam (龙鳞坝), Silkworm Museum (蚕桑馆) and other popular projects around the three areas of "parent-child leisure, sports cool play, and agricultural research", attracting more than 900,000 tourists annually.
At the same time, under the guidance and support of government departments, Wang Yuanyuan also took the lead in establishing the Shangyu District New Farmers Alliance (上虞区新农人联盟) to attract more new farmers born in the 1980s and 1990s who are "knowledgeable, understand technology, and know how to operate" to return to their hometowns to start businesses. Today, this organization that gathers young people who return to their hometowns to start businesses has become a "gold lettered signboard" of the local agricultural tourism industry, driving the sales of agricultural products and rural tourism in 8 towns in the district.
Rural tourism has boosted rural goods, but careful Wang Yuanyuan has discovered new problems - most fruit farmers set up stalls along the road to sell, and sometimes in order to seize the sales period, they even sell at low prices. "It's a pity to sell such good agricultural products like this."
She took the honey peaches in the farm as a pilot project, changed the original habit of selling mixed sizes and qualities, adopted a grading system, carefully selected honey peaches according to size and quality, and used gift box packaging. "Honey peaches can still be sold like this?" Many fruit farmers exclaimed.
"We should develop together and form our Dingzhai Township brand." Under her advocacy and leadership, fruit farmers have embarked on the road of branding and refinement.
"Little Wang, this college student is really different!" Fruit farmer Ren Qingcan (任庆灿) gave a thumbs up. Because there is no worry about sales, in recent years, the planting area of special fruits such as honey peaches in Dingzhai Township has continued to expand, with an annual output increase of 25%, and the annual income of fruit farmers has increased by nearly 40 million yuan.
At the same time, under the leadership of the construction of a maker city in Shangyu District, the "Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Project" for cultivating modern new farmers was implemented, and the "Ten Policies for Co-creation of Yu Farmers" (虞农共创政策十条) was introduced, and more and more new farmers like Wang Yuanyuan emerged.
"The vast countryside has a lot to offer, and I still have many ideas that haven't been implemented yet." Wang Yuanyuan's words were full of confidence.
Return to TopBy: 杨 昊
From rice paddies in Chenzhou (郴州), Hunan Province to vegetable bases in Weining (威宁), Guizhou Province, and then to peach orchards in Shaoxing (绍兴), Zhejiang Province, the countryside is becoming a vast stage for young people to showcase their talents.
A doctoral team from Guizhou University (贵州大学), through variety improvement and green prevention and control technologies, has transformed the high-altitude vegetable industry from "relying on the heavens for food" to "scientific farming," driving income growth for farmers; new agricultural practitioners in Zhejiang (浙江) have upgraded farms into complexes integrating picking, research and study, and homestays through the "ecology + tourism" model... Technological empowerment has reshaped the competitiveness of rural industries, allowing agriculture to be revitalized and more efficient; industrial integration, with innovative thinking to revitalize rural resources, has led to the continuous emergence of new rural business forms, new models, and new scenarios. Young people are actively involved in the cause of agricultural modernization, and there is much to be done and achieved.
In the process of advancing Chinese-style modernization, the countryside is a field full of hope and a stage for starting a business. Heading to the countryside is both a response to national sentiments and a pursuit of life values. Using broad development opportunities to attract people, using a beautiful environment to retain people, and solving the concerns of young talents in terms of career development and social security, can allow young people to stay in the countryside and develop better and better. In the future, we look forward to more young people actively participating in the main battlefield of comprehensive rural revitalization, displaying their talents and 大显身手 (dà xiǎn shēn shǒu - "fully display one's skills," to demonstrate great talent or ability).
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 刘博通
The new farmers who work diligently in the fields, the science and technology commissioners who provide agricultural technology services to the villagers... Agricultural modernization provides a broad stage for young people.
Currently, what opportunities does the countryside provide for young people to devote themselves to the modernization of agriculture and rural areas? How can we expand the career development paths of young people in the revitalization of rural industries? How can we create a better environment for young talents? The reporter interviewed Cheng Yongbo (程永波), President of Nanjing University of Finance and Economics (南京财经大学).
