Summary: On July 25th, Xi Jinping accepted credentials from 16 new ambassadors to China, including U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns. Xi stated that China values friendship with all countries and seeks comprehensive cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit. He emphasized China's commitment to high-level opening up and its desire to provide new opportunities for global growth. Xi also called for greater international unity and cooperation amidst global challenges, and reaffirmed China's commitment to the UN-centered international system. Wang Yi was also present at the event.
Summary: The article discusses a nationwide campaign to strengthen work style (作风) among young cadres, focusing on studying party doctrine and self-rectification. Regions and departments are implementing measures to guide young cadres in enhancing their work style and sense of responsibility. Methods include studying original texts, identifying personal shortcomings, and rectifying issues to promote high-quality development and serve the people. The piece does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Premier Li Qiang chaired a State Council executive meeting on July 25th, focusing on flood and drought prevention, disaster assessment, and preschool education. The meeting emphasized the importance of proactive measures and coordination to minimize casualties and property loss from natural disasters during the critical flood season. The council also approved a provisional method for natural disaster investigation and assessment to improve disaster response capabilities. Plans were also made to gradually promote free preschool education, ensuring adequate funding and quality standards.
Summary: Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji visited Kyrgyzstan, meeting with President Sadyr Japarov and Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament Nurlanbek Shakiev. Zhao conveyed Xi Jinping's greetings and emphasized the strong relationship between China and Kyrgyzstan, highlighting mutual support on core interests, increased trade and investment, and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project. Japarov affirmed Kyrgyzstan's support for China's positions on Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Tibet, as well as Xi's global initiatives. Zhao also mentioned China's willingness to work with Central Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan, to deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, resolutely combat the "three forces," and jointly maintain regional security and stability.
Summary: Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Munir in Beijing on July 25th, emphasizing the "ironclad" friendship and all-weather strategic partnership between China and Pakistan. Han stated China's willingness to work with Pakistan to deepen their all-weather friendship, expand cooperation, and accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future, citing Xi Jinping's close communication with Pakistani leaders. Munir reciprocated by affirming Pakistan's commitment to its friendship with China, stating that developing friendly cooperation with China is the consensus of the entire Pakistani society. He also expressed support for Xi Jinping's global initiatives. No mention was made of the United States or of U.S.-China relations.
Summary: According to a report from the Ministry of Transport, China's transportation sector experienced steady economic growth in the first half of the year, with key indicators showing increases. Total commercial freight volume increased by 3.9% year-on-year, with maritime freight volume by Chinese companies growing 9.4%. Port cargo throughput rose by 4.0%, driven by a rapid increase in foreign trade container volume, up 8.9% year-on-year. Cross-regional passenger traffic also saw a 4.2% increase, and fixed-asset investment in transportation remained high.
Summary: This article highlights the increasing popularity of inbound tourism to China, as evidenced by the trending term "China Travel" on overseas social media following the implementation of the 240-hour visa-free transit policy. It explores strategies to enhance tourism-related services for international visitors, focusing on Chongqing's efforts to improve internationalization and convenience, including a "buy and refund" policy to improve the shopping experience. The article also discusses China's "Brain Connectome" project, which aims to map the brain in detail. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: A press conference was held on July 25th regarding the 15th National Games, co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, with the opening ceremony 100 days away. Tong Lixin, Deputy Director of the organizing committee, highlighted the Games as an innovative implementation of "one country, two systems" in sports. Wang Xi, also a Deputy Director, emphasized the Games' "green, shared, open, and clean" principles and noted that over 90% of Guangdong venues are upgrades, avoiding new construction. Chen Guoji, Deputy Director and Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration, stated that hosting the Games will enhance Hong Kong's international sports standing, encourage youth involvement in sports, and cultivate talent. It also mentioned that athletes participating in the cycling event will be able to utilize technology to seamlessly pass through checkpoints at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
Summary: A press conference from China's Ministry of Finance reported that national general public budget revenue decreased by 0.3% in the first half of the year, while expenditures increased by 3.4%, with improvements in monthly tax revenue. The Ministry emphasized increased spending on social security, employment, and improvements to healthcare. Local government special bond issuances were accelerated and expanded to support housing and infrastructure projects. Additionally, 1.8 trillion yuan of the 2 trillion yuan in refinancing bonds for 2025 had been issued to alleviate local government debt pressures. The conference also noted the allocation of funds for consumer goods trade-in programs.
Summary: A Chongqing travel agency is seeing increased business due to the rise in foreign independent travelers, attributed to China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy. Chongqing is improving its tourism infrastructure, including online passport ticketing, bilingual signage, and expanded foreign card payment options. A representative from the Yuzhong district highlighted increases in accommodation numbers and inbound tourist volumes, with corresponding growth in tourist spending due to new tax refund policies. The Chongqing travel agency leverages social media to attract customers with customized tour offerings, including experiences like hot pot and hanfu experiences. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: China's National Energy Administration reports a 4.8% year-on-year increase in total electricity market transactions for the first half of 2024, reaching 2.95 trillion kWh. Cross-provincial and cross-regional electricity transactions saw a more significant increase of 18.2%, totaling 670.7 billion kWh, helping to alleviate energy supply issues and increase renewable energy consumption. The "2024 China Electricity Market Development Report" indicates that cross-provincial and cross-regional medium- and long-term transactions grew by 19.8% year-on-year, totaling 1.39 trillion kWh. Hubei sold the most electricity, while Zhejiang and Sichuan were the largest purchasers in inter-provincial spot market trading.
Summary: Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji conducted an official friendly visit to Kyrgyzstan, meeting with President Sadyr Japarov and Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament, Talant Mamytov. Zhao conveyed Xi Jinping's greetings, emphasizing the robust development of China-Kyrgyzstan relations and China's willingness to expand trade and investment, especially regarding the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. Japarov affirmed Kyrgyzstan's support for China's positions on Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Tibet, and expressed support for Xi's global initiatives. Both sides pledged to deepen cooperation across various sectors and jointly combat the "three evil forces" to maintain regional security.
Summary: European companies in Wuxi High-tech Zone are experiencing rapid growth due to China's expanding market and the zone's favorable business environment. Companies like Gao Lv Precision are increasing investment in new energy vehicle components. Wuxi High-tech Zone is optimizing its business environment and providing strong support for foreign companies. The zone has a complete industrial system and actively promotes technological innovation. Cui Rongguo, Secretary of the Wuxi High-tech Zone Party Committee, stated the zone will continue to optimize the business environment to attract more foreign investment, while Zhang Danfeng oversaw the page layout.
Summary: The article highlights the deepening cooperation between China and Central Asia, particularly following the second China-Central Asia Summit where over 100 cooperative agreements were reached and 2025-2026 designated the "Year of High-Quality Development." The summit served as a platform to enhance collaboration in areas like infrastructure, energy, security, and trade, with a focus on the Belt and Road Initiative. Kazakhstan-China relations are also emphasized for their expansion beyond economics into regional stability and sustainable development, including green energy and digital technology. China's Global Development, Security, and Civilization Initiatives were also highlighted.
Summary: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Media and Think Tank Summit was held in Zhengzhou, with over 400 participants from SCO member states, observer states, dialogue partners, and international organizations. Addressing the summit, Director of the State Council Information Office Mo Gaoyi referenced Xi Jinping's meeting with SCO foreign ministers and called for upholding the "Shanghai Spirit" to advance the organization. Xinhua News Agency President Fu Hua emphasized the media's role in promoting SCO unity and cooperation. The summit resulted in the release of the "Zhengzhou Consensus" and other think tank reports.
Summary: Wang Yi met with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn in Beijing, reaffirming China's prioritization of ASEAN in its foreign policy and support for ASEAN's regional role. Wang emphasized cooperation in maintaining free trade, shaping a new narrative of peace in the South China Sea, and safeguarding regional stability. Kao thanked China for its support of ASEAN centrality and community building. He voiced his support for a speedy conclusion to the consultations regarding the South China Sea Code of Conduct.
Summary: Beijing Party Secretary Yin Li met with a delegation led by Pere Aragonès, head of the Catalan government and the Catalan Socialist Party. Yin stated China's willingness to work with Spain to implement agreements reached by the leaders of both countries to deepen party-to-party exchanges and local cooperation on the 20th anniversary of establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership. Aragonès expressed Catalonia's desire to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in various fields. The meeting aimed to promote the development of China-Spain and China-Europe relations.
Summary: Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia met with Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Munir in Beijing on July 25th. Zhang stated that the Chinese and Pakistani military relationship is a vital pillar of bilateral ties, and both sides should strengthen strategic communication and deepen cooperation to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future. He also expressed hope that Pakistan will continue to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan. Munir said that Pakistan is willing to deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields with China, and will do its utmost to combat terrorism and protect Chinese citizens in Pakistan.
Summary: NPC Standing Committee Vice Chairman Zheng Jianbang met with a delegation of Latin American political party leaders led by Vice President Auhedda in Beijing. Zheng expressed a desire to work together to elevate all-around China-Latin America cooperation. The parties aim to jointly build a China-Latin America community with a shared future.
Summary: NPC Standing Committee Vice Chairman Wu Weihua met with a delegation led by Pere Aragonès, First Secretary of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia and President of the Government of Catalonia. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of China and Spain. Discussions focused on deepening cooperation between China and Spain in various fields. The meeting took place in the Great Hall of the People.
Summary: Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, led a delegation to Singapore from July 23-24, meeting with key figures from the People's Action Party (PAP) including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Discussions focused on implementing the consensus reached by the leaders of both countries. Both sides expressed their intention to enhance political dialogue, strengthen party-to-party exchanges, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. The aim is to contribute stability and certainty to the world through the development of China-Singapore relations.
Summary: CCP Deputy Director of the International Department Ma Hui led a delegation to Costa Rica, meeting with Foreign Minister André, Vice Foreign Minister Peralta, and the Secretary-General of the Latin American Social Sciences Institute, Lemos. During the visit, which included attending a symposium on the 10th anniversary of the China-Costa Rica strategic partnership, Ma expressed China's desire to strengthen dialogue and promote bilateral relations. The Costa Rican side reaffirmed its adherence to the One China principle and its willingness to deepen the strategic partnership. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Global Health Forum 2025 Beijing Conference was held from July 24-25, co-hosted by the BFA and the Beijing Municipal Government. The conference's theme was "The New Future of the Health Industry Driven by Innovation." Over 300 attendees including government officials, heads of international organizations, entrepreneurs, scholars, ambassadors to China, and media representatives from 34 countries and regions attended the event. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The 2025 China-ASEAN Financial Exchange Conference took place in Nanning from July 23rd to 24th. The conference focused on financial exchanges between China and ASEAN countries.
Summary: The 2025 World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum was held in Quanzhou, Fujian, focusing on building a community with a shared future in cyberspace. Attendees from 49 countries and 13 international organizations discussed deepening digital cooperation and promoting the "Belt and Road" initiative through digital means. Speakers emphasized the importance of addressing the digital divide and establishing a global internet governance system. Initiatives like the *Global Data Security Initiative* were mentioned as contributing "Chinese wisdom" to global digital rule-making. Participants also addressed the challenges of AI, emphasizing the need for global collaboration in cybersecurity.
Summary: Anhui Province recently held a meeting to promote high-quality development for its tech-oriented and export-oriented enterprises, where 800 business leaders evaluated over 30 provincial departments. During the meeting, enterprise representatives voiced both confidence and concerns, including difficulties in financing and the need for more direct policy implementation. Local officials pledged to address these issues and improve their work style. Anhui Province has implemented measures to promote enterprise development and is working to resolve common problems through systemic reforms. Provincial leaders have been visiting enterprises and villages to understand and address their challenges.
