People's Daily - June 14, 2025

CPC Central Committee Holds Symposium to Commemorate 120th Anniversary of Chen Yun's Birth

This newspaper reported from Beijing (北京) on June 13th (Reporter Xu Jun (徐隽)) A symposium was held by the CPC Central Committee in the Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂) on the morning of the 13th to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Chen Yun (陈云). Xi Jinping (习近平), General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech, emphasizing that Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) life was a great and glorious one. The noble spirit and demeanor he established, the rich leadership experience he created, and the scientific ideological methods and working methods he summarized will always be our valuable assets. We must earnestly study and apply them, carry them forward in light of reality, forge ahead and work diligently in the new era and on the new journey, and unremittingly strive to comprehensively promote the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization.

Li Qiang (李强), Wang Huning (王沪宁), Cai Qi (蔡奇), Ding Xuexiang (丁薛祥), and Li Xi (李希), members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium, which was presided over by Zhao Leji (赵乐际), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

In his speech, Xi Jinping (习近平) reviewed the glorious life of Comrade Chen Yun (陈云), summarized his immortal contributions to China's revolution, construction, and reform, and emphasized that Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) was a great proletarian revolutionary and statesman, an outstanding Marxist, one of the pioneers and founders of China's socialist economic construction, an outstanding leader of the Party and the state who had stood the test of time, and an important member of the first generation of central leadership collective with Comrade Mao Zedong (毛泽东) as the core and the second generation of central leadership collective with Comrade Deng Xiaoping (邓小平) as the core, and made significant contributions to the development of the Party and the people's cause.

Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that the firm ideals and beliefs, strong Party spirit principles, pragmatic style, simple public servant feelings, and diligent learning spirit established and adhered to by Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) in his long revolutionary career embody the noble qualities of Communists. We must learn from Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) noble spirit and demeanor, strengthen our ideals and beliefs, establish confidence in victory, and maintain political composure in the face of intertwined changes and complex situations. We must consciously practice the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, follow the Party's mass line in the new era, and closely rely on the people to create a great historical cause. We must thoroughly implement the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation and win the support and endorsement of the people with the practical results of improving our work style.

Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that no matter what field Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) was responsible for or in which leadership position he held, he was diligent in learning, in-depth in research, exploring laws, and grasping key points, demonstrating outstanding leadership skills and creating many leadership experiences that are still of great significance today. We must learn from Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) rich leadership experience and focus on improving the Party's ability to lead economic and social development and its own construction. We must strengthen the Party's leadership over economic work, deepen our understanding of the laws of socialist economic construction, fully and accurately implement the new development concept, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, and solidly promote high-quality development. We must steadily promote further comprehensive deepening of reform, unswervingly expand high-level opening up to the outside world, and inject more impetus and vitality into Chinese-style modernization. We must thoroughly promote the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, and constantly enhance the Party's ability to purify, improve, reform, and enhance itself, so as to ensure that the Party always becomes the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that adhering to seeking truth from facts is a distinct characteristic of Comrade Chen Yun (陈云). He refined the "Fifteen-Character Formula" (**不唯上、不唯书、只唯实，交换、比较、反复** (bù wéi shàng, bù wéi shū, zhǐ wéi shí, jiāo huàn, bǐ jiào, fǎn fù - "not only follow superiors, not only follow books, only follow reality; exchange, compare, repeat," emphasizes the importance of independent thinking, investigation, and repeated verification in decision-making)), which is full of materialist dialectics, and was good at thinking about problems strategically, taking investigation and research as an important prerequisite for decision-making. We must learn from Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) scientific ideological methods and working methods, adhere to the Party's ideological line, study and apply the worldview, methodology, and the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods that run through Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, correctly judge the situation, scientifically plan for the future, and constantly enhance the systematicness, predictability, and creativity of our work. We must improve the quality of investigation and research, accurately grasp the new situations, new problems, and new trends in economic and social development, accurately grasp what the grassroots needs and what the masses expect, so that decisions are more in line with reality and the wishes of the people. (The full text of the speech is on page 2)

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) said when presiding over the symposium that General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech profoundly reviewed Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) great and glorious life, highly evaluated Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) immortal contributions to the cause of the Party and the people, and called on the entire Party to learn from Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) noble spirit and demeanor, rich leadership experience, and scientific ideological methods and working methods. The speech is commanding, profound, and highly political, ideological, and guiding, and is of great significance for our Party to adhere to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to reform and opening up, and promote Chinese-style modernization. We must earnestly study, comprehend, and thoroughly implement it. Let us unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) as the core, and under the guidance of Xi Jinping (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Party and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 20th Central Committee, and strive to comprehensively promote the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization.

At the symposium, Qu Qingshan (曲青山), President of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, Liu Qi (刘奇), Secretary-General of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Wang Zhijun (王志军), Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council, and Gong Zheng (龚正), Mayor of Shanghai (上海), delivered speeches successively. (Excerpts from the speeches are on page 7)

Secretaries of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and leading comrades from relevant departments of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the Central Military Commission attended the symposium.

Responsible comrades from relevant departments of the central Party, government, military, and mass organizations, Beijing (北京市), Shanghai (上海), relatives of Comrade Chen Yun (陈云), former staff members, and representatives from his hometown attended the symposium.

Return to Top

Xi Jinping to Attend the Second China-Central Asia Summit

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 13th (北京): Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announced on June 13th that at the invitation of President Tokayev (托卡耶夫) of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President Xi Jinping (习近平) will travel to Astana (阿斯塔纳), Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦) from June 16th to 18th to attend the Second China-Central Asia Summit.

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京), June 13th: At the invitation of President Tokayev (托卡耶夫) of the Republic of Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦), President Xi Jinping (习近平) will travel to Astana (阿斯塔纳), Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦) from June 16th to 18th to attend the Second China-Central Asia Summit. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian (林剑) introduced the relevant situation at a regular press conference on the 13th.

A reporter asked: China has released the news that President Xi Jinping (习近平) will attend the Second China-Central Asia Summit. Can you introduce the main arrangements for this visit and China's expectations?

Lin Jian (林剑) said that the establishment of the China-Central Asia mechanism is a unanimous decision made by China and the five Central Asian countries, which meets the common expectations of all parties for maintaining regional stability and achieving high-quality development. In May 2023, President Xi Jinping (习近平) successfully hosted the first China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an (西安). China's relations with Central Asian countries have entered a new era, and cooperation between the two sides has continued to deepen and become more practical, continuously injecting new impetus into regional development and bringing tangible convenience and benefits to the people of all countries.

He said that this time, the China-Central Asia Summit will be held in a Central Asian country for the first time. President Xi Jinping (习近平) will attend the summit and deliver a keynote speech, exchange views with the leaders of the participating Central Asian countries on the development achievements of the China-Central Asia mechanism, mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework, and international and regional hot issues, and jointly attend related activities. During the summit, President Xi Jinping (习近平) will also hold separate meetings with the leaders of Central Asian countries to make top-level designs for the development of China's relations with the five Central Asian countries.

"We believe that through this summit, China and the five Central Asian countries will further consolidate the foundation of mutual trust, build consensus on cooperation, deepen strategic alignment, promote the upgrading of cooperation in various fields, and inject more positive energy into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future." Lin Jian (林剑) said.

Return to Top

Jointly Promote China-Central Asia Modernization.

By: 本报记者  屈  佩  韩  硕  王  迪

The pomegranate flowers are in bloom, marking another time of reunion. In the China-Central Asia Friendship Forest in Xi'an (西安), Shaanxi (陕西), the pomegranate trees planted by the heads of state of the six countries are flourishing. China-Central Asia cooperation is just like these green trees, rooted in fertile soil, growing towards the sun, and full of vitality.

At the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (托卡耶夫) of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President Xi Jinping (习近平) will travel to Astana (阿斯塔纳), Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦) from June 16th to 18th to attend the Second China-Central Asia Summit. From Xi'an (西安) to Astana (阿斯塔纳), President Xi Jinping (习近平) and the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries will gather again to further promote good-neighborly friendship among the six countries, jointly plan new prospects for win-win cooperation, jointly draw a new blueprint for the development of relations between China and Central Asian countries, and add new impetus to the development and revitalization of the six countries.

Millennial Friendship, Good-Neighborly Friendship Writes a New Chapter

In 2023, in the flourishing month of May, the ancient capital of Xi'an (西安), China (中国) and Central Asian countries held their first in-person summit, establishing a new historical monument in the history of bilateral relations. The "Xi'an Declaration of the China-Central Asia Summit" (中国—中亚峰会西安宣言), full of expectations from all parties, was released, and the China-Central Asia Heads of State Meeting mechanism was officially established. The heads of state of the six countries reached important consensus, and the concept of a community of shared future was fully implemented at the regional multilateral and bilateral levels for the first time.

Looking back from this coordinate, it is the profound accumulation of the millennial Silk Road; looking forward, it is a brand-new journey for China to join hands with Central Asia towards good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation.

In the golden autumn of 2013, President Xi Jinping (习近平) visited Central Asian countries for the first time as head of state, paying state visits to Turkmenistan (土库曼斯坦), Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦), Uzbekistan (乌兹别克斯坦), and Kyrgyzstan (吉尔吉斯斯坦), opening a new chapter in China's relations with Central Asian countries.

It was in Astana (阿斯塔纳) that President Xi Jinping (习近平) looked back on the history of friendly exchanges between China and Central Asian countries, recalling the camel bells echoing in the mountains and the lonely smoke drifting in the desert, and proposed the initiative to jointly build the "Silk Road Economic Belt" (丝绸之路经济带) for the future.

Since the new era, step by step, China's relations with Central Asian countries have continued to move forward.

Looking at bilateral relations, like visiting relatives, close exchanges—

President Xi Jinping (习近平) has visited Central Asia eight times and received leaders of Central Asian countries visiting China time and again. Under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, China and Central Asian countries have achieved full coverage of comprehensive strategic partnership, full coverage of signing cooperation documents on jointly building the "Belt and Road" (一带一路), and full coverage of practicing the concept of a community of shared future at the bilateral level.

In July 2024, President Xi Jinping (习近平) attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Astana Summit and paid state visits to Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦) and Tajikistan (塔吉克斯坦). Despite the busy preparations for the summit, President Tokayev (托卡耶夫) personally went to the airport to greet him, and more than 10 Kazakh children sang "Ode to the Motherland" (歌唱祖国) in Chinese, with sincere and moving songs. In Tajikistan (塔吉克斯坦), President Rahmon (拉赫蒙) specially presented a precious photo album of President Xi Jinping's (习近平) three visits to Tajikistan (塔吉克斯坦) since 2014 at the time of farewell.

Looking at multilateral relations, China-Central Asia cooperation has great potential—

In 2020, China advocated the establishment of the China-Central Asia mechanism. In January 2022, a video summit was held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian countries.

"No matter how the international situation changes, no matter how far China develops in the future, China will always be a good neighbor, good partner, good friend, and good brother that Central Asian countries can trust and rely on," President Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized.

In response to changes in the regional situation, in line with the trend of the times, and echoing the voices of the people of all countries, President Xi Jinping (习近平) and the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries have taken a long-term view and made plans. The China-Central Asia mechanism has grown from scratch and become a new platform for multilateral cooperation in the face of a century of changes.

China has always regarded Central Asia as a priority direction in its neighborhood diplomacy. Central Asia shakes hands with China in a regionally coordinated manner, demonstrating a high degree of strategic mutual trust and a firm willingness to develop together. Adhering to the concept of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, China and Central Asian countries are walking together on the road of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation.

Cooperation and Win-Win, Development and Revitalization Open a New Journey

On May 29th, the China-Central Asia International Cultural and Tourism First Train (Xi'an-Almaty Section) (中国—中亚国际人文旅游首发专列) departed from Xi'an (西安). Two days later, the train arrived in Almaty (阿拉木图), Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦). The Xi'an-Almaty Cultural and Tourism Exchange Week (西安—阿拉木图人文旅游交流周) was then launched.

This route used to be an ancient camel road, but now it has become an efficient thoroughfare. The train travels, recreating the prosperous scene of business travel.

Two years ago, at the first China-Central Asia Summit, the heads of state of the six countries signed the "Xi'an Declaration of the China-Central Asia Summit" (中国—中亚峰会西安宣言). As the pen tip crossed the paper, more than 100 cooperation agreements were implemented.

Looking closely at the list, it is not difficult to feel the strong willingness, wide range, and fruitful results of Central Asian countries joining hands with China.

Jointly paving the modern "Silk Road"—

A number of projects personally concerned by President Xi Jinping (习近平) are progressing smoothly: In July last year, the China-Europe Trans-Caspian Direct Express was opened, and Chinese vehicles arrived at the Caspian coastal port for the first time by direct road transportation; the Kazakhstan Xi'an Terminal has been operating smoothly for more than a year, with prosperous trade in goods; in March this year, the key control tunnel of the second phase of the China-Tajikistan Highway was completed, and the road construction to conquer the Pamir Plateau took a step forward; in April, the key control project of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway started construction, and the main line project entered the substantive construction stage... Chinese and Central Asian builders are fighting side by side in plateaus, mountains, and ports to help realize the dream of interconnection.

Jointly forming a contemporary "camel team"—

In 2024, the trade volume between China and Central Asian countries reached 94.8 billion US dollars, setting a new record.

The number of China-Europe Railway Express routes continues to increase, and the connecting network is becoming more and more dense. Riding on the train, Chinese electronic equipment and clothing enter the Central Asian market, and Central Asian specialty agricultural products are placed on Chinese shelves.

Air routes between China and Central Asian countries are becoming increasingly busy. With the advancement of visa facilitation measures, two-way tourism continues to heat up, and people in the region often come and go.

Witnessing the emergence of more "envoys of friendship"—

Between China and Central Asia, agricultural technology experts, medical personnel, archaeological teams, and literary and art groups have close exchanges. Confucius Institutes (孔子学院), Luban Workshops (鲁班工坊), and Traditional Chinese Medicine Centers (中医药中心) and other cultural exchange platforms have cultivated batches of new forces for friendship. Chinese entrepreneurs have taken root in Central Asia, establishing agricultural processing plants, textile industrial parks, and other livelihood projects.

Ma Wenxuan (马文轩), a Kazakh young man who was praised by President Xi Jinping (习近平) for saying "I am a foreigner, but not an outsider," has now grown into a backbone of the China-Kazakhstan Traditional Medicine Center, spreading the concept of traditional Chinese medicine in practicing medicine and helping the world.

Walking on the streets of Central Asian countries, you can often hear the enthusiastic Chinese greeting "Hello" (你好). Behind this goodwill is the "Chinese impression" accumulated by people in their daily lives—Chinese doctors help local patients regain their sight, logistics accessibility makes good things within reach, thermal power plants bring warmth in winter, energy cooperation activates development potential, and advanced agricultural technology makes apples sweeter.

China-Central Asia cooperation is not only a firm handshake between countries, but also a tangible change in the lives of thousands of households.

Strategic Alignment, Walking Together on the Road to Modernization

China and the five Central Asian countries are all developing countries, with similar historical experiences, common development demands, and interconnected dreams of revitalization. They are all natural members of the Global South and fellow travelers on the road to modernization.

"We are willing to strengthen exchanges on modernization concepts and practices with Central Asian countries, promote the alignment of development strategies, create more opportunities for cooperation, and jointly promote the modernization process of the six countries," President Xi Jinping's (习近平) words at the first China-Central Asia Summit were resounding.

China, a country that was once poor and weak and in need of everything, has successfully embarked on a path of Chinese-style modernization. Chinese-style modernization is feasible and stable, demonstrating the realistic possibility for developing countries to independently move towards revitalization. For Central Asian countries, this is a vivid sample and an important opportunity.

Opportunities are surging in the convergence and resonance of modernization concepts.

Kazakh President Tokayev (托卡耶夫) praised: "Under the visionary and wise leadership of President Xi Jinping (习近平), the Chinese nation is moving towards modernization with an unstoppable pace, and is constantly achieving lofty goals in building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era."

Uzbek President Mirziyoyev (米尔济约耶夫) personally wrote the preface to the Uzbek version of "Getting Rid of Poverty" (摆脱贫困), and Uzbek officials have come to China many times to "learn from experience" and invited Chinese experts to participate in the formulation of Uzbekistan's "2030 Poverty Reduction Program."

Turkmen President Berdymukhamedov (别尔德穆哈梅多夫) believes that under the wise and strong leadership of President Xi Jinping (习近平), China has made great achievements in economic and social development, and has played an important and constructive role in promoting the construction of a more just and reasonable international order. The Communist Party of China (中国共产党) is the backbone of the Chinese people. Turkmenistan is convinced that China will surely achieve greater achievements in the future and make greater contributions to maintaining world peace, stability and prosperity.

The "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" (习近平谈治国理政) China-Tajikistan Readers' Meeting was held in Tajikistan (塔吉克斯坦), and people from all walks of life in China and Tajikistan jointly discussed the way of development. "This book is of great significance for us to learn from China's experience in reform and opening up and promote Tajikistan's own reform and development," said Rashid Alimov (拉希德·阿利莫夫), a professor at the National Academy of State Administration under the President of Tajikistan.

Former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov (阿克尔别克·扎帕罗夫) also felt the same way: Kyrgyzstan's economic development and reform have gone through a very difficult road. "Now, we can learn from China's experience in building modernization and promote the realization of 'leapfrog' development."

Opportunities arise from the exploration and practice of the road to modernization.

Kazakhstan's "Bright Road" New Economic Policy (光明之路), Kyrgyzstan's "National Development Program until 2026" (2026年前国家发展纲要), Tajikistan's "National Development Strategy until 2030" (2030年前国家发展战略), Uzbekistan's "New Uzbekistan" 2022-2026 Development Strategy (新乌兹别克斯坦), and Turkmenistan's "Revival of the Silk Road" Strategy (复兴丝绸之路)... In planning their own development blueprints, Central Asian countries have unanimously chosen to align their national development strategies with the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" Initiative (一带一路). The strategic fit promotes the continuous expansion of bilateral cooperation.

New technologies, new energy sources, and new industries are highlights in the cooperation agreements witnessed and signed by President Xi Jinping (习近平) and the heads of state of Central Asian countries.

The annual "Future Bridge" China-Central Asia Youth Leaders Training and Exchange Camp (未来之桥) is held, and visiting Chinese automobile companies is a standard itinerary. Central Asian youth hope to seek cooperation opportunities in the rapid development of China's new energy vehicle industry; the Issyk-Kul Photovoltaic Phase I Project (伊塞克湖光伏一期项目) and the Syrdarya 1500 MW Gas Power Plant (锡尔河州1500兆瓦燃气电站) and other large-scale projects are moving forward. Whenever there are key nodes, Central Asian countries send senior officials to attend the events, demonstrating their importance and high expectations for cooperation.

Open China is committed to promoting the construction of a community of shared future for mankind; Central Asia, which is on the road to revitalization, expects to gain more development space. China and Central Asia joining hands is not only a natural result of regional cooperation, but also reflects the Global South's demands for promoting an equal and orderly world multipolarization and an inclusive economic globalization.

At present, the century of changes is accelerating, and the changes of the world, the times, and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. Central Asia is the center of the Eurasian continent, at the crossroads connecting east and west and running through north and south. The world needs a stable, prosperous, harmonious, and connected Central Asia. The China-Central Asia mechanism belongs to the six countries and faces the world, promoting the development and prosperity of the vast land of more than 13.6 million square kilometers, pursuing the bright future and better life of nearly 1.5 billion people, and reflecting the responsibility and commitment to be based on oneself and have the world in mind.

Return to Top

Xi Jinping Sends Messages of Condolence to Indian President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi over Indian Plane Crash

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 13th (北京). On June 13, 2025, President Xi Jinping (习近平) sent messages of condolence to Indian President Murmu (穆尔穆) and Prime Minister Modi (莫迪) respectively, regarding the Indian Airlines plane crash that caused heavy casualties.

Xi Jinping (习近平) stated that he was shocked to learn of the Indian Airlines plane crash, which resulted in heavy casualties. On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, I would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and extend my sincere sympathies to the families of the victims and the injured, and wish the injured a speedy recovery.

On the same day, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) sent a message of condolence to Modi (莫迪).

Return to Top

Xi Jinping Sends Message of Condolence to British King Charles III over Major Casualties Caused by Indian Plane Crash

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 13th (北京, Běijīng) – On June 13, 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping (习近平) sent a message of condolence to King Charles III (查尔斯三世) of the United Kingdom regarding the Indian Airlines plane crash that caused significant casualties in the United Kingdom.

Xi Jinping (习近平) stated, "I was shocked to learn of the Indian Airlines plane crash that caused significant casualties in your country. On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, I would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and extend my sincere sympathies to the families of the victims and the injured, and wish the injured a speedy recovery."

On the same day, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) sent a message of condolence to British Prime Minister Starmer (斯塔默).

Return to Top

Li Qiang Presides Over State Council Executive Meeting

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 13th (北京) - Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) presided over an executive meeting of the State Council on June 13th (国务院), deploying the replication and promotion of pilot measures in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (中国（上海）自由贸易试验区), listening to reports on building a new model for real estate development and promoting the construction of "good houses," reviewing and approving the "Implementation Plan on Further Improving the Credit Restoration System," and studying measures to optimize drug and consumable centralized procurement.

The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to make good use of the pilot experience of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (中国（上海）自由贸易试验区) in comprehensively aligning with international high-standard economic and trade rules, release institutional innovation dividends on a larger scale, and promote deep-level reform and high-quality development through high-level opening up. It is necessary to do a good job in replicating and promoting measures in accordance with local conditions, fully consider the actual situation of various regions, focus on promoting pilot measures urgently needed by enterprises and the public, and coordinate and connect with other reform and opening-up pilot measures. It is necessary to carry out institutional opening-up experiments with greater efforts on the premise of guarding the bottom line of risks, and accelerate the construction of a new system of a higher-level open economy.

The meeting pointed out that building a new model for real estate development is of great significance for promoting the stable, healthy, and high-quality development of the real estate market. It is necessary to focus on the long term, adhere to **稳中求进** (wěn zhōng qiú jìn - "seek progress while maintaining stability," to make steady progress) and **先立后破** (xiān lì hòu pò - "establish before abolishing," establish the new before abolishing the old), and orderly build relevant basic systems. It is necessary to solidly and effectively promote the construction of "good houses," incorporate it into the urban renewal mechanism to strengthen overall work coordination, and provide policy support in planning, land, finance, and other aspects. It is necessary to conduct a thorough investigation of the land already supplied and projects under construction for real estate nationwide, further optimize existing policies, enhance the systematic effectiveness of policy implementation, and take multiple measures to stabilize expectations, activate demand, optimize supply, resolve risks, and promote the real estate market to stop falling and stabilize with greater efforts.

The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to accelerate the improvement of a unified, standardized, coordinated, shared, scientific, and efficient credit restoration mechanism to better help untrustworthy entities rebuild their credit. It is necessary to unify restoration rules and improve standard specifications for qualification review, process supervision, result recognition, and other aspects. It is necessary to break down data barriers, clarify the scope, methods, and frequency of data sharing as soon as possible, and promote the interconnection of social data in related fields. It is necessary to strengthen departmental coordination, closely cooperate and form synergy in acceptance and handling, update feedback, objection handling, and other work.

The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to strengthen the policy evaluation of drug and consumable centralized procurement, summarize experience, make up for shortcomings, and promote the standardization, institutionalization, and normalization of centralized procurement work. It is necessary to better promote the coordinated development and governance of "three medical services," improve the compensation mechanism for public hospitals, support pharmaceutical companies to improve their innovation capabilities, and better meet the diversified medical and drug needs of the public. It is necessary to strengthen the quality supervision of the entire chain of drug and consumable production, circulation, and use, and solidly promote the consistency evaluation of the quality and efficacy of generic drugs, so that the people can use drugs with confidence and peace of mind.

The meeting also studied other matters.

Return to Top

Han Zheng Visits Spain

This report from Seville, Spain, June 13th (Reporter Yan Huan (颜欢)) states that from June 10th to 12th local time, at the invitation of the Spanish government, Vice President Han Zheng (韩正) visited Spain and met with Spanish King Felipe VI (费利佩六世) and Prime Minister Sánchez (桑切斯) in Madrid.