Reporter: Currently, many young people are going to the countryside to devote themselves to the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and realize their self-worth. What do you think of this phenomenon? What opportunities do young people face?
Cheng Yongbo: More and more young people are devoting themselves to the countryside, which is not only a return to their hometown feelings, but also stems from the broad development space and huge entrepreneurial potential of the countryside.
In recent years, governments at all levels have successively introduced a series of policies to support the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas and entrepreneurship in returning home, including industrial support, infrastructure construction, and financial support, providing a good policy environment for young people to return to their hometowns to start businesses. At the same time, the unique resource advantages and diversified development potential of the countryside also provide a broad stage for young people's innovation and entrepreneurship. For example, in some areas, young people who return to their hometowns revitalize idle farmhouses and resources, combine them with local characteristic culture, create boutique homestays, attract a large number of urban tourists, extend the rural tourism industry chain, and inject new impetus into economic development.
At the same time, with the rapid popularization of digital technology and the rise of new economic models, rural industries have ushered in new opportunities. Young people use live streaming, short video marketing, and other methods to sell high-quality agricultural products from their hometowns directly to national and even overseas markets, which not only breaks through the limitations of market circulation but also enhances the added value of products. On this basis, urban and rural infrastructure is also continuously improving, and the level of public services such as education, medical care, and transportation is steadily improving, making the countryside more livable and business-friendly.
Attracted by the dual attraction of an increasingly improved living environment and broad entrepreneurial opportunities, more and more young people realize that the countryside is not only an ideal place to belong but also a hotbed for realizing career dreams.
Reporter: How can young people find their own stage in helping the modernization of agriculture and rural areas?
Cheng Yongbo: The branding of modern agriculture provides broad space for young people's entrepreneurship. By creating regional characteristic agricultural product brands and developing green, organic, and ecological products, we can accurately connect with market demand. Relying on the unique natural resources and cultural heritage of the countryside, we can innovatively develop characteristic projects such as rural complex, themed homestays, and agricultural research tourism, bringing high-quality rural experiences to tourists and helping local economic development. The rapid rise of rural e-commerce and the live broadcast economy also provides a new platform for entrepreneurs. With the help of digital means such as live streaming and short video marketing, we can not only achieve more efficient product promotion but also significantly enhance the popularity and market competitiveness of rural brands.
To cultivate the countryside deeply and take root in the fertile fields, it is necessary to continuously improve one's own ability and quality. First, it is necessary to go deep into the front line to fully understand the rural resource endowments, industrial characteristics, and development needs. Second, it is necessary to continuously learn modern agricultural technology, market operation laws, and digital management methods, and continuously improve professional skills, so as to better exert advantages in the new environment and improve the success rate of entrepreneurship. In addition, cultivating innovative awareness is also particularly important. It is necessary to be good at using the Internet, big data, and other technical means to empower rural industries, effectively combine traditional advantages with modern technology, and continuously explore new models and new paths.
In the process of rural industrial revitalization, young people need to combine their own advantages with the actual needs of rural development to accurately exert their strength. For example, those with an agricultural technology foundation can focus on modern agriculture or agricultural product branding; those who are good at cultural creativity can promote the integration of rural culture and tourism; and those who are familiar with the Internet and digital marketing are suitable for deeply cultivating rural e-commerce or the live broadcast economy. At the same time, rural entrepreneurship should not be eager for quick success and instant benefits, but should adhere to the concept of long-term development and pay attention to industrial ecology and sustainability.
Reporter: How can we gather all parties to make young people willing to come, stay, and develop well?
Cheng Yongbo: At present, young people still face some challenges when starting businesses in the countryside. One is the lack of professional knowledge and technical reserves. Although many young people return to their hometowns with enthusiasm, they lack a systematic understanding of modern agricultural technology, market laws, business models, and digital means. The second is that policy support and guidance need to be strengthened, and some support policies have poor implementation effects at the grassroots level. In response to these problems, the following suggestions are made:
Strengthen professional knowledge training and entrepreneurial incubation support. Build rural entrepreneurship incubation platforms integrating training, technical services, and market docking functions in key areas, and jointly with universities, research institutes, and agricultural technology promotion agencies, carry out systematic and professional training in modern agricultural technology, digital management, industrial chain integration, and market operation to enhance the technical reserves and management capabilities of entrepreneurs.