Summary: The 33rd National Book Expo, sponsored by the National Press and Publication Administration and hosted by the Chongqing Municipal People's Government, opened in Chongqing on July 25. Over one million books are featured, including about 100,000 new titles. With the theme of "Reading China, Beauty of Reading", the expo aims to promote the Party's innovative theories and Chinese traditional culture. The event includes exhibits such as "The Light of Truth - Exhibition of Publishing Achievements of the Party's Innovative Theories" and nearly a thousand reading culture activities. The expo will be open to the public free of charge until July 28. There is no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article discusses the revitalization of Xiaokun Village in Shengzhou, Zhejiang, which was listed as one of China's traditional villages. The village collective focused on "ecological revitalization and cultural tourism to enrich the people" by developing tourism resources. This included upgrading roads and converting old farmhouses into guesthouses. Xiaokun village is now attracting tourists with cultural events and natural landscapes. There is no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) will be held in Shanghai from November 5-10, with preparations progressing smoothly. Over 50 countries and international organizations are confirmed to participate in the national comprehensive exhibition, with Sweden and the UAE serving as guest countries. Wu Zhengping, Party Secretary and Deputy Director of the China International Import Expo Bureau, announced that the exhibition will feature a special zone for products from the least developed countries and expand the existing African product zone. The Hongqiao Forum will release the "World Openness Report" and organize events focused on multilateral cooperation, digitalization, sustainable development, and China's opening-up. The article makes no mention of the United States.
Summary: China's National Disaster Reduction Commission Office and the Ministry of Emergency Management, together with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, have urgently allocated 23,000 items of central disaster relief supplies, including folding beds and blankets, to support Hebei and Shaanxi provinces in emergency relocation, resettlement, and disaster relief efforts for affected populations. This action comes in response to severe rainstorms and flooding that have impacted areas including Baoding and Chengde in Hebei, and Yulin and Yan'an in Shaanxi since July 24th. The supplies are intended to aid in assisting disaster victims. The article makes no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: This article discusses the ongoing campaign to strengthen work style (作风) among young cadres by adhering to the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation. Various regions and departments are implementing measures such as in-depth study of party doctrine, identifying shortcomings, and rectifying issues to cultivate a strong work ethic in young officials. The effort includes studying Xi Jinping's thought, risk assessment in key positions, and practical training at the grassroots level. Examples are given of local actors taking action to improve policy for enterprises. The goal is to transform study results into practical actions that promote high-quality development and serve the people.
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Summary: Through continued efforts by local cadres and the populace, Shannan City's Zangnan County in the Tibet Autonomous Region has successfully combatted desertification. Utilizing techniques like soil improvement with livestock manure and the introduction of drought-resistant apple varieties, the region has transformed sandy wastelands into fertile land for crops like asparagus and apples, increasing local incomes. The planting of seabuckthorn trees has also been essential to this environmental transformation. Some of the harvest is exported overseas. These ecological improvements have led to increased crop yields and new economic opportunities for residents, including employment in agriculture and related industries.
Summary: A meeting of the National People's Congress Standing Committee's inspection team on the Trade Union Law was held to discuss the draft inspection report. NPC Standing Committee Vice Chairmen Wang Dongming, Zheng Jianbang, and Peng Qinghua attended. Wang Dongming emphasized the need to thoroughly study Xi Jinping's important discourses on the working class and trade union work. He also said that the inspection report should be carefully revised to provide more targeted opinions and suggestions from a legal and institutional level. Wang called for adhering to the Party's comprehensive leadership over trade union work.
Summary: NPC Vice Chairman Xiao Jie led an inspection team to Hunan from July 22-25 to oversee enforcement of the Energy Conservation Law. The team listened to reports on Hunan's implementation of the law and conducted on-site inspections in Changsha, Yueyang, and Zhuzhou. Xiao emphasized the need to thoroughly implement the Energy Conservation Law, focus on key areas and energy-consuming entities, promote technological innovation, and tap into energy-saving potential. He also stressed the importance of integrating energy conservation and carbon reduction, prioritizing conservation, and accelerating the formation of green production and lifestyles. Xiao called for further improvement of relevant laws and regulations to provide a solid legal guarantee for energy conservation and the construction of a dual carbon emission control system.
Summary: He Yuanzhi, a researcher at a research institute of the Information Support Force, has dedicated over 30 years to the field of satellite communications. She led her team in independently designing and developing a new generation communication system, which facilitates information transmission across vast distances for personnel in remote regions of China. To ensure system reliability in extreme conditions, He personally conducted field tests in various environments including high-altitude plateaus and remote islands. He Yuanzhi also emphasized the cultivation of talent in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence to develop new combat capabilities. He Yuanzhi and her team also lived and worked alongside troops to ensure that their research met real-world needs.
Summary: Gansu's Zhangye Danxia scenic area is experiencing a tourism boom during the summer holidays. The scenic area has expanded tourism products, developing in-depth tours, low-altitude viewing, and specialized study programs. These programs aim to enrich tourism consumption options and improve the visitor experience. Tourists were reported to enjoy the Danxia landform by hot air balloon on July 24th.
Summary: The 2025 International Conference on Food Loss and Waste Reduction opened in Jinan, Shandong Province, co-hosted by several entities including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee Peng Qinghua attended and delivered a speech, highlighting Xi Jinping's initiative to promote global cooperation on food loss reduction and food security. Peng emphasized the importance of raising awareness and promoting reforms to contribute to the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The conference, themed "Technological Innovation Empowering Food Saving and Loss Reduction, Global Cooperation to Promote Food Security," was attended by approximately 300 guests from political, business, and academic circles, both domestic and international. The United States and U.S.-China relations were not mentioned in the provided article.
Summary: The China Meteorological Administration's 2024 Atmospheric Environment Meteorology Bulletin indicates a continued reduction in haze and dust storms across China. The national average number of haze days decreased by 1.8 compared to 2023, and dust storm events decreased by 3. Meteorological conditions were reportedly conducive to lower PM2.5 concentrations. The average number of haze days nationwide was 18.7, a decrease of 3.4 compared to the average of the last five years. The report also noted that meteorological departments continue to provide forecasts on atmospheric pollution.
Summary: The article commemorates Feng Zhigang, a commander in the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army (抗联) who died fighting the Japanese in 1940. Feng joined the Communist Party in 1936 and led successful military operations against Japanese forces, including the liberation of Nehe County in 1939. Before his death, Feng vowed to fight the Japanese in defense of the nation, exemplifying his dedication to the cause. He died in battle, and is now memorialized in Inner Mongolia.
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Summary: A Chinese Academy of Sciences initiative has produced multiple mesoscopic brain maps covering various species, including humans, offering an unprecedented "galaxy distribution map" of the brain. Using domestically developed high-precision optical brain imaging and single-cell resolution spatial transcriptomics, researchers have mapped neural connections and gene expression within the brain, essentially providing each neuron with a "GPS" and "ID card". This technology enabled the creation of spatial transcriptomic maps of the hippocampus in healthy individuals and Alzheimer's patients, identifying specific neuronal damage and potential diagnostic markers. The research also charted the spatial transcriptome of the mouse brain post-hemorrhage, elucidating the complex processes of injury and repair. China is also launching the "International Primate Mesoscopic Brain Atlas Research Alliance" to build an open "Brain Atlas Database" for global sharing.
Summary: Chinese researchers are exploring the deep sea to understand unique organisms like the hadal snailfish, which lives in extreme conditions exceeding 6,000 meters in depth. These fish have adapted to the high pressure, darkness, and cold through unique biological mechanisms such as cartilaginous skeletons. The research aims to address the origin of life questions, as deep-sea environments may harbor clues to early life forms. China's "Global Hadal Trench Exploration Program," led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, involves international scientists exploring multiple deep-sea trenches using manned submersibles. The exploration seeks answers to deep-sea mysteries and promotes international collaboration in marine science.
Summary: A "brain organoid chip" was sent to China's space station on July 15 aboard the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft to study the effects of the space environment on the human brain. This chip is a 3D micro-brain model built on a chip to simulate the physiological and pathological responses of brain organs, and includes a network of micro-vessels, nerve cells, and immune cells. Exposing the chip to microgravity aims to understand neurological issues astronauts face, and may also provide an "accelerated window" for studying diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The purpose of the brain organoid chip, focused on simulating brain structure and function for disease research, differs from brain-computer interfaces, which focus on human-computer interaction. The article does not mention the United States.
Summary: A research team from Zhejiang University and the Tibetan Plateau Biology Institute successfully produced the first cloned yak at the Tibet (Damxung) Golden Yak Breeding Research Base. Professor Fang Shengguo explained that the research aims to accelerate the breeding of high-quality yak by using genomic selection and somatic cell cloning techniques, which can reduce the breeding cycle to a quarter of the traditional time. The cloned yak is larger than normal calves because it was cloned from a "seed domestic yak" and a wild yak, both with superior genetics. The team developed techniques for in vitro maturation culture of oocytes and industrial-grade somatic cell cloning of embryos, establishing a technological platform for rapid yak breeding.
Summary: An international research team published a paper in *Nature* detailing their "snapshot" of a forming exoplanetary system. Utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, they observed the young star HOPS-315 in Orion. The observation revealed crystalline silicate minerals around the star, a clear indication of early planet formation. Researchers believe the star's high temperature evaporated surrounding rock, with the resulting gas cooling to form the observed minerals, which serve as raw materials for planet formation. The team hopes this observation offers insights into the origins of our own solar system.
Summary: A study by the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, published in *Science Advances*, indicates that chemical energy released during crustal fractures provides "alternative fuel" for underground microorganisms. Simulating fracture activity through experiments, researchers found that rock fractures generate hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide, converting mechanical energy into chemical and electrical energy that drives oxidation-reduction cycles of iron. This process creates a "subterranean electrical grid" that provides energy for microbes. Academician He Hongping suggested this energy mechanism could occur in Martian faults, providing a long-term energy source for "dark life" in the solar system.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to provide an accurate and concise summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics. Once you provide the article, I will focus on key actors, their statements/actions, and any implications for U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai showcased the accelerating integration of AI with industries, with over 800 companies exhibiting. JD.com presented its upgraded JoyAI large model and its applications across its supply chain, highlighting advancements like AI-powered digital employees and intelligent replenishment systems. JoyAI has been applied to hundreds of business scenarios, with the company emphasizing the importance of data accumulation and real-world application in driving AI development. The company has collaborated with many brands, and found success in personalized digital avatars. JD.com aims to leverage its scale and data to further innovate and contribute to high-quality economic development, and did not mention the U.S. or its relationship to it.
Summary: The article discusses the increased interest in the Western Xia dynasty following the listing of the Western Xia Imperial Tombs on the World Heritage List, highlighting the dynasty's interaction with other ethnic groups. Recent research, propelled by archaeological discoveries and the study of Western Xia texts, reveals the dynasty's assimilation of Chinese culture, exemplified by the use of both Xia and Han languages in its highest-level constructions. The Western Xia's reverence for figures like the Yellow Emperor and Confucius, evidenced in inscriptions and translated texts, reflects this cultural integration. Documents also indicate the close interactions of multiple ethnic groups within Western Xia society, including inter-ethnic marriages.