During the meeting with Felipe VI (费利佩六世), Han Zheng (韩正) conveyed President Xi Jinping's (习近平) cordial greetings to King Felipe VI (费利佩六世), and praised the Spanish royal family for its long-term active support for the development of Sino-Spanish relations. Han Zheng (韩正) stated that China is willing to further strengthen cooperation with Spain in areas such as new energy, agricultural and food products, electric vehicles, the digital economy, and cultural exchanges. China and Spain share similar ideas on many major international issues and are important and active forces in defending multilateralism, maintaining the order of free trade rules, and promoting open cooperation and improving global governance. China is willing to work with Spain and the European side to jointly safeguard the international system with the United Nations as its core, and contribute to world peace, stability and development.

King Felipe VI (费利佩六世) asked Han Zheng (韩正) to convey his best wishes to President Xi Jinping (习近平), saying that since the beginning of this year, there have been frequent high-level interactions between the two sides, and bilateral relations have shown a positive and sound development momentum. Spain is willing to further strengthen communication and cooperation with China to promote closer development of relations between the two countries. The world is currently undergoing complex changes, and China is playing an important, active and stable role in this process. Spain supports multilateralism and free trade, and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China in multilateral institutions, jointly safeguard the international multilateral trade order and rules, and promote sustainable world development.

During the meeting with Sánchez (桑切斯), Han Zheng (韩正) stated that in April of this year, the Prime Minister visited China for the third time in three years. President Xi Jinping (习近平) and Premier Li Qiang (李强) had in-depth exchanges with you, and both sides jointly issued voices to deepen open and mutually beneficial cooperation, maintain the free trade order, and defend international fairness and justice, which reflects the importance of Sino-Spanish relations in maintaining world stability and prosperity. China is willing to work with Spain to take the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries as an opportunity to maintain high-level exchanges, deeply promote mutually beneficial cooperation, and further strengthen communication, coordination and mutual support in important multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Under the current international situation of intertwined changes and chaos, strengthening unity and cooperation between China and Europe, and maintaining multilateralism and free trade, is beneficial to both China and Europe, and also helps the stability of the world economy. It is hoped that Spain will continue to play an active role in promoting the healthy development of China-EU relations.

Sánchez (桑切斯) said that Spain highly values its friendly relations with China. At present, unilateralism and protectionism harm the interests of all countries, and China's adherence to and commitment to multilateralism is particularly valuable. The Spanish government firmly adheres to the one-China policy, welcomes more Chinese companies to invest in Spain, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in trade and investment, technological innovation, new energy and other fields, maintain the international trade order, and defend multilateralism. Spain is willing to continue to actively promote the development of EU-China relations.

Han Zheng (韩正) also met with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares (阿尔瓦雷斯), attended a welcome dinner for Chinese and Spanish business circles and delivered a speech, stating that China is firmly committed to expanding high-level opening up to the outside world, attaches great importance to the healthy and stable development of Sino-Spanish and China-EU economic and trade relations, and actively supports enterprises of the two countries to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation.

Han Zheng (韩正) also visited Seville and met with Juan Manuel Moreno (莫雷诺), President of the Andalusian Regional Government.

Return to Top

Speech at the Symposium Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of Comrade Chen Yun's Birth

By: 习近平

Comrades, friends:

Today, we gather here solemnly to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Chen Yun (陈云).

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) was a great proletarian revolutionary and statesman, an outstanding Marxist, one of the pioneers and founders of China's socialist economic construction, a long-tested and outstanding leader of the Party and the state, an important member of the first generation of the central leadership collective with Comrade Mao Zedong (毛泽东) at its core and the second generation of the central leadership collective with Comrade Deng Xiaoping (邓小平) at its core, and made significant contributions to the development of the cause of the Party and the people.

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) joined the Communist Party of China in 1925. In his 70-year revolutionary career, he experienced many major events in which our Party led the people in revolution, construction, and reform. He participated in the formulation and organization of the implementation of a series of major decisions made by the Party Central Committee in different historical periods. He devoted his life and established immortal feats for the development and victory of the new democratic revolution, for the establishment and consolidation of China's socialist system, and for the creation and development of China's reform and opening up and socialist modernization.

During the period of the new democratic revolution, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) joined the workers' movement in the torrent of the Great Revolution and grew into a leader of the workers' movement in actual struggle. He participated in the Long March of the Red Army and firmly supported Comrade Mao Zedong's (毛泽东) correct proposition at the Zunyi Conference (遵义会议), supporting the conference to establish the correct leadership represented by Comrade Mao Zedong (毛泽东). His book, "Record of Travels with the Army to the West" (《随军西行见闻录》), was published and distributed in France, the Soviet Union, and China, and for the first time publicized the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army to the world. He served as the Minister of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee (中共中央组织部) for seven years, resolutely implemented the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and Comrade Mao Zedong (毛泽东), led the formulation of policies and principles for the selection and appointment of cadres, specifically organized the training and selection of a large number of outstanding cadres with both ability and integrity, and made important contributions to the continuous development and growth of the Party's ranks and cause, and to the formation of the Party's fine tradition of selecting and employing people. He participated in leading the liberation of Northeast China and led the Northeast base area to take the lead in restoring the economy and supporting the national liberation war. He educated cadres to "always pay attention to the new situations, new tasks, and new working methods in the new areas" and not to "mechanically apply the old experiences of the old liberated areas to the new areas," exploring beneficial experiences for our Party to shift from war to peaceful construction.

During the period of socialist revolution and construction, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) was appointed to preside over and lead the national financial and economic work at the beginning of the founding of New China. Under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, he coordinated the strength of all parties and won the "economic war" in grain, cotton, cotton cloth, and coal. It took less than a year to achieve national financial and economic unity, stabilize financial prices, and consolidate the new people's power economically. He opposed rash advances and eagerness for quick success that disregarded realistic conditions, discovered the problems brought about by the "Great Leap Forward" (大跃进) earlier, participated in the deployment and leadership of the adjustment of the national economy, especially focusing on solving agricultural difficulties and grain shortages, and played an important role in helping the national economy and people's lives out of the predicament. He actively explored the laws of socialist economic construction, did a lot of effective work in establishing a socialist economic system and establishing an independent and relatively complete industrial system and national economic system, and made outstanding contributions to exploring the path of socialist construction in our country.

In the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) put forward with Marxist courage and vision that in order to shift the focus of the work of the Party and the state to socialist construction, it is necessary to solve a number of major historical problems, which played an important role in breaking through the ideological shackles of the "two whatevers" and realizing a great historical turning point. At a major historical juncture, he resolutely supported the reform and opening up advocated by Comrade Deng Xiaoping (邓小平) and firmly safeguarded Comrade Deng Xiaoping's (邓小平) core position in the central leadership collective and the authority of the Party Central Committee. He actively promoted the reversal of chaos and the redress of unjust, false, and wrong cases, put forward important opinions on drafting the "Resolution on Certain Historical Issues of the Party Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China" (《关于建国以来党的若干历史问题的决议》), and supported Comrade Deng Xiaoping's (邓小平) correct proposition on scientifically establishing Comrade Mao Zedong's (毛泽东) historical status and adhering to and developing Mao Zedong Thought (毛泽东思想). He attached great importance to the Party's ideological construction, style construction, discipline construction, system construction, and socialist spiritual civilization construction under the conditions of reform and opening up, and presided over the formulation of the "Several Guidelines on Political Life Within the Party" (《关于党内政治生活的若干准则》). He supported the exploration of a new socialist economic system that is in line with reality and full of vitality, and emphasized that we should practice, explore, and summarize experience at the same time, making outstanding contributions to our Party's creation of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Comrades, friends!

Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) life was a great and glorious life. The noble spiritual demeanor he established, the rich leadership experience he created, and the scientific ideological methods and working methods he summarized will always be our valuable wealth. We must conscientiously study and apply them, and carry them forward in light of reality.

-- We must learn from Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) noble spiritual demeanor. The firm ideals and beliefs, firm Party spirit principles, pragmatic style, simple public servant feelings, and diligent study spirit that Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) established and adhered to in his long revolutionary career embody the noble qualities of communists. He said: "The most pleasant thing for a person is to participate in the revolution and fight for the interests of the people." "No one can do anything without the people and the Party." At critical moments, he can always adhere to the correct political stance and clearly express his attitude; when the development of the Party's cause encounters difficulties, he can always maintain a clear mind and put forward unique insights and effective solutions to problems based on careful consideration.

In the new era and new journey, we must strengthen our ideals and beliefs, establish confidence in victory, maintain political determination in the face of intertwined changes and complex situations, not be afraid of floating clouds blocking our view, and remain calm despite the turbulent clouds. We must consciously practice the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, stand firmly on the people's stand, cultivate a deep affection for the people, follow the Party's mass line in the new era, observe public sentiment, listen to public voices, follow public opinion, and solve people's worries, and rely closely on the people to create a great historical cause. We must thoroughly implement the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation (中央八项规定精神), cultivate a good style with a strong Party spirit, always maintain a spirit of striving for progress and overcoming difficulties, and win the support and support of the people with the actual results of improving our style.

-- We must learn from Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) rich leadership experience. Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) has held many important leadership positions. No matter what field he is responsible for or in which leadership position, he is diligent in learning, in-depth research, exploring laws, grasping key points, demonstrating outstanding leadership skills, and creating many leadership experiences that are still of great significance today.

For example, in terms of being responsible for economic work, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) put forward many important viewpoints and major measures, and explored effective ways to creatively solve problems and open up work situations. In the process of presiding over the formulation and implementation of the first five-year plan, he not only paid attention to learning from the Soviet experience, but also insisted on proceeding from China's national conditions, scientifically laid out and steadily promoted socialist industrialization. After the basic completion of the socialist transformation, he actively explored the socialist economic system and economic system that adapted to the development of China's productive forces, and put forward the idea of "three main bodies and three supplements" ( “三个主体、三个补充”的思想), which provided important enlightenment for overcoming the drawbacks of the Soviet model. After the reform and opening up, he deeply summarized the positive and negative experiences of socialist economic construction, and proposed that "the economic construction that our country is currently carrying out is socialist economic construction, and the economic system reform is also socialist economic system reform"; he emphasized that economic construction must be comprehensively balanced, the scale of construction must be adapted to the national conditions and national strength, and the relationship between accumulation and consumption must be handled correctly; he proposed that it is not enough to have planned and proportional, but also must have market regulation, and must act in accordance with economic laws and carry out necessary state intervention, "doing a good job in macro-control is conducive to invigorating the micro-level and achieving vitality without chaos"; he emphasized that the ultimate goal of economic construction is to improve people's lives, "if we cannot solve the people's problems of eating and clothing, our socialist construction cause will not be stable."

For example, in terms of being responsible for organizational work, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) put forward a series of creative ideas for selecting and employing people. He emphasized that the selection of cadres should "attach equal importance to both ability and integrity, with integrity as the main priority." He pointed out: "Talent and integrity should be unified. Talent is not empty talent; integrity is not empty integrity." "To employ cadres, we must draw from all corners of the country, and cadres who are not usually familiar should also be employed. Taking materials locally is a very important principle. Drawing from all corners of the country, plus both ability and integrity, is our general policy for promoting cadres." He emphasized that vigorously training and selecting thousands of middle-aged and young cadres with both ability and integrity is a strategic task that determines the future of the Party and the country, and we must adhere to the combination of the old, middle-aged, and young, maintain the continuity and stability of the cadre team, and ensure that the Party's leadership is always in the hands of Marxists. He emphasized that we must vigorously promote those cadres who have a strong Party spirit, a correct style, and dare to adhere to principles, and actively support and implement the policy of revolutionizing, making younger, making more knowledgeable, and professionalizing the cadre team.

For example, in terms of being responsible for discipline inspection work, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) put forward many forward-looking and strategic ideas on strengthening the construction of the ruling party under the conditions of reform and opening up. He pointed out: "The Communist Party must adhere to Party discipline at all times, whether during the underground work period or during the ruling period." In response to the erroneous views such as "if you don't eat or drink, the economy will not be active" and "if the economy is to be invigorated, discipline must be relaxed," he emphasized: "There is no question of 'loosening the bonds' of Party spirit principles and Party discipline. Without a good Party style, reform will not be successful." "While grasping ideological and political work, strictly enforcing Party discipline and administrative discipline, the Party style can be fundamentally improved." He put forward the major conclusion that "the issue of the Party style of the ruling party is an issue related to the life and death of the Party," and emphasized that "the issue of Party style must be grasped tightly and always grasped," and in order to maintain the Party's flesh-and-blood ties with the masses, it is necessary to solve the two key issues of effectively safeguarding the vital interests of the people and resolutely opposing unhealthy tendencies within the Party.

In the new era and new journey, we must adapt to the new situation and tasks, and focus on improving the Party's ability to lead economic and social development and its own construction level. We must strengthen the Party's leadership over economic work, deepen our understanding of the laws of socialist economic construction, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development concept, adhere to the combination of an effective market and a promising government, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, and solidly promote high-quality development. We must steadily promote further comprehensive deepening of reform, unswervingly expand high-level opening up to the outside world, and inject more impetus and vitality into Chinese-style modernization. We must thoroughly promote the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, and constantly enhance the Party's ability to purify, improve, reform, and enhance itself, and ensure that the Party always becomes the strong leadership core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

-- We must learn from Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) scientific ideological methods and working methods. Adhering to seeking truth from facts is a distinct characteristic of Comrade Chen Yun (陈云). He pointed out: "To lead our Party and country well, the most important thing is to get the ideological methods of leading cadres right." He refined the "fifteen-character formula" ( “十五字诀”) full of materialist dialectics: "Do not only follow what superiors say, do not only follow what books say, only follow reality, exchange, compare, and repeat" ( “不唯上、不唯书、只唯实，交换、比较、反复”). He is good at thinking about problems strategically, emphasizing: "We should stand higher and see farther, we should go to the roof, not always stay in the basement." "We must take some time to 'pace back and forth' and consider strategic issues." He regards investigation and research as an important prerequisite for decision-making, emphasizing: "Leading organs should spend more than 90% of their time on investigation and research work when formulating policies."

In the new era and new journey, we must adhere to the Party's ideological line, study and apply the worldview, methodology, and the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods that run through Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (新时代中国特色社会主义思想), correctly judge the situation, scientifically plan the future, be good at seizing opportunities, be brave in responding to challenges, and constantly enhance the systematicness, predictability, and creativity of our work. We must improve the quality of investigation and research, and accurately grasp the new situations, new problems, and new trends in economic and social development through various channels and methods, accurately grasp what the grassroots need and what the masses expect, so that decisions are more in line with reality and more in line with the wishes of the people.

Comrades, friends!

Today, socialism with Chinese characteristics is full of vitality and shows a bright future, and the grand goals that the older generation of revolutionaries strived for are gradually becoming a reality. We must unite more closely around the Party Central Committee, forge ahead with determination, work hard, and strive unremittingly to comprehensively promote the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization!

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 13)

Return to Top

Selected Works of Chen Yun (Revised Edition) Published and Distributed

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 13th. To commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Chen Yun (陈云), with the approval of the Party Central Committee, the three-volume "Selected Works of Chen Yun" (陈云文集) (Revised Edition), edited by the Party History and Literature Research Institute of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, has recently been published by the Central Literature Publishing House and is now being distributed nationwide.

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) was an important member of the first generation of the central leadership collective with Comrade Mao Zedong (毛泽东) as the core and the second generation of the central leadership collective with Comrade Deng Xiaoping (邓小平) as the core. The original "Selected Works of Chen Yun" (陈云文集), edited by the former Central Literature Research Office, was published in June 2005. The "Selected Works of Chen Yun" (陈云文集) (Revised Edition) published this time includes 401 manuscripts by Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) from October 1935 to October 1986, totaling approximately 1.36 million words. Among them, 15 manuscripts are newly added, and 6 are published for the first time.

The editing and publication of the "Selected Works of Chen Yun" (陈云文集) (Revised Edition) is of great significance for in-depth understanding of Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) brilliant achievements and spiritual demeanor, helping the broad masses of party members and cadres to study the history of the Party, uniting more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) as the core, firmly supporting the "Two Establishments" and resolutely achieving the "Two Safeguards," and comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization.

Return to Top

Photo Story

On June 12th, in the Guolin Base of Tomato Town, Bishan District (璧山区), Chongqing (重庆), robots automatically picked ripe tomatoes. On the same day, the Chongqing (重庆) Bishan (璧山) Summer Urban Leisure Agriculture Carnival kicked off here. The event integrates technology-empowered modern agriculture, art-infused beautiful countryside, and the sweet taste on the tip of the tongue, offering citizens and tourists an immersive pastoral experience. The event will last until July 11th.

Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Cheng (陈诚) photographed.

Return to Top

Summer grain wheat procurement exceeds 17 million tons

According to data from the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (国家粮食和物资储备局): As of now, the country has cumulatively purchased over 17 million tons of summer grain wheat, and the purchasing work is progressing smoothly.

Xiang Yuxu (向玉旭), Deputy Director of the Grain Reserves Department of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (国家粮食和物资储备局), introduced that quality monitoring of new wheat from some producing areas was recently carried out. The results show that the overall quality is better than usual. Currently, purchasing and sales are relatively active, processing enterprises are opening their warehouses to purchase grain, reserve enterprises are rotating in an orderly manner, and trading enterprises are actively participating in the purchase. The wheat purchase progress is faster than the same period last year, the market is relatively stable, and the characteristics of high-quality grain fetching a good price are obvious.

Since the new wheat came on the market, diverse entities have actively entered the market, and wheat purchase prices have been running smoothly. Relevant state departments have launched the minimum purchase price implementation plan for wheat in Henan Province (河南省), further stabilizing market expectations. Currently, wheat prices in the main producing areas have stopped falling and stabilized, and the purchase price of some processing enterprises in Henan Province (河南省) has risen. The market generally reflects that the quality of this year's new wheat is good, with high protein and gluten content. Some enterprises have reported that multiple quality indicators of the new wheat are the best in recent years.

Return to Top

China's cotton planting area is expected to exceed 44.82 million mu this year.

This newspaper reported from Beijing on June 13th (Reporter Qi Zhiming (齐志明)) Data from the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (中华全国供销合作总社) and the China Cotton Association (中国棉花协会) shows: It is estimated that the national cotton planting area in 2025 will be 44.823 million mu, an increase of 1.8% year-on-year, and the increase will be 1.4 percentage points higher than last year.

The data shows that the cotton planting area in Xinjiang (新疆) reached 40.9 million mu, an increase of 3.3% year-on-year. At present, the cotton growing in Xinjiang cotton area is in good condition. At the end of May, most of the cotton in Xinjiang entered the budding stage. After entering June, the average temperature in Xinjiang was slightly higher than usual, and the precipitation was less than usual. The meteorological conditions are more favorable for cotton production. It is necessary to strengthen field management and pay close attention to the occurrence and development of crop diseases and insect pests, and do a good job in comprehensive prevention and control.

The "Sustainable Development of China Cotton" project initiated and implemented by the China Cotton Association (中国棉花协会) has made important progress. At present, 1.2 million mu of audited and certified Xinjiang (新疆) cotton fields have cumulatively produced 430,000 tons of "sustainable cotton." "Sustainable cotton" refers to the adoption of scientific planting methods in the cotton planting process to reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers, reduce artificial intervention in cotton growth, and avoid environmental pollution without affecting cotton yield.

Wang Jianhong (王建红), Deputy Director of the Agricultural Means of Production and Cotton and Hemp Bureau of the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (中华全国供销合作总社农资与棉麻局) and President of the China Cotton Association (中国棉花协会), introduced that products with the "Sustainable Cotton" logo label use cotton from cotton fields planted according to sustainable production standards. The cotton fiber content of the product must reach more than 95%, the proportion of domestic cotton used must reach more than 60%, and the product must also meet the superior product indicators and ecological and environmental protection requirements of relevant standards. These measures aim to improve the environmental protection, quality and recognition of my country's cotton products, and actively promote consumer consumption. As of now, more than 400,000 "Sustainable Cotton" logo labels have been issued.

Return to Top

Li Qiang Presides Over State Council Executive Meeting

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 13th (北京) - Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) presided over an executive meeting of the State Council on June 13th (国务院), deploying the replication and promotion of pilot measures in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (中国（上海）自由贸易试验区), listening to reports on building a new model for real estate development and promoting the construction of "good houses," reviewing and approving the "Implementation Plan on Further Improving the Credit Restoration System," and studying measures to optimize centralized drug and consumable procurement.

The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to make good use of the pilot experience of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (中国（上海）自由贸易试验区) in comprehensively aligning with international high-standard economic and trade rules, release institutional innovation dividends on a larger scale, and promote deep-level reform and high-quality development through high-level opening up. It is necessary to do a good job in replicating and promoting measures in accordance with local conditions, fully consider the actual conditions of various regions, focus on promoting pilot measures urgently needed by enterprises and the public, and coordinate and connect with other reform and opening-up pilot measures. It is necessary to carry out institutional opening-up experiments with greater efforts on the premise of guarding the bottom line of risks, and accelerate the construction of a new system of a higher-level open economy.

The meeting pointed out that building a new model for real estate development is of great significance for promoting the stable, healthy, and high-quality development of the real estate market. It is necessary to focus on the long term, adhere to **稳中求进** (wěn zhōng qiú jìn - "seek progress while maintaining stability," to make steady progress), establish the relevant basic systems in an orderly manner, and establish before abolishing. It is necessary to vigorously promote the construction of "good houses," incorporate them into the urban renewal mechanism to strengthen overall work coordination, and provide policy support in planning, land, finance, and other aspects. It is necessary to conduct a thorough investigation of the land already supplied and projects under construction for real estate nationwide, further optimize existing policies, enhance the systematic effectiveness of policy implementation, stabilize expectations, stimulate demand, optimize supply, and resolve risks through multiple measures, and promote the real estate market to stop falling and stabilize with greater efforts.

The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to accelerate the improvement of a unified, standardized, coordinated, shared, scientific, and efficient credit restoration mechanism to better help untrustworthy entities reshape their credit. It is necessary to unify restoration rules and improve standard specifications for qualification review, process supervision, result identification, and other aspects. It is necessary to break down data barriers, clarify the scope, methods, and frequency of data sharing as soon as possible, and promote the interconnection of social data in related fields. It is necessary to strengthen departmental coordination, closely cooperate and form synergy in acceptance and handling, update feedback, objection handling, and other work.

The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to strengthen the policy evaluation of centralized drug and consumable procurement, summarize experience, make up for shortcomings, and promote the standardization, institutionalization, and normalization of centralized procurement work. It is necessary to better promote the coordinated development and governance of "three medical services," improve the compensation mechanism for public hospitals, support pharmaceutical companies to improve their innovation capabilities, and better meet the diversified medical and drug needs of the public. It is necessary to strengthen the quality supervision of the entire chain of drug and consumable production, circulation, and use, vigorously promote the consistency evaluation of the quality and efficacy of generic drugs, and ensure that the people can use drugs with confidence and peace of mind.

The meeting also studied other matters.

Return to Top

New RMB Loans Increased by 10.68 Trillion Yuan in the First Five Months

This newspaper reported from Beijing (北京) on June 13th (Reporter Wu Qiuyu (吴秋余)): Data from the People's Bank of China (中国人民银行) shows that in the first five months of this year, China's (中国) RMB loans increased by 10.68 trillion yuan. As of the end of May, the outstanding balance of domestic and foreign currency loans was 270.2 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.7%, and the outstanding balance of RMB loans was 266.32 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.1%.

By sector, household loans increased by 572.4 billion yuan, of which short-term loans decreased by 262.4 billion yuan, and medium and long-term loans increased by 834.7 billion yuan; loans to enterprises and institutions increased by 9.8 trillion yuan, of which short-term loans increased by 3.14 trillion yuan, medium and long-term loans increased by 6.16 trillion yuan, and bill financing increased by 364.5 billion yuan; loans to non-bank financial institutions increased by 135.7 billion yuan.

Since the beginning of this year, the People's Bank of China (中国人民银行) has actively implemented a moderately loose monetary policy, and a package of financial support measures in May has been implemented and has gradually taken effect. The growth rates of social financing scale, broad money, and RMB loans in May were all significantly higher than the nominal GDP growth rate.

According to preliminary statistics, in the first five months, the cumulative increase in China's (中国) social financing scale was 18.63 trillion yuan, 3.83 trillion yuan more than the same period last year, of which RMB loans issued to the real economy increased by 10.38 trillion yuan, 112.3 billion yuan more year-on-year. As of the end of May 2024, the outstanding balance of China's (中国) social financing scale was 426.16 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.7%. Among them, the outstanding balance of RMB loans issued to the real economy was 262.86 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7%.

In terms of deposits, in the first five months, China's (中国) RMB deposits increased by 14.73 trillion yuan. Among them, household deposits increased by 8.3 trillion yuan, fiscal deposits increased by 2.07 trillion yuan, and non-bank financial institution deposits increased by 3.07 trillion yuan. As of the end of May, the outstanding balance of domestic and foreign currency deposits was 324.08 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.3%, and the outstanding balance of RMB deposits was 316.96 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.1%.