Improve the policy publicity and guidance mechanism. Build a policy publicity and service system for rural youth entrepreneurship, widely publicize policies through multiple channels, improve the awareness and coverage of policies, and at the same time optimize policy implementation processes, promote the simplification of application and approval procedures, and ensure that support policies are accurately implemented and effectively benefit entrepreneurial youth groups.
Build a collaborative cooperation platform to integrate multi-party resources. Build a rural industry collaborative cooperation platform, linking governments, enterprises, financial institutions, research institutes, and social organizations to achieve resource sharing and complementary advantages. Promote cooperation between leading enterprises and young people, and drive entrepreneurship by relying on enterprise resources; guide financial institutions to provide low-interest loans and risk guarantees; organize research institutes to provide technical support and achievement transformation, and comprehensively help young people start businesses.
Return to TopRecently, humanoid robots have continued to attract attention: Unitree Technology's G1 demonstrated "Kung Fu Mode," Agile Robots' PM01 completed a front flip, "Tiangong" robot climbed a hundred steps, dozens of UBTECH Walker S1s collaboratively transported large-sized material boxes... These new developments and dynamics mark the accelerated maturation of humanoid robot technology.
From past demo presentations and static exhibitions to today's scaled testing and small-scale applications, and showcasing application potential in fields such as industrial manufacturing and elderly care, the development of humanoid robots has been rapidly changing in recent years. Several market institutions predict that this year is expected to be the "year of mass production" for humanoid robots, and related products will further open up the market.
Why are humanoid robots accelerating their "evolution"? Technological progress is the primary reason. With the development of artificial intelligence, precision manufacturing, and other technologies, humanoid robots are becoming increasingly intelligent in terms of motion control, environmental perception, semantic understanding, and human-computer interaction. The actions they can complete are becoming more complex, and the postures of walking, sitting, and lying down are gradually becoming "smooth."
Just a few years ago, humanoid robots needed to scan and model in advance to adapt to the environment. With the introduction of AI large models, the comprehensive capabilities of humanoid robots have significantly improved. By using natural language processing, speech recognition and synthesis, and other technical means, humanoid robots can effectively interact and communicate with humans. These technical "foundations" help them step out of the laboratory and perform various tasks in real-world environments.
In this wave of humanoid robot development, China is basically synchronized with the world's advanced level in research and development, and the industrial chain is gradually being established. China's advantages of a super-large market and rich application scenarios provide opportunities for industrial development. Relevant departments have introduced a series of support measures and improved relevant laws and regulations, which are also creating a more standardized and orderly market environment for the development of humanoid robots.
Humanoid robots are striding forward, but to achieve steady progress and be 十拿九稳 (shí ná jiǔ wěn - "ten grasp nine sure," absolutely certain; very confident), continued efforts are still needed. We should understand and be tolerant of the occasional "mistakes" of humanoid robots when performing Yangko dances and the falls that occur during running. Indeed, tolerance of "mistakes" and even "failures" is precisely the social environment needed for innovative breakthroughs. There is reason to believe that in the near future, humanoid robots will better integrate into the real world and be competent in more application scenarios.
(Reported by Gu Yekai (谷业凯), a reporter of this newspaper)
Return to TopThis edition planned by Ji Yalin (纪雅林) and Liu Nian (刘念).
Layout design by Zhang Fangman (张芳曼).
Return to TopBy: 吴悦石
Recently, the "Supreme Way and Diligent Practice - Wu Yueshi's (吴悦石) Eightieth Anniversary Exhibition of Calligraphy and Painting" was held at the National Art Museum of China (中国美术馆). This is a sincere presentation of my more than 70 years of artistic career.
Many colleagues have given me excessive praise, which makes me feel uneasy. Looking back, the older generation of accomplished artists were all very humble. For example, Mr. Li Keran's (李可染) artistic achievements are obvious to all. When he was 70 years old, he called himself a "white-haired student" and "knowing his ignorance at seventy," and he engraved two seals to encourage himself. When he was 80 years old, he held an exhibition at the National Art Museum of China (中国美术馆). The preface was written by Mr. Li Keran (李可染) himself, and one sentence in it has been engraved in my mind and I dare not forget it: "This year I am eighty, and I am beginning to know the vastness of the Chinese painting hall."