Summary: The article discusses the "Song Gong Dike" (宋公堤) in Yancheng, Jiangsu, a coastal defense project initiated in 1941 by Song Naide, the county chief of Funing under the leadership of the Communist Party and the New Fourth Army, to protect local residents from devastating sea tides. Despite enemy sabotage and immense difficulties, the dike, stretching approximately 45 kilometers, was completed and successfully withstood a major sea tide shortly after, earning it the name "Song Gong Dike" and a memorial stele. The dike is regarded as a model of early water conservancy projects under the leadership of the Communist Party. A 3D-printed replica of the "Song Gong Stele" is now on display in the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall to commemorate the event.
Summary: The Shanghai Museum's exhibition "Dragon Soars over China: Ancient Civilization of Hongshan Culture" showcases recent archaeological discoveries from Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, and Hebei, focusing on the iconic jade dragon. The exhibition traces the formation, development, and influence of Hongshan culture, highlighting its continuity and innovation through artifacts like jade objects and painted pottery. Archaeological evidence suggests a hierarchical social order centered on ritualistic activities, with sites like the Niuheliang site serving as centers for these practices. New discoveries, like the Zhengjiagou site in Hebei, indicate the culture's southward expansion and eventual integration into the Central Plains, contributing to the "reconstruction of Chinese prehistory."
Summary: The article discusses the importance of underwater cultural heritage in China as a vital part of its historical and cultural legacy, highlighting the Maritime Silk Road and the wealth of information contained within sunken ships and other submerged sites. It emphasizes China's efforts in underwater archaeology and the shift towards comprehensive protection of these resources, including establishing databases and implementing differentiated protection measures. The piece advocates for surveying underwater cultural resources and promoting public engagement to expand the scope of preservation efforts. The development of marine culture is also being developed in coastal areas of China. The article positions China as a significant force in global underwater cultural heritage protection, contributing uniquely Chinese experiences and solutions.
Summary: The author, a student in London, recounts their childhood introduction to the diabolo (空竹) in Beijing and their subsequent sharing of this cultural tradition with neighbors in London. They describe teaching local children how to play with the diabolo and other traditional Chinese toys. The author also expresses surprise and joy at encountering a non-Chinese diabolo performer in Covent Garden, highlighting the spread of Chinese cultural elements abroad. The article does not discuss or allude to the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article describes the author's experience competing in the National Cultural Relics Industry Vocational Skills Competition, focusing on ceramic artifact restoration. The competition involved both theoretical knowledge and practical restoration of a damaged Song Dynasty porcelain bowl. The author emphasizes the importance of both traditional techniques and modern technology in artifact restoration. The author notes that they have mentored apprentices and that their institution has a good reputation and supports other institutions. The author concludes with the idea that the restoration of artifacts is an ongoing project.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to accurately provide a summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics.
China always cherishes the friendly feelings with the people of all countries in the world, and is willing to carry out all-round cooperation with all countries on the basis of mutual respect, equal treatment, mutual benefit and win-win results, and strengthen exchanges in various fields. At present, China is comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization, and its economy continues to stabilize and improve. China will unswervingly expand high-level opening up to the outside world, release the dividend of a super-large market, make China's new development a new opportunity for all countries, and inject more certainty into world economic growth.
Faced with the accelerated evolution of the world's once-in-a-century changes and the intertwined international situation of change and chaos, countries need unity and cooperation more than ever before, to transcend estrangement and conflict with a broad mind, and to care for the destiny of mankind with great feelings. 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 also the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. China is willing to work with all countries to firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations as the core and the international order based on international law, be a practitioner of friendly cooperation, a promoter of mutual learning between civilizations, and a builder of a community with a shared future for mankind, and work together to create a better future for this planet.
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京) July 25 (Reporters Shao Yibo (邵艺博) and Cao Jiayue (曹嘉玥)) On the morning of July 25, President Xi Jinping (习近平) accepted the credentials presented by 16 ambassadors to China at the Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂) in Beijing (北京).
Outside the North Gate of the Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂北门), honor guards stood solemnly in formation, and the welcoming bugle was sounded. The envoys arrived one after another, passed through the flag formation, and ascended the white marble steps.
In front of the huge mural "This Land So Rich in Beauty" (《江山如此多娇》), Xi Jinping (习近平) accepted the credentials presented by the envoys respectively and took photos with them one by one.
They are: Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Thanh Binh (范清平), Panamanian Ambassador to China Leonardo Kam (雷鸣), Dominican Ambassador to China Gómez (戈麦斯), Albanian Ambassador to China Boda (波达), New Zealand Ambassador to China Gentry (乔文博), Papua New Guinean Ambassador to China Kambanei (卡姆巴内), Angolan Ambassador to China Alan (艾伦), Egyptian Ambassador to China Nazmi (纳兹米), Nicaraguan Ambassador to China Kong Lerran (孔乐然), Iranian Ambassador to China Fazli (法兹里), Chilean Ambassador to China Arian (阿里亚兰), Ukrainian Ambassador to China Nechytailo (涅奇塔伊洛), Beninese Ambassador to China Adjaba (阿贾巴), US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns (庞德伟), Israeli Ambassador to China Irit Ben-Abba Vitale (贝以理), and South Sudanese Ambassador to China Maurice (莫里斯). Xi Jinping (习近平) also met with Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary-General Zhang Ming (叶尔梅克巴耶夫).
After the ceremony, Xi Jinping (习近平) delivered a speech to the envoys in the Beijing Hall (北京厅).
Xi Jinping (习近平) welcomed the envoys to China to assume their new posts, and asked them to convey their good wishes to the leaders and people of their respective countries, and hoped that the envoys would comprehensively and deeply understand China and make positive contributions to deepening the friendship between China and other countries and enhancing China's exchanges with the world.
Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that China always cherishes the friendly feelings with the people of all countries in the world, and is willing to carry out all-round cooperation with all countries on the basis of mutual respect, equal treatment, mutual benefit and win-win results, and strengthen exchanges in various fields. At present, China is comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization, and its economy continues to stabilize and improve. China will unswervingly expand high-level opening up to the outside world, release the dividend of a super-large market, make China's new development a new opportunity for all countries, and inject more certainty into world economic growth.
Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that faced with the accelerated evolution of the world's once-in-a-century changes and the intertwined international situation of change and chaos, countries need unity and cooperation more than ever before, to transcend estrangement and conflict with a broad mind, and to care for the destiny of mankind with great feelings. 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 also the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. China is willing to work with all countries to firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations as the core and the international order based on international law, be a practitioner of friendly cooperation, a promoter of mutual learning between civilizations, and a builder of a community with a shared future for mankind, and work together to create a better future for this planet.
Wang Yi (王毅) participated in the above activities.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者
Since the in-depth implementation of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation, various regions and departments have implemented precise policies, and through solid learning, in-depth investigation, and immediate rectification, they have educated and guided the vast number of young cadres to temper their excellent work style and demonstrate their responsibility.
Persisting in Unremitting Learning
Consolidating the Foundation of Thought
Integrating learning, investigation, and rectification, learning is the foundation. Only by learning deeply can investigation be more accurate and rectification be more thorough. For young cadres who are at a critical period of growth and development, it is especially important to strengthen theoretical study and consolidate the foundation of thought.
Various regions and departments have educated and guided the vast number of young cadres to read the original works, study the original texts, and understand the principles, and constantly enhance their political consciousness, ideological consciousness, and action consciousness in implementing the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation and its implementation rules.
"Strengthen Party spirit cultivation, strictly abide by rules and discipline, and internalize the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation in the heart and externalize it in action..." Opening the notebook of Li Changxin (李昌欣), a selected transfer student from the Asset Management Department of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Finance (北京市财政局), keywords such as "living a 'tight life'," "careful calculation," and "practicing thrift" are circled among the dense handwriting, with annotations and reflections next to them.
Beijing (北京市) takes the in-depth study of Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on strengthening the Party's work style construction as an important part of the initial training for selected transfer students. By setting up special courses and organizing the viewing of warning education films, it educates and guides young cadres to consciously temper a good work style.
The Ministry of Education (教育部), relying on nearly 400 youth theory study groups, has organized more than 800 collective studies for young cadres of directly affiliated agencies to deepen their study and understanding of the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments.
The Central Party School (National Academy of Governance) (中央党校（国家行政学院）) organized students in the middle and young cadres class to study the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches in depth, held a special organizational life meeting on Party spirit analysis, and carried out Party spirit education in a solid manner.
The National Energy Administration (国家能源局) compiled and printed relevant learning materials to help young cadres learn from cases, strictly abide by the discipline bottom line at all times, and transform "lessons seen in the eyes" into "awe engraved in the heart."
The Bank of China (中国银行) organized youth lecturer groups and youth theory study groups to carry out learning, and promoted young cadres to continue to work hard on deepening, internalizing, and transforming. It made good use of red resources such as Party spirit education bases, combined with promoting the financial culture with Chinese characteristics, carried out characteristic activities, and drew strength from the Party's history and excellent traditional Chinese culture.
In June of this year, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology (浙江省科技厅) held a warning education meeting for young cadres to guide young cadres to adhere to principles and strictly abide by discipline. Since the launch of the study and education, Zhejiang Province (浙江省) has organized "Youth Talking about Work Style" activities, focusing on studying General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on strengthening the Party's work style construction and the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation and its implementation rules to talk about experiences, and promote young cadres to temper an excellent work style.
In order to strengthen warning education, Zhaotong City (昭通市), Yunnan Province (云南省), organized more than 900 young cadres to participate in public court trials in the court, turning the trial site into a warning classroom. "The cases around us warn us to withstand temptation, manage small details, and take every step in life well." After attending the trial of the case, Yang Yang (杨阳), deputy mayor of Guozhu Yi Ethnic Township (果珠彝族乡), Zhenxiong County (镇雄县), Zhaotong City (昭通市), said.
Strict and Realistic Investigation
Deeply Excavating the Root Causes of Problems
Focusing on investigating problems and rectifying problems, the study and education were carried out in a solid manner. Various regions and departments actively organized young cadres in areas with intensive funds and abundant resources and key positions such as law enforcement and discipline inspection, management of people, finances, and materials to list post risk points in light of reality, and strictly and realistically investigate problems.
The National Healthcare Security Administration (国家医疗保障局) organized young cadres in key positions to sort out and investigate 61 risk points, and formulated more than 100 targeted prevention measures; organized young cadres to give lectures, talk about business, and make suggestions on the reform of medical insurance policies, and took the lead in the formulation of innovative drug catalogs, drug and consumables centralized procurement reform, and other work, and constantly improved Party spirit cultivation and tempered ability and skills.
China Construction Bank (中国建设银行) formulated 10 measures to strengthen the study and education of young cadres around three aspects: learning and discussion, problem investigation and rectification, and practical training, and issued relevant notices to urge young cadres to compare themselves with self-reflection, draw inferences about other cases, be strict with themselves, and take responsibility.
Jiangsu Province (江苏省) randomly reviewed the list of problems of young cadres in the leading bodies of various regions and units, carefully reviewed them, and corrected them in a timely manner. Shuyang County (沭阳县), Suqian City (宿迁市), found that some young cadres had an unrealistic work style and lacked the awareness of actively serving the masses by reviewing the list of problems found. To this end, Shuyang County (沭阳县) actively promoted young cadres to go to the front line. At present, more than 1,800 young cadres in the county have registered in the community and carried out a series of volunteer service activities to effectively solve the urgent and difficult problems of the masses.