In terms of money supply, as of the end of May, China's (中国) broad money balance was 325.78 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.9%; the narrow money balance was 108.91 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.3%; and the currency in circulation balance was 13.13 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.1%. The net cash injection in the first five months was 306.4 billion yuan.

Return to Top

Han Zheng Visits Spain

This report from Seville, Spain, June 13th (Reporter Yan Huan (颜欢)) From June 10th to 12th local time, at the invitation of the Spanish government, Vice President Han Zheng (韩正) visited Spain and met with Spanish King Felipe VI (费利佩六世) and Prime Minister Sánchez (桑切斯) in Madrid.

During the meeting with King Felipe VI (费利佩六世), Han Zheng (韩正) conveyed President Xi Jinping's (习近平) cordial greetings to King Felipe VI (费利佩六世), and expressed appreciation for the Spanish royal family's long-term active support for the development of Sino-Spanish relations. Han Zheng (韩正) stated that China is willing to further strengthen cooperation with Spain in areas such as new energy, agricultural and food products, electric vehicles, the digital economy, and cultural exchanges. China and Spain share similar ideas on many major international issues and are important and active forces in defending multilateralism, maintaining the order of free trade rules, promoting open cooperation, and improving global governance. China is willing to work with Spain and the European side to jointly safeguard the international system with the United Nations as its core and contribute to world peace, stability, and development.

King Felipe VI (费利佩六世) asked Han Zheng (韩正) to convey his best wishes to President Xi Jinping (习近平), saying that since the beginning of this year, there have been frequent high-level interactions between the two sides, and bilateral relations have shown a positive and sound development momentum. Spain is willing to further strengthen communication and cooperation with China to promote closer development of bilateral relations. The current world is undergoing complex changes, and China is playing an important, positive, and stabilizing role in this process. Spain supports multilateralism and free trade and is willing to strengthen communication and collaboration with China in multilateral institutions, jointly safeguard the international multilateral trade order and rules, and promote sustainable world development.

During the meeting with Sánchez (桑切斯), Han Zheng (韩正) stated that in April of this year, the Prime Minister visited China for the third time in three years. President Xi Jinping (习近平) and Premier Li Qiang (李强) had in-depth exchanges with you, and both sides jointly voiced their commitment to deepening open and mutually beneficial cooperation, maintaining the free trade order, and defending international fairness and justice, which reflects the important significance of Sino-Spanish relations for maintaining world stability and prosperity. China is willing to work with Spain to take the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries as an opportunity to maintain high-level exchanges, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and further strengthen communication, collaboration, and mutual support in important multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. In the current international situation of intertwined changes and chaos, strengthening unity and cooperation between China and Europe, and maintaining multilateralism and free trade, is beneficial to both China and Europe, and also contributes to the stability of the world economy. It is hoped that Spain will continue to play a positive role in promoting the healthy development of China-EU relations.

Sánchez (桑切斯) stated that Spain highly values its friendly relations with China. At present, unilateralism and protectionism are harming the interests of all countries, and China's adherence to and commitment to multilateralism is particularly valuable. The Spanish government firmly adheres to the one-China policy, welcomes more Chinese companies to invest in Spain, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in areas such as trade and investment, scientific and technological innovation, and new energy, maintain the international trade order, and defend multilateralism. Spain is willing to continue to actively promote the development of EU-China relations.

Han Zheng (韩正) also met with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares (阿尔瓦雷斯), attended a welcome dinner for Chinese and Spanish business circles and delivered a speech, stating that China is firmly committed to expanding high-level opening up to the outside world, attaches great importance to the healthy and stable development of Sino-Spanish and China-EU economic and trade relations, and actively supports enterprises from both countries to strengthen economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

Han Zheng (韩正) also visited Seville and met with Juan Manuel Moreno (莫雷诺), President of the Andalusian Autonomous Community.

Return to Top

Jointly Create a New Pattern of Deeply Complementary and Highly Mutually Beneficial Cooperation (Hand in Hand: China-Central Asia Cooperation Upgrades in Quality)

By: 本报记者  李应齐  张志文

China's relations with Central Asian countries have deep historical roots, broad practical needs, and a solid public opinion foundation, radiating vigorous vitality in the new era. Since the successful holding of the first China-Central Asia Summit, China and Central Asian countries have continuously expanded economic and trade relations, deepened connectivity, jointly created a new pattern of deeply complementary and highly win-win cooperation, and achieved more fruitful results in the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road," injecting strong impetus into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

A package embodies the continuous improvement of trade facilitation.

At the first China-Central Asia Summit, President Xi Jinping (习近平) put forward "eight suggestions" in his keynote speech on how to develop cooperation between China and Central Asian countries. "China will introduce more trade facilitation measures," "China will comprehensively increase the volume of cross-border transportation, support the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, promote the opening of the air transport market, and develop regional logistics networks"... In the fields of economy, trade, and connectivity, a series of practical measures have powerfully promoted China-Central Asia cooperation to a new level.

Walking into the YTO Express sorting center in Almaty (阿拉木图), Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦), a busy scene comes into view: conveyor belts operate at high speed, accurately and efficiently sorting packages. Every day, more than 30,000 cross-border packages from China complete a series of processes such as customs declaration, transshipment, and sorting here, and are sent to local consumers.

The busy sorting center is not only a collection point for goods, but also an epitome of the increasingly close economic and trade exchanges between China and Central Asian countries. In 2024, the trade volume between China and the five Central Asian countries reached a record 94.8 billion US dollars, and cross-border e-commerce is booming. Kazinform reported that the transaction volume of Kazakhstan-China cross-border e-commerce increased by 35.8% in 2024.

"I often place orders through my mobile phone to buy toys from China for my children, which is very convenient and affordable," said Mukhtar, a reporter from Kazinform. With the upgrading of cross-border transportation and logistics systems, it is becoming more and more convenient for Central Asian consumers to purchase Chinese goods.

At the same time, more and more commodities from Central Asian countries are entering the Chinese market. Thanks to the continuous improvement of trade facilitation, Chinese consumers can order specialties such as camel milk powder from Kazakhstan, honey from Kyrgyzstan (吉尔吉斯斯坦), dried fruits from Tajikistan (塔吉克斯坦), cherries from Uzbekistan (乌兹别克斯坦), and cotton products from Turkmenistan (土库曼斯坦) without leaving their homes. Central Asian merchants continue to expand the Chinese market and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

In November last year, Uzbekistan, as one of the guest countries of honor, participated in the 7th China International Import Expo (进博会), bringing high-quality commodities in the fields of textiles, agriculture, and electronics to Chinese consumers. Kazakhstan has participated in the CIIE for seven consecutive years and signed trade contracts worth 120 million US dollars at last year's CIIE. The Kazakhstan National Pavilion has settled in many large Chinese e-commerce platforms to achieve diversified sales channels. Continuously expanding the "green channel" for rapid customs clearance of agricultural and sideline products, holding China-Central Asia "Silk Road E-commerce" deepening cooperation activities, and actively promoting the development of new business forms such as digital trade, service trade, and e-commerce... Economic and trade cooperation between China and Central Asian countries continues to expand, bringing benefits to the people.

Vahabov, Director of the Central Asia International Institute of Uzbekistan, said that Central Asian countries look forward to sharing development opportunities with China and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.

A bus witnesses the joint creation of new green and low-carbon growth points.

Green innovation is one of the highlights of China-Central Asia cooperation. When President Xi Jinping (习近平) delivered a keynote speech at the first China-Central Asia Summit, he pointed out that it is necessary to continue to be at the forefront of jointly building the "Belt and Road" cooperation, promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, fully release the potential of traditional cooperation, create new growth points such as poverty reduction, green and low-carbon development, and jointly build a community of shared future with win-win cooperation and mutual achievement.

Walking in the major cities of Central Asian countries, it is common to see Chinese brand cars shuttling back and forth. In April this year, a 12-meter-long white bus appeared on the streets of Ashgabat (阿什哈巴德), the capital of Turkmenistan. Compliant with environmental protection standards, equipped with satellite positioning equipment, and supporting digital payment, this Chinese brand bus provides local people with a new choice for modern travel.

"The design of the bus is very fashionable, and the functions meet passengers' needs for comfortable travel, and fully take into account our country's climate conditions," said Bekmyrat Eyeberdiyev, chairman of the Turkmenistan International Road Transport Association. This bus is from Yutong (宇通) of China. Within this year, 700 Yutong buses will be delivered and put into operation in Ashgabat, which is the largest bus procurement project in Turkmenistan in recent years and will meet the travel needs of more than 1 million residents.

More and more environmentally friendly models such as electric buses and natural gas buses provide strong support for the development of green transportation in Central Asian countries. "Electric buses are stable and comfortable, with low noise, and it is not so stuffy in the car in summer," said Omurjan, a passenger who needs to take 6 buses a day at a bus station in Astana (阿斯塔纳), the capital of Kazakhstan.

The Central Asian region has complex terrain and climate. How to meet environmental protection needs and improve performance is a major consideration for Chinese brand car companies to enter the local market. In January 2024, at an extreme cold endurance challenge held in Astana, an electric bus from Yutong demonstrated the good performance of Chinese brand electric buses with a range of 374 kilometers under extreme conditions of minus 25 degrees Celsius. "These vehicles perform very well. They are quieter, cleaner, and very beneficial to urban traffic development and environmental protection," said Madi Salbasov, coordinator of the Astana City Transportation Bureau.

Since the first China-Central Asia Summit, China and Central Asian countries have continued to release cooperation potential and jointly create new growth points such as green and low-carbon development. More and more Chinese car companies are going to Central Asia to invest, gradually shifting from product export to technology and industrial chain cooperation. Eyeberdiyev believes that Chinese cars have advantages in terms of function and price, and Central Asian countries have broad cooperation space with China in transportation and other fields.

A railway demonstrates the firm determination to seek common development.

"The construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a strategic decision made by the governments of the three countries with a view to regional connectivity and promoting regional prosperity and stability, which demonstrates the good wishes of the people of the three countries to open up this strategic channel." In December 2024, President Xi Jinping (习近平) sent a congratulatory letter to the launching ceremony of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project. In his congratulatory letter, President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to strive to build the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway into a new demonstration project for jointly building the "Belt and Road" cooperation, better help the economic and social development and improvement of people's livelihood in the areas along the route, and inject new impetus into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Overcoming the construction difficulties of high altitude, high cold, high seismic intensity, and high ground stress, the key control project of the Kyrgyzstan section of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway officially started construction in April this year, marking that the main line project of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway has entered the substantive construction stage.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a strategic project for China's connectivity with Central Asia and a landmark project for China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan to jointly build the "Belt and Road" cooperation. Under the personal care and promotion of the heads of state of the three countries, the project has continued to make new progress, demonstrating to the international community the firm determination to work together to promote cooperation and seek common development, and will make positive contributions to promoting infrastructure connectivity and economic and trade exchanges among countries along the route in the future.

"In a sense, this will be the first time that landlocked Kyrgyzstan has a road to the sea," said Sergei Ponomarev, chairman of the Kyrgyzstan Market Association. "The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will help Kyrgyzstan increase freight traffic, improve infrastructure levels, create new employment opportunities, improve people's living standards, and improve economic development."

In Kazakhstan, the "Double West Highway" project group has shortened the journey from Khorgos (霍尔果斯) to Almaty by about 2 hours compared with before; in Tajikistan, the completion of the Yawan-Vahdat railway bridge and tunnel has turned the north and south of Tajikistan into a thoroughfare; in Turkmenistan, Chinese enterprises have built more than 1,000 kilometers of various roads, providing convenience for local people to travel... Under the promotion of jointly building the "Belt and Road" cooperation, China and Central Asian countries have achieved solid and fruitful results in the field of connectivity, which widely benefits the people of all countries in the region.

As of now, China's cumulative investment in Central Asian countries has exceeded 30 billion US dollars. In the fields of infrastructure, oil and gas mining, processing and manufacturing, medical and health, education and technology, and digital economy, a number of large projects have been successfully implemented, helping Central Asian countries to upgrade their industries, connect with each other, and improve people's livelihood. Rasulov, a Chinese expert in Tajikistan, believes that China has become an important partner of Central Asian countries, and the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has provided a strong impetus for economic growth in the Central Asian region.

A Central Asian proverb says: "What you give, you will get back; what you sow, you will reap." The high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" is injecting surging momentum into China-Central Asia cooperation, drawing a magnificent picture of mutual benefit, win-win results, and common development, which will powerfully promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity and better benefit the people of both sides.

Return to Top

Drawing a New Blueprint for the Development of China-Central Asia Relations (Harmony Voice)

The second China-Central Asia Summit will surely help China and Central Asian countries further consolidate the foundation of mutual trust, build consensus on cooperation, deepen strategic alignment, and promote the building of a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

From June 16th to 18th, President Xi Jinping (习近平) will travel to Astana, Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦阿斯塔纳), to attend the second China-Central Asia Summit. This is a major diplomatic initiative by China towards its neighboring countries and is of great significance for charting a new blueprint for the development of China-Central Asia relations.

The establishment of the China-Central Asia mechanism is a unanimous decision of China and the five Central Asian countries, which meets the common expectations of all parties for maintaining regional stability and achieving high-quality development. In May 2023, the first China-Central Asia Summit was held in Xi'an (西安), and the China-Central Asia mechanism was officially upgraded and finalized, marking a new era in China's relations with Central Asian countries. At the Xi'an Summit, President Xi Jinping (习近平) put forward "four insistences" on how to build a China-Central Asia community with a shared future and "eight suggestions" on how to develop cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, which pointed out the direction and path for the development of China-Central Asia relations. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, the China-Central Asia mechanism has been improving, and cooperation in various fields has been flourishing, injecting strong positive energy into the development and revitalization of the six countries and regional peace and stability. This summit is the first China-Central Asia Summit to be held in a Central Asian country. President Xi Jinping (习近平) will attend the summit and deliver a keynote speech, conduct in-depth exchanges with the leaders of Central Asian countries, discuss cooperation plans, and seek a common future for the region, which will surely inject more positive energy into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

In the face of the accelerated evolution of changes unseen in a century and the intertwined turbulence of the international situation, China actively practices the concept of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness in its neighborhood diplomacy, promotes good-neighborly friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation, and integrated development with Central Asian countries, and has always been a trustworthy and reliable force for Central Asian countries to respond to challenges and promote development. China and Central Asian countries have achieved full coverage of comprehensive strategic partnership, full coverage of signing cooperation documents on jointly building the "Belt and Road," and full coverage of practicing the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind at the bilateral level. The three "full coverages" demonstrate the high degree of political mutual trust, efficient pragmatic cooperation, and in-depth international collaboration between China and Central Asian countries, and demonstrate the firm determination of both sides to work together and create a future together.

China and Central Asian countries are fellow travelers on the road to modernization, and deepening cooperation is in the fundamental interests of the six countries and their peoples. In September 2013, it was in Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦) that President Xi Jinping (习近平) proposed the initiative to jointly build the "Silk Road Economic Belt." In recent years, from trade facilitation to industrial investment, from poverty reduction and poverty alleviation to desertification control, from agricultural modernization to facilitation of personnel exchanges, and from educational cooperation to exchanges on governance, China and Central Asian countries have achieved fruitful results in various fields of cooperation. At present, the rising unilateralism and protectionism are common challenges facing the development of all countries. China and Central Asian countries working together to promote the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road," adhering to mutual benefit and win-win results, and helping each other will effectively enhance their respective capabilities and confidence in promoting development against headwinds and currents.

China and Central Asian countries are both countries of the Global South, adhering to the practice of true multilateralism and safeguarding international fairness and justice. In the face of the rampant power politics, unilateral bullying, China and Central Asian countries resolutely oppose hegemonic, domineering, and bullying acts, support each other on issues involving sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, firmly support their respective choices of development paths, and oppose any form of "double standards" and interference in other countries' internal affairs under any pretext. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. China and Central Asian countries will firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations as the core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, strengthen coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, promote solidarity and cooperation among countries of the Global South, and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction.

No matter how the international situation changes, China and Central Asian countries have always been good neighbors, good partners, good friends, and good brothers. The second China-Central Asia Summit will surely help China and Central Asian countries further consolidate the foundation of mutual trust, build consensus on cooperation, deepen strategic alignment, and promote the building of a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Return to Top

Reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Botswana held in Beijing

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 13th. On June 13th, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Embassy of Botswana in China jointly held a reception in Beijing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Botswana. Hao Mingjin (郝明金), Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Botswana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Lemogang Kwape (布塔莱), attended the reception and delivered speeches.

Return to Top

Jointly Promote China-Central Asia Modernization.

By: 本报记者  屈  佩  韩  硕  王  迪

The pomegranate flowers are in bloom, marking another time of reunion. In the China-Central Asia Friendship Forest in Xi'an (西安), Shaanxi (陕西) Province, the pomegranate trees planted by the heads of state of the six countries are flourishing. China-Central Asia cooperation is also like these green trees, rooted in fertile soil, growing towards the sun, and full of vitality.

At the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (托卡耶夫) of the Republic of Kazakhstan, President Xi Jinping (习近平) will visit Astana (阿斯塔纳), Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦) from June 16th to 18th to attend the Second China-Central Asia Summit. From Xi'an (西安) to Astana (阿斯塔纳), President Xi Jinping (习近平) and the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries will gather again to further promote good-neighborly friendship among the six countries, jointly plan new prospects for win-win cooperation, jointly draw a new blueprint for the development of relations between China and Central Asian countries, and add new impetus to the development and revitalization of the six countries.

Millennial Friendship, Good-Neighborly Friendship Writes a New Chapter

In 2023, in the flourishing month of May, the ancient capital of Xi'an (西安) hosted the first in-person summit between China and Central Asian countries, establishing a new historical monument in the history of bilateral relations. The "Xi'an Declaration of the China-Central Asia Summit" (《中国—中亚峰会西安宣言》), full of expectations from all parties, was released, and the China-Central Asia Heads of State Meeting mechanism was officially established. The heads of state of the six countries reached an important consensus, and the concept of a community of common destiny was fully implemented for the first time at the regional multilateral and bilateral levels.

Looking back from this coordinate, it is the profound accumulation of the millennial Silk Road; looking forward, it is a brand-new journey for China to join hands with Central Asia towards good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation.

In the golden autumn of 2013, President Xi Jinping (习近平) visited Central Asian countries for the first time as head of state, paying state visits to Turkmenistan (土库曼斯坦), Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦), Uzbekistan (乌兹别克斯坦), and Kyrgyzstan (吉尔吉斯斯坦), opening a new chapter in China's relations with Central Asian countries.

It was in Astana (阿斯塔纳) that President Xi Jinping (习近平) looked back on the history of friendly exchanges between China and Central Asian countries, recalling the camel bells echoing in the mountains and the wisps of smoke drifting in the desert, and proposed the initiative to jointly build the "Silk Road Economic Belt" (丝绸之路经济带) for the future.

Since the new era, step by step, China's relations with Central Asian countries have continued to move forward.

Looking at bilateral relations, like visiting relatives, close exchanges—

President Xi Jinping (习近平) has visited Central Asia eight times and received leaders of Central Asian countries visiting China time and again. Under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, China and Central Asian countries have achieved full coverage of comprehensive strategic partnership, full coverage of signing cooperation documents on jointly building the "Belt and Road" (一带一路), and full coverage of practicing the concept of a community of common destiny at the bilateral level.

In July 2024, President Xi Jinping (习近平) attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Astana Summit (上海合作组织阿斯塔纳峰会) and paid state visits to Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦) and Tajikistan (塔吉克斯坦). Despite being busy preparing for the summit, President Tokayev (托卡耶夫) personally went to the airport to greet him, and more than 10 Kazakh children sang "Ode to the Motherland" (《歌唱祖国》) in Chinese, with sincere and moving songs. In Tajikistan (塔吉克斯坦), President Rahmon (拉赫蒙) specially presented a precious photo album of President Xi Jinping's (习近平) three visits to Tajikistan (塔吉克斯坦) since 2014 before parting.

Looking at multilateral relations, China-Central Asia cooperation has great potential—

In 2020, China advocated the establishment of the China-Central Asia mechanism. In January 2022, the China-Central Asia Five Countries 30th Anniversary Virtual Summit was held.

"No matter how the international situation changes, no matter how far China develops in the future, China will always be a good neighbor, good partner, good friend, and good brother that Central Asian countries can trust and rely on," President Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized.

In response to changes in the regional situation, in line with the trend of the times, and echoing the aspirations of the people of all countries, President Xi Jinping (习近平) and the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries have taken a broad and strategic view, and the China-Central Asia mechanism has grown from scratch and from weak to strong, becoming a new platform for multilateral cooperation in a century of change.

China has always regarded Central Asia as a priority direction in its surrounding diplomacy. Central Asia, with a regional collaborative posture, shakes hands with China, demonstrating a high degree of strategic mutual trust and a firm willingness for common development. Adhering to the concept of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness in its surrounding diplomacy, China and Central Asian countries are walking together on the road of good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation.

Win-Win Cooperation, Development and Revitalization Opens a New Journey

On May 29th, the China-Central Asia International Cultural and Tourism First Train (Xi'an-Almaty Section) (中国—中亚国际人文旅游首发专列（西安—阿拉木图段）) departed from Xi'an (西安). Two days later, the train arrived in Almaty (阿拉木图), Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦). The Xi'an-Almaty Cultural and Tourism Exchange Week (西安—阿拉木图人文旅游交流周) was then launched.

This route was once an ancient camel road and has now become an efficient thoroughfare. The train travels, recreating the prosperous scene of commerce and tourism.

Two years ago, at the first China-Central Asia Summit, the heads of state of the six countries signed the "Xi'an Declaration of the China-Central Asia Summit" (《中国—中亚峰会西安宣言》). As the pen tip crossed the paper, more than 100 cooperation agreements were implemented.

Looking closely at the list, it is not difficult to feel the strong willingness, wide range, and fruitful results of Central Asian countries joining hands with China.

Jointly Laying Modern "Silk Road"—

A number of projects personally cared for by President Xi Jinping (习近平) are progressing smoothly: In July last year, the China-Europe Trans-Caspian Direct Express was opened, and Chinese vehicles arrived at the Caspian coastal port for the first time by direct road transport; the Kazakhstan Xi'an Terminal (哈萨克斯坦西安码头) has been operating smoothly for more than a year, with prosperous trade in goods; in March this year, the key control tunnel of the second phase of the China-Tajikistan Highway (中塔公路) was completed, and the road construction to conquer the Pamir Plateau (帕米尔高原) took a step forward; in April, the key control project of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway (中吉乌铁路) started construction, and the main line project entered the substantive construction stage... Chinese and Central Asian builders are fighting side by side on plateaus, mountains, and ports to help realize the dream of interconnection.

Joining Hands to Form a Contemporary "Camel Team"—

In 2024, the trade volume between China and Central Asian countries reached 94.8 billion US dollars, setting a new record.

The number of China-Europe Railway Express (中欧班列) routes continues to increase, and the connection network is becoming more and more dense. Riding on the train, Chinese electronic equipment and clothing enter the Central Asian market, and Central Asian specialty agricultural products are placed on Chinese shelves.

Air routes between China and Central Asian countries are becoming increasingly busy. With the advancement of visa facilitation measures, two-way tourism continues to heat up, and people in the region travel frequently.

Witnessing the Emergence of More "Envoys of Friendship"—

Between China and Central Asia, agricultural technology experts, medical personnel, archaeological teams, and literary and art groups have close exchanges. Confucius Institutes (孔子学院), Luban Workshops (鲁班工坊), and Traditional Chinese Medicine Centers (中医药中心) and other cultural exchange platforms have cultivated batches of friendship reinforcements. Chinese entrepreneurs have taken root in Central Asia, establishing agricultural processing plants, textile industrial parks, and other livelihood projects.

Ma Wenxuan (马文轩), a Kazakh young man who was praised by President Xi Jinping (习近平) for saying "I am a foreigner, but not an outsider," has now grown into a backbone of the China-Kazakhstan Traditional Medicine Center (中国—哈萨克斯坦传统医学中心), spreading the concept of traditional Chinese medicine in practicing medicine and helping the world.

Walking on the streets of Central Asian countries, you can often hear the enthusiastic Chinese greeting "Hello" (你好). Behind this goodwill is the "China Impression" accumulated by people in their daily lives—Chinese doctors help local patients regain their sight, logistics accessibility makes good things within reach, thermal power plants bring warmth in winter, energy cooperation activates development potential, and advanced agricultural technology makes apples sweeter.