The demeanor of the predecessors is still ringing in my ears, and every word touches my heart. Their character and artistic realm are admirable. Looking back at myself, I deeply feel that I am far from the predecessors. The predecessors make me look up to them, and I should "practice diligently" before the "Supreme Way" without stopping. I am already eighty years old, but the more I learn, the more I realize my inadequacy. I can be called a "senile student." This is not self-deprecation, nor is it deliberately posing, but a sincere respect and awe for the splendid Chinese civilization, and it is also the attitude I uphold in my daily life and artistic creation.
Artistic exploration is a long journey, which requires not only the artist's own efforts, but also benefits from the creation of the times. I am grateful to my teachers, who strictly taught me from poetry and prose to calligraphy and painting, leading me into the magnificent hall of excellent Chinese traditional culture and art, so that I can understand its essence and understand the direction of my heart. I am also grateful for the gift of the times. At this time of cultural prosperity and the renewal of artistic ways, our art workers can express their talents in the world and place their landscapes in brush and ink.
"Xieyi" (写意 - freehand brushwork) is an important cultural tradition of the Chinese nation and the core feature of Chinese art. Xieyi painting is an important art form in the history of Chinese art, which embodies the Chinese people's understanding and expression of heaven, earth, and life. Freehand brushwork painting is not only the artistic essence passed down from my teacher, but also the pursuit of my youth. Immersing myself in it has nourished my soul and deepened my love for the mountains and rivers of the motherland and my love for the Chinese culture. The most beautiful things in the world are all in my heart. I use painting as a heart seal, use the brush to express my heart, and the ink dripping is the tremor of my heart and the pouring of my sincerity.
The "Supreme Way" comes from the *Book of Rites - The Record of Learning* (*礼记·学记*), which is not a metaphysical talk, but the essence of culture and art. When we see ourselves in the brush and ink development of the predecessors, the opportunity for "leopard transformation" is in it. Mr. Pan Tianshou's (潘天寿) "the essence of change through inheritance and innovation" lies in the calm and composure in the development of brush and ink. The art journey is like climbing a mountain. Even with lofty ambitions, it is inevitable to encounter rugged obstacles. However, the "Supreme Way" of art is never a distant realm. It lies in the persistence of every step under your feet. In times of hesitation and wandering, it will eventually be illuminated by the light of the "Supreme Way" that breaks through the clouds.
"Diligent Practice" comes from the *Analects of Confucius - Shuer* (*论语·述而*). Lu Fangweng (陆放翁) also has a poem saying: "The ancients spared no effort in learning, and the hard work of youth will be accomplished in old age. What you get on paper will always be superficial, and you must know that this matter requires diligent practice." "Diligent Practice" is the key to obtaining true knowledge, and today's works are lines of footprints of "Diligent Practice."
Tao Yuanming (陶渊明) once said: "Following the great transformation, neither happy nor afraid." The long river of art is magnificent, and the road to art is full of wonders. Cultivate along the "Supreme Way," nurture through "Diligent Practice," and understand through brushwork. In my old age, I still need to use the mentality of a student to forge ahead and explore in the long road of "Supreme Way and Diligent Practice." Although this heart and ambition may not be achieved, my heart yearns for it, and the direction of my brush and ink is the way home.
(The author is the Director of the Art Committee of the Xieyi Painting Academy of the Chinese National Academy of Arts (中国艺术研究院写意画院艺委会主任).)
Return to TopBy: 应金飞
The 2025 International Museum Day arrives as scheduled, with the theme "The Future of Museums in a Rapidly Changing Society." Currently, digital information technology is accelerating its evolution and deeply permeating all fields of social production and life, driving systemic changes in social forms. In this new wave, art museums face the same challenges as museums—how to explore the path to the future in resonance with the times?
In March of this year, the "Digital Service Specifications for Public Art Museums," jointly drafted by the Zhejiang Art Museum (浙江美术馆) and the National Art Museum of China (中国美术馆) and other units, was officially released and entered the full implementation stage after being approved by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (文化和旅游部). This document clarifies the basic requirements, service content, technical support, and security guarantees for digital services in public art museums, providing strong support for the digital upgrade of art museums nationwide.