State Grid Corporation of China (国家电网有限公司) led young cadres to strengthen learning and deeply investigate their own problems. Pinghu City Power Supply Company (平湖市供电公司), State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co., Ltd. (国网浙江省电力有限公司), launched warning education films such as "Under the Window" and high-quality courses for the clean government education lecturer group, and organized court hearings, integrating warning education into daily life and grasping it regularly. Ren Wenqian (任雯倩), a relevant staff member of the company, said: "We have urged young cadres to investigate and rectify 35 problems such as inaction and slow action through self-finding, mutual assistance, mass suggestions, and open listening, and formulated 13 measures."
Really Moving and Hard Changing
Strengthening Practical Responsibility
The investigation of problems should be true, and the rectification measures should be practical to ensure that practical results are achieved. Various regions and departments have educated and guided young cadres to actively improve their work style and transform the results of study and education into practical actions to promote high-quality development and serve the masses.
Recently, an artificial intelligence industry chain leading enterprise in Wuhou District (武侯区), Chengdu City (成都市), Sichuan Province (四川省), encountered difficulties in applying for a policy-based fund project. After learning about the situation, Han Zheng (韩政), deputy director of the Digital Promotion Department of the Chengdu Municipal Development and Reform Commission (成都市发展改革委), led a team to visit the company many times and carefully helped to solve the problem. "When I first arrived at this position, there were also shortcomings in my working methods. The organization talked to me at the first time. This made me deeply realize that I must establish a correct view of achievements for the benefit of the people and be willing to be a 'shopkeeper' to serve enterprises and promote the development of the private economy," said Han Zheng (韩政).
Since the launch of the study and education, Chengdu City (成都市) has seized the three key stages of young cadres' first entry into the job, first middle level, and first entry into the team, strengthened the Party organization's education, training, management, and supervision responsibilities, and vigorously cultivated a good work style of doing business and starting a business.
Various regions and departments have urged young cadres to consciously find the root causes and grasp rectification from the ideological concepts, work style, and leadership methods, and adhere to promoting responsibility and promoting career development as the focus and foothold of carrying out study and education, and educate and guide young cadres to consciously abide by rules and discipline and boldly do business and start a business.
The Shanghai Municipal Party Committee (上海市委) held a study and education special seminar demonstration class to train more than 300 newly promoted cadres, young cadres, and key position cadres at the bureau level and above, and carried out the "Study Thought, Strengthen Work Style, and Build New Achievements" activity in depth, and transformed the effectiveness of work style construction into the spirit of being the first and striving for the first. Among them, Shanghai (上海) focused on cutting-edge fields such as quantum technology and brain-computer interfaces, selected outstanding young cadres to serve as project managers, and took the lead in solving problems in major tasks such as improving the energy level of the three leading industries and building a world-class advanced manufacturing cluster, and handed over a new answer sheet of practical achievements in daring to act and being good at doing things.
The General Administration of Customs (海关总署) focused on the difficulties and blockages in customs duties and trade, port clearance, etc., selected young cadres to go to the front line of the port to study, customized "one enterprise, one policy, one file" assistance programs for import and export enterprises, and guided young cadres to take the initiative in helping enterprises relieve difficulties, optimize customs clearance services, and ensure the overall situation of foreign trade development.
More than 5,700 young cadres of China Life Insurance (Group) Company (中国人寿保险（集团）公司) and its member units went out of the office and went deep into the grassroots level to conduct joint research with government departments, peer institutions, universities, and research institutes, focusing on solving the urgent and difficult problems of the masses, and formed more than 1,400 topics. Through research, young cadres put forward a series of hard and practical measures to promote the company to enrich the supply of financial products such as pension and health.
(Reporters from this newspaper Geng Lei (耿磊), Wang Haonan (王昊男), Wu Dan (吴丹), He Zhaoyu (何昭宇), Ding Yiting (丁怡婷), Ouyang Jie (欧阳洁), Dou Hao (窦皓), Yang Wenming (杨文明), Sun Xiuyan (孙秀艳), Wu Qiuyu (吴秋余), Bai Guangdi (白光迪), You Yi (游仪), Cao Lingjuan (曹玲娟), Qu Xinming (屈信明))
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 25th. Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) presided over an executive meeting of the State Council on July 25th, heard a report on the current situation of flood and drought control and the next steps, reviewed and approved the "Interim Measures for Investigation and Evaluation of Natural Disasters," and arranged relevant measures to gradually promote free preschool education.
The meeting pointed out that the current period has entered the critical period of flood control known as "seven down, eight up," and it is necessary to maintain a sense of responsibility of 时时放心不下 (shí shí fàng xīn bù xià - "cannot be at ease at any time," a constant feeling of worry and responsibility), firmly establish bottom-line thinking and extreme thinking, base efforts on preventing major floods and fighting major disasters, tighten the chain of responsibility, further strengthen coordination and cooperation, and ensure safe flood season. It is necessary to always put the safety of people's lives first, strengthen monitoring and early warning, and promptly and decisively organize the transfer of people to avoid danger in case of emergencies, so as to minimize casualties. It is necessary to plan ahead, do a good job in investigating and eliminating risks in key areas, major projects, and weak links, and strive to reduce disaster losses. It is necessary to coordinate drought relief and disaster reduction in drought-affected areas, accurately allocate drought relief water sources, ensure irrigation water for crops, and ensure the safety of drinking water for the people.
The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to conduct scientific, rigorous, and **实事求是** (shí shì qiú shì - "seek truth from facts," be practical and realistic) natural disaster investigation and evaluation work, deeply summarize experiences and lessons, deeply analyze problems and shortcomings, and further enhance the ability to prevent, mitigate, and relieve disasters. For natural disasters that cause significant social impact, it is necessary to upgrade the investigation, supervise the handling of the case, respond to public concerns in a timely manner, and **举一反三** (jǔ yī fǎn sān - "raise one, infer three," learn by analogy and draw inferences) to grasp rectification.
The meeting pointed out that gradually promoting free preschool education is an important and beneficial measure for the people that involves thousands of households and concerns long-term development. It is necessary to guide local authorities to refine work plans as soon as possible, arrange subsidy funds according to the sharing ratio, and ensure timely and full allocation. It is necessary to strengthen dynamic monitoring and evaluation, scientifically calculate the cost of running kindergartens, coordinate subsidy policies for public and private kindergartens, and do a good job in policy coordination and bottom-line guarantees for groups such as children from families with economic difficulties, orphans, and children with disabilities. It is necessary to take into account factors such as changes in the school-age population and financial conditions, adhere to the principle of ensuring basic needs and universal benefits, further improve the investment mechanism for preschool education, strengthen infrastructure construction, improve the treatment of kindergarten teachers, and improve the quality of running kindergartens. It is necessary to strengthen the supervision and management of preschool education, strictly implement regulatory responsibilities, standardize kindergarten operations, and effectively protect the physical and mental health of children in kindergartens.
The meeting also studied other matters.
Return to TopBISHKEK, July 25 (Xinhua) (Reporters Zhu Chao (朱超) and Jiang Youlin (江宥林)) At the invitation of Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament, Torobayev Turgunbek Uulu (Тургунбек Улукбекович), Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Zhao Leji (赵乐际), paid an official friendly visit to Kyrgyzstan from July 23 to 24. In Bishkek (比什凯克), he met with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov (Садыр Жапаров) and held talks with Speaker Torobayev Turgunbek Uulu (Тургунбек Улукбекович).
During the meeting with Japarov (Садыр Жапаров), Zhao Leji (赵乐际) first conveyed the cordial greetings and best wishes of President Xi Jinping (习近平). Zhao Leji (赵乐际) stated that under the personal care and promotion of the two heads of state, China-Kyrgyzstan relations have achieved leapfrog development and are at their best in history. China is willing to work with Kyrgyzstan to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, carry forward traditional friendship, enhance strategic mutual trust, and firmly support each other on issues involving each other's core interests; expand the scale of trade and investment, promote the high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as cross-border highway construction, modernization of port facilities, digital trade, and green energy; promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges, jointly promote the implementation of livelihood projects to achieve results, and continuously enrich the connotation of the China-Kyrgyzstan comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era. China is willing to work with Central Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan, to promote the "China-Central Asia Spirit," take the "China-Central Asia Cooperation High-Quality Development Year" as an opportunity, implement more cooperation measures and projects, and promote the building of a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future. It is necessary to continuously deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, resolutely crack down on the "three evil forces," and jointly safeguard regional security and stability.
Japarov (Садыр Жапаров) asked Zhao Leji (赵乐际) to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping (习近平). He stated that Kyrgyzstan firmly supports China's position on issues concerning its core interests and major concerns such as Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Tibet, supports the three major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平), and actively participates in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" cooperation. China has always carried out friendly cooperation with Kyrgyzstan on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit. Kyrgyzstan highly appreciates this and believes that the relations between the two countries will continue to improve in trust, mutual assistance, and mutual understanding. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is not only an important transportation corridor, but also a "road of friendship," which will greatly promote regional economic growth. It is hoped that the two sides will further strengthen cooperation in investment, finance, culture, legislative institutions, multilateral and other fields, and cultivate the tree of Kyrgyzstan-China friendship to be luxuriant and leafy.
During the talks with Torobayev Turgunbek Uulu (Тургунбек Улукбекович), Zhao Leji (赵乐际) stated that President Xi Jinping (习近平) and President Japarov (Садыр Жапаров) have met twice this year, charting a new blueprint for the development of China-Kyrgyzstan relations. The National People's Congress of China is willing to fully implement the important consensus of the two heads of state with the Kyrgyz Parliament, strengthen exchanges between high-level legislative institutions, specialized committees, friendship groups, NPC deputies and parliamentarians, and enhance mutual understanding and friendship; give play to the functions of legislative institutions, do a good job in relevant legislation and ratification work, and provide legal guarantees for practical cooperation between the two countries; strengthen coordination and cooperation within the parliamentary multilateral mechanism, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Zhao Leji (赵乐际) introduced the Chinese-style modernization and China's economic development concepts and achievements, and said that Chinese-style modernization will provide new opportunities for the development of various countries.
Torobayev Turgunbek Uulu (Тургунбек Улукбекович) stated that while developing itself, China is working with other countries, including Kyrgyzstan, to jointly promote common development and prosperity. The Kyrgyz Parliament is willing to maintain close communication and cooperation with the National People's Congress of China, jointly implement the consensus of the two heads of state, promote high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road," promote cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economy and trade, local affairs, culture, science and technology, and education, improve the investment and business environment, and give play to the active role of legislative institutions.
During his visit to Kyrgyzstan, Zhao Leji (赵乐际) inspected the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Co., Ltd., and encouraged the construction workers to be responsible and dedicated, strive for excellence, strictly control quality, efficiency, and integrity, actively fulfill their social responsibilities, ensure the safe and smooth, high-quality and efficient construction of the project, and build this landmark project of joint construction of the "Belt and Road" to a high standard.
Zhao Leji (赵乐际) also laid a wreath at the Urkun Memorial.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 25th. Vice President Han Zheng (韩正) met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Munir (穆尼尔), in Beijing (北京) on the 25th.
Han Zheng (韩正) stated that China and Pakistan are ironclad friends and all-weather strategic cooperative partners. High mutual trust, 风雨同舟 (fēng yǔ tóng zhōu - "in the same boat through wind and rain," to share weal and woe), and a shared future are the distinct characteristics of the two countries' relations. President Xi Jinping (习近平) maintains close communication with President Zardari (扎尔达里) and Prime Minister Sharif (夏巴兹), providing strategic guidance for the development of China-Pakistan relations. China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen all-weather friendship, expand all-round cooperation, and accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.