China-Central Asia cooperation is not only a firm handshake between countries, but also a tangible and perceptible change in the lives of thousands of households.

Strategic Alignment, Walking Hand in Hand on the Road to Modernization

China and the five Central Asian countries are all developing countries, with similar historical experiences, common development demands, and interconnected revitalization dreams. They are all natural members of the Global South and fellow travelers on the road to modernization.

"We are willing to strengthen exchanges on modernization concepts and practices with Central Asian countries, promote the alignment of development strategies, create more opportunities for cooperation, and jointly promote the modernization process of the six countries," President Xi Jinping's (习近平) words at the first China-Central Asia Summit were sonorous and powerful.

China, a country that was once poor and weak and in need of everything, has successfully embarked on a path of Chinese-style modernization. Chinese-style modernization is feasible and stable, demonstrating the realistic possibility for developing countries to independently move towards revitalization. For Central Asian countries, this is a vivid sample and an important opportunity.

Opportunities Surge in the Convergence and Resonance of Modernization Concepts.

Kazakh President Tokayev (托卡耶夫) marveled: "Under the visionary and wise leadership of President Xi Jinping (习近平), the Chinese nation is moving towards modernization with an unstoppable pace, and is constantly achieving lofty goals in building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era."

Uzbek President Mirziyoyev (米尔济约耶夫) personally wrote the preface to the Uzbek version of "Getting Rid of Poverty" (《摆脱贫困》), and Uzbek officials have come to China many times to "learn from experience" and invited Chinese experts to participate in the formulation of Uzbekistan's "2030 Poverty Reduction Program" (《2030年扶贫纲领》).

Turkmen President Berdymukhamedov (别尔德穆哈梅多夫) believes that under the wise and strong leadership of President Xi Jinping (习近平), China has made great achievements in economic and social development, and has played an important and constructive role in promoting the construction of a more just and reasonable international order. The Communist Party of China (中国共产党) is the backbone of the Chinese people. Turkmenistan is convinced that China will surely achieve greater achievements in the future and make greater contributions to maintaining world peace, stability and prosperity.

The "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" (《习近平谈治国理政》) China-Tajikistan Readers' Meeting was held in Tajikistan (塔吉克斯坦), and people from all walks of life in China and Tajikistan (塔吉克斯坦) jointly discussed the way of development. "This book is of great significance for us to learn from China's experience in reform and opening up and promote Tajikistan's own reform and development," said Rashid Alimov (拉希德·阿利莫夫), a professor at the National Academy of Administration under the President of Tajikistan (塔吉克斯坦).

Former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov (阿克尔别克·扎帕罗夫) also felt the same way: Kyrgyzstan (吉尔吉斯斯坦) has gone through a very difficult road of economic development and reform, "Now, we can learn from China's experience in building modernization and promote the realization of 'leapfrog' development."

Opportunities Arise from the Exploration and Practice of the Road to Modernization.

Kazakhstan's "Bright Road" New Economic Policy (哈萨克斯坦“光明之路”新经济政策), Kyrgyzstan's "National Development Program until 2026" (吉尔吉斯斯坦“2026年前国家发展纲要”), Tajikistan's "National Development Strategy until 2030" (塔吉克斯坦“2030年前国家发展战略”), Uzbekistan's "New Uzbekistan" 2022-2026 Development Strategy (乌兹别克斯坦“新乌兹别克斯坦”2022—2026年发展战略), Turkmenistan's "Revival of the Silk Road" Strategy (土库曼斯坦“复兴丝绸之路”战略)... In planning their own development blueprints, Central Asian countries have unanimously chosen to align their national development strategies with the "Belt and Road" Initiative (一带一路) initiative. The strategic fit promotes the continuous expansion of bilateral cooperation.

New technologies, new energy sources, and new industries are highlights in the cooperation agreements witnessed and signed by President Xi Jinping (习近平) and the heads of state of Central Asian countries.

The annual "Future Bridge" China-Central Asia Youth Leaders Training and Exchange Camp (每年“未来之桥”中国—中亚青年领导人研修交流营) is held, and visiting Chinese automobile companies is a standard itinerary. Central Asian youth hope to seek cooperation opportunities in the rapid development of China's new energy vehicle industry; large-scale projects such as the Issyk-Kul Photovoltaic Phase I Project (伊塞克湖光伏一期项目) and the Syrdarya State 1500 MW Gas Power Plant (锡尔河州1500兆瓦燃气电站) are moving forward. Whenever there are key nodes, Central Asian countries send senior officials to attend the events, demonstrating their importance and high expectations for cooperation.

Open China is committed to promoting the construction of a community of common destiny for mankind; Central Asia, which is on the road to revitalization, expects to gain more development space. China and Central Asia joining hands is not only the natural result of regional cooperation, but also reflects the Global South's demands for promoting an equal and orderly world multipolarization and an inclusive economic globalization.

At present, the century of changes is accelerating, and the changes of the world, the times, and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. Central Asia is the center of the Eurasian continent, at the crossroads connecting east and west and running through north and south. The world needs a stable, prosperous, harmonious, and interconnected Central Asia. The China-Central Asia mechanism belongs to the six countries and faces the world, promoting the development and prosperity of the vast land of more than 13.6 million square kilometers, pursuing the bright future and better life of nearly 1.5 billion people, and reflecting the responsibility and commitment of being based on oneself and having the world in mind.

Return to Top

Liu Jianchao Meets with Guests from Botswana and Mozambique Respectively

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 13th (Xinhua) - On June 13th, Minister Liu Jianchao (刘建超) of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央对外联络部) met separately in Beijing with Butale (布塔莱), National Executive Committee member of the Botswana Democratic Change Alliance and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government, and Lucas (卢卡斯), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mozambique. They exchanged in-depth views on strengthening inter-party exchanges and dialogue, deepening mutual learning of governance experience, and promoting the development of national relations and China-Africa relations.

Return to Top

Wu Hansheng Leads CPC Delegation to Visit Venezuela

Xinhua News Agency, Caracas, June 11th. At the invitation of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, Wu Hansheng (吴汉圣), Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, led a CPC delegation to Venezuela from June 8th to 10th. The delegation met and held talks with Nicolás Maduro (马杜罗), President of the United Socialist Party, Diosdado Cabello (卡韦略), General Secretary, Yván Gil (希尔), Minister of Foreign Affairs, and several other leaders of the United Socialist Party. They also attended the first theoretical seminar between the Communist Party of China and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, exchanging views on cooperation in various fields.

The Venezuelan side highly praised 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) and its global significance, and expressed its willingness to strengthen exchanges with the CPC on governance experience to promote the deepening and consolidation of the all-weather strategic partnership between Venezuela and China.

Return to Top

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Answers Questions on Israel's Attack on Iran

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 13th (Reporters Yuan Rui (袁睿) and Liu Yang (刘杨)) Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian (林剑) stated at a regular press conference on the 13th that China is highly concerned about Israel's attack on Iran and is deeply worried about the serious consequences that the relevant actions may bring. China opposes any infringement on Iran's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, and opposes escalating conflicts and expanding conflicts.

"The renewed and sudden escalation of the regional situation is not in the interest of any party. China calls on all relevant parties to do more to promote regional peace and stability and avoid further escalation of the tense situation." Lin Jian (林剑) said that China is willing to play a constructive role in promoting the de-escalation of the situation.

Return to Top

Experiencing Harmony Between Mountains, Sea, and City (In-Depth Reading)

By: 本报记者 窦瀚洋

Harmony and unity, shining with Eastern wisdom, this tolerant character of "valuing harmony, advocating moderation, being good at understanding and accommodating, upholding virtue and embracing diversity, and seeking harmony without uniformity" showcases the enduring and ever-new values passed down by the Chinese people.

Xi Jinping (习近平), then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, once pointed out in an article titled "Culture Fosters Harmony" in the "Zhejiang New Discourse" column that "harmony" refers to concord, peace, and moderation, while "unity" refers to convergence, integration, and alliance. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized "working together with one heart" and "harmonious coexistence" on important occasions, and has applied the culture of harmony and unity to the practice of governing the country.

From the historical classics "harmony produces life" and "preserving harmony and great harmony" to the "harmony and beauty" and "peace of mind" that people often say today, this excellent Chinese traditional culture of harmony and unity is integrated into all aspects of Taizhou (台州) City, Zhejiang (浙江) Province.

Here, surrounded by green mountains, the harmonious coexistence of people and nature is fully displayed; here, the concept of harmony and unity connects the government and the people, and the "key small matters" of the masses are responded to and implemented; here, good news of Sino-foreign exchanges continues, and stories of mutual assistance and harmonious coexistence are wonderfully staged... Our reporter walked into Taizhou City to decode the culture of harmony and unity and feel the beauty of harmony and unity.

Viewing the Mountains—

Seeing the Harmony and Unity between People and Nature from a Bayberry Tree

"The bayberry tree is the 'living rice bowl' left to us by our ancestors." In the early morning, Shen Shucheng (沈树成), a bayberry farmer weeding the bayberry trees in Cheng'ao Village (程岙村), Hengxi Town (横溪镇), Xianju County (仙居县), Taizhou City, said. The bayberry bred by this land is the fruit of prosperity in the mouths of the people. In 2024, the bayberry planting area in Xianju (仙居) has reached 147,000 mu, with an output of 121,000 tons, a fresh fruit output value of 1.23 billion yuan, and a total industrial chain output value of 4.5 billion yuan.

Starting with the bayberry tree, the "latitude" of the symbiosis between man and nature is gradually widening—

Take a closer look at the bayberry tree in front of you, with its thick branches, purple-red fruits, and canopy-like crown. Under the bayberry tree are patches of tea trees, and from time to time you can see beehives and native chickens flapping their wings and pecking at food. This is the wealth left by our ancestors—the "Zhejiang Xianju Ancient Bayberry Group Composite Planting and Breeding System," an important global agricultural cultural heritage.

The bayberry farmers have their own understanding of this: bayberry likes shade, tea trees are resistant to moisture, chickens eat insects and weed, and bees pollinate and brew honey. They live together and help each other.

Tea is picked in spring, bayberry is harvested in summer, honey is sold in autumn, and chickens are sold in winter. Farmers can earn money for at least 8 months of the year. The natural law of harmonious coexistence practiced by the ancestors has more than doubled the efficiency of the land: "The fresh fruit from 300 bayberry trees alone can be sold for 100,000 yuan a year, and the 300 Xianju chickens raised under the forest can earn another 50,000 yuan, plus the income from tea and honey, you can earn even more." Shen Shucheng counted on his fingers.

The harmonious coexistence of man and nature is not only about utilization, but also about protection and coexistence.

To date, Xianju (仙居) has discovered and protected more than 13,000 ancient bayberry trees that are hundreds of years old, some of which are over a thousand years old, becoming a witness to the harmonious coexistence of local farming culture and natural heritage.

The way of harmony and unity is also reflected in the vibrant vitality bursting out in the mountains and rivers of eastern Zhejiang (浙东)—the air quality has consistently ranked among the top in the country, the forest coverage rate has reached 53.55%, and two provincial-level biodiversity experience sites and 14 municipal-level experience sites have been built successively. The harmonious coexistence of people and nature makes this land greener and more beautiful.

Tasting the City—

Seeing the Harmony and Unity of Social Governance from a Conflict Resolution

Overlooking Tiantai City (天台城) from Mount Tiantai (天台山), one stream runs along both banks, extending east and west. In the central harmony and unity mediation center of the county seat, laughter comes from the Lao Shi Mediation Studio.

"If it weren't for your help, I don't know when I would have received the money to repair the house." Holding the hand of Shi Renli (施仁利), a full-time mediation worker, resident Jiang Yijun (姜义军) smiled happily.

Two years ago, Jiang Yijun (姜义军) got angry about the cracks in his house: "If you don't give me an explanation, no one can start construction!" It turned out that due to the vibration of the construction of a new adjacent residential area, cracks as wide as three fingers appeared on the walls of Jiang Yijun's (姜义军) house. After failing to negotiate with the developer many times, Jiang Yijun (姜义军) found the harmony and unity mediation center.

After understanding the specific situation, Lao Shi (老施) visited the house and worked on both sides.

"Our construction is compliant and legal, and it is all within the red line." Ye Sheng (叶生), the person in charge of the developer, complained while holding the planning drawings. Lao Shi (老施) then went to the site again with a tape measure and camera, accompanied the developer to study the vibration reduction plan during the day, and calculated the damage data of the house in Jiang's (姜) house at night.

"Construction within the red line is legal, but the rights and interests of neighbors must also be protected." After several communications and coordination, Lao Shi (老施) facilitated a step-by-step agreement of "safety first, compensation later": the construction party adjusted the mechanical operation time, and the residents did not obstruct the construction; after the ground was backfilled, a third party was entrusted to conduct testing, and the construction party compensated based on the test report.

Not long ago, Jiang Yijun (姜义军) received nearly 70,000 yuan in compensation, and the construction of the residential area was not delayed. Lao Shi Mediation Studio (老施调解工作室) mediates more than 300 such disputes every year, and the walls of the studio are covered with pennants.

"The culture of harmony and unity emphasizes 和为贵 (hé wéi guì - "harmony is precious," harmony is to be prized; peace is of paramount importance). This is my secret to mediation." Lao Shi (老施) has been doing mediation work for most of his life and has summarized some experience: "Mediation is not about muddling things through, but about taking the pulse like a Chinese medicine practitioner, finding the root cause, and prescribing the right remedy."

"Harmony and unity" is both harmony and unity.

In Tiantai County (天台县), the local government innovatively broke administrative boundaries and established three cross-regional "Harmony is Precious" harmony and unity mediation centers in the east, middle, and west. "Uniting towns and townships with similar geographical locations is also a new interpretation of the culture of harmony and unity." Shi Renli (施仁利) said, "Take our central harmony and unity mediation center as an example. The scope of independent mediation has expanded from the original one street to three streets, two towns, and one township, breaking the barriers of cross-street mediation, simplifying the process, and resolving conflicts more quickly."

Resolving small disputes and protecting people's livelihoods. As the birthplace of the culture of harmony and unity, Taizhou's (台州) "harmony and unity for good governance" has blazed a new path for grassroots social governance. Mediation centers based on the concept of harmony and unity are spread throughout the counties (cities, districts), bringing together representatives of people's congresses at all levels, industry experts, etc., becoming an important force for grassroots good governance, and giving rise to a large number of social governance brands such as harmony and unity democratic consultation, harmony and unity blocks, and harmony and unity villages.

Since 2021, Taizhou (台州) has successfully mediated 368,200 cases of various social conflicts and disputes, with the amount involved in mediation agreements reaching more than 17 billion yuan. The harmony and unity mediation work method was selected as the "Fengqiao-style Work Method" in the new era of Zhejiang Province (浙江省), and Taizhou (台州) was awarded the title of "National Pilot City for Modernization of Municipal Social Governance."

The main leaders of the Taizhou (台州) Municipal Party Committee stated: "We will be based on Taizhou's (台州) profound historical and cultural heritage, adhere to integrity and innovation, better shoulder the cultural mission of the new era, focus on carrying out the 'two creations' and transformation of the culture of harmony and unity, promote exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations, and strive to build Taizhou (台州) into a place for practicing, spreading, and marking Chinese culture of harmony and unity."

Looking at the Sea—

Seeing the Harmony and Unity of Sino-Foreign Exchanges from a Business Cooperation

Located on the coast of the East China Sea (东海), Taizhou (台州) has been a channel for trade and commerce since ancient times.

In ancient times, local businesses often engraved "Harmony and Unity as a Mark" on their door plaques to declare the concept and wisdom of harmony brings wealth.

Today, in Sino-foreign business exchanges, the words "harmony and unity" still write good stories.

"The most difficult thing in cooperating with overseas companies is the recognition of cultural concepts." Not long ago, Zheng Haitao (郑海涛), general manager of the International Business Department of Jack Technology Co., Ltd., a private enterprise in Taizhou (台州), encountered a difficult problem.

"The company encountered a disagreement in expanding the market when cooperating with foreign companies." Zheng Haitao (郑海涛) recalled that at that time, Jack Technology (杰克科技) acquired the Italian company Maica (迈卡), and the two parties jointly developed the Brazilian market. "We planned to develop new distributors, but the Italian company was worried that developing new distributors would infringe on the interests of their previously cooperative distributors." Zheng Haitao (郑海涛) said.

How to break the situation? "Seeking harmony without uniformity" is the key.

"It doesn't matter if there are differences, the key is to be inclusive and coexist." Zheng Haitao (郑海涛) said that the Chinese people emphasize cooperation and win-win, and the relationship between distributors is not about you win and I lose, but about growing the market together.

Adhering to this concept, the Chinese side provided funds and channels, and the Italian side provided technology, and the two sides finally reached an agreement. "The new distributors have signed new orders this year that have exceeded the previous year's sales in the Brazilian market. It is worthy of being the ancient wisdom from China." The head of Maica (迈卡) said.

Experiencing this process personally, Zheng Haitao (郑海涛) felt deeply that when conducting Sino-foreign exchanges, enterprises especially need the spirit of "uniting the masses into one, cooperating and winning together" in the culture of harmony and unity, "Respecting each other's culture can lead to better cooperation, and then better mutual absorption and integration of technical experience, and common growth in mutual promotion and mutual benefit."

Since 2019, relying on overseas enterprises, overseas Chinese, and other forces, Taizhou (台州) has successively built 29 overseas stations around the world, building a bridge for Eastern and Western cultures, and also becoming a new overseas platform for promoting excellent Chinese traditional culture and spreading Chinese stories.

Layout design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)

Return to Top

Why Harmony Resonates (Quick Commentary)

By: 杨烁壁

Locals have a saying: "The Tiantai dialect is hard to understand, but the smiles of the Tiantai people are easy to understand."

What is it about a smile that transcends language and touches people's hearts?

The answer lies in the resonance of "Hehe" (和合). From harmonious coexistence to cooperative development, in this land of mountains, sea, and city, the spirituality of the mountains, the grandeur of the sea, and the vibrancy of the city jointly nurture a touching harmony.

What touches us is the unbroken melody. From the ancient records in *Guoyu* stating "Shang Qi could harmonize the five teachings," to the "harmony and beauty" we advocate today, for thousands of years, we have felt a sense of kinship because we jointly draw from this long river of culture, jointly stand on this cultural land, and are nourished by the same sweet spring.

What touches us is the daily renewal of brilliance. From "harmony is precious" to "Hehe symbiosis," new practices rich in Hehe culture, represented by the Hehe mediation method, have become new experiences in mediating mass conflicts and promoting social governance.

What touches us is the great path leading to far horizons. The concepts of mutual respect, working together in harmony, and Hehe symbiosis contained in the Hehe culture not only embody the wisdom of outstanding traditional Chinese culture, but also demonstrate the value of the times and the significance of the world through creative transformation and innovative development.

Promoting the way of Hehe and appreciating the beauty of Hehe, on the road to realizing Chinese-style modernization, our "circle of friends" will surely become larger and larger, and our "fellow travelers" will surely become more and more numerous.

Return to Top

The 6th Qingdao Multinationals Summit to Be Held (Official Announcement)

This newspaper reported from Beijing on June 13th (Reporter Wang Ke (王珂)) The State Council Information Office (国务院新闻办) held a press conference on the 13th to introduce the relevant situation of the 6th Qingdao Summit for Multinational Corporation Leaders. Li Yongyi (李詠箑), Deputy Representative of International Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Commerce (商务部), said that the 6th Qingdao Summit for Multinational Corporation Leaders will be held in Qingdao (青岛) from June 18th to 20th.

The summit will hold one opening ceremony and multinational corporation high-quality development forum, three theme activities, and multiple parallel activities covering four major sections. There will be closed-door meetings focusing on policy interpretation, as well as parallel forums aimed at discussing opening up and cooperation. The summit will also continue to release the "Multinational Corporations in China" series of research reports.

"Since the beginning of this year, we have introduced an action plan to stabilize foreign investment, launched 20 practical measures, and formulated 155 pilot tasks focusing on promoting the comprehensive pilot program for expanding the opening up of the service industry. We have also launched attractive foreign investment promotion measures relying on national-level economic and technological development zones and free trade pilot zones and other open platforms to create fertile ground for foreign-funded enterprises to invest and develop," said Li Yongyi (李詠箑). Holding the 6th Qingdao Summit for Multinational Corporation Leaders is a pragmatic measure to unswervingly promote high-level opening up and high-quality development, and will send a positive signal to the world that China continues to expand opening up and welcomes foreign investment. The theme of this summit is "Multinational Corporations and China—Connecting the World, Cooperation for Mutual Benefit," which is to build an exchange platform for multinational corporations for policy dialogue, industrial docking, and project cooperation.

Song Junji (宋军继), Vice Governor of Shandong Province (山东省), said that in the preparation process of this summit, the Ministry of Commerce (商务部) and Shandong Province (山东省) adhered to the concept of holding the summit "better than the previous one," carefully planned the theme of the summit, innovatively designed characteristic activities, and made every effort to improve the level of service guarantee, striving to present a unique Qingdao (青岛) moment. Compared with previous sessions, this summit has the following four characteristics:

First, in terms of the theme of the summit, attention is paid to both continuation and expansion. The theme of this summit has been optimized to "Multinational Corporations and China—Connecting the World, Cooperation for Mutual Benefit," which continues to focus on multinational corporations and China, and further enriches the connotation of the summit theme based on the new situation and changes in international economic and trade cooperation and the new expectations of multinational corporations. It presents a panoramic view of the rare opportunities for China's high-quality development, promotes the deep connection between China's market demand advantages and multinational corporations' resource element advantages, and allows multinational corporations to perceive China, invest in China, and win in China through the summit platform.

Second, in terms of guest invitations, attention is paid to both old and new friends. The "home field" effect of the summit for multinational corporations is continuously amplified, making friends deeply and widely, which has been actively responded to by the majority of multinational corporations. As of now, 471 multinational corporation guests have confirmed their participation, including 342 overseas guests and 129 domestic guests. In terms of personnel, the "new faces" participating for the first time reached 102, accounting for 22% of the total. In terms of countries, companies that have registered to participate come from 43 countries and regions on six continents around the world, of which companies from emerging markets account for more than 50%, and the summit's "circle of friends" is getting bigger and bigger.

Third, in terms of event content, attention is paid to both investment and trade. In terms of investment promotion, focusing on improving the quality and renewal of traditional industries, strengthening the advantages of superior industries, gathering chains and clusters of emerging industries, and seizing the first opportunity in future industries, we will precisely organize investment promotion and docking activities to expand new spaces for industrial cooperation. In terms of foreign trade, focusing on exploring emerging markets such as South America, the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, and Russia, and expanding pragmatic cooperation fields such as service trade, digital trade, and cross-border e-commerce, we will arrange a variety of economic and trade negotiation activities to maximize the release of cooperation potential and share the summit dividends.

Fourth, in terms of event design, attention is paid to both optimization and innovation. On the one hand, the high-quality development forum for multinational corporations, the investment exchange and cooperation conference, and the promotion of the guest province will be further optimized in terms of event design, striving to create new ideas and achieve practical results. On the other hand, grasping the new trends in international investment and trade cooperation, we will innovatively launch 14 activities such as the overseas fund investment cooperation forum, the silver economy forum, and the general aviation and low-altitude economic development forum, making the summit full of highlights and wonderful moments.

Return to Top

The 31st Beijing International Book Fair to be held

This newspaper reported from Beijing on June 13th (Reporter Li Zhuoer (李卓尔)) The 31st Beijing International Book Fair, themed "Promoting the Inheritance and Development of Civilization, Promoting Exchanges and Mutual Learning for Win-Win Results," will be held at the China National Convention Center (北京国家会议中心) in Beijing (北京) from June 18th to 22nd. This year's Book Fair is hosted by the National Press and Publication Administration (国家新闻出版署) and organized by China National Publications Import & Export (Group) Co., Ltd. (中国图书进出口（集团）有限公司), with Malaysia serving as the Guest of Honor.

This year's Book Fair has optimized the exhibition area layout, expanding the exhibition area to 60,000 square meters, attracting more than 1,700 exhibitors from 80 countries and regions, and will feature 220,000 kinds of Chinese and foreign high-quality books. Compared with last year, nine new countries have been added this year, including Chile, Cyprus, Belarus, Oman, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Guatemala, and Jamaica.