In recent years, with the rapid development of society, the full use of information technologies such as the Internet, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, and blockchain to digitally process and reconstruct the collections, exhibitions, education, exchanges, and management activities of art museums has become a conscious choice for many art museums. As early as 2016, the Zhejiang Art Museum (浙江美术馆) gradually integrated digital technology into exhibitions, collections, and institutional construction. From the "Oriental Wisdom" series of brand exhibitions that insist on integrating traditional culture with digital intelligence, to exhibitions such as the "Nanshan 138: Zhejiang Youth Contemporary Art Promotion Project" (南山138：浙江青年当代艺术推广项目) and "Flat Dimension: From Paper to Virtual Visual Art" (平板向度：从纸面到虚拟的视觉艺术) that focus on new explorations in artistic creation under the development of digital technology, and then to the construction of the country's first cross-provincial "Collection Cloud" (藏品云) digital platform, the Zhejiang Art Museum (浙江美术馆) continues to explore a museum thinking system that is more suitable for the times and its own development, bringing a new artistic experience to the audience.
In the process of technology and art integration, what is well-known to the public may be the immersive digital art exhibitions that are blooming everywhere. This exhibition format uses digital means to make the works "alive" and the experience "immersive." The Baietan (白鹅潭) Pavilion of the Guangdong Museum of Art (广东美术馆), which opened last year, designed a separate immersive digital art exhibition hall in its spatial planning for the first time, which is used to present various digital art works, becoming a beneficial practice for traditional art museums to actively promote digital services. This also inspires us that, as an important link and display platform that closely connects the excellent traditional Chinese culture and the spirit of the times, art museums should constantly break the inherent understanding of public cultural services, and use concept updates and technology empowerment to allow "young" art museums to reach a wider audience and form new ways of art museum knowledge production.
Digital technology is only a basic means of human social development. The more important responsibility of art museums lies in awakening the public's aesthetic awareness, constantly stimulating people's creativity, and highlighting the value of "what makes us human" in the integration of technology and art. In the current era of rapid iteration of artificial intelligence technology, we are more urgently in need of creative "energy"—it comes from human curiosity and possessiveness towards the world, and "aesthetics" thus becomes an important medium for observing and understanding the world. In the East, starting from the "unity of man and nature" (天人合一 (tiān rén hé yī - "unity of heaven and humanity," the belief that humans should live in harmony with nature)) worldview, a unique and wise aesthetic system was eventually formed. The construction of aesthetic awareness and the integration of the Chinese aesthetic spirit have become key pillars for shaping humanistic values in the technological era. Therefore, art museums should focus on emphasizing the meaning of "aesthetics" in digital services, and promote social development with aesthetic education that contains the Chinese aesthetic spirit.
Aesthetic education is not just about adding a few art courses, nor is it just about enabling people to understand a painting or a song, but a systematic process of personality construction and cultivation that encourages the public to face the world with a more positive attitude. As an important base for carrying out social aesthetic education, guiding the public, especially young people, to freely explore in personalized development through daily aesthetic activities is an important mission of art museums. Many art museums actively play their role in carrying out aesthetic education activities related to daily life, focusing on topics such as dressing etiquette, and guiding the public to feel beauty, appreciate beauty, express beauty, and create beauty. Through these activities, art museums not only provide people with a learning platform, but also spread a concept—paying attention to the beauty of everyday life. Seemingly ordinary aesthetic education gradually promotes the growth of individuals in terms of thought and cognition. This type of practice also reveals the important role of art museums in the digital age in the integration of art and education, providing guidance for better meeting the people's growing spiritual and cultural needs.
When young artists use algorithms to reconstruct the imagery of the *Classic of Poetry* (*Shijing* (诗经)), what we see is not only technological progress, but also the aesthetic inheritance of "continuous creation is called change" (生生之谓易 (shēng shēng zhī wèi yì - "continuous creation is called change," a concept from the Book of Changes emphasizing constant renewal and transformation)). In this sense, aesthetics has indeed become an important productive force in the digital age—it is not only a good way to resist technological alienation, but also a driving force for stimulating civilizational innovation. In the new space-time constructed by digital technology, a broader aesthetic field is waiting for art museum colleagues to explore together.