Munir (穆尼尔) said that the ironclad friendship and strategic partnership between Pakistan and China is higher than the mountains, deeper than the sea, and sweeter than honey. Developing friendly cooperation with China is the consensus of the entire Pakistani society. Pakistan supports the three major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平), firmly stands with China, and appreciates China's long-term valuable support. The Pakistani military is willing to further implement the consensus of the leaders of the two countries and continuously deepen the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China.
Return to TopThis newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on July 25th (Reporter Han Xin (韩鑫)): This reporter learned on the 25th from the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部) that in the first half of this year, the economic operation of the transportation industry was generally stable and progressing steadily, with all major indicators maintaining growth.
The volume of freight transport grew steadily. In the first half of the year, 28.03 billion tons of commercial freight were completed, an increase of 3.9% year-on-year. By mode of transport, freight volumes for railways, highways, waterways, and civil aviation increased by 1.8%, 4.0%, 4.3%, and 14.6% year-on-year, respectively. Among them, the ocean freight volume completed by Chinese shipping companies increased by 9.4% year-on-year.
The throughput of port cargo maintained growth, and foreign trade containers increased rapidly. In the first half of the year, 8.9 billion tons of port cargo throughput were completed, an increase of 4.0% year-on-year, of which domestic and foreign trade throughput increased by 5.0% and 1.8% year-on-year, respectively. 170 million TEUs of container throughput were completed, an increase of 6.9% year-on-year, of which domestic and foreign trade throughput increased by 4.0% and 8.9% year-on-year, respectively.
Personnel travel continued to be strong. In the first half of the year, 33.76 billion inter-regional passenger trips were completed, an increase of 4.2% year-on-year. By mode of transport, passenger traffic for railways and civil aviation increased by 6.7% and 6.0% year-on-year, respectively, and passenger flow on highways increased by 4.0% year-on-year; among them, passenger traffic on international routes for civil aviation increased by 28.5% year-on-year.
The scale of fixed asset investment in transportation remained at a high level. In the first half of the year, 1,647.4 billion yuan of fixed asset investment in transportation was completed, of which 355.9 billion yuan, 1,129.1 billion yuan, 109.3 billion yuan, and 53.1 billion yuan were completed for railways, highways, waterways, and civil aviation, respectively.
Return to TopNew Economic Landscape: China Travel, China Shopping
A More Comprehensive Understanding of China
Second Edition
Since the implementation of the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, China Travel (中国游) has become a popular term on overseas social media. With the surge in inbound tourism, how can we optimize related supporting services and improve the internationalization and convenience of tourism services? How can the "buy and get tax refund immediately" policy enhance the shopping experience for foreign tourists? Let's take a look at Chongqing's (重庆) exploration.
Science & Knowledge
Brain Roaming: Entering the Era of "Navigation"
Sixth Edition
Drawing a "map" of the brain, what kind of technologically advanced work is this? The research of China's "Whole-Brain Mesoscopic Neural Connection Atlas" mega-science program aims to explore the "brain universe" and draw a high-precision brain map. How to draw a "brain map"? What is the role of this "map"? Please see the related report.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 李 硕
The 15th National Games will usher in the 100-day countdown to the opening ceremony on August 1st. On July 25th, the State Council Information Office (国务院新闻办) held a press conference to introduce the preparations for the event.
"The 15th National Games is jointly hosted by Guangdong (广东), Hong Kong (香港), and Macau (澳门). This is not only an innovative practice in the history of the National Games, but also an innovative practice of 'One Country, Two Systems' in the field of sports," said Tong Lixin (佟立新), Deputy Director of the Organizing Committee of the 15th National Games and Deputy Director of the General Administration of Sport of China (国家体育总局).
The "15th National Games" will open in Guangzhou (广州), Guangdong on November 9th and close in Shenzhen (深圳), Guangdong on November 21st. This is the first time in China that two cities have hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the same National Games separately. The competitive sports program includes 34 major events and 419 minor events, of which 57 minor events will be completed before the opening ceremony. It is estimated that more than 15,000 athletes will participate in the finals. The mass sports events include 23 major events and 166 minor events, of which 148 minor events will be completed before the opening ceremony. It is estimated that approximately 11,000 athletes will participate in the finals.
The renovation of competition venues has been fully completed, the overall competition schedule has been released, and more than half of the 68 test matches have been completed. Mass sports events are in full swing, with millions of people participating in the preliminaries and the "I Want to Go to the National Games" events.
The preparation work for the "15th National Games" adheres to the concept of "green, shared, open, and clean" and the requirements of "simple, safe, and wonderful." "For the first time in the history of the National Games, no new large venues will be built. More than 90% of the 75 competition venues in the Guangdong competition area will be upgraded and renovated from existing venues, achieving technological empowerment," said Wang Xi (王曦), Deputy Director of the Organizing Committee of the 15th National Games and Member of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee (广东省委常委).
The "15th National Games" is the first large-scale sports event jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. The emblem is a concentric firework formed by the overlapping and rotating petals of the Guangdong kapok, the Hong Kong bauhinia, and the Macau lotus. The mascot has three-colored water columns on its head, symbolizing the common origin of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. Its prototype is the Chinese white dolphin that inhabits the Pearl River Estuary (珠江口). The competition events are distributed in 19 cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macau, making it the National Games with the most host cities in history.
Thanks to technologies such as facial recognition and front-end inspection, cyclists in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau road cycling race can pass through the ports of the three places of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (港珠澳大桥) six times without interruption at a speed of more than 40 kilometers per hour on the 230-kilometer track, enjoying a "no brakes" seamless customs clearance experience. It is estimated that more than 6,000 participants will travel from the mainland to Hong Kong and Macau, and more than 3,000 participants will travel from Hong Kong and Macau to the mainland. Convenient customs clearance will allow participants and spectators to feel "**粤港澳路路通、大湾区一家亲**" (yuè gǎng ào lù lù tōng, dà wān qū yī jiā qīn - "Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau roads are all connected, the Greater Bay Area is one family," implying easy travel and close ties within the Greater Bay Area).
The Hong Kong competition area will host 8 competitive sports events and 1 mass sports event. The test matches for all competition events have been successfully completed. "Hosting the National Games will not only help enhance Hong Kong's international sports status, but also encourage young people to invest in sports, cultivate athletes and sports management talents, and promote the development of Hong Kong's sports industry in the long run. In addition, the event will stimulate public participation, build social consensus, further enhance citizens' sense of identity and belonging to the country, and promote social unity and harmony," said Chan Kwok-ki (陈国基), Deputy Director of the Organizing Committee of the 15th National Games and Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (香港特别行政区政府).
The Macau competition area will host 4 competitive sports events and 1 mass sports event, and the operation tests of 5 competition events have been successfully completed. Ao Ieong U (柯岚), Deputy Director of the Organizing Committee of the 15th National Games and Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau Special Administrative Region Government (澳门特别行政区政府), introduced that Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau have closely cooperated to ensure the seamless connection of event preparations, give full play to the synergistic advantages of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (粤港澳大湾区), and lay a solid foundation for the smooth holding of the event.
The official ticketing platform is scheduled to go online in early August. At that time, the public can first complete real-name registration, check the event schedule, and plan their viewing itinerary in advance. In late August, ticket resources will be released in stages and by event according to the progress of the competition organization.
"The ticket prices for the event fully consider the dual attributes of benefiting the people and public welfare. The prices of popular events are generally affordable, and some events adopt a reservation system, striving to allow more people to enter the stadium and experience the event." Wang Xi said that Guangdong will work with Hong Kong and Macau to create "one trip, multiple stops" in-depth tourism products, encourage travel agencies in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau to jointly develop "National Games-themed tours" products, and promote the two-way empowerment of the event economy and cultural tourism consumption. Guangdong will organize host cities to launch high-quality cultural tourism routes, select 3 to 5 travel agency ticket agency institutions, and launch combination products covering multiple event tickets and rich cultural tourism supporting services, connecting event venues, city landmarks, special delicacies, and cultural experience points, allowing athletes and audiences to deeply experience the local customs in addition to watching the games.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 曲哲涵
On July 25th, the Ministry of Finance (财政部) held a press conference on the state of fiscal revenue and expenditure for the first half of 2025.
Monthly tax revenue has maintained year-on-year growth for three consecutive months.
In the first half of the year, the national general public budget revenue was 11.56 trillion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 0.3%, with the decline narrowing by 0.8 percentage points compared to the first quarter. The national general public budget expenditure was 14.13 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.4%. Since the beginning of this year, the fiscal operation has been generally stable.
From the perspective of income:
In the first half of the year, tax revenue gradually recovered. National tax revenue was 9.29 trillion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 1.2%. Since April, monthly tax revenue has maintained year-on-year growth for three consecutive months. In the first half of the year, major tax categories such as domestic value-added tax, domestic consumption tax, and individual income tax grew steadily.
Most regions maintained revenue growth. In the first half of the year, local general public budget revenue increased by 1.6%. Among the 31 provinces, 27 provinces achieved growth.
From the perspective of expenditure:
Fiscal departments at all levels have increased expenditure intensity, optimized expenditure structure, and continued to strengthen expenditure on key areas.
In the first half of the year, the central government's transfer payments to local governments have reached 9.29 trillion yuan, accounting for 89.8% of the initial budget, an increase of 1.7 percentage points compared to the same period last year. The country issued 2.6 trillion yuan of new local government general and special bonds to support the construction of major projects in key local areas. A budget of 658.3 billion yuan was allocated for ultra-long-term special treasury bonds, strongly supporting the construction of "two major" projects and "two new" initiatives. Special treasury bonds of 500 billion yuan were issued to supplement the core tier-one capital of four large state-owned commercial banks, enhancing the banks' ability to serve the real economy.
The recovery of income and the strength of expenditure provide a solid financial guarantee for the implementation of a more proactive fiscal policy. "Focusing on key areas such as boosting consumption and stabilizing employment and the economy, the fiscal department strengthens the supply of fiscal policies and the management of fund allocation to ensure that policy effects are realized as soon as possible," said Li Dawei (李大伟), First-level Inspector of the Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance (财政部预算司) and Director of the Government Debt Research and Evaluation Center.
Social security and employment expenditure increased by 9.2%.
Ge Zhihao (葛志昊), Deputy Director of the Social Security Department of the Ministry of Finance (财政部社会保障司), stated that in the first half of the year, the fiscal department continued to prioritize social security as a fiscal expenditure area, with social security and employment expenditure increasing by 9.2%.
Implementing an employment-first strategy. Continuing to reduce unemployment and work-related injury insurance rates, continuing to implement policies such as the early issuance of employment internship subsidies to guide enterprises to stabilize jobs and absorb employment of college graduates and other groups; strengthening employment assistance for disadvantaged groups such as people with disabilities and members of zero-employment families; supporting the implementation of large-scale vocational skills improvement training... This year, the central government has allocated 66.74 billion yuan in employment subsidies.
Improving basic pension insurance benefits. The national minimum standard for basic pension for urban and rural residents borne by the state treasury will be increased by another 20 yuan per month, and the central government will increase financial subsidies and carry out national overall adjustment of pension insurance.
Improving the level of medical security services. The per capita financial subsidy standard for basic public health services will be increased by 5 yuan, and the per capita financial subsidy standard for urban and rural residents' medical insurance will be increased by 30 yuan... This year, the central government has allocated 552.2 billion yuan in related subsidies.