Among them, the high-quality publications exhibition will focus on displaying important publishing achievements since the new era; the 18th China Special Book Award (中华图书特殊贡献奖) Winners Photo Exhibition and the past winners' book exhibition will be set up, and two special exhibition areas, "Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War" and "World Cultural Heritage Books," will be added; a high-quality journal exhibition area will be set up to showcase the achievements of Chinese journals during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period in a three-dimensional manner.

In addition, a "Chinese Traditional Culture Story IP Exhibition Area" will be set up to focus on displaying traditional cultural story IPs such as Nezha, Investiture of the Gods, and Dunhuang, promoting the integration of more high-quality publishing products with film, television, animation, and games, and spreading excellent Chinese traditional culture through multiple channels.

Return to Top

Standing Ready and Fully Prepared to Defend Against Typhoon "Saola"

This newspaper Beijing (北京) June 13th (Reporter Li Hongmei (李红梅)) This year's No. 1 typhoon "Butterfly" strengthened into a severe tropical storm on the evening of the 12th. At 18:00 on the 13th, the Central Meteorological Observatory (中央气象台) continued to issue yellow typhoon and rainstorm warnings.

The Central Meteorological Observatory (中央气象台) predicts that "Butterfly" will move in a north-by-east direction at a speed of about 15 kilometers per hour, and will make landfall on the coast from Xuwen (徐闻), Guangdong (广东) to Beihai (北海), Guangxi (广西) in the afternoon of the 14th. After landfall, it will turn to the northeast and move rapidly, with its intensity gradually weakening. From the night of the 13th to the 15th, some areas in the central and eastern parts of South China (华南), and the southern part of Jiangnan (江南) will experience heavy rain to torrential rain, with localized extremely heavy rain.

This newspaper Beijing (北京) June 13th (Reporter Liu Wenxin (刘温馨)) On the 13th, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Office (国家防总办公室) and other departments conducted a joint consultation to analyze the development trend of Typhoon "Butterfly" and heavy rainfall in South China (华南) and other regions, and deployed relevant work on flood and typhoon prevention in key areas.

According to the "National Flood Control and Drought Relief Emergency Plan" (《国家防汛抗旱应急预案》) and relevant regulations, the State Flood Control Headquarters (国家防总) decided to upgrade the level IV emergency response for flood and typhoon prevention in Hainan (海南), Guangdong (广东), and Guangxi (广西) to level III at 12:00 on June 13. A working group was dispatched to Guangxi (广西) to assist and guide, and the two working groups dispatched earlier continued to assist and guide Ledong (乐东), Hainan (海南) and Zhanjiang (湛江), Guangdong (广东) in doing a good job in flood and typhoon prevention.

This newspaper Beijing (北京) June 13th (Reporter Wang Hao (王浩)) The reporter learned from the Ministry of Water Resources (水利部) that the three working groups dispatched by the Ministry of Water Resources (水利部) are assisting and guiding on the front lines of defense in Hainan (海南), Guangdong (广东), and Guangxi (广西). The Pearl River Water Resources Commission (珠江水利委员会) of the Ministry of Water Resources (水利部) and Guangdong (广东), Guangxi (广西), Hainan (海南) and other provinces (autonomous regions) respectively launched a level III and level IV emergency response for flood defense.

This newspaper Beijing (北京) June 13th (Reporter Han Xin (韩鑫)) On the 13th, the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部) continued to dispatch transportation authorities in Guangdong (广东), Hainan (海南), Guangxi (广西), Fujian (福建), Jiangxi (江西), Hunan (湖南) and the Maritime Safety Administration (海事局) of Hainan (海南), Guangdong (广东), Guangxi (广西) and the Nanhai Rescue Bureau (南海救助局), urging and guiding them to strengthen consultations and judgments, fully implement the early warning "call-response" mechanism, strictly implement shutdown and control measures, and do a good job in emergency response to emergencies. The rescue system affiliated to the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部) strengthened its force pre-positioning, and deployed high-power rescue vessels and rescue aircraft in the sea areas affected by typhoons such as Sanya (三亚) and Haikou (海口).

This newspaper Nanning (南宁) June 13th (Reporter Pang Geping (庞革平)) At 17:00 on June 13, the Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区防汛抗旱指挥部) upgraded the emergency response for flood and typhoon prevention in Wuzhou (梧州), Beihai (北海), Fangchenggang (防城港), Qinzhou (钦州), Guigang (贵港), Yulin (玉林), and Hezhou (贺州), Guangxi (广西) from level IV to level III. China Railway Nanning Bureau (国铁南宁局) adjusted the operation plan of some passenger trains to ensure the safe and orderly railway transportation.

Return to Top

Huai River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and Huai River Water Resources Commission Initiate Level IV Emergency Response for Drought

This newspaper reported from Beijing on June 13th (Reporter Wang Hao (王浩)) Since the start of the flood season on May 15th, the rainfall in the Huai River (淮河) basin area has been 42.2 millimeters, 38% less than the historical average for the same period. Affected by the low rainfall, the northern part of the Huai River (淮河) water system and the YiShuSi River (沂沭泗) water system are currently experiencing mild to moderate soil moisture deficits, with severe deficits in some areas. At 8:00 AM on June 13th, the water level of the upper Nansi Lake (南四湖) was 33.64 meters, and the water level of the lower lake was 31.51 meters, close to the dead water level. According to forecasts, there will be no effective rainfall in the Huai River (淮河) basin in the coming days, and coupled with the current peak agricultural water consumption period around Nansi Lake (南四湖), the water levels of the upper and lower lakes are expected to continue to decline.

The Huai River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (淮河防总) and the Huai River Water Resources Commission (淮河水利委员会) launched a Level IV emergency response for drought resistance and a Level IV emergency response for drought defense for the Nansi Lake (南四湖) area of the YiShuSi River (沂沭泗) water system at 10:00 AM on June 13th.

Return to Top

2025 China-Africa Film Week Held in Changsha

Changsha, June 13th (People's Daily reporter Yang Xun (杨迅)) The 2025 China-Africa Film Week, themed "Across Mountains and Seas · Empathy through Film," opened on the evening of the 12th in Changsha (长沙), Hunan (湖南).

The 2025 China-Africa Film Week features five main activities: the opening ceremony, China-Africa film screenings, the China-Africa Film Development Forum, a China-Africa filmmaker field research trip, and a China-Africa film music night. Twenty-four outstanding Chinese and African films will be showcased in six cinemas in Changsha (长沙), with eight post-screening Q&A sessions with the creators.

Return to Top

Page 1 Editors: Xu Nuo, Zhang Shuaizhen, Luan Xinyi; Page 2 Editors: Jiang Xuejie, Qi Jiarun, Zhang Zeng; Page 3 Editors: Han Xiaoming, Jiang Bo, Li Anqi; Page 4 Editors: Yuan Zhenxi, Liu Jingwen, Zhang Xueyan

Return to Top

Mindset × Algorithm: How to "Dance Together" (Glimpse of the Frontier: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Research Paradigm)

By: 杜  忆  朱廷劭

In recent years, the accelerated development of artificial intelligence has not only propelled humanity into an era of intelligence but has also influenced the thinking and working modes of scientific research with unprecedented depth and breadth. Data shows that from 2019 to 2023, the average annual growth rate of global AI for Science (artificial intelligence-driven scientific research) paper publications was 27.2%.

Mining massive data, assisting in literature analysis, providing scientific research solutions... As artificial intelligence deeply integrates into scientific research, what changes has it brought to the scientific research paradigm? How do scientists use artificial intelligence to conduct research? In the intelligent era, what challenges might new knowledge production paradigms bring? This edition launches the "瞰前沿·人工智能如何改变科研范式" (kàn qián yán · rén gōng zhì néng rú hé gǎi biàn kē yán fàn shì - "Glimpse of the Frontier: How Artificial Intelligence Changes the Scientific Research Paradigm") series of planning, this issue focuses on the field of psychological research.

—Editor

What is the relationship between psychology and artificial intelligence?

In the movie "The Wandering Earth 2," the artificial intelligence MOSS instantly discerned Liu Peiqiang's (刘培强) hidden secret by analyzing his trembling lips and evasive eyes.

This science fiction scene may come true—from the facial unlocking function of mobile phones to the "Guess You Like" feature of shopping apps, and AI assistants for psychological counseling, psychology and artificial intelligence are evolving hand in hand.

In fact, psychology and artificial intelligence have a significant connection.

Remember the physiologist Pavlov's dog that salivated at the sound of a bell? This classic "conditioned reflex" experiment inspired one of the most important technologies in the field of artificial intelligence: reinforcement learning. The secret of artificial intelligence AlphaGo's victory over human Go masters is essentially an upgraded version of similar training, by "eating" massive amounts of Go data to thoroughly understand the Go board.

Daily intelligent applications also embody many psychological principles. After studying animal learning mechanisms, psychologist Skinner found that the consequences of behavior affect the probability of its future occurrence, with positive reinforcement enhancing behavior and negative punishment inhibiting behavior. Today, this mechanism is applied to e-commerce and short video platforms. Algorithms adjust content recommendations based on user feedback such as clicks and likes, pushing personalized "Guess You Like" content.

However, when AI needs to understand more complex human nature, it must "borrow eyes" from cognitive psychology. Human attention is like a beam of intelligent spotlight, always prioritizing key information. This discovery gave rise to AI's attention mechanism. For example, the artificial intelligence large model ChatGPT, when writing, scans the context and accurately locks high-frequency words, just like humans highlighting key points. When processing text, the Transformer model calculates the association between words and dynamically allocates "attention weights." These weights are like spotlights, determining which words the model focuses on, thereby affecting content generation.

For psychology, installing an "AI brain" also brings significant changes.

Data is richer—through social media, wearable devices, and other channels, psychological researchers can capture real-time streams of billions of behavioral data points, and then conduct analysis, which can be said to have jumped from a "laboratory fish tank" into a "data ocean."

Research is more efficient—using social relationship modeling technology, by analyzing the frequency of WeChat chats and patterns of interaction in Moments, artificial intelligence can scan for hidden signals of social anxiety. Research has found that the social networks of autistic patients exhibit a unique "dandelion structure," and this "digital fingerprint" provides a new signpost for early screening. AI can automatically extract text representation vectors that reflect psychological semantics from self-reported texts, and use data-driven methods to construct complex mapping relationships between text expression behavior and personality, thereby achieving automatic assessment of personality. Practice has verified that the correlation coefficient between AI assessment results and questionnaire assessment results can reach about 0.5, significantly improving the efficiency of traditional questionnaire assessments.

Identification is more convenient—using emotion recognition technology, in a nursing home in Shanghai (上海), robots can identify the loneliness index of the elderly through sonic vibrations. Researchers input emotion-rich spoken language features into a deep learning framework for processing, opening up a convenient path for the preliminary identification of psychological conditions such as depression. To build a more three-dimensional psychological map, the research perspective is simultaneously extended to various non-verbal modes, such as analyzing facial expressions or walking postures. These multi-modal data constitute important behavioral indicators, providing a solid foundation for assessing stress, anxiety, and emotional states.

How does AI promote the paradigm innovation of psychological research?

In the era of digital intelligence, the accelerated integration of psychological research and AI technology not only promotes the innovation of scientific research paradigms but also evolves together in interaction.

What research are psychological researchers conducting with the help of artificial intelligence technology?

Recently, a psychological research team developed a self-help psychological support tool based on large language models, attempting to improve AI's ability to recognize and interact with human emotions. With the help of "zero-shot learning," the model can flexibly respond to new consulting situations based on pre-trained knowledge without special training; the "chain-of-thought prompting" strategy guides AI to simulate logical thinking, analyze user expressions, and explore the roots of emotions. This combination of "psychology + AI" makes psychological research more personalized.

After realizing AI's "listening and responding," research is moving towards more challenging goals: allowing AI to proactively identify and warn of implicit psychological crisis signals that are not clearly expressed. A study draws on the psychological "motivation-volition model" to simulate the evolutionary path of psychological crises from germination to action, and generates large-scale crisis text training data based on this, thereby improving the model's ability to identify weak help signals. This strategy, guided by psychological theory and optimized by AI generation, not only breaks through the research bottleneck of difficult access to sensitive data but also enhances the model's sensitivity and predictive ability. This marks the deep integration of technological innovation and psychological scientific insights, promoting AI to evolve towards the goal of understanding and safeguarding deep human emotions.

The evolution of technology is also reflected in bio-inspired intelligence. Google (谷歌) DeepMind's "mind evolution" experiment simulates natural selection, constructing an "AI version of the ecological environment" through mathematical evaluation functions, allowing superior solutions to "reproduce" and inferior ones to be eliminated. After multiple iterations, AI's performance in reasoning tasks surpasses traditional algorithms, demonstrating the possibility of human-like thinking leaps. Compared to AI, the human brain still has significant advantages in the integration and processing of cross-modal information such as language, vision, hearing, and touch. Researchers are trying to embed "embodied cognition" into AI models to create perceivable and adaptable "embodied intelligent agents." For example, China's (中国) embodied intelligence simulation platform "Grasping Objects" ("格物") uses evolutionary learning algorithms to allow multi-form robots to undergo "survival of the fittest" iterations in a virtual environment. One-click training and multi-modal learning compress the traditional development cycle of several weeks to the minute level, significantly improving the training efficiency and versatility of robots.

In the future, how will the mind and algorithms move towards each other?

The warm mind and seemingly cold algorithms "move towards each other," demonstrating the iteration of technology and cognition.

From a technical perspective, in the future, psychology-inspired decision-making mechanisms are expected to enable AI to have stronger judgment in uncertain and open environments, and multi-modal integration capabilities will also help AI better adapt to complex situations. Conversely, AI can generate experimental materials, simulate human interaction scenarios, and construct cognitive models to feed back into psychological research, helping to reveal the complex mechanisms of the human brain.

This "two-way journey" is also a deepening of human self-awareness. In the dance with algorithms, we rethink the unique brilliance of "what makes us human"—anchoring the coordinates of humanity in rationality and sensibility, efficiency and ethics. For example, in the psychological counseling center of a hospital in Hangzhou (杭州), AI can accurately mark those at high risk of depression, but what truly soothes the trembling hands of visitors is always the warmth of the hot drink handed by the doctor.

A psychologist once said: "The deepest desire of human beings is to be understood." When AI becomes a new mirror for understanding human nature, we use its reflection to see the warmth of the human heart more clearly, which is precisely the irreplaceable value of psychology.

At the same time, technological progress brings new challenges and ethical issues: If AI can "understand" and even "experience" emotions, should we face up to its "emotions"? When humans develop genuine emotional connections with AI, how should the boundaries and responsibilities of this new type of relationship be defined? Although the "emotions" of AI are essentially programmed preference responses, lacking subjective experience, the emotional comfort it brings may indeed improve human psychological states. This prompts us to re-examine the definition of "emotion," and in the future, we may need to expand its boundaries to encompass the new emotional phenomena brought by AI. At that time, the "authenticity" of emotions will no longer be the core issue; the key is how we coexist with AI and set boundaries and ethical norms.

In the vision of a future intelligent society, only by achieving a balance between human emotional projection and rational judgment can we promote the healthy and sustainable development of human-machine relationships.

(The authors are the Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Psychological Society (中国心理学会) and the Deputy Director of the Cyber ​​Psychology Committee of the Chinese Psychological Society, respectively. Liu Xiaoqian (刘晓倩), Li Jingting (李婧婷), Luan Shenghua (栾胜华), and Qu Qingqing (屈青青), associate researchers and researchers at the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院心理研究所), also contributed to this article.)

Academic Support: China Association for Science and Technology (中国科学技术协会)

Return to Top

Geomagnetic Storms Aren't Really "Explosions" (Science Chat)

By: 韩大洋

Recently, a news item stating "Solar flares erupt, geomagnetic storms may occur for 3 consecutive days" has attracted much attention. What exactly is a geomagnetic storm?

If we regard the Earth as a giant "magnet," the geomagnetic field is the magnetic field lines surrounding the Earth's space. Through the detection of the Sun and the space around the Earth, we have found that the Sun is constantly releasing particles outward. When flare activity occurs in the sunspot regions on the Sun, the Sun will release more particles. These particles are not easy to "provoke." They are not only fast, flying hundreds or thousands of kilometers per second, but also have high energy, carrying the magnetic field energy of the Sun to "bombard" all celestial bodies in the solar system, including the Earth.

When these solar high-energy particles reach the Earth, they will cause "compression" and "tearing" of the Earth's magnetic field, forcing the geomagnetic field to change rapidly, breaking the original calm, and falling into a geomagnetic storm state. However, the "storm" here is not the "explosion" of an explosion. This indicates that the geomagnetic field will not explode like fireworks, but will only use silent changes to remind us.

"I feel particularly uncomfortable when a geomagnetic storm comes," "No wonder I've been sleepy lately, I've found the reason"... Many netizens attribute the causes of these problems to geomagnetic storms, but this is not the case. Geomagnetic storms do not directly affect the human body because the amount of change in its magnetic field is on the nano-Tesla level, which is not as strong as the magnetic field of a household magnet.

So, what are the effects of geomagnetic storms?

Geomagnetic storms affect the state, movement, and distribution of gas particles in the Earth's upper atmosphere, thereby changing the density and structure of the ionosphere and thermosphere, and affecting the normal operation of technological systems such as satellite flight, space-Earth communication, and navigation and positioning. Geomagnetic storms can also bring brilliant and dynamic auroras. For example, the geomagnetic storm in early June brought an "aurora show" to many parts of China.

Since geomagnetic storms are not as intense as explosions and do not directly affect the human body, how do we forecast geomagnetic storms?

Since the source of geomagnetic storms is the Sun, the key to forecasting is to monitor solar activity. With the help of a three-dimensional monitoring network composed of satellites in space and ground-based optical and radio telescopes, the Sun can be "closely watched" 24 hours a day.

At 7:55 on May 31, about 8 minutes after a strong flash suddenly appeared on the Sun, the National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center (国家空间天气监测预警中心) used the extreme ultraviolet solar telescope, X-ray flux meter, and ground-based radio telescope on the Fengyun (风云) satellite to grasp the location and intensity information of this flare eruption.

Thirty minutes later, a large number of high-speed particles ejected outward from the Sun, like countless shrapnel pellets, and dense small white spots appeared on the monitoring screen of the coronagraph, moving away from the Sun as time passed.

At this time, space weather forecasters must race against time. Based on the location of the eruption area, the positional relationship with the Earth, and the intensity of the eruption activity, they can make a preliminary judgment—solar storms may trigger geomagnetic storms.

The second key to accurate forecasting is to use information such as the transmission speed, magnetic field, density, and temperature of solar material as a basis, comprehensively consider the 150 million kilometers of interplanetary space between the Sun and the Earth, and use artificial experience + numerical simulation forecasting technology to determine the time when solar material reaches the Earth, the strength of geomagnetic activity triggered, and the possible duration. Finally, an accurate forecast was made for the geomagnetic storm that occurred from June 1st to 3rd.

With the successive launch of Fengyun (风云), Xihe (羲和), and Kuafu (夸父) space solar monitoring satellites, China has achieved independent control of space solar observation data, which has greatly improved the forecasting ability of space weather events such as geomagnetic storms.

Of course, many astronomy and photography enthusiasts will pay more attention to aurora forecasts. This requires combining the geomagnetic storm forecast with the geographical, weather, and other conditions of the observation area to provide a reference guide for aurora observation and photography. From geomagnetic storms to auroras, when people marvel at that magnificent sight, will they also feel that the many mysteries of the universe are not far from us?

(The author is a senior engineer at the National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center (国家空间天气监测预警中心))

Return to Top

New Breakthrough Achieved in the Development of Key Equipment for China Spallation Neutron Source

This Dongguan (东莞) dispatch (reporter He Linping (贺林平)) - The China Spallation Neutron Source (中国散裂中子源) has achieved a major breakthrough in the development of key equipment. The world's first compact P-band high-power metamaterial klystron, developed by the project team, recently passed various index tests and was successfully accepted. It is scheduled to officially go online in September next year.

The P-band high-power klystron is the core equipment of the radio frequency power source system of the China Spallation Neutron Source (中国散裂中子源) linear accelerator, equivalent to an automobile engine. It can provide energy and power for the beam of the linear accelerator, and has broad application prospects in large scientific installations, medical treatment, industry and other fields.

This development took 4 years of technical research. Since 2021, the accelerator radio frequency team of the China Spallation Neutron Source (中国散裂中子源) has jointly carried out research and development work with the Duan Zhaoyun (段兆云) research group of the School of Electronic Science and Engineering of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (电子科技大学), the klystron team of the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) of the Institute of High Energy Physics (高能物理研究所) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), and the klystron research office of the Kunshan Guoli Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. (昆山国力电子科技股份有限公司) Research Institute.

Wang Sheng (王生), Deputy Director of the Institute of High Energy Physics (高能物理研究所) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) and General Commander of the second phase of the China Spallation Neutron Source (中国散裂中子源) project, introduced that the klystron applies cutting-edge technologies such as metamaterials. On the premise that the main technical indicators reach the international advanced level, the volume of the cavity string structure is reduced by about 50% compared with similar foreign devices, realizing a qualitative leap in related technologies.

In recent years, the China Spallation Neutron Source (中国散裂中子源) has continuously improved its independent innovation capabilities. At present, all key core equipment of the accelerator has been localized.

Return to Top

Study shows climate change is happening much faster than coral reefs can migrate

According to Xinhua News Agency, Wellington (龙雷, Lóng Léi; 李惠子, Lǐ Huìzǐ) -- A study published in the American journal *Science Advances* by researchers from New Zealand and the United States shows that the rate at which coral reefs migrate to higher latitude waters is far slower than the rate of destruction caused by climate warming, and the survival window for many coral reefs may be less than 80 years.

Researchers from institutions such as Victoria University of Wellington (惠灵顿维多利亚大学) in New Zealand and the University of Hawaii (夏威夷大学) in the United States constructed a global simulation model containing approximately 50,000 coral reef distribution points, integrating key ecological processes such as coral growth, diffusion, evolution, and heat tolerance adaptation.

Based on experimental data, the research team tested three future global warming scenarios: low greenhouse gas emissions (warming by about 2 degrees Celsius before 2100), moderate emissions (warming by about 3 degrees Celsius), and high emissions (warming by more than 4 degrees Celsius). The results showed that even with warming of only 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius by the end of this century, the number of coral reefs will decrease by 1/3, and it will take hundreds of years to recover.

The paper's author, Christopher Cornwall (克里斯托弗·康沃尔) of Victoria University of Wellington (惠灵顿维多利亚大学), pointed out that previous studies believed that tropical corals might expand and establish new high-latitude coral reef "refuges" in subtropical and temperate waters. However, this study confirms that new coral reefs are not forming fast enough in high-latitude waters to save most tropical corals, and the most severe coral die-off will occur in the next 50 years. The researchers emphasized that any degree of greenhouse gas emission reduction will have a critical impact on the future of coral reefs and their dependent ecosystems.

Return to Top

Robots Offer Clever Solutions for Bridge Climbing and Tunnel Inspection (Exploring the Front Lines)

By: 本报记者  韩  鑫

Spanning across the map of China (中国), over 190,000 kilometers of expressways crisscross the land. On this, the world's largest expressway network, an increasing number of "black technologies" are safeguarding safe travel.

In Jinhua (金华), Zhejiang (浙江), the reconstruction and expansion project of the Yongjin Expressway (甬金高速) Jinhua section is in full swing. A few kilometers away, an operator taps the screen, and a drone immediately takes off, flying at a speed of 15 meters per second. The drone automatically patrols, hovers for aerial photography, and transmits dynamic real-time data back to the control center.

"Compared to manual inspection, drones not only effectively reduce road safety risks but can also complete the inspection of nearly 70 kilometers of the entire line in two hours, increasing efficiency by about 10 times," said Chen Kui (陈魁), deputy director of the Yongjin Expressway (甬金高速) Reconstruction and Expansion Jinhua Section Project Command of Zhejiang Transportation Group (浙江交通集团).

The drone uses a high-definition camera to transmit images of the inspection route in real-time. The background AI algorithm platform analyzes the images frame by frame, promptly identifies potential hazards, and dispatches them to grid members at the work site for processing. "In the future, 11 take-off and landing platforms will be set up along the entire line, and 9 drones will be put into use to achieve efficient inspection of the entire line," said Chen Kui (陈魁).

Here, drones are "making an appearance"; there, robots are "taking up their posts."

On the Changtai Expressway (常泰高速公路) in Jiangsu Province (江苏省), the Changtai Yangtze River Bridge (常泰长江大桥), the world's largest cable-stayed bridge for both highway and railway, is about to open to traffic.