(The author is the director of the Zhejiang Art Museum (浙江美术馆))
Return to TopBy: 陈 楠
Sunlight streams through the arched corridor windows, illuminating the large window patterns composed of ancient scripts from various countries, creating a colorful play of light and shadow. This complements the "Art of the Stroke: Visual Art Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Characters," initiating a dialogue across time and space between tradition and modernity, China and the world, at the Champollion Museum of World Writings in France.
This exhibition, held in conjunction with the 2025 United Nations Chinese Language Day, showcases my decades of innovative design research and artistic practice on ancient Chinese characters such as oracle bone script and bronze inscriptions. From graphic design, font design, sculpture installations, new media interactive art, to various cultural and creative products, the creative expression of ancient characters demonstrates the historical depth and modern vitality of Chinese civilization, building a cultural bridge connecting China and foreign countries. The main visual logo integrating ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and oracle bone script, and the mascot "Oracle Bone Elf" transformed into a visual guide, deeply infect audiences from different cultural backgrounds with the beauty of Chinese characters through diverse designs.
The reason why Chinese characters have strong vitality and huge innovative design space is mainly because its formation was initially a writing system with multiple functions such as phonetic, ideographic, and pictographic, containing profound philosophical and cultural connotations, and rich in narrative functions. From media such as painted pottery, oracle bones, bronze tripods, bamboo slips, paper, woodblock printing, and digital platforms, to writing styles such as seal script, clerical script, regular script, semi-cursive script, and cursive script, Chinese characters have both inherited their inherent cultural attributes in their development and cleverly adapted to each technological innovation, constantly adjusting their appearance and style, forming a unique writing system that combines practicality and artistry, profound and deep.
Every stroke is culture. The double happiness character design at weddings expresses good wishes; various fortune character designs convey the rich connotations of the Spring Festival. The ingenious design that impressed me the most is the traditional auspicious pattern "Only I Know Satisfaction," where the 4 Chinese characters share the "mouth" character. All kinds of designs show that only by fully understanding and mastering the principles of Chinese character creation, aesthetic ideas, formal rules, and cultural background can we do a good job in the innovative transformation of Chinese characters.
In the lives of Chinese people, Chinese characters have a lofty status and are widely used in all aspects of social life. With the progress of the times, font design plays a more prominent role in information communication. In designs such as font trademarks, advertising creativity, brand packaging, and store signs, designers give full play to their imagination and inject new connotations into Chinese character art. For example, the graphic of the emblem of the China (Anyang) International Chinese Character Conference is based on the oracle bone script characters "安" (ān - peace) and "字" (zì - character) for graphic reconstruction, allowing the images of "女" (nǚ - woman) and "子" (zǐ - child) under "宀" (mián - roof) to hold hands, forming the oracle bone script character "好" (hǎo - good), cleverly integrating the meanings of Anyang (安阳), Chinese characters, and success.
Text narrative design is not just about telling the story of the text itself, but also constantly expanding cultural space with the changes in communication media. In the digital age, how can we better exert the function of Chinese characters to express meaning? Oracle bone script is like a piece of "cultural rough stone." I combine this ancient text narrative with contemporary aesthetics to launch products such as zodiac emoji packs and 24 solar terms cartoons, reweaving social language and allowing the Chinese culture carried by Chinese characters to be passed on in the lives of young people.
From engraving turtle shells to encoding the cloud, from literati studios to digital screens, the beauty of Chinese characters reflects the progress of civilization. As designers, we are both guardians of tradition and creators of culture. We must not only use the rigor of archaeologists to protect traditional genes, but also use the imagination of artists to explore future scenarios, allowing ancient Chinese characters to sprout new buds in the soil of digital civilization.
(The author is a professor at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (清华大学))
Return to TopBy: 尚 辉
In the new media era, where mobile phone photography and AI applications are quite popular, generating a representational portrait, scene, or still life is readily available. But why do so many people still love oil painting, especially realistic oil painting, and engage in its creation and research? The "Origin and Purity – Invitational Exhibition of Famous Oil Painters at the Kande Art Museum" throws this question to the audience through 139 excellent works by 85 famous oil painters.