Improving the "one old, one young" service system. Implementing actions to improve basic elderly care services at home and in the community, supporting the development of elderly meal assistance services according to local conditions, carrying out pilot projects to issue elderly care service consumption subsidies to elderly people with moderate or severe disabilities to reduce the pressure of care expenses for disabled elderly people; establishing a childcare subsidy system and strengthening the construction of an inclusive childcare service system.
Ensuring the bottom line of living security for people in difficulty. This year, the central government has allocated 156.68 billion yuan in assistance subsidies for people in difficulty to support local governments in doing a good job in providing minimum living security and assistance and support for people in extreme poverty.
Wu Gai (吴盖), Deputy Director of the Economic Construction Department of the Ministry of Finance (财政部经济建设司), stated that in January and April of this year, the Ministry of Finance had pre-allocated a total of 162 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special treasury bond funds in two batches to support trade-ins of consumer goods.
The effects of implicit debt swaps are gradually emerging.
At the end of last year, the General Office of the State Council (国办) issued an opinion to optimize and improve the management mechanism of local government special bonds. In the first half of this year, relevant policies have been implemented and have taken effect.
The issuance and use of special bonds have been significantly accelerated. Pilot projects for "self-review and self-issuance" of special bond projects have been carried out in 10 provinces and the Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区); for non-"self-review and self-issuance" pilot areas, a "green channel" for the continued issuance of special bonds for projects under construction has been opened to improve the efficiency of the issuance and use of special bond funds. In the first half of this year, the country issued 2.16 trillion yuan of new local government special bonds, a year-on-year increase of 45%.
The areas to which special bonds are directed have been further broadened. The management has been changed from a "positive list" to a "negative list"; it is allowed to be used for land reserve, supporting city governments to acquire existing commercial housing for use as affordable housing, and promoting the stable and healthy development of the real estate market; the scope of special bonds used as project capital has been expanded from the original 17 industries to 22. In the first half of this year, local governments issued 191.7 billion yuan of special bonds for project capital, a year-on-year increase of 16%, and the "leverage" effect on expanding investment was more obvious.
Regarding supporting local governments in resolving debt risks, Li Dawei (李大伟) introduced that as of the end of June, 1.8 trillion yuan of the 2 trillion yuan of swap bonds for 2025 had been issued, accounting for 90% of the annual quota, and 1.44 trillion yuan had been used.
Li Dawei (李大伟) stated that, overall, the implementation effect of the swap policy has gradually emerged. It has reduced the current liquidity pressure and reduced the interest expenditure on local debt and the pressure of repayment and continuation of maturing debt. It has released the momentum of economic development, the scale of implicit debt that needs to be resolved by local governments themselves has been greatly reduced, releasing more funds and resources to help local governments focus on ensuring the bottom line of "three guarantees" and accelerating economic construction. It has promoted the reform and transformation of financing platforms, effectively supporting "entity-type" financing platforms to "lighten their burdens" after reform and transformation.
The market is highly concerned about the issuance of treasury bonds. "In order to ensure that a more proactive fiscal policy continues to exert force and is more effective, the issuance of treasury bonds this year has been further increased," introduced Tang Longsheng (唐龙生), Deputy Director of the Treasury Payment Center of the Ministry of Finance (财政部国库支付中心). In the first half of the year, a total of 7.88 trillion yuan of treasury bonds were issued, a year-on-year increase of 35.28%; a total of 555 billion yuan of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds were issued, and the issuance progress was 18 percentage points faster than the same period last year.
"The Ministry of Finance (财政部) will issue 46 tranches of general treasury bonds and 11 tranches of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds in the third quarter, totaling 57 tranches," said Tang Longsheng (唐龙生). The Ministry of Finance (财政部) will complete the issuance task of 1.3 trillion yuan of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds as scheduled, effectively ensuring the implementation of "two major" and "two new" projects. At the same time, it will strengthen the monitoring of the treasury bond market and promote the stable operation of the treasury bond market. Comprehensively promote the construction of electronic channels for savings treasury bonds and enhance the public's bond purchase experience.
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The third batch of 69 billion yuan of funds for trade-ins of consumer goods has been allocated this year.
Beijing (北京), July 25 (Reporter Liu Zhiqiang (刘志强)) - The National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委), together with the Ministry of Finance (财政部), recently allocated the third batch of 69 billion yuan of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds to local governments to support trade-ins of consumer goods.
Since the beginning of this year, ultra-long-term special treasury bond funds have been allocated in an orderly manner, promoting positive results in the trade-in of consumer goods. As of July 16, a total of 280 million people nationwide had applied for subsidies for trade-ins of consumer goods, driving sales of related commodities to exceed 1.6 trillion yuan. In the first half of the year, the retail sales of household appliances and audio-visual equipment, cultural and office supplies, communication equipment, and furniture by units above the designated size increased by 30.7%, 25.4%, 24.1%, and 22.9% year-on-year, respectively, and the retail sales of passenger cars increased by 10.8%, supporting the total retail sales of consumer goods to increase by 5% year-on-year, which is 1.5 percentage points higher than the full year of last year.
In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) will continue to strengthen overall coordination, strengthen tracking and scheduling, and improve the implementation mechanism to promote the trade-in of consumer goods in a stable and orderly manner:
Continue to allocate central funds in an orderly manner. According to the plan, the fourth batch of 69 billion yuan of ultra-long-term special treasury bond funds will be allocated in October this year to continue to support local governments in implementing trade-in policies for consumer goods.
Promote local governments to use funds in a balanced manner. Together with the Ministry of Finance (财政部), the Ministry of Commerce (商务部) and other departments, urge local governments to refine the fund use plan by field and time period, optimize the subsidy distribution method, and ensure that the policy implementation is more stable and orderly and the funds are used evenly by the end of the year.
Continue to improve the policy implementation mechanism. Together with the Ministry of Commerce (商务部), the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局) and other departments, strengthen product quality and price supervision, urge participating enterprises to operate in compliance with laws and regulations, strictly prevent risks such as "raising prices before subsidizing" and fraudulent subsidies, and ensure that the policy is implemented in a standardized manner and fully utilizes the effectiveness of the "two new" policies.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王欣悦
At 10:30 a.m. on July 25th, in the Ciqikou Ancient Town (磁器口古镇) of Shapingba District (沙坪坝区), Chongqing (重庆), standing in front of a shop filled with chili sauce, Australian tourists Cindy and Brayden were somewhat "at a loss." Having just arrived the night before, they hadn't had time to exchange money.
"Where can the guests exchange for Renminbi?" the accompanying tour guide asked the travel planner for "help."
13 kilometers away, Qu Yibo (屈怡博), a travel planner at Chongqing Baiteng International Travel Agency (重庆百腾国际旅行社), immediately "responded." He quickly captured location maps of bank exchange outlets and ATMs near Ciqikou (磁器口), converted them into English using translation software: "There is a bank outlet 900 meters to the left of the southwest gate of the ancient town, which supports foreign currency exchange such as US dollars, Euros, and Japanese Yen; nearby 24-hour ATMs also support direct withdrawal of Renminbi cash with foreign cards."
Although not on-site, Qu Yibo (屈怡博) was constantly monitoring Cindy and Brayden's itinerary. "A travel planner is the 'general manager' of a tourist's journey. Before the trip, we customize travel routes for them; during the trip, we recommend tour guides and answer questions promptly; and after the trip, we conduct follow-up visits to ensure foreign tourists have a comfortable travel experience."
Cindy and Brayden chose not to join a group tour because they wanted a personalized travel experience. "Now there are more and more independent foreign travelers, and we must pay special attention to whether the itinerary is reasonable, the service attitude of the tour guides and drivers, etc., to provide attentive service," said Qu Yibo (屈怡博).
Since the implementation of the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, China Travel (中国游) has become a popular term on overseas social media. In the first half of this year, Chongqing Border Inspection Station (重庆边检总站) inspected a total of more than 1.14 million inbound and outbound passengers, an increase of 35% year-on-year; among them, more than 330,000 were foreign passengers, an increase of 140% year-on-year.
Cindy and Brayden learned about the visa-free policy from the news and were immediately attracted. "We have been to China before, but we needed to apply for a visa, which cost about 600 RMB per person. Visa-free is cheaper and more convenient."
"The train passes through the high-rise buildings, so amazing!" At the Liziba (李子坝) viewing platform, Cindy repeatedly praised the "light rail passing through the building." "Chongqing (重庆) is very popular on overseas social media, 'light rail passing through the building,' night views, and hot pot are all popular."
In fact, social media has become an important customer acquisition channel for travel planners. Before the trip, Cindy was attracted by the Chongqing (重庆) half-day tour check-in guide posted by Qu Yibo (屈怡博) online, and then contacted him.
"For travel planners, it doesn't matter if you don't know a foreign language, you can communicate with a translator. What's more important is to be familiar with the customs, cultures, and human history of other countries, so as to better communicate with foreign tourists," Qu Yibo (屈怡博) introduced. "The cost of personalized customized travel services is about 200-300 US dollars per person per day, including pre-trip consultation, tour guide services, and airport pick-up and drop-off."
With the expansion of China Travel's influence, foreign tourists' understanding of China is becoming more and more three-dimensional. "Now many people actively mention 'cyber city,' hot pot, etc. when consulting before the trip." This time, Cindy specifically requested to experience Hanfu (汉服), and Qu Yibo (屈怡博) arranged a special shooting location for her.
With the rising popularity of inbound tourism, Chongqing (重庆) continues to improve the internationalization and convenience of tourism services.
In the past, purchasing scenic spot tickets was a major pain point for foreign tourists because they did not have ID cards, making it inconvenient to purchase tickets online and they could only queue up to buy tickets. This year, many attractions in Chongqing (重庆) have opened online ticket purchase services using passports. "We are also going to the Three Gorges Museum (三峡博物馆), and we have already made an online reservation with our passports. I heard that the venue also has English-speaking guides, and we can also rent audio guide equipment with our passports," said Cindy.
Relevant supporting services are constantly being optimized, taking the popular tourist destination Yuzhong District (渝中区) as an example—
In terms of hardware, diverse transportation services such as buses, ferries, cableways, and rail transit are opened for foreign tourists; a city airport terminal is established to improve "one-stop" channels for ticket processing, baggage check-in, and air-rail connection; and a bilingual station is built at Jiefangbei (解放碑) to promote bilingual labeling of scenic spot signs, tourist maps, food menus, etc.
In terms of software, full coverage of foreign card payment and foreign currency withdrawal from ATMs is achieved; the establishment of a multilingual service system is explored to support foreign language tour guides and foreign volunteers to provide assistance in major scenic spots. "In the first half of this year, the number of overnight stays by overseas personnel increased by 113% year-on-year. During the 'May Day' holiday, the number of inbound tourists increased by 160% year-on-year," said Li Jia (李佳), Deputy Director of the Culture and Tourism Development Committee of Yuzhong District (渝中区文化和旅游发展委员会).
Based on "China Travel," it is convenient to "Shop in China." In 2024, Chongqing (重庆) piloted the "buy and get tax refund immediately" policy for departure tax refunds. In the first quarter of this year, the sales of departure tax refund goods increased by nearly 5 times year-on-year. In July this year, Sichuan (川) and Chongqing (渝) further opened the "buy and get tax refund immediately" service for departure tax refunds, breaking the "local departure" restriction and improving the shopping experience for foreign tourists.