Sunlight shines down, and the main bridge's stay cables gleam like strings on a musical instrument. Looking closely, on the giant steel structure, two intelligent cable-climbing robots shaped like silver rings are tightly embracing the cables, climbing at a speed of 10 meters per minute.

"The stay cables, each weighing hundreds of tons, are critical load-bearing components of the main bridge, directly related to the overall operating condition of the bridge," said Wang Yanming (王延明), head of the Shiyezhou (世业洲) Maintenance Base of Jiangsu Transportation Control Bridge and Tunnel (江苏交控长大桥隧). The robot can easily overcome obstacles through 8 sets of clamping transmission wheels; during the upward climb, 4 sets of high-definition cameras "scan" along the way, accurately capturing every "disease."

For large-span cable-stayed bridges, the pylons are often hundreds of meters high, making a comprehensive "check-up" of the bridge's cables difficult and risky. "With intelligent cable-climbing robots, the total bridge inspection time is reduced from two months to one month," said Wang Yanming (王延明). Based on the principles and technology of cable-climbing robots, inspection robots for the appearance of pylons and main cables of suspension bridges are being developed at an accelerated pace.

On one side, robots climb the cables to show their "superpowers"; on the other side, robots drill into tunnels to display their "power."

Inside the Beilongmen Tunnel (北龙门隧道) on the Zhangzhuo Expressway (张涿高速公路) Baoding (保定) section in Hebei Province (河北省), a silver-gray inspection robot flashing red and blue lights moves steadily forward.

The tunnel is deep and dark, but it has keen "vision" - with a high-precision infrared thermal imaging system, it can accurately identify structural cracks in the tunnel walls. Moreover, it also has a sensitive "sense of smell" - with the help of a gas detector, when harmful gases accumulate, it automatically triggers an alarm, notifying staff to deal with it in a timely manner and quickly evacuate personnel.

"The Beilongmen Tunnel (北龙门隧道) is 4.7 kilometers long, and coupled with its location in the mountains, the tunnel has high safety risks," said An Tianming (安天明), head of the Electromechanical Management Center of the Zhangzhuo Branch of Hebei Expressway Group (河北高速集团张涿分公司). In the past, an inspector needed two hours for one inspection; the same inspection task now takes the robot only 24 minutes.

The new generation of inspection robot systems has been in trial operation in the tunnel for more than 200 days, completing a cumulative inspection mileage of over 1,800 kilometers. With advanced Internet of Things technology, the massive amounts of data collected by the robot during the inspection process, such as temperature, humidity, traffic flow, and equipment operating parameters, are weaving an increasingly refined "safety net" to ensure the safe operation of the tunnel.

Return to Top

Editors of this page: Xiao Yao, Cao Xuemeng, Dong Yingxue

Layout Design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)

Return to Top

Eaves Hold the Universe, Inches Reveal Antiquity (Cultural China Tour: A Journey Through Chinese Museums - Traditional Architecture)

By: 本报记者 龚仕建

A single green tile, a half-moon, quietly telling the thousand-year story of Chinese architecture. On the eaves of traditional Chinese buildings, the tile ends are like exquisite seals, protecting the rafters from wind and rain, and displaying the aesthetic pursuits of the ancients with beautiful patterns. What is a tile end? The *辞海 (Cihai)* explains: "当 (dāng), the bottom, the tiles covering the edge of the eaves, are exactly at the bottom of all the tiles, and are arranged side by side at the end of the eaves, with tiles shielding each other, hence the name 当 (dāng)." In the Song Dynasty's *营造法式 (Yingzao Fashi)*, tile ends are called "华头筒瓦 (huá tóu tǒng wǎ)" (here, "华 (huá)" is interchangeable with "花 (huā)"). These architectural components carry the unique memory of Chinese civilization.

"The Tao is in the tiles" - Zhuangzi's (庄子) philosophical words are perfectly interpreted in the ancient art of tile ends. When we look up at the eaves of traditional buildings, those tile ends that have been silent for thousands of years are telling the story of the generational inheritance of Chinese civilization.

-- Editor

Tile ends, also known as "瓦头 (wǎ tóu)" or "勾头 (gōu tóu)," are round or semi-circular pottery components used at the top of the eaves of ancient Chinese buildings to cover the decayed rafter ends. Sima Xiangru (司马相如) of the Western Han Dynasty described the architecture of the Shanglin Garden (上林苑) in Chang'an (长安) in his *Shanglin Fu (上林赋)* as "华榱璧珰 (huá cuī bì dāng)," where "珰 (dāng)" refers to the tile ends.

From the plain tile ends of the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Four Gods tile ends of the Han Dynasty, from the auspicious wishes of "长乐未央 (cháng lè wèi yāng)" to the beautiful ideals of "维天降灵 (wéi tiān jiàng líng)," each tile end is a page of solidified history. The well-known phrase "秦砖汉瓦 (Qín zhuān Hàn wǎ)" is a general term in traditional epigraphy for the bricks and tiles of the Qin and Han periods, mainly tile ends, and to a certain extent, it has become synonymous with the architectural culture of the Qin and Han periods.

The Rings of Civilization Carved in Pottery

The history of human architecture is an epic of continuous transcendence. From cave dwellings to semi-cave dwellings, and then to ground buildings, our ancestors have always been looking for a more perfect way to live.

China is the first country in the world to invent and use tiles. According to historical records, the earliest tiles were produced in the Xia Dynasty. *古史考 (Gu Shi Kao)* records: "In the Xia Dynasty, Kunwu (昆吾) clan made roof tiles." In archeology, cylindrical tile-shaped objects were found at the Matengkong (马腾空) site in Xi'an (西安), Shaanxi (陕西), dating back to the late Yangshao period (仰韶时代) (4500-5000 years ago). With the continuous summarization of tiles in Chinese timber-structure buildings by the ancestors, tile ends came into being.

The earliest tile ends were found at the Lushanmao (芦山峁) site in Yan'an (延安), Shaanxi, dating back to the Longshan culture period (龙山文化时期) (4500 years ago). However, tile ends were widely used in the Western Zhou Dynasty. Tile ends have been found in the Western Zhou palaces and ancestral temple building sites in Xi'an and Baoji (宝鸡), Shaanxi. At the Zhouyuan (周原) site in Fufeng (扶风) and Qishan (岐山), Shaanxi, archaeologists discovered early plain tile ends. These simple architectural components opened the millennium legend of tile end art.

"The development of tile end art reflects the evolution of Chinese civilization." Chen Genyuan (陈根远), a researcher at the Xi'an Beilin Museum (西安碑林博物馆), found that in terms of patterns, the Western Zhou Dynasty was decorated with heavy ring patterns, and later rope patterns, taotie, Yunshan, cirrus clouds, trees, animals, dragon and phoenix patterns, etc. appeared. The tile ends of the Qin Dynasty were mainly decorated with patterns and animal patterns. At that time, the Seven Heroes dominated each side, and the tile ends they used also had their own characteristics. This diversified development situation made tile end art usher in its first peak development stage. The tree and double animal patterned semi-tile of the Qi State (齐国) ancient city site in Shandong (山东), the taotie patterned semi-tile of the Yanxiadu (燕下都) site in Hebei (河北), and the animal patterned round tile of the Qin capital Yongcheng (雍城) site in Shaanxi each led the way. The deer, leopard, tiger, and wild goose on the animal patterned tile end of Qin capital Yongcheng reflect the hunting life of the early Qin people. The tiger holding swallow patterned tile end unearthed here can be called a masterpiece of the Warring States tile end, and the vivid shape of the fierce tiger holding the swallow shows the majestic artistic style of the Qin people.

Han tile ends moved towards a golden age in terms of both the breadth of use and artistry. Text tile ends and Four Gods tile ends were more popular. The "Four Gods Tile Ends" unearthed from the Han Chang'an City (汉长安城) site can be called a model - the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise guard the four directions respectively, with a dignified composition, exquisite production, and extremely high artistic level. Its exquisite relief craftsmanship is admirable. "Text tile ends can be divided into seven categories: palaces, official offices, residences, ancestral tombs, chronicles, others, and auspicious words." Chen Genyuan cited an example, the more famous one is the twelve-character tile "维天降灵 延元万年 天下康宁 (wéi tiān jiàng líng yán yuán wàn nián tiān xià kāng níng)," which is the tile end with the largest number of characters and is very rare.

The production technology of tile ends was very mature in the Qin and Han dynasties. In the ruins of the ancient Qin and Han architectural complex in Sanqiao Street South (三桥街南), western suburb of Xi'an, nine palace tile kiln sites from the early Han Dynasty were discovered. Judging from the large number of surviving cylindrical tiles, tile ends, tile molds, and pottery-making tools, the Qin and early Han dynasties first made the tile core, which was sleeved and cut with the cylindrical tile, and the edge wheel was also formed accordingly. The grooves of the text tile molds are generally semi-circular or diamond-shaped, which is not only conducive to the tile end falling off, but also makes the text clearer and more three-dimensional.

After the Eastern Han Dynasty, the art of tile ends became stylized. From the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, influenced by Buddhist culture, lotus pattern and beast face pattern tile ends were popular, and other pattern tile ends gradually withdrew from the historical stage. "The popularity of lotus pattern tile ends, in addition to religious factors, is more importantly due to the meaning of lotus in Chinese culture representing holiness, harmony, and abundance. Most of the tile ends in the two capitals of the Tang Dynasty are lotus patterns, and there are many versions, and the delicate and full lotus tile ends just reflect the confidence and prosperity of the prosperous Tang Dynasty." Cui Kai (崔凯), associate professor of Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology (西安建筑科技大学), explained, "By the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, although the art of tile ends continued to be secularized, it was like the afterglow of the setting sun, losing the strength and impact of the Qin and Han dynasties."

Art Treasures of Solidified History

What is the academic value of tile ends for studying ancient historical geography and ideology? According to Zhu Sihong (朱思红), a researcher at the Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum (秦始皇帝陵博物院), a "蕲年宫当 (Qí nián gōng dāng)" discovered in Changqing Township (长青乡), Fengxiang (凤翔) in 1982, unlocked the geographical mystery of the Qinian Palace (蕲年宫) built by Duke Hui of Qin (秦惠公), which once influenced the fate of the Qin State.

Interestingly, tile ends also reflect the customs and preferences of the ancients. "长乐未央 (cháng lè wèi yāng)" expresses the ancients' yearning for a better life, "汉并天下 (Hàn bìng tiān xià)" demonstrates imperial confidence, and "日入百金米千石 (rì rù bǎi jīn mǐ qiān shí)" reflects the economic prosperity at that time. "Text auspicious words tile ends were very popular in the Han Dynasty. From the tile end texts such as '长乐日利 (cháng lè rì lì)' '千秋利君 (qiān qiū lì jūn)' '大富昌 (dà fù chāng),' we can see the social fashion of pursuing wealth in the Han Dynasty," said Zhu Sihong.

Tile ends are also art treasures. The text tile ends that appeared and prevailed in the Western Han Dynasty are beautiful and varied, showing the art of calligraphy. Han Dynasty craftsmen transformed seal script into a magical art in the fan-shaped space of the tile end - the round and smooth "永受嘉福 (yǒng shòu jiā fú)," the majestic and atmospheric "与天无极 (yǔ tiān wú jí)," and the beautiful and dignified "众芳芬苾 (zhòng fāng fēn bì)." The tile texts are very meaningful, and the rich changes in seal script such as rigidity and softness, curves and straights, and squareness and sparseness are all condensed with the wisdom and ingenuity of the ancients.

In the changes of years and the passage of time, tile ends have far exceeded the status of appendages to buildings and have become unique art treasures. It shows the intelligence and outstanding artistic creativity of the ancient people of our country and is a witness to the ancient cultural history of our country.

Today, these ancient architectural elements are returning to modern life in a new posture. On the metal curtain wall of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (国家大剧院), the cloud pattern tile end elements are looming; in the field of cultural and creative products, the Four Gods tile ends have been transformed into exquisite bookmarks and scarves; in digital art, dynamic tile end patterns tell cultural stories that span time and space.

In the Xi'an Qin Brick and Han Tile Museum (西安秦砖汉瓦博物馆) located in Qujiang New District (曲江新区), Xi'an, tile ends of various patterns form various series, simple and elegant, with vivid shapes, beautiful and harmonious, reflecting the aesthetic taste and lasting artistic charm of the Chinese nation. The treasure of the museum is the "天人合一 (tiān rén hé yī)" tile end, which is composed of three tile ends: "金乌神鸟 (jīn wū shén niǎo)," "玉兔蟾蜍 (yù tù chán chú)," and "益延寿 (yì yán shòu)," unearthed from the Han Chang'an City site in the northern suburbs of Xi'an, meaning "sun and moon shine together, harmony between man and nature, and more blessings and longevity." The three tile ends have a diameter of 22 cm, which is a rare giant in Han tiles. The edge wheels have patterns, and the periphery of the surface is decorated with bead patterns, which are palace building tiles used by the Han emperors to pray for blessings.

"Tradition is not the ashes to be guarded, but the flame to be passed on." In the eyes of Ren Junyi (任军宜), curator of the Xi'an Qin Brick and Han Tile Museum, the vitality of tile end art lies in this eternal inheritance and innovation: "The tile end is a perfect combination of practicality and aesthetics. It reminds us that traditional architectural elements can be perfectly integrated with modern design."

The tile end is small, but it is a key to understanding the history of Chinese civilization. From the palaces of the pre-Qin period to modern buildings, tile ends have always silently witnessed the inheritance and innovation of Chinese civilization. When we look up at these vicissitudes of tile ends under the eaves of ancient buildings, we seem to hear the echo of history - it is not only a material legacy, but also a continuation of civilization, which may be the moving charm of traditional architecture.

(The pictures in this article are all provided by the interviewees)

Return to Top

Passing down four centuries, a collection of calligraphic treasures (Talking about cultural relics)

By: 班 睿

As a classic and iconic symbol in traditional Chinese culture, the art of calligraphy has a long history and is deeply respected and loved by the Chinese people. Since the Qin Dynasty pioneered calligraphy, many famous calligraphers have emerged in successive dynasties, fully demonstrating the cultural context and integrity between the flow of pen and ink, becoming a model for later generations to study. In the third year of Chunhua in the Northern Song Dynasty (992 AD), Emperor Taizong of Song (宋太宗赵光义) ordered Wang Zhuo (王著), a Hanlin scribe, to compile the calligraphy works of past dynasties collected in the inner court into volumes, and use jujube wood panels to copy them into posts, which were given to ministers, resulting in China's first systematic compilation of large-scale famous calligraphy collections, "Chunhua Secret Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化秘阁法帖》), later referred to as "Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》) or "Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《阁帖》).

"Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》) includes 420 calligraphy posts by 103 calligraphers from the pre-Qin to the Sui and Tang dynasties, spanning more than 1,000 years, with various styles of seal script, official script, cursive script, running script, and regular script. The first volume is the calligraphy of emperors of past dynasties, volumes two to four are the calligraphy of famous ministers of past dynasties, volume five is the calligraphy of various masters, volumes six to eight are the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi (王羲之), and volumes nine to ten are the calligraphy of Wang Xianzhi (王献之). Among them are famous masters such as Yu Shinan (虞世南), Ouyang Xun (欧阳询), Chu Suiliang (褚遂良), Yan Zhenqing (颜真卿), and Liu Gongquan (柳公权), as well as calligraphy works by 19 emperors from Emperor Zhang of the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty. These works are not only the pinnacle of calligraphy art, but many of the originals have long been lost. "Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》), as the only surviving precious material of these calligraphy works, is known as the "ancestor of model calligraphy."

During the Qingli period of Emperor Renzong of Song (宋仁宗), a fire broke out in the palace, and the jujube wood panels for rubbing the "Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》) and the famous calligraphy posts of past dynasties collected in the palace were burned down. Therefore, the original rubbings of "Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》) handed down from the Song Dynasty are extremely rare. Most of the later generations are imitations or reprints from different periods, mainly including the Quanzhou version reprinted in the Southern Song Dynasty and the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Song rubbings collected by the Palace Museum (故宫博物院) and the Shanghai Library (上海图书馆), and the Song rubbings collected by the National Museum of China (国家博物馆); various versions reprinted in the Jiajing and Wanli periods of the Ming Dynasty based on the original collections of Jia Sidao (贾似道) and Zhou Mi (周密) in the Southern Song Dynasty; the Su Mansion version (肃府本) "Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》) stone carvings carved in the forty-third year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty; the inner court re-model version of the thirty-fourth year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty; in addition, there are the Maoqin Hall version (懋勤殿本) collected by the Palace Museum (故宫博物院), the Zutie version (祖帖本) collected by the Taipei Palace Museum (台北故宫博物院), and the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth best versions and Pan Zuchun's inscriptions collected by the Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆). The Su Mansion version (肃府本) "Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》) stone carvings carved in the forty-third year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, now collected in the Gansu Provincial Museum (甘肃省博物馆), is the earliest surviving, most complete, and most influential "Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》) stone carvings, and is also the closest stone carvings to the original Song Dynasty version, with a history of more than 400 years.

In the early Ming Dynasty, when Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋) enfeoffed his fourteenth son Zhu Yan (朱楧) as Prince Zhuang of Su (肃庄王), he presented him with a Song Dynasty original rubbing of "Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》), which was regarded as a family heirloom by the princes of Su and deeply hidden in the inner court. In the forty-third year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1615 AD), Prince Xian of Su (肃宪王) ordered the epigraphers Wen Ruyu (温如玉) and Zhang Yingzhao (张应召), master and apprentice, to re-engrave it on stone and make it public to the world. After the death of Prince Xian of Su (肃宪王), his son Zhu Shihong (朱识鋐) inherited his father's ambition and completed the project in the first year of Tianqi (1621 AD), which took seven years. It was carved from 144 pieces of Fuping stone from Shaanxi, each piece about 27-34 cm long, 36-40 cm high, and 6-9 cm thick, mostly with inscriptions on both sides. After completion, it was stored in the Zunxun Pavilion in the East Garden of the Su Prince's Mansion, hence the name "Su Mansion Version" (《肃府本》), also known as "Zunxun Pavilion Version" (《遵训阁本》), also known as "Lanzhou Version" (《兰州本》). The "Su Mansion Version" (《肃府本》) is exquisitely copied, capturing the original appearance of the Song rubbing. The person in charge was also an expert in this field, and the use of firm and smooth Fuping stone ensured that the knife marks remained flat and regular, so the posture was faithfully engraved, the brushstrokes were in place, and the style was elegant, which was praised by calligraphers.

Only 20 years after the completion of the "Su Mansion Version" (《肃府本》), it was damaged by the wars of the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the eleventh year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1654 AD), Chen Zhuo (陈卓) of the Tao and Min Dao initiated the re-engraving of more than 40 plates to restore it to perfection. Later, the "Su Mansion Version" (《肃府本》) suffered many disasters, and the stone posts experienced vicissitudes, suffering varying degrees of damage. By the second year of Xuantong in the Qing Dynasty (1910 AD), Liu Erxin (刘尔炘), a Hanlin from Lanzhou, moved this set of stone carvings to the Zunjing Pavilion of the Lanzhou Confucian Temple (now Lanzhou No. 2 Middle School) and re-engraved more than 40 pieces of wooden explanations. During the Republic of China, the stone carvings were carefully protected by Gansu educator Zhao Yuanzhen (赵元贞), who transferred the only 142 surviving stone posts to the Gansu Provincial Museum (甘肃省博物馆) in 1966 for preservation, finally making this work passed down to the world. In 1996, it was identified as a national treasure by the expert group of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

"Paper lasts for a thousand years, silk lasts for eight hundred," for us, "Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》) is not only a calligraphy model, but also a spiritual carrier of Chinese civilization. It focuses on showing the evolution of Chinese characters from seal script and official script to regular script, running script, and cursive script. Every stroke and every painting embodies the ancients' pursuit of beauty and philosophical thinking. Most famous calligraphers of later generations have practiced this post. And around "Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》), a special discipline of studying engraving and rubbings has emerged - Tie Xue (帖学), which has greatly promoted the spread of ancient Chinese calligraphy art, influenced Japan, South Korea and other places, and become a common cultural heritage of East Asian calligraphy art. At the same time, the series of posts also preserves many historical materials, making "Chunhua Pavilion Model Calligraphy" (《淳化阁帖》) an important physical basis for studying ancient Chinese calligraphy and culture. Its historical, artistic and cultural value still shines brightly in academic and calligraphy circles today.

(The author is the curator of the Gansu Provincial Museum (甘肃省博物馆), interviewed and compiled by Song Chaojun (宋朝军), reporter of this newspaper)

Return to Top

Moon Gate: A Millennial Aesthetic Symbol

By: 成玉宁

In traditional Chinese gardens, the moon gate is a highly recognizable styling element. From gardens to palaces, from halls to courtyard walls, the full moon shape seems like the moon in the sky descending to earth. The moon gate carries profound cultural connotations with its unique form, expressing the pursuit of beauty and perfection. With the development of the times, this classic technique has been continuously deconstructed and reorganized, gradually evolving into a unique aesthetic symbol of the East.

The circle, as an architectural element, has a long history in Chinese gardens. The origin of circular doors and windows can be traced back to the "moon window" (圆形窗洞) of Han Dynasty gardens. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the circle gradually became a fixed architectural component shape. The *Yingzao Fashi* (营造法式) of the Song Dynasty already contained circular decorative patterns. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the moon gate in gardens reached its artistic peak. The "Wu Zhu You Ju" (梧竹幽居) pavilion in the Humble Administrator's Garden (拙政园) in Suzhou (苏州), Jiangsu (江苏), and the Chuitai (吹台) in Slender West Lake (瘦西湖) in Yangzhou (扬州), are examples where moon gates are opened on all sides, forming a framed view where "the scenery of all four seasons is brought into the painting." This design subtly coincides with the philosophy of "embracing substance with emptiness"—the circular door frame is like a picture frame, framing the distant landscape and the nearby flowers and trees, forming a continuous scroll.

The moon gates in Jiangnan (江南) gardens mostly adopt the elegant color scheme of green brick and white walls. Plaques with inscriptions such as "Ying Hui" (迎晖) and "Han Qing" (涵青) are often inscribed on the lintels, implying the transition of space and time.

In the northern royal gardens, the moon gate is given more gorgeous decorations. The glazed moon gate in front of the Hall of Longevity and Happiness (乐寿堂) in the Summer Palace (颐和园) is inlaid with intertwined floral patterns in yellow and green glaze, demonstrating the royal style.

The Lingnan (岭南) region has developed a unique variant of the "moon gate," with the edges of the door openings decorated with colored glass or gray-molded bat patterns, showcasing the regional aesthetic characteristics.

In contemporary architecture, the moon gate element is reborn in a more abstract way. I.M. Pei (贝聿铭) designed electric sliding doors at the entrance of the Suzhou Museum (苏州博物馆), using steel structure door frames and glass materials to reproduce the shape of the moon gate with modern technology. It retains the meaning of traditional symbols and gives it a simple and bright modern atmosphere. Due to the unique "framing" effect of the moon gate, I.M. Pei transformed it into a medium for the transition of different spaces in the museum. The fair-faced concrete moon gate corridor in the Liangzhu Culture and Art Center (良渚文化艺术中心) in Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang (浙江), creates a meditative space that transcends the physical.

From brick and wood to steel, from entity to virtuality, the moon gate, as an Eastern cultural symbol, is still radiating its charm. It is no longer limited to the field of architecture, but has evolved into an open cultural symbol, continuously absorbing new materials, technologies, and concepts, and integrating into other art forms. This simple circular pattern carries both the ancient cosmology of "the sky is round and the earth is square" (天圆地方 (tiān yuán dì fāng - "sky round earth square," the traditional Chinese concept of the universe)) and heralds the infinite possibilities of innovative development of traditional culture. This round moon, passed down for thousands of years, reflects the unique charm and vitality of Eastern aesthetics.

(The author is a professor at the School of Architecture of Southeast University (东南大学), interviewed and compiled by Yao Xueqing (姚雪青), a reporter from this newspaper)

Return to Top

Editors of this page: Meng Yang, Tang Zhongke, Liang Zeyu

Layout Design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)

Return to Top

Speech at the Symposium Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of Comrade Chen Yun's Birth

Central Party History and Literature Research Institute Director Qu Qingshan (曲青山):

Today, with great respect, we are participating in the symposium commemorating the 120th anniversary of Comrade Chen Yun's birth. Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) attached great importance to studying Marxist philosophy throughout his life, summarized and adhered to the "Fifteen-Character Formula" of "not only following the superiors, not only following the books, but only seeking truth from facts, exchanging, comparing, and repeating" ("不唯上、不唯书、只唯实，交换、比较、反复"). Here, I would like to share some of my understanding and experience in studying this way of thinking.