For most viewers, perhaps they cannot distinguish or clearly explain the difference between the reality of a photograph and the realism of an oil painting, but everyone can truly feel that the charm of realistic oil painting does not come from the reproduction of objective objects. The so-called realistic art, in the process of artistic imitation, incorporates the artist's observation and understanding of the image, as well as emotional choices and creations. The textured beauty of realistic oil painting is the crystallization of the long-term linkage between the artist's hand and aesthetic thinking. This painterliness is the refinement of the humanistic spirit on the screen.
This invitational exhibition of famous oil painters, with "Origin and Purity" as its academic proposition, strives to explore the original characteristics of realistic oil painting art that differ from image reproduction. Its advocated academic proposition is the artist's humanistic thinking and artistic creation of representational images, which is the re-shaping and coloring in the process of selecting objects and reproducing objects. This is also the "Disegno" concept constantly emphasized by the Italian art theorist Giorgio Vasari for the essence of representational painting art – "Sculpture and painting are sisters, born of one father, that is Disegno," that is, the artist's imagination, ideas, and emotions reconstruct the image of the objective world.
The so-called "purity" is to return to the ontology of oil painting as a painting genre and re-recognize the artistic charm of the language of oil painting. Just as "brush and ink" is the central concept of Chinese painting, without the brilliant and thick oil color like glaze, the artistic charm of the language of realistic oil painting will also be incomplete. "Purity" indicates the rejection of the abuse of the language of other painting genres, and means the exploration of the purity of the language of oil painting. Realistic oil painting was once regarded by some people as an "outdated skill," but its charm lies precisely in the in-depth exploration and poetic transformation of reality. Artists who love realistic oil painting have not fallen into "involution of techniques," but have continued to open up new realms in the exploration of returning to the origin.
This invitational exhibition of famous oil painters includes paintings by many artists who have been at the forefront of the art world since the late 1970s. By sorting out the development context of Chinese oil painting, it reveals the possible path for art to return to its original essence. From "native realistic painting" to "’85 New Wave Art" (八五美术新潮), from "neoclassicism" and "close-range realism" to the huge realistic painting school oil painting group, after more than half a century, the children of the era have now achieved fame, but they have never stopped their quest for the "origin" and "purity" of oil painting art. Mr. Jin Shangyi (靳尚谊) once said that the variety of oil painting creates a realistic language. Mr. Ai Xuan (艾轩) once said that the art trend has made many talented people leave the path of realism. After many years, people found that they did not go far. Mr. Yang Feiyun (杨飞云) said that only by constantly returning to the European oil painting tradition to find the source can we obtain the development path of Chinese oil painting. They embody the in-depth exploration of the purity of artistic aesthetics with their adherence to realistic oil painting. And this exhibition presents the exploration path of several generations of oil painters since the reform and opening up from a certain historical perspective. In the development process of Chinese oil painting, they have played a role as a benchmark for artistic purity and sincerity.
Compared with the freehand Chinese painting, we call the representational oil painting from Europe realistic oil painting, and there seems to be a certain corresponding relationship between the two. Therefore, this exhibition also more clearly reflects a certain interpretation of realism in Chinese oil painting – from the freehand brushstrokes to the re-creation of the imagery of objects, and attempts to use this method to more widely connect with modern art schools such as European and American abstract expressionism, expressionism, and symbolism, reflecting the Chinese experience, Chinese vision, and Chinese style of modern oil painting. This is also another way to highlight the humanistic spirit of oil painting materials, shapes, and colors, and to clarify the value of hand-painted creation, so as to respond to the visual consumption of machine images or AI images that smooth out human aesthetics.
Come on! In this art museum, which is rare in China for collecting original European oil paintings, have a visual and spiritual collision.
(The author is the director of the Art Theory Committee of the China Artists Association (中国美术家协会))
Return to TopBy: 邵蓓艳
Gently opening a book, the small bookplate affixed to the flyleaf, like a book sprite, dances with the reader's deep love for books.