"We have more than 30 travel planners, and we plan to expand the market scale in the future and launch more personalized customized services," said Meng Yuan (孟源), General Manager of Chongqing Baiteng International Travel Agency (重庆百腾国际旅行社). In the first half of the year, the travel agency received nearly 30,000 foreign tourists, an increase of 30% year-on-year. "When the peak tourist season comes in October, I believe there will be more business."
Return to TopBeijing, July 25th (Reported by Ding Yiting (丁怡婷) of this newspaper) The reporter learned from the National Energy Administration (国家能源局): From January to June, the cumulative electricity traded in the national electricity market reached 2.95 trillion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 4.8%. Among them, the electricity traded across provinces and regions was 670.7 billion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 18.2%.
Cross-provincial and cross-regional electricity trading can achieve mutual assistance of various types of electricity on a larger scale, more effectively ensure power supply, and promote the consumption of surplus new energy. For example, when Xinjiang (新疆) has a large photovoltaic power generation and difficulty in consumption, Guangdong (广东) is ushering in the evening peak of electricity consumption and has strong consumption capacity.
The "2024 China Electricity Market Development Report" shows that in 2024, the total amount of medium and long-term electricity transactions across provinces and regions was 1.39 trillion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 19.8%. Inter-provincial electricity spot trading is active. Among them, Hubei (湖北) sold the most electricity, accounting for about 17.16% of the total transaction volume; Zhejiang (浙江) and Sichuan (四川) purchased the most electricity, accounting for 34.12% and 23.73% of the total purchased transaction volume, respectively.
Return to TopBISHKEK, July 25 (Xinhua) -- (Reporters Zhu Chao (朱超) and Jiang Youlin (江宥林)) At the invitation of Kyrgyz Parliament Speaker Torobayev (Тургунбек Улукбекович), Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji (赵乐际) paid an official friendly visit to Kyrgyzstan from July 23 to 24. In Bishkek (比什凯克), he met with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov (扎帕罗夫) and held talks with Speaker Torobayev (Тургунбек Улукбекович).
During the meeting with Japarov (扎帕罗夫), Zhao Leji (赵乐际) first conveyed the cordial greetings and best wishes of President Xi Jinping (习近平). Zhao Leji (赵乐际) said that under the personal care and promotion of the two heads of state, China-Kyrgyzstan relations have achieved leapfrog development and are at their best in history. China is willing to work with Kyrgyzstan to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, carry forward traditional friendship, enhance strategic mutual trust, and firmly support each other on issues involving each other's core interests; expand the scale of trade and investment, promote the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway with high quality, and strengthen cooperation in cross-border highway construction, port modernization, digital trade, green energy and other fields; promote cultural exchanges, jointly promote the implementation of livelihood projects, and continuously enrich the connotation of the China-Kyrgyzstan comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era. China is willing to work with Central Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan, to carry forward the "China-Central Asia Spirit," take the "China-Central Asia Cooperation High-Quality Development Year" as an opportunity, implement more cooperation measures and projects, and promote the construction of a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future. It is necessary to continuously deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, resolutely crack down on the "three evil forces," and jointly safeguard regional security and stability.
Japarov (扎帕罗夫) asked Zhao Leji (赵乐际) to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping (习近平). He said that Kyrgyzstan firmly supports China's position on issues concerning its core interests and major concerns such as Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Tibet, supports the three major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平), and actively participates in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" cooperation. China has always carried out friendly cooperation with Kyrgyzstan on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. Kyrgyzstan highly appreciates this and believes that the relations between the two countries will continue to improve in trust, mutual assistance and mutual understanding. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is not only an important transportation corridor, but also a "road of friendship," which will greatly promote regional economic growth. It is hoped that the two sides will further strengthen cooperation in investment, finance, culture, legislative institutions, multilateral and other fields, and cultivate the tree of Kyrgyzstan-China friendship to be lush and leafy.
During the talks with Torobayev (Тургунбек Улукбекович), Zhao Leji (赵乐际) said that President Xi Jinping (习近平) and President Japarov (扎帕罗夫) have met twice this year, charting a new blueprint for the development of China-Kyrgyzstan relations. The National People's Congress of China is willing to fully implement the important consensus of the two heads of state with the Kyrgyz Parliament, strengthen exchanges between high-level legislative bodies, special committees, friendship groups, NPC deputies and parliamentarians, and enhance mutual understanding and friendship; give play to the functions of legislative bodies, do a good job in relevant legislation and ratification, and provide legal guarantees for practical cooperation between the two countries; strengthen coordination and cooperation within the parliamentary multilateral mechanism, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Zhao Leji (赵乐际) introduced the Chinese path to modernization and China's economic development concepts and achievements, saying that Chinese modernization will provide new opportunities for the development of various countries.
Torobayev (Тургунбек Улукбекович) said that while developing itself, China is working with other countries, including Kyrgyzstan, to jointly promote common development and prosperity. The Kyrgyz Parliament is willing to maintain close communication and cooperation with the National People's Congress of China, jointly implement the consensus of the two heads of state, promote high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road," promote cooperation between the two countries in economy and trade, local affairs, culture, science and technology, education and other fields, improve the investment and business environment, and give play to the active role of legislative bodies.
During his visit to Kyrgyzstan, Zhao Leji (赵乐际) inspected the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Co., Ltd., and encouraged the engineering builders to be dedicated and meticulous, strictly control the quality, efficiency, and integrity, actively fulfill their social responsibilities, ensure the safe and smooth construction of the project with high quality and efficiency, and build this landmark project of joint construction of the "Belt and Road" with high standards.
Zhao Leji (赵乐际) also laid a wreath at the Urkun Memorial.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 姚雪青
In the 6,000-square-meter intelligent production workshop, plastic particle raw materials are precisely transported to the automated production line through the central feeding system pipeline. More than 30 injection molding machines are lined up, and robotic arms flexibly grab, insert, demold, and inspect, producing four new energy vehicle battery unit injection molded parts in 10 seconds.
This is what the reporter saw recently at Gaolu Precision Technology (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. (高绿精密科技（无锡）有限公司) (hereinafter referred to as "Gaolu Precision (高绿精密)"). Since its establishment in 2004, the turnover of this German company has been increasing at an annual rate of 5% to 15%, becoming a leading company in the segmented field of the industry. "The booming China is full of opportunities." Ai Lixi (艾黎熹), general manager of the company, told reporters that for more than 20 years, the company, like many European-funded enterprises, has grown together with Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区), witnessed the rapid development of China's economy, and gained valuable market opportunities.
Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区) is one of the areas with the most concentrated foreign-funded enterprises in Jiangsu Province (江苏省), with 170 European-funded enterprises from Germany, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden and other countries, with a cumulative investment of about 15 billion euros. The reporter recently visited Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区) to learn about the development history of a number of European-funded enterprises and explore the cooperation code behind it.
Excellent business environment——
"We were right, the decision to invest in China was absolutely correct"
"Twenty years ago, when senior executives and customers from the German headquarters came to China for inspection, China's automobile industry was in its initial stage." Ai Lixi (艾黎熹) told reporters that it was precisely because of the broad prospects of the Chinese market that Gaolu Precision (高绿精密)'s German headquarters decided to invest and set up business in China in 2004, which was also the first time the company set up a factory overseas.
"In recent years, China's automobile industry has developed rapidly, and the number of cars has continued to increase." Ai Lixi (艾黎熹) said, "We were right, the decision to invest in China was absolutely correct." The transformation of China's automobile industry from large to strong has brought confidence to this auto parts manufacturing company to continue to deeply cultivate the Chinese market.
Ai Lixi (艾黎熹) said that with the rapid development of China's new energy vehicle industry, the company has ushered in greater development opportunities. In 2025, the company plans to add 200 million yuan of investment in Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区) for the construction of a number of new energy vehicle-related parts production lines and new energy storage equipment supporting parts production lines.
Zhou Dejun (周德军), general manager of Bucher Hydraulics (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. (布赫液压（无锡）有限公司), which settled in Wuxi (无锡) in 2018, told reporters that the company's headquarters is Bucher Industries (布赫工业集团) in Switzerland, and the group is optimistic about the huge market potential of China in the fields of construction machinery, auto aftermarket, and material handling. The group has transferred more than 50 new products to China for production, and the status of the Chinese factory in the company's overall layout is constantly improving.
The "macro environment" has unlimited opportunities, and the "micro environment" adds to the cake. In-depth implementation of the "Ten Measures for Facilitating Foreigners to Wuxi (外籍人士来锡便利化十项举措)", creating six major convenience scenarios for foreigners in terms of entry and exit, payment, business, and consumption; encrypting international passenger and cargo routes to help enterprises clear customs nearby, reduce costs and increase efficiency; establishing intellectual property courts and international commercial courts to create a first-class market-oriented, rule-of-law, and international business environment... Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区) adheres to the service tenet of "no difficulty, careful handling (无难事、悉心办)", and constantly optimizes the business environment to help enterprises solve problems and escort their development.
"Some of Wuxi (无锡)'s preferential policies for enterprises are very convenient. To handle industrial and commercial changes, you only need to provide a photo of yourself holding your passport to handle it online, which saves the trouble of running back and forth." Mu Fulang (沐弗朗), global president of Bucher Hydraulics (布赫液压) under Bucher Industries (布赫工业集团), said.
Zhang Xiaojun (张小军), general manager of Hanting Energy Technology (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. (汉廷能源科技（无锡）有限公司), headquartered in the United Kingdom, said that as a technology-based enterprise, intellectual property is the foundation of its existence. Wuxi (无锡)'s market-oriented, rule-of-law, and international business environment gives enterprises sufficient judicial protection and entrepreneurial confidence. "We can truly feel that intellectual property rights are protected and respected, which is the soil for the vigorous development of enterprises."
Atlas Copco (Wuxi) Compressor Co., Ltd. (阿特拉斯·科普柯（无锡）压缩机有限公司) has grown into the group's global manufacturing center in the field of industrial compressor business; Veolia Wuxi (威立雅无锡) base is the largest production base of Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions Group (威立雅水务技术与方案集团) in the Asia-Pacific region, and it is also the only factory in the world with a complete water treatment product production line from chemical agents to equipment; Siemens (西门子) has built a number of important entities and innovation centers such as medium-voltage switch technology and X-ray vacuum technology in Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区)... Foreign companies are thriving here.
"Europe is an important source of foreign investment in Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区), with many high-quality projects, a wide distribution of industries, and a long history of rooted investment. Many enterprises continue to increase their investment and gradually develop into large enterprises." Cui Rongguo (崔荣国), secretary of the Party Working Committee of Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区) and secretary of the Xinwu District (新吴区) Party Committee, said that Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区) insists on building the "most satisfactory city for foreign investment (外商投资最满意城区)", and strives to provide the most superior environment, the most proactive services, and the most convenient guarantees to allow enterprises to come in, stay, and develop well.
Perfect industrial ecology——
"It not only strengthens the chain and supplements the chain upstream, but also helps downstream to open up the market"
In the assembly workshop of Tengda Aviation Ground Equipment (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. (腾达航勤设备（无锡）有限公司) (hereinafter referred to as "Tengda (腾达)"), a series of core components sent by upstream suppliers are being assembled on the assembly line. A number of container cargo loaders are offline, and after simulated loading and unloading scene tests, they will be sent to domestic cities such as Shanghai (上海) and Shenzhen (深圳), as well as countries such as Thailand (泰国) and New Zealand (新西兰).