The "Fifteen-Character Formula" originated from three conversations between Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) and Comrade Mao Zedong (毛泽东) during the Yan'an (延安) period. At that time, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) asked Comrade Mao Zedong (毛泽东) for advice on "how to make fewer mistakes, or not make big mistakes." Comrade Mao Zedong (毛泽东) said, "Making mistakes is a problem of thinking methods." The reason for making mistakes is "not a lack of experience, but the wrong way of thinking," and suggested that he learn a little philosophy. Following the guidance of Comrade Mao Zedong (毛泽东), Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) studied philosophy while summarizing practical experience, gradually summarizing his understanding and experience into the "Fifteen-Character Formula." He said: "These 15 characters, the first 9 characters are materialism, and the last 6 characters are dialectics. Taken together, it is dialectical materialism." Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) understood these 15 characters throughout his life, spoke about them throughout his life, and used them throughout his life.

"Not only following the superiors, not only following the books, but only seeking truth from facts" is a brilliant summary of the Marxist principle of the material unity of the world, and its essence lies in the word "facts" (实). Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) emphasized that "only starting from reality" to study and deal with problems "is the most reliable"; "all work cannot rely on posturing, cannot turn a deaf ear and a blind eye, but must start from reality." Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) always adhered to starting from objective reality rather than subjective wishes when thinking about problems, making decisions, and handling affairs, and advocated and practiced telling the truth, doing honest things, and being an honest person throughout his life.

"Exchanging, comparing, and repeating" is a brilliant summary of the Marxist principle of the movement of contradictions in things, and its essence lies in the word "comprehensiveness" (全). Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) pointed out, "The key to starting from reality is, starting from a one-sided reality, or starting from a comprehensive reality?"; "The important thing is to see the reality completely." Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) emphasized spending more than 90% of the time clarifying the situation and less than 10% of the time deciding on policies. He always based his work on a large amount of investigation and research, eliminating the false and retaining the true, moving from the outside to the inside, forming a relatively comprehensive understanding that conforms to objective reality, thereby grasping the essence and laws of things.

The "Fifteen-Character Formula" is a highly condensed expression of dialectical materialism, and its essence is seeking truth from facts. Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) said that during the Yan'an (延安) period, after he "read all the documents and telegrams drafted by Chairman Mao (毛主席), he felt that there was a basic guiding ideology running through them, which was seeking truth from facts. So, how can we achieve seeking truth from facts?" The main way that Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) explored and summarized was the "Fifteen-Character Formula." In the several fields he was in charge of, he always adhered to starting from reality and implementing seeking truth from facts in all aspects and throughout the entire process of his work.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "A scientific worldview and methodology are the 'master key' for us to study and solve problems." The "Fifteen-Character Formula" proposed by Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) is a vivid example of the Chinese Communists adhering to the Marxist worldview and methodology to study and solve practical problems, and making Marxist Sinicization and popularization expressions. In the great practice of the new era, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) as the main representative, created 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), opened up a new realm of Marxist Sinicization in the new era, and provided a powerful ideological weapon and action guide for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Today, the best way for us to commemorate Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) is to inherit and carry forward his valuable ideological wealth, and continue to advance the great cause pioneered by the older generation of revolutionaries. We must arm the entire party, educate the people, and guide practice with 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), adhere to and make good use of the worldview and methodology of 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) and the positions, viewpoints, and methods that run through it, adhere to seeking truth from facts and upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, and strive unremittingly to comprehensively promote the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the nation with Chinese-style modernization!

Secretary-General of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (全国人大常委会), Secretary of the Party Group of the General Office Liu Qi (刘奇):

Today, with great respect, we commemorate the 120th anniversary of Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) birth, deeply cherish his immortal contributions to the Party, the country, and the people, and recall and learn from his noble demeanor and fine style.

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) served as Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Fourth and Fifth National People's Congresses (全国人大常委会) from January 1975 to July 1979. He always adhered to the pragmatic, truth-seeking and scientifically rigorous work style, strictly implemented democratic centralism, and made important contributions to the formulation and improvement of China's constitution, the establishment and development of the system of people's congresses, and the promotion of socialist democracy and the legal system.

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) made important contributions to the formulation and improvement of China's constitution. As a representative of the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (中国人民政治协商会议), he participated in the formulation of the Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (中国人民政治协商会议共同纲领), which had the status of a temporary constitution. He participated in the drafting of the first constitution of New China and participated in the deliberation and voting on the draft constitution at the First Session of the First National People's Congress (全国人大). In 1980, he served as a member of the Constitution Revision Committee (宪法修改委员会) and participated in the work with a high sense of political responsibility, listening to relevant work reports. On December 4, 1982, the Fifth Session of the Fifth National People's Congress (全国人大) adopted the current constitution.

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) made positive contributions to the establishment, adherence, and improvement of the system of people's congresses. He participated in the discussion of the draft of the first election law of New China and promoted the formal establishment of the system of people's congresses on the basis of democratic elections. He was continuously elected as a representative to the First to Fifth National People's Congresses (全国人大), participated in the study of important issues in the preparation and convening of the First and Second National People's Congresses, and participated in the establishment of the system of NPC deputies' inspections. As a responsible comrade of the State Council (国务院), he also spoke at the NPC meetings many times to explain relevant policies. During his tenure as Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (全国人大常委会), he went to many provinces and cities to conduct research, conscientiously participated in relevant meetings and activities, and made contributions to the restoration and development of the system of people's congresses. At the Second Session of the Fifth National People's Congress (全国人大), he participated in the deliberation and adoption of the resolution on amending certain provisions of the constitution, the local organization law, etc., which played an important role in the development of the system of people's congresses.

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) made unique contributions to promoting economic development on the track of the rule of law. In the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, he deeply considered major issues such as planning and the market, and put forward important opinions on the improvement of the draft government work report submitted to the National People's Congress (全国人民代表大会) for deliberation. In the process of formulating the Law on Chinese-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures, he fully listened to the opinions of relevant parties and made clear instructions on better attracting foreign investment. After deliberation, the Law on Chinese-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures adopted at the Second Session of the Fifth National People's Congress (全国人大) deleted the relevant restrictive provisions. He promoted relevant parties to severely crack down on economic crimes in accordance with the law. After deliberation, the Standing Committee of the Fifth National People's Congress (全国人大常委会) made corresponding supplementary amendments to the Criminal Law, providing strong legal support for maintaining the socialist economic order.

Today, as we commemorate the 120th anniversary of Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) birth and review his important contributions to the system of people's congresses and the work of the NPC, we must inherit and carry forward his noble demeanor and excellent qualities. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, we must thoroughly study and implement 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), fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Party and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 20th Central Committee, deeply understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," strengthen the "Four Confidences," and achieve the "Two Safeguards," uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, be responsible and fulfill our duties, adhere to, improve, and operate the system of people's congresses well, and provide a solid institutional guarantee for comprehensively promoting the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the nation with Chinese-style modernization!

Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council (国务院) Wang Zhijun (王志军):

Today, with great respect, we are participating in the symposium commemorating the 120th anniversary of Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) birth. Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) was an outstanding leader of our party's economic work, made important contributions to China's socialist economic construction, and left behind invaluable spiritual wealth.

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) attached great importance to strengthening the Party's leadership over economic work, especially the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, emphasizing that "to achieve the four modernizations, we must rely on the leadership of our Party," and that socialist economic construction "must strengthen and rely on the leadership of the Party, especially the core leadership role of the Party Central Committee." Before and after the founding of New China, in participating in leading the "Battle of Silver Dollars" ("银元之战"), the "Battle of Rice and Cotton" ("米棉之战"), the unified purchase and sale of major agricultural products, and the adjustment of the national economy, he creatively implemented the Party Central Committee's policies and Comrade Mao Zedong's (毛泽东) instructions, and promptly reported major matters and important situations to the Party Central Committee. He profoundly pointed out that in economic activities, the central government should concentrate the powers that must be concentrated, and the central government's political authority should be based on the central government's economic authority, especially emphasizing the need to maintain and strengthen the authority of the Party Central Committee, "without the authority of the central government, major events cannot be accomplished, and society cannot be stable." Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) demonstrated a high degree of political awareness and strong Party spirit, setting an example for the entire Party. We must deeply understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," resolutely achieve the "Two Safeguards," implement the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments and General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important instructions with higher standards, and be resolute executors, action-oriented pioneers who overcome difficulties, and pragmatists who are good at doing things and achieving success.

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) insisted that economic construction should be down-to-earth, steady and solid, act in accordance with objective laws, and pay attention to comprehensive balance in order to maintain the proportionate and coordinated development of the national economy. He pointed out that economic stability is extremely important for a large country like ours, and that the scale of construction should be determined by considering the national conditions and national strength when formulating and implementing the five-year plan and annual plan. He clearly proposed that economic work should consider all aspects and take into account the overall situation, grasp the balance of fiscal revenue and expenditure, bank credit, supply and demand of materials, and foreign exchange revenue and expenditure, handle the proportional relationship between economic construction and people's lives, industry and agriculture, accumulation and consumption, and pay attention to doing a good job in agriculture, water conservancy, environmental protection, and other work. These views still have strong practical significance today. We must strengthen the overall concept and systematic thinking, fully and accurately implement the new development concept, coordinate and promote the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan" (五位一体) overall layout and coordinate and promote the "Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy" (四个全面) strategic layout, and steadily promote China's economy to go far and achieve high-quality development.

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) advocated deepening economic system reform in order to better develop productive forces and realize the self-improvement and development of the socialist system. In the early days of the founding of New China, he put forward the idea of "three main bodies and three supplements" ("三个主体、三个补充"), which was very valuable at that time. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Party (党的十一届三中全会), he proposed that the role of market regulation should be consciously played and expanded, and supported the exploration of a new socialist economic system that is in line with reality and full of vitality, which had a wide and profound impact. He advocated carrying out foreign economic exchanges independently and autonomously, paying attention to the use of foreign investment and the introduction of new technologies, and actively supporting the construction of special economic zones and the development and opening up of Pudong (浦东). We must promote in-depth reform and high-level opening up with the firm determination to reform to the end, and constantly expand the development space of Chinese-style modernization.

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) had a firm ideal and belief throughout his life and was infinitely loyal to the Party and the people. His people-centered feelings and noble demeanor have always inspired and spurred us on. On the new journey, we must unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, focus on economic construction as the central task and high-quality development as the primary task, carry forward the spirit of struggle, be determined to forge ahead, and strive unremittingly to comprehensively promote the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the nation with Chinese-style modernization!

Deputy Secretary of the Shanghai (上海) Municipal Party Committee, Mayor Gong Zheng (龚正):

Today, with great respect, we express the deep memory of the people of our hometown for Comrade Chen Yun (陈云), and we are determined to inherit Comrade Chen Yun's (陈云) legacy, and under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, we will make new contributions to the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the nation with greater enthusiasm.

Shanghai (上海) is the starting point for Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) to embark on the revolutionary road, firm his ideals and beliefs, and establish immortal feats. Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) was born on June 13, 1905, in a poor peasant family in Qingpu (青浦); in 1919, he went to the Commercial Press (商务印书馆) in Shanghai (上海) as an apprentice, and then accepted Marxism; in 1925, he participated in the May 30th Movement (五卅运动) and led the great strike of the Commercial Press (商务印书馆), and then joined the Communist Party of China (中国共产党); from 1928 to 1929, he engaged in revolutionary movements in the suburbs of Shanghai (上海), leading the peasant armed uprisings in Xiaozheng (小蒸), Fengjing (枫泾), and Zhuangxing (庄行); in 1931, he assisted Comrade Zhou Enlai (周恩来) in decisively handling the emergency of Gu Shunzhang's (顾顺章) arrest and betrayal, ensuring the safety of the Party Central Committee, and then led the Central Special Branch (中央特科) to continue carrying out the struggle against the enemy. After the liberation of Shanghai (上海) in 1949, facing the chaotic economic situation in the country, the Party Central Committee arranged for Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) to be stationed in Shanghai (上海). He seized the "two whites and one black" of rice, cotton cloth, and coal ("两白一黑"), coordinated the forces of all parties to crack down on financial speculation and curb soaring prices, laying an important foundation for the rapid recovery and development of the national economy after the founding of New China. Whether leading the workers' and peasants' movement, carrying out underground work, or leading economic construction, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) always feared no danger and bravely shouldered heavy responsibilities, fully demonstrating extraordinary courage and talent. The people of his hometown are deeply proud that Shanghai (上海) has produced Comrade Chen Yun (陈云), this great proletarian revolutionary and statesman!

Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) always cared about his hometown and attached great importance to and supported the development of Shanghai (上海). In 1956, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) made a special trip to Shanghai (上海) to convey Comrade Mao Zedong's (毛泽东) instruction that "Shanghai (上海) has a future and should be developed," and gave guidance on the industrial development of Shanghai (上海). From 1955 to 1961, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) went to Qingpu (青浦) four times to conduct in-depth rural surveys, and put forward opinions on rural grain issues, production development, etc., providing a decision-making basis for the central government to formulate and adjust rural policies. In 1979, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) went to Shanghai (上海) to conduct in-depth research on whether Baosteel (宝钢) should continue to "start" or "dismount," and put forward 8 opinions, including "do it to the end" and buying equipment while also buying technology and patents, which made important contributions to the smooth progress of Baosteel's (宝钢) construction. In the early 1990s, the Party Central Committee made the major decision to develop and open up Pudong (浦东). Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) fully supported it, pointing out that "Shanghai (上海) has great hope," which greatly encouraged the cadres and masses in Shanghai (上海). From 1990 to 1994, Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) came to Shanghai (上海) every year. Seeing the achievements of his hometown in "great changes in three years" ("三年大变样"), Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) was very pleased and encouraged Shanghai (上海) to do its work better.

The revolutionary footprints and struggle stories left by Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) in Shanghai (上海) are a vivid microcosm of his dedication to the Party and his wholehearted service to the people, inspiring generations of Shanghai (上海) children to continue to forge ahead, be pragmatic and take responsibility. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (党的十八大), Shanghai (上海) has adhered to the guidance of 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), thoroughly studied and implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech during his inspection in Shanghai (上海), accelerated the construction of "five centers" ("五个中心"), the city's economic scale has entered a new stage of more than 5 trillion yuan, reform and opening up have achieved new breakthroughs, and the people's living standards have continued to improve, using practical actions to play the strongest voice of Shanghai's (上海) development in the new era of "remembering the entrustment and forging ahead," and comforting the earnest expectations of Comrade Chen Yun (陈云) and other older generation revolutionaries for Shanghai (上海).

From April 28 to 30 this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) once again entrusted Shanghai (上海) with the major mission of shouldering responsibilities for the country and being a pioneer when he inspected Shanghai (上海). We will unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, deeply understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," resolutely achieve the "Two Safeguards," accelerate the construction of a socialist modern international metropolis with world influence, and never fail the Party Central Committee's great trust in Shanghai (上海).

Return to Top

Openness and Win-Win Cooperation at an Expo

By: 本报记者 罗珊珊 杨  迅

The land of Hunan is as close as neighbors despite thousands of miles. The 4th China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo is being held in Changsha (长沙), Hunan (湖南).

At the Changsha International Convention and Exhibition Center (长沙国际会展中心), there is a story about chili peppers.

In 2019, Rwandan (卢旺达) chili peppers, which had not yet entered the Chinese market, appeared at the first China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo. Because their spiciness was more than four times that of ordinary dried chili peppers, they attracted the attention of Hunan enterprises, and the two parties reached a procurement intention. Subsequently, Rwanda submitted an application to China for the export of dried chili peppers. In 2021, the governments of China and Rwanda officially signed a bilateral protocol on the trade of dried chili peppers. In August of the same year, the first batch of dried chili peppers from Rwanda arrived in Hunan, making Rwanda the first African country to export dried chili peppers to China.

Today, Rwandan chili peppers have become a good ingredient for many domestic enterprises to make hot pot bases and braised food, and are deeply loved by consumers. Chili pepper cultivation has become an important export industry in Rwanda, benefiting thousands of local farmers. In 2024, Hunan Modern Agriculture International Development Co., Ltd. (湖南现代农业国际发展有限公司) cooperated with the local Jashaora Farm Company (加绍拉农场公司) to launch a chili pepper industry demonstration project, deepening cooperation in the form of "order agriculture." Rwandan agricultural experts said that the stable income brought by exports to China has increased the income level of local farmers, brought domestic and foreign investment, and promoted the modernization of the industry.

Not only chili peppers, but also volcanic coffee beans, organic honey and other special commodities are displayed in the Rwanda exhibition area. The traditional Rwandan dance performance ignited the atmosphere with powerful leaps and precise rhythms.

With the implementation of the "Ten Partnership Programs" of China and Africa, bilateral cooperation continues to extend to key areas such as green industries, e-commerce and payment, technology, and artificial intelligence. For example, China held a special "Cloud Classroom" (云上大讲堂) session for Africa, with 600 representatives from the African e-commerce sector participating. "To do e-commerce, look to China" has become a consensus in the industry.

Kilimall (基里马尔) is the first Chinese company to enter the African Internet and e-commerce industry and has participated in the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo for four consecutive sessions. "At this year's China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, we launched standardized service products such as 'one-stop service for Chinese brands going to Africa,' 'service for Chinese and African entrepreneurs,' and 'sales agency operation,' hoping to solve the current problems of long distance, different currencies, and different languages between China and Africa. We aim to help Chinese products and brands achieve a fully closed-loop operation in promotion, sales, and after-sales, and solve the needs of Chinese brands going to Africa in one stop," said Liao Zhengrong (廖峥嵘), brand director of the company.

Liao Zhengrong introduced that the company is also operating the import platform "African Heart Selection" (非洲心选), introducing good products from various African countries to Chinese consumers, such as South African aloe vera gel and red wine, and high-quality coffee and handicrafts from Ethiopia (埃塞俄比亚) and Kenya (肯尼亚). "We are not only a bridge for China-Africa e-commerce, but also shoulder the role of a cultural exchange link. We hope to replicate the proven e-commerce platform and logistics platform to more African countries and create a better life for China and Africa together."

The exhibition continues, and the stories of trade integration, people-to-people connectivity, and open and win-win cooperation are being staged wonderfully.

Return to Top

Photo Story

In recent years, Yifeng County (宜丰县), Jiangxi Province (江西省), has continuously developed cold-water paddy fields and high-altitude terraced fields, and developed planting industries such as ecological rice and green vegetables and fruits, driving farmers to increase their income and helping the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside. The picture shows the high-altitude terraced fields of Niutouling (牛头岭) in Guyangzhai Village (古阳寨村), Huangken Town (黄垦镇).

He Jian (何坚) photographed (Image China).

Return to Top

Exhibition and Screening of Achievements in Documenting National Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritors Launched

This newspaper reported from Beijing on June 13th (Reporter Li Zhuoer (李卓尔)) On June 13th, the exhibition and screening event of the achievements of the recording work of representative inheritors of national intangible cultural heritage was launched in Beijing (北京).

The event is co-sponsored by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (文化和旅游部), and the National Library of China (国家图书馆), and jointly organized by the intangible cultural heritage protection centers of various provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (新疆生产建设兵团), as well as more than 300 libraries of various levels and types. The event includes the "Preserving in Famous Mountains, Passing on to the People - Exhibition of the Recording Work of Representative Inheritors of National Intangible Cultural Heritage" and the "Years Pass Easily, Skills and Memories Endure - The 7th National Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Inheritors Recording Work Achievement Screening Month". The achievement exhibition systematically and comprehensively introduces the achievements of China's national intangible cultural heritage representative inheritors' recording work over the past 10 years through two chapters, "The Mighty River" and "The Towering Mountains," and will last until October 31st. The screening month will showcase 44 overview films of outstanding achievements from the sixth batch of recording work through a combination of online and offline methods.

Recording and preservation are important foundational tasks for intangible cultural heritage protection. Since 2015, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (文化和旅游部) has carried out the recording work of representative inheritors of national intangible cultural heritage. Over the past 10 years, it has supported the recording of 2,290 representative inheritors of national intangible cultural heritage. This event will comprehensively showcase the achievements of China's intangible cultural heritage protection work, tell the touching stories of national intangible cultural heritage representative inheritors and recorders, and allow the audience to immerse themselves in the beauty of outstanding Chinese traditional culture.

Return to Top

Mastering Drone Technology for Efficient Line Inspection (Artisan's Special Skill)

By: 本报记者  付  文  刘晓宇

Innovating the "45-degree reverse flight method," developing more efficient obstacle-clearing combination nozzles, and developing intelligent software modules... For the past 10 years, Chen Wei (陈尉) has been rooted in the front line of power transmission operation and maintenance, diligently practicing drone technology, and has presided over and participated in the research and development of several science and technology projects such as inspection drone nest platforms, intelligent pulley drone operation systems, and live-line drone water flushing. In 2023, he won the championship in the drone operator project of the first National Staff Digital Application Technology Skills Competition and was awarded the National May 1st Labor Medal.

Late at night, in the quiet workshop, the metal threads friction emitted a dense "click" sound. At this time, on the black workbench, Chen Wei (陈尉), deputy director of the State Grid Zhangzhou Power Supply Company Transmission Operation and Inspection Center (见图, 本报记者刘晓宇摄), was intently trying to change the overall center of gravity and mounting position of the drone by adjusting the buckle position, in order to reduce the impact on the arm blades...

"The drone mounting buckle position needs to consider various factors such as the large wind force in the coastal areas of Zhangzhou (漳州), and it needs to be determined through repeated experiments." Chen Wei (陈尉) introduced, "Only by adjusting the position to the optimal, the drone's flight stability will be higher, the inspection and shooting will be clearer, and the transportation of tower materials will be faster, more stable, and safer."

Chen Wei's (陈尉) drone technology is inseparable from interest and effort. "When he first joined the company, Chen Wei (陈尉) would go to the innovation studio after work, and if he encountered technical problems, he would ask professionals for advice as soon as possible," said Chen Jie (陈杰), the relevant person in charge of the Zhangzhou (漳州) Power Supply Company's National Skills Master Studio.

The "45-degree reverse flight method" is a unique skill of Chen Wei (陈尉). "During the competition, the drone was allowed to 'fly backwards' close to the pole, and the blades and the pole always maintained a centimeter-level safe distance." Chen Wei (陈尉) said that this skill can not only speed up the drone's flight speed, but also shorten the turning time, which is a challenge for the operator.

In 2023, Chen Wei (陈尉) participated in the first National Staff Digital Application Technology Skills Competition. At that time, the fourth project in the final was "complex situation flight" - the drone needed to quickly pass through densely arranged poles, avoid obstacles, and then shoot a QR code. "This project is actually simulating close-range inspection and shooting of iron towers. During the preparation period, the team members' drones easily collided with obstacles." Chen Wei (陈尉) recalled that he tried repeatedly and finally developed the skill of flying close to the pole.

On the day of the final, Chen Wei (陈尉) operated the drone to "fly backwards" close to the pole, and the sound of the propeller rubbing against the air was quickly adjusted along the flight path. In the end, the team led by Chen Wei (陈尉) stood out.

"If you want to do something well, do it to the extreme!" Chen Wei (陈尉) said. In order to remove obstacles from power transmission lines, Chen Wei (陈尉) and his team members jointly developed an obstacle-clearing drone - changing the drone's electric fuse cutting head to an "oil spray-ignition" combination nozzle. This research and development has enabled drones to clear large areas and volumes of obstacles in a short period of time, becoming one of the convenient and effective tools for removing foreign objects from power transmission lines. After that, they also carried out the research and development of several science and technology projects such as inspection drone nest platforms, intelligent pulley drone operation systems, live-line drone water flushing, and drone artificial intelligence recognition spraying, further improving the intelligent level of inspection work.

"The previous drones could only detect whether there were bird nests on power transmission lines. After we developed the intelligent software module, we can real-time analyze the drone inspection images and output the type, material, location, and morphological characteristics of the bird nests, so as to better formulate targeted measures and solutions." Recently, Chen Wei (陈尉) has started a new round of innovation and research and development, providing precise and intelligent solutions for power transmission operation and maintenance, and promoting the intelligent development of power transmission operation and maintenance.

While improving his own technical level, Chen Wei (陈尉) is also committed to cultivating and leading young employees. "When tackling the drone adaptation power transmission line mounting project, Chen Wei (陈尉) led us to repeatedly experiment hundreds of times. Such craftsmanship is worth learning from us," said Lin Jiawei (林佳炜), a young employee of transmission operation and inspection.