The bookplate is a miniature print that originated in 15th-century Europe. Initially, it was a crest used by nobles to mark their collections, possessing both artistic and practical value, and was hailed as the "pearl of prints" and the "sail of the book sea." In the early 20th century, bookplates were introduced to China. When it encountered traditional watermark woodcuts, the shared printmaking genes of the two perfectly merged in the small space, giving birth to a unique watermark woodcut bookplate.
Recently, a series of bookplate exhibitions have been held in various places. I also led graduate students from the Second Studio of the Printmaking Department of the China Academy of Art (中国美术学院) to carry out the "Joy of Book Collecting" Chinese watermark woodcut bookplate promotion and printing experience activity, allowing people to fully appreciate the unique charm of watermark woodcut bookplates through lectures and hands-on experiences.
Western bookplates emphasize exquisite heraldic symbols and creativity, while Chinese watermark woodcuts prefer the charm of ink painting artistic conception. The collision of the two produces a unique visual effect, opening a dialogue between Chinese and Western aesthetics. Chinese aesthetic concepts such as "**气韵生动**" (qì yùn shēng dòng - "spiritual consonance and lifelike," refers to vividness and dynamism in art) and "**虚实相生**" (xū shí xiāng shēng - "the interplay of emptiness and fullness," the interaction and balance between the real and the unreal) endow watermark woodcut bookplates with a gentle, elegant, and lively aesthetic style, which quickly gained recognition and love from the domestic public. As more and more creators devote themselves to it, the appearance of watermark woodcut bookplates is constantly enriched with techniques such as diffusion, gradation, embossing, and immediate printing.
For book lovers, a beautiful bookplate is not only the best decoration for a book, but also an emotional connection between the book and the book collector. Don't think that watermark woodcut bookplates only contain patterns and the name of the owner representing ownership. Myths and legends, the Chinese zodiac, poetry allusions, natural scenery, and life insights can all become the subject of artists' creations, which not only inherit Chinese culture but also reflect the inner world of the book collector and the interest of book collecting.
Creating a watermark woodcut bookplate that is unique to oneself is an artistic journey full of poetry and craftsmanship. From conception to design, from engraving to printing, it is full of the creator's reverence for culture, love for books, and expectations for a better future. The production of watermark woodcut bookplates is not simple, and it will experience various accidents - the humidity of the paper, the thickness of the color, and misprints will all affect the picture effect. But isn't this a deep cultural experience? Recognizing oneself in design and communicating with books; experiencing the spirit of excellence in labor; and appreciating the ever-changing color and charm in printing. When you carve your name on the wooden board with a carving knife, the Ma Lian (马莲) gently rubs on the back of the paper, and the ink slowly diffuses, the soul is immersed in the square inch. If the creation process is written into a book, the wonderful feeling brought by watermark woodcut will be the most exciting plot in the book.
Today, digital reading and AI painting are booming, and the development of bookplates is also facing challenges and opportunities. Further strengthening the research, creation, and display of bookplates will help them become the sparks of cultural inheritance, fueling people's spiritual pursuit of "reading, collecting, and loving books."
(The author is an associate professor at the China Academy of Art (中国美术学院))
Return to TopResponding to the cultural context with design has become a major trend in museum architectural practice in recent years. The Chengdu Natural Museum, which was renovated and expanded on the basis of the Chengdu University of Technology Museum, is an aggregation of regional culture, urban vitality, and museum mission.
Western Sichuan (川西) is the home of snow-capped mountains. The design team used the imagery of snow-capped mountains and giant rocks to outline the shape of the museum. The wooden walkways built on the cliffs in the Sichuan (川蜀) area continue the cultural context of the Shu Road (蜀道). The designers presented the difficulty of the Shu Road by hanging a "dinosaur box" on the side of the "giant rock," and used this to connect the second and third floors of the building. Chengdu's (成都) long and intelligent history of water management and irrigation is also integrated into the architectural design through winding waterways, scattered reflecting pools, and stepped landscape belts. The detailed design, visible everywhere, brings aesthetic nourishment from the inside out.
Photo by Yuan Bo (袁博) (Image China (影像中国))
Return to TopThis edition's email: msfk@peopledaily.cn
Layout design: Zhao Siru (赵偲汝)
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