French TLD Group (法国TLD集团) is a leading global manufacturer of airport ground support equipment. Tengda (腾达) was established in 2008 with investment from TLD (TLD), and has now become an important production and manufacturing base of TLD Group (TLD集团) in the Asia-Pacific region. In the view of Wu Jianqiang (吴建强), the company's chief operating officer, a good industrial ecology is an important reason for the company's development.
"200 million yuan in 2022, 300 million yuan in 2023, and 630 million yuan in 2024 - the company's sales growth rate continues to break historical records." Wu Jianqiang (吴建强) said proudly, "Looking at the headquarters of TLD Group (TLD集团), our company is not the one with the most sales, but the one with the fastest growth and the most rapid development."
"China is the world's largest manufacturing country, with the most complete industrial system in the world, and the Yangtze River Delta region (长三角地区) is one of the regions with the most complete manufacturing categories." Wu Jianqiang (吴建强) said that, for example, a container cargo loader includes tens of thousands of parts such as frames, cabs, covers, and brackets, involving hundreds of first-level suppliers. These key suppliers can be 100% found in China, and 95% are in the "one-hour industrial circle" in Wuxi (无锡) and its surrounding areas.
The gearbox is an important transmission part of ground support equipment. In the past, Wuxi (无锡) did not have such suppliers, and Tengda (腾达) needed to purchase it from Italy (意大利), which was more costly. Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区) introduced an American company to fill the key link in the industrial chain. This American company has participated in the joint development of Tengda (腾达)'s new products for many times, and has now developed from establishing a distribution center to investing in setting up a factory, and has also driven the development of a number of local second-level suppliers.
"The high-tech zone has done a lot of work to not only strengthen the chain and supplement the chain upstream, but also help downstream to open up the market." Wu Jianqiang (吴建强) said that Jiangsu (江苏) is vigorously developing the low-altitude economy, and enterprises will actively lay out and seize opportunities.
Zhang Jinwei (章金伟), deputy secretary of the Party Working Committee of Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区) and head of Xinwu District (新吴区), introduced that the high-tech zone has complete industrial categories and a good industrial ecology, attracting many multinational companies to increase their layout, establish global first-launch factories and headquarters bases in Wuxi (无锡), and accelerate the construction of world-class industrial clusters.
On March 18 this year, Wabtec (威巴克), a leading global company in the field of automotive shock absorption and noise reduction, officially delivered its first air spring production line in the Asia-Pacific region in Wuxi (无锡). This is an important project of Wabtec (威巴克) with core technical advantages, and the reason for settling in Wuxi (无锡) is that it is optimistic about the entire industrial chain within a radius of 30 kilometers here.
"This reflects our firm confidence in deeply cultivating the Chinese market." Han Zhenkui (韩轸奎), president of Wabtec (威巴克) Asia Pacific, told reporters that Wabtec (Wuxi) Shock Absorber Co., Ltd. (威巴克（无锡）减震器有限公司) has become the group's Asia Pacific headquarters base for more than 30 years since its establishment. The company not only drives the agglomeration and development of upstream and downstream enterprises, but also drives the industrial chain to "climb high" together by optimizing technical standards, strengthening innovation and research and development, and jointly tackling key problems. Last year, the company's turnover achieved double-digit growth, and it is expected to maintain stable growth this year.
Wu Wei (吴炜), deputy secretary of the Party Working Committee of Wuxi China-Europe Industrial Innovation Zone (无锡中欧产业创新区) and secretary of the Party Working Committee of Meicun Street (梅村街道) in Xinwu District (新吴区), introduced that China-Europe enterprises in the park have achieved common development in cooperation. Wuxi (无锡) local enterprise Wuxi Zhongjie Shock Absorber Co., Ltd. (无锡市中捷减震器有限公司) started with Wabtec (威巴克) as its first important customer, and has now achieved large-scale development and successful listing.
Surging development momentum——
"Strengthened our confidence in rooting in the Chinese market"
In March 2023, Schneider Electric (施耐德电气)'s China Automation R&D Center was launched in Wuxi (无锡), which is the fifth largest R&D center established by Schneider Electric (施耐德电气) in China; in November of the same year, Schneider Electric (施耐德电气)'s Wuxi Green Smart Industrial Park (无锡绿色智慧产业园) was laid, and the first phase will build a 68,000-square-meter comprehensive park, which is expected to be put into use by the end of 2025.
"China is promoting high-quality development, and innovation provides surging impetus for enterprise development." Hu Xiao (胡晓), senior vice president of Schneider Electric (施耐德电气), introduced that since Schneider Electric (施耐德电气) settled in Wuxi (无锡), it has continued to expand its investment and built an industrial ecosystem integrating R&D, production, supply, sales, and service. "Wuxi (无锡) is promoting industrial development through scientific and technological innovation, focusing on cutting-edge technologies and future industries such as artificial intelligence, and building a high-tech park with global influence. This provides good opportunities for enterprise innovation and development, and also strengthens our confidence in rooting in the Chinese market."
Deng Yonghan (邓永翰), chief technology officer of Bosch Intelligent Mobility Group (博世智能出行集团) China Commercial Vehicle Group, told reporters that after more than 20 years of development, the company's business layout in Wuxi (无锡) has been continuously optimized. In October last year, Bosch (博世) and Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区) signed a new round of deepening cooperation strategic agreement to jointly build a commercial vehicle business innovation park as the Chinese headquarters of Bosch (博世)'s commercial vehicle business. "In the future, Bosch (博世) will continue to increase its R&D investment in the field of new energy, accelerate the R&D and industrialization of commercial vehicle products, and meet the diversified needs of the market."
In the past three years, Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区) has provided all-round talent policy subsidies for nearly 2,000 people from 35 European companies. Deng Yonghan (邓永翰) introduced that the high-tech zone helps high-level talents solve problems such as children's enrollment, so that they can settle down with peace of mind, which is conducive to the long-term and stable development of enterprises. At the same time, Bosch (博世) cooperates with local colleges and universities to train a group of workshop technical backbones through the "Bosch Class (博世班)", providing the industry with industrial workers with solid professional skills.
In 2024, Merck (默克)'s Milli-Q laboratory pure water business landed, creating Merck (默克)'s first production line of laboratory water purification products in China; in December last year, Legrand (罗格朗) increased its investment again to build the group's East China headquarters and Eliot IoT Research Center; in May this year, Atlas Copco (阿特拉斯·科普柯)'s industrial compressor business R&D and manufacturing China headquarters and compressor technology Wuxi (无锡) park officially opened... Solid industrial foundation, active innovation ecology, and sufficient talent reserves have continuously improved the innovation content of Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区).
"Wuxi High-tech Zone (无锡高新区) was born because of reform, prospered because of opening up, and strengthened because of innovation." Cui Rongguo (崔荣国) said that at present, the high-tech zone's Internet of Things, integrated circuits, biomedicine, intelligent equipment and other industries have successively broken through the 100 billion yuan mark, and the output value of high-tech industries accounts for more than 80% of the output value of industrial enterprises above designated size. "We will continue to optimize the business environment, strengthen the construction of innovation ecology, deeply integrate into the global innovation network, attract more foreign-funded R&D institutions to settle in, and contribute to China's high-quality economic development and global scientific and technological innovation."
Layout design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)
Return to TopBy: 斯维特兰娜·科日洛娃
In recent years, a series of initiatives proposed by China have played an increasingly important role in the long-term development of Central Asia. Standing at a new historical starting point, China-Central Asia cooperation is ushering in a golden period of quality improvement and upgrading.
The five Central Asian countries maintain fruitful all-round cooperation with China. The results of practical cooperation are outstanding and highly recognized by Central Asian countries, and have become a benchmark for regional cooperation. The Second China-Central Asia Summit reached more than 100 cooperation consensuses. The heads of state of the six countries jointly announced 2025 to 2026 as the "Year of High-Quality Development of China-Central Asia Cooperation," and conducted in-depth discussions on cooperation plans focusing on six priority directions: trade facilitation, industrial investment, and connectivity, injecting new impetus into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.
The China-Central Asia Summit has become a key platform for promoting the quality improvement and upgrading of bilateral relations. Countries fully utilize this multilateral dialogue platform to reach important cooperation consensuses in infrastructure, energy, security, trade, and other fields. China attaches importance to continuously deepening mechanism dialogue with Central Asian countries and promoting the diversification of cooperation. The joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative helps the region achieve connectivity. The Second China-Central Asia Summit witnessed the signing of a high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" action plan. This is the first time that China has signed a joint construction of the "Belt and Road" cooperation document with all countries in a single surrounding region as a whole, injecting strong impetus into China-Central Asia cooperation. All parties reached a consensus on promoting the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and deepening China-Europe freight train cooperation, and are committed to promoting the transformation of the Central Asian region from "landlocked" to "land-linked," truly becoming a "golden crossroads" connecting the Eurasian continent.
Under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of Kazakhstan (哈萨克斯坦) and China, Kazakhstan-China relations have continued to develop steadily and have continuously reached new heights. The interaction between Kazakhstan and China has long surpassed the scope of simple economic cooperation. The strategic consensus between the two sides on maintaining regional stability and promoting sustainable development injects strong impetus into bilateral relations. This mutual trust and cooperation is specifically reflected in the construction of multi-level dialogue mechanisms, forming a cooperation framework covering politics, economy, security, culture, and other fields. Transcending the single pattern of traditional energy cooperation, Kazakhstan-China cooperation continues to expand into fields such as green economy, digital technology, and agricultural modernization. At present, Kazakhstan and China have launched a number of joint wind power and photovoltaic development projects. Chinese companies are actively participating in Kazakhstan's digital transformation and development, helping Kazakhstan improve its grain processing capabilities. These new areas of cooperation not only conform to the global trend of sustainable development, but also meet the inherent needs of Central Asian countries for economic diversification.
In recent years, a series of initiatives proposed by China have played an increasingly important role in the long-term development of Central Asia. China promotes the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, playing an important role in international affairs. The Global Development Initiative focuses on sustainable development and poverty reduction cooperation, encourages investment in infrastructure, green technology, and the digital economy, promotes South-South cooperation, and supports the development of developing countries; the Global Security Initiative advocates resolving conflicts between countries through dialogue rather than confrontation, advocates the principle of indivisible security, and respects sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is especially important for Central Asian countries; the Global Civilization Initiative advocates respecting the diversity of world civilizations, attaches importance to the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and helps promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
Standing at a new historical starting point, China-Central Asia cooperation is ushering in a golden period of quality improvement and upgrading. This land, which has witnessed thousands of years of civilization dialogue, will surely draw a new chapter of friendship in the cooperation of consultation, joint construction, and shared benefits, allowing the ancient Silk Road to bloom with more brilliant cooperation in the new era, and injecting more stability and positive energy into the turbulent and changing world.
(The author is the chairman of the Kazakhstan Eurasian International Research Association)
Return to TopThis newspaper Zhengzhou, July 25th (Reporter Zhang Wenhao (张文豪)) The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Media Think Tank Summit, themed "Promoting the 'Shanghai Spirit' and Building a Better Home," held a plenary session in Zhengzhou (郑州) on the 25th. Nearly 200 media outlets, think tanks, government agencies, and international and regional organizations from SCO member states, observer states, and dialogue partners attended, with over 400 Chinese and foreign guests.
Mo Gaoyi (莫高义), Deputy Minister of the Central Propaganda Department (中宣部) and Director of the State Council Information Office (国务院新闻办公室), stated in his address that not long ago, President Xi Jinping (习近平) collectively met