Under the influence of Chen Wei's (陈尉) leadership, innovative achievements continue to emerge. In the past 10 years, Chen Wei (陈尉) and his studio have researched nearly 40 science and technology projects and have obtained 53 national patents. Recently, his project "Research on the Enabling Application of Power Transmission Line Inspection Drone Nest Platform Based on Cloud-Edge Intelligent Collaboration" won the special prize of the 2024 China Association of Technical Staff Technology Innovation Achievement Award.

Return to Top

Editor in charge of this edition: Zhang Yanchun, Wu Kai, Zeng Yichen

Return to Top

Let's see the cultural relics shine with new splendor.

June 14th marks the 20th Cultural and Natural Heritage Day. This year's theme is "Let cultural relics radiate new vitality and shine with new brilliance."

This edition focuses on "newness," highlighting new discoveries and perspectives in the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, and showcasing new expressions, changes, and techniques in creative transformation and innovative development. Through technological empowerment, we remember the names of heroes who sacrificed themselves for the country and witness the "encounter" between oracle bone inscriptions and AI. Through innovation and creativity, we can appreciate the new interpretation of Dunhuang by post-90s actors, savor the new ways "Generation Z" plays with sugar painting, and understand the unchanging craftsmanship and innovative development of dragon boat making.

-- Editor

Return to Top

Let no nameless hero remain nameless.

By: 文少卿

By a stroke of serendipity, I came into contact with the profoundly significant project of finding the relatives of martyrs.

In May 2015, a WeChat post by Chen Liang (陈靓), a human bone archaeologist at Northwest University (西北大学), caught my attention: "The first batch of DNA identification of Chinese Expeditionary Force soldiers (Battle of Myitkyina, Burma) failed. The entrusted institution suggests sending them to the UK and the US for authoritative technical support." My heart was filled with mixed feelings.

The level of biotechnology in our country is sufficient to complete this DNA identification; we should not rely on others! I was not reconciled. After active communication, our research group finally took on the heavy responsibility of identifying the remains of 27 Chinese Expeditionary Force soldiers unearthed in the Myitkyina area of Burma. By identifying the Y-chromosome genetic types of the remains, we inferred their possible geographical origins, bringing hope to families who had been searching for their relatives for decades.

Subsequently, between 2015 and 2018, the research group collected a total of 572 remains of martyrs from 8 sites, according to standard archaeological excavation methods, involving the Western Yunnan Defense War, the Changsha Battle, the Pingyao Encounter, the Gaotai Battle, and the Huaihai Campaign. In 2019, the research group successfully confirmed the identity of Martyr Zou Kaisheng (邹开胜), and his DNA was successfully matched with that of his posthumous daughter. Based on previous work and funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, we completed the first phase of the construction of the National Martyrs' DNA Database.

At this stage, my role was closer to that of a forensic scientist. Collaborators sent samples of suspected martyr remains, as well as biological samples of suspected relatives. I would be happy for successful matches and regretful for failed matches.

In January 2023, this work reached a turning point. At the invitation of the Lüliang City Veterans Affairs Bureau (吕梁市退役军人事务局) in Shanxi Province, we conducted systematic excavation and molecular archaeological identification of the Nanshan Revolutionary Martyrs (南山革命烈士) in Fangshan County (方山县). This was no longer just a single point of family seeking, but a comprehensive study of a martyrs' cemetery. The research objectives suddenly expanded: first, to obtain the identities and images of the martyrs through DNA identification and craniofacial reconstruction, so that the nameless martyrs would no longer be nameless; second, to restore the revolutionary scenes of the Lüliang martyrs through physical identification and isotope analysis, and to decode the history that once occurred on this land—under what difficult circumstances did our Party forge the epic of victory!

On this land, which was once a battlefield hospital, we successfully helped the family of Cui Yuqi (崔玉岐), an elderly man seeking relatives, find the remains of his third uncle, Martyr Cui Haizhi (崔海治). After identification, it was found that the 49 nameless martyrs buried in this martyrs' cemetery had an average life expectancy of only 20.5 years, and the youngest was less than 14 years old. During the excavation and identification work, we often worked with tears in our eyes, and shocking scenes of heroes unfolded before us: multiple warrior remains had several bullet holes in different parts of the front, solidifying their fearless posture of charging forward in the hail of bullets; one martyr, only 17 years old, had pathological phenomena in his remains—supraorbital ethmoid changes—revealing that he had suffered from long-term malnutrition and anemia; and many more young martyrs' bones showed middle-aged and elderly diseases such as degenerative joint disease, telling the story of the price the soldiers paid for the "light infantry miracle of outrunning wheels with their legs"...

The heroic souls sleep forever, and their spirit will last forever. Those textbook terms—"arduous struggle," "sacrifice and dedication," "the close relationship between the army and the people"—became concrete on the remains of the martyrs, silent but containing immense power. We are interpreters of archaeological data, and even more so, witnesses of historical scenes.

The shock continues. West of Wobei Village (窝北村), Suning County (肃宁县), Cangzhou City (沧州市), Hebei Province, lie the martyrs who sacrificed in the Xuecun Battle (雪村战斗) more than 80 years ago, historically known as the "Xuecun Breakthrough Battle" (雪村突围战). On June 12, 2024, we conducted a physical identification study of the remains unearthed in Xuecun and saw for the first time a large number of non-combatants, nearly 1/4 of whom were women and nearly 1/3 were infants and young children. Strontium isotope results showed that these non-combatants were local villagers, while a large proportion of the young and middle-aged men came from Shanxi. The research results revealed the scene of the troops escorting women and children to break through. The army and the people jointly shed their blood on this land. In a box of remains, there were 3 young male soldiers and 6 children, the oldest being 6 years old and the youngest being about 1 year old—it is possible that the soldiers were escorting a group of children to break through, and unfortunately all of them were killed. This is ironclad evidence of the extremely tragic and heroic joint effort of the army and the people to face national disaster.

Compared to Lüliang and Xuecun, the biggest challenge in identifying the remains of Martyr Huang Gonglüe (黄公略) in Ji'an (吉安), Jiangxi (江西), located in southern China, is the natural environment in the south. Before, when I read poems like "green hills bury loyal bones," I felt the romanticism of the revolution. It was not until I experienced it firsthand that I realized that the vegetation in the south has a great impact on the terrain. Without the generations of protection of the heroic souls by the local people, many martyrs' tombs in the green hills would have long been untraceable.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Looking back on the road we have traveled, our research group has completed the transformation from forensic scientists doing DNA family seeking to discoverers of historical scenes, and then to storytellers of heroic souls. This work requires more people to participate. We hope to use the key of scientific archaeology to more truly experience those historical terms that we are familiar with but may not deeply understand, to tell the stories of the martyrs, and to pass on the spirit of heroes.

(The author is an associate professor at the Institute of Scientific Archaeology, Fudan University (复旦大学). This article was compiled and edited by Hua Luyue (华璐月), a reporter for this newspaper.)

Return to Top

When Oracle Meets Artificial Intelligence

By: 高 峰

Imagine the mysterious characters carved on tortoise shells and animal bones more than 3,000 years ago, encountering artificial intelligence that processes massive amounts of data at lightning speed. What kind of sparks will be generated? This is not science fiction, but a "time-traveling story" unfolding in reality.

The starting point of the story can be traced back to a database class in April 2003. At that time, I confidently explained data import knowledge to undergraduates. Suddenly, a hand was raised high: "Teacher, how to input and output oracle bone inscriptions?" I stared at the blackboard, lost in thought. What could be the connection between oracle bone inscriptions and computer technology?

At that time, the computer science department of our school had a team already researching "electronic oracle bone inscriptions" and successfully developed the "Oracle Bone Inscription Input Method." I couldn't wait to join. Most of the team members came from computer science majors. While painstakingly studying difficult academic books on oracle bone inscriptions, everyone was thinking about how to use code, this "magic key," to revive those ancient symbols that had been sleeping for thousands of years.

In 2008, Professor Liu Yongge (刘永革) of the team applied for the "Computer-aided Interpretation Technology Research Based on Oracle Bone Inscription Corpus" and was approved by the National Natural Science Foundation Project. We realized that computers could become a "super assistant" for oracle bone inscription research.

The team began a long exploration of the oracle bone inscription corpus. We successively overcame several problems such as oracle bone inscription input and output, oracle bone inscription electronic dictionaries, and oracle bone inscription corpus annotation. The team also received more attention. In 2017, it was approved as a Ministry of Education Science and Technology Innovation Team, and in 2018, it was approved for the establishment of a Ministry of Education Key Laboratory. In October 2019, under the leadership of Song Zhenhao (宋镇豪), a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, we launched the professional oracle bone inscription data platform "Yinqi Wenyuan (殷契文渊)." After five phases of continuous construction, this platform is like a "super brain" filled with oracle bone inscription knowledge. It can not only help researchers quickly find oracle bone inscription characters, pictures, and texts, but also use AI digital toolboxes to assist experts in sorting out oracle bone inscription materials, and provide oracle bone inscription datasets indispensable for multiple artificial intelligence algorithm applications. In 2024, on the day the Oracle Bone Inscription AI Collaborative Platform went online, oracle bone inscription enthusiasts from all over the world poured in, and the message area was full of exclamations: "It turns out that oracle bone inscriptions are so close to us!" Its emergence has allowed oracle bone inscription research to stride into the era of artificial intelligence.

In the continuous improvement of the oracle bone inscription data platform, we have built a global digital protection technology system for oracle bone inscriptions. This solution is like a precise network, incorporating the processes of oracle bone inscription collection, sorting, retrieval, and splicing. At the oracle bone inscription digital collection site, multi-light source photography equipment is like tireless eyes, capturing every detail of the oracle bone inscription from different angles; image synthesis technology based on surface depth enhancement is like a highly skilled restorer, faithfully restoring the originally blurred engraved marks and divination cracks. Facing a mottled oracle bone inscription, the synthesized image clearly shows tiny engraved marks that are difficult for even experts to distinguish with the naked eye. These details provide important clues for studying the writing order of oracle bone inscription characters and the drilling and even divination process of oracle bones.

AI copy generation technology, AI duplicate checking technology, AI glyph detection technology, micro-trace imaging technology, etc. for oracle bone inscriptions are amazing. Taking oracle bone inscription copy generation technology as an example, in the past, manually copying oracle bone inscriptions not only consumed a lot of time and energy, but also easily produced subjective errors. Now, the algorithm simulates the process of manual copying, which can accurately outline the morphological characteristics of each oracle bone inscription character. Watching the machine quickly generate high-precision digital copies, I can't help but sigh that this not only liberates manpower, but also lays a solid data foundation for the protection and restoration of oracle bone inscriptions.

In 2024, the "Digital Oracle Bone Inscription Co-creation Center" was established. This year is even more important for us. First, we will start the European Digital Return Journey of Oracle Bone Inscriptions; second, we will hold the "AI + Oracle Bone Inscription" Invitational Tournament, and go all out to launch the Oracle Bone Inscription Large Language Model, and jointly with all sectors of society to create the "AI that understands Oracle Bone Inscriptions best" and build a "technology + culture" Chinese solution.

Of course, we also face many challenges. At present, artificial intelligence's understanding of oracle bone inscriptions is not "intelligent" enough. When encountering oracle bone fragments, blurred oracle bone inscription characters, especially uninterpreted oracle bone inscription characters, it will still "stall." The heterogeneity and fragmentation of professional research literature still require more powerful technical support. In the future, we will continue to move forward with this love, so that oracle bone inscriptions can shine more brightly in the digital age!

(Author's unit: Key Laboratory of Oracle Bone Inscription Information Processing, Ministry of Education, Anyang Normal University (安阳师范学院))

Return to Top

Dunhuang beckons us.

By: 张艺兴

Dunhuang, a place that holds a long history, is being reborn in a youthful way. Over the past year, participating in the creation and performance of the musical drama "Summoned: Dunhuang" by the National Theatre of China (中国国家话剧院), I have more truly felt how this cultural summons spanning thousands of years resonates and evokes emotions in the present.

I remember my initial connection with Dunhuang was through a musical creation. In 2021, I created the song "Flying Apsaras" (飞天), wanting to reinterpret the free, dynamic, and transcendent beauty of the Dunhuang murals with pop music. Unexpectedly, young people left enthusiastic messages, saying that they used this song as an entry point to seriously approach and understand Dunhuang for the first time. This made me realize that we need to find more appropriate "ways to open" the excellent traditional Chinese culture.

I have always believed that cultural inheritance cannot be separated from being "touching," and the premise of being touching is being "heartfelt." To get young people closer, telling the story of traditional culture cannot be done with a stern face, making people feel it is out of reach. Only when young people feel "this is related to me," "I can understand it," and "I am willing to express it," will traditional culture be more vibrant.

This is also my original intention for participating in "Summoned: Dunhuang." In the play, I play both Chang Shuhong (常书鸿) in 1935 and Zhang Ran (张燃) in 2035. Chang Shuhong gave up his life in Paris and went alone to the Northwest desert, burning his life to continue the cultural fire; Zhang Ran is a future digital cultural heritage engineer, using technology to light up the life of the murals. One is "burning out," and the other is "lighting up." The two characters span a century and are both guarding Dunhuang in their own ways.

The main creative team went to Dunhuang to experience the local conditions and customs, feeling the brushstrokes and temperature on those murals up close. This journey was like bathing in the wind of history. We only felt that this "wind" gently turned the ancient chapters, and those past events, which had been tempered by the years but still shone brightly, turned into the camel bells of the caravan, the Qiang flute of the border, and the bugle of the battlefield, reaching our ears directly.

Dean Tian Qinxin (田沁鑫) often says: "The soul of Dunhuang is hidden in the details." In order to make the image of the flying apsaras more natural, we studied the gestures of the dancers frame by frame against the murals; in order to bring the charm of Dunhuang to the stage, the lighting engineers repeatedly tested the lighting to simulate it. When the bodhisattvas and vajras of the Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟) look at the audience with their 15-meter-high "digital bodies," and the flying apsaras in the murals slowly fall onto the stage under the suspension of seven aerial wires, the combination of tradition and modernity is perfectly integrated. All these efforts are to evoke a cultural resonance that transcends time and touches people's hearts.

During the official performance, I saw the eyes of the audience light up again and again. Some audience members said that this play made them see "Dunhuang belonging to young people"; some children from the Nanjing School for the Deaf (南京聋人学校) expressed "thank you" in sign language after watching it; and many friends said on social platforms that this performance made them start to spontaneously consult Dunhuang and the story of Chang Shuhong. This makes me more and more convinced that the "youthfulness" of excellent traditional Chinese culture should not be superficial or entertainment-oriented, but should use sincerity, love, and artistic creativity to let it "come out" from textbooks and museums and enter people's ears and eyes, aesthetics, and emotions. Dunhuang is not just murals and grottoes, it can also be a song, a dance, a play, or a contemporary expression.

The reason why traditional culture can become today's spiritual resource is because its precipitation across time is deep enough; and if it is to move towards tomorrow, we need to constantly inject new ways of expression to allow it to continue to grow in a vivid manner.

"Protecting the Mogao Grottoes and inheriting the Dunhuang culture is the responsibility that the Chinese nation should bear for the progress of world civilization." Dunhuang is summoning our youth, and for our generation of young literary and art workers, this is more of a cultural relay.

As I travel on the road of the domestic tour of "Summoned: Dunhuang," I can feel more that Chinese civilization is both quietly profound and magnificent, and the story of Dunhuang is to be continued. I hope that on a broader stage in the future, I can continue to use the ways I am good at to tell the touching, far-reaching, and belonging-to-us culture to more people.

(The author is a young actor of the National Theatre of China (中国国家话剧院))

Return to Top

Old crafts can also undergo "72 transformations"

By: 王岐洋

I am 22 years old this year and have been involved with sugar painting for 13 years. Learning sugar painting is not difficult, but doing it well is very difficult. What's the difficulty? The difficulty lies in the perseverance behind this sweet career. To date, I have painted more than 200,000 sugar paintings.

From the time I could remember, my parents took me to various temple fairs. I still remember that the pot my father used to boil sugar was an iron pot, and the fire was firewood. He first heated the sugar slices that had been boiled at home to melt them into syrup, then used a small round spoon to scoop up the sugar paste from the copper bucket, using the strength of his wrist to drive the spoon to rotate, sprinkling it on the smooth board, either releasing or retracting, at a very fast speed, all in one go. The sugar paintings were of various shapes and lifelike, and I was often fascinated by watching them. I often imagined how cool it would be if I could "do magic" with sugar in the future!

I'm not very talented. When I was 14 years old, my dad said that if I learned to draw a heart pattern with sugar painting, he would buy me a mobile phone to encourage me to learn sugar painting well. I was immediately interested and spent 10 days drawing a crooked heart. That day, I got my first mobile phone in my life, which also became the starting point for me to seriously make sugar paintings. Since then, my dad and I have been to many places to attend temple fairs. At that time, I felt that this industry was really hard! I had a dream: to move sugar painting into shopping malls. Because we often say "刮风减半，下雨全无 (guā fēng jiǎn bàn, xià yǔ quán wú - "wind halves, rain eliminates," business is bad on windy days and nonexistent on rainy days)," meaning that if it's windy today, business won't be so good, and if it rains today, there will be no business. This wish came true when I was 18 years old. I came to Zhengzhou (郑州) and started selling sugar paintings in a shopping mall.

In 2022, I opened a sugar painting branch. On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year that year, I had a thought: sugar painting live streaming should be very interesting, right? I wanted to let more people see a day in the life of a sugar painter - what we do every day, what the working environment is like, and how we communicate with customers. I turned on the live stream on my mobile phone. As soon as the live stream started, 5,000 people were watching online, and a total of 300,000 people watched the live stream! This greatly exceeded my expectations.

Later, I also learned how to shoot videos and started making short videos. Douyin's (抖音) "Baiyoung Intangible Cultural Heritage Program" (百young非遗计划) allowed my short videos to attract more young fans, and 1,000 intangible cultural heritage talents like me became high-quality content creators. On online platforms, netizens would suggest their favorite sugar painting patterns and ask me to make them for them to see.

Old crafts must be alive, so they must "七十二变 (qī shí èr biàn - "72 transformations," be versatile and adaptable)." In addition to inheriting traditional patterns and techniques, I also combine paper-cutting, shadow puppetry, calligraphy and other elements to enrich the expressive forms of sugar painting. I spent two years continuously learning and researching the production of three-dimensional sugar paintings. At this year's Shandong TV (山东卫视) Lantern Festival Gala, when I skillfully produced various three-dimensional sugar paintings, the guests at the scene exclaimed: "Is this 3D printing?"

"Intangible Cultural Heritage Entering Campuses" (非遗进校园) is the direction of my efforts this year. Now, I not only tell everyone how to draw sugar paintings, but also add various elements and experience links to allow children to get in close contact with sugar paintings and plant sweet seeds in their hearts. Last May, I was invited to participate in an event in Singapore (新加坡). At the scene, I performed sugar painting for foreign audiences, and the whole audience was boiling. At that moment, I was once again proud to be an inheritor of sugar painting skills.

Today, many people of my age have become my customers, some have become my fans, and some young people have become my apprentices. I vaguely remember that when I was making sugar paintings as a child, a mother passed by my stall with her daughter. The mother pointed to my stall and muttered in a low voice: "If you don't study hard in the future, you'll be like him, setting up a stall to draw sugar paintings." I will never forget these words. But now it's different. I hear many parents say to their children: "When you grow up, come and learn sugar painting from uncle!"

This is an epitome of the tremendous changes in the concept of intangible cultural heritage protection and inheritance in the entire society, and it is also the sense of accomplishment that this sweet career brings me. Making sugar paintings is sweet in my heart!

Return to Top

With Ingenuity and Skill, a Boat Takes Shape.

By: 洪秋婷

From ancient times to the present, dragon boat racing has been the most lively scene in Dongguan (东莞). As the "Dragon Boat Township of China," hundreds of various dragon boats are produced each year in Zhongtang Town (中堂镇), Dongguan City (东莞市), Guangdong Province (广东省), earning it the reputation of "Good dragon boats are made in Zhongtang."

Even after the Dragon Boat Festival, in Dongxiang Village (东向村), Zhongtang Town (中堂镇), the Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) Dragon Boat Factory is still bustling with activity. Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) is working on an 18-meter-long boat bottom that has already been fitted with a butterfly bottom – a crucial moment for checking the waterline of the keel. Relying on nearly 50 years of experience, Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) repeatedly observes along an extremely thin yellow nylon line, then takes out a green level to check the flatness of the boat boards. With a flick of his hand, a black ink line springs out on the cedar plank in a long arc, the line is drawn at a constant speed, clean and neat, straight and accurate.

This precise marking of the line ensures the position and dimensions of the dragon boat's bottom keel centerline, flower sides, and large sides. As a representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage of dragon boat making skills, this is Feng Peichao's (冯沛朝) specialty – "snapping the ink line," a dragon boat making technique that has been passed down for five generations.

"Making dragon boats makes me happy every day!" Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) has loved boats, especially dragon boats, since he was a child. In 1956, Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) was born into a dragon boat building family in Zhongtang Town (中堂镇). From a young age, he studied under his father, Feng Huainv (冯怀女), a representative inheritor of national intangible cultural heritage.

"When I was in elementary school, I helped my father make boats while studying." Starting with learning the manual production of wooden boats and farm boats, Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) laid a solid foundation in this process. Gradually, he developed his own set of technical standards: "You have to see if the bottom keel of the boat is straight, and whether the water dissipation effect on both sides is good. If the stern doesn't drag water and the bow doesn't create waves, the dragon boat will be light and fast to paddle!"

Walking through the Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) Dragon Boat Factory, a red-faced, green-scaled dragon head is particularly eye-catching. The dragon head holds a golden pearl in its mouth, the dragon whiskers on its head flick, and the dragon eyes are lively and expressive. This is the "Big Head Dragon" dragon head personally designed and hand-carved by Feng Peichao (冯沛朝).

The traditional dragon boat in Dongguan Zhongtang (东莞中堂) is called "Big Head Dragon," with a high-raised dragon head, full of vigor. The hull is generally made of pine or fir wood, and the bottom keel (龙骨) is made of two straight fir woods joined together. The dragon head needs to be hand-carved from camphor wood, large and majestic, the hull is narrow and long, with both ends upturned, elegant and smooth. Its production has more than 100 processes: selecting the bottom keel, starting the bottom, starting the water, leveling, turning the water, making the large sides, making the crossbars, making the seat boards... Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) is familiar with the entire process and techniques.

He is particularly good at grasping the relationship between different materials, dragon boat sizes, hull curvature and boat speed, and draft depth. The dragon boats made by Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) are of excellent quality, perfectly inheriting the typical characteristics of Dongguan (东莞) dragon boats: "big dragon head, butterfly bottom, willow leaf shape, shallow draft, and fast boat speed."

"I really like watching dragon boat races, especially when I see the boat I made come in first, I'm very proud!" Every year, when various dragon boat races are held, he enthusiastically runs to the shore to watch. In the past 50 years, he has made more than 500 large dragon boats, which are widely sold in Guangdong (粤), Hong Kong (港), and Macao (澳), and the sales range covers the East River (东江) and West River (西江) basins of the Pearl River (珠江) system, providing important support for the continuation of dragon boat racing activities and dragon boat culture in the Pearl River (珠江) system.

Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) pays special attention to innovation and is dedicated to upgrading dragon boat making skills. The 1:10 scale dragon boat crafts he developed are sold overseas as exquisite gifts representing Lingnan (岭南) culture.

In 2018, Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) established a dragon boat factory, absorbing and driving surrounding villagers, and exclusively teaching dragon boat making skills and process points. Today, his factory has seven or eight fixed dragon boat craftsmen, and the Dongguan (东莞) dragon boat making team he leads is representative of the dragon boat making groups in the Lingnan (岭南) water towns. Not only that, Zhongtang Town (中堂镇) also actively explores and cultivates dragon boat making masters, establishes a systematic directory of Zhongtang Town (中堂镇) dragon boat masters, and has formulated a town-level inheritor protection mechanism and apprenticeship reward mechanism, and constantly encourages young people to join the dragon boat inheritance team. "I've been making dragon boats all my life, and now I just want to pass it on," said Feng Peichao (冯沛朝).

Dragon boats, under the skillful hands of "Feng Peichao (冯沛朝) and others," will sail to even farther distances.

Return to Top

This section's editor: Wang Jin

This Edition Email: ysbjs@peopledaily.cn

Layout Design: Zhao Siru (赵偲汝)

Return to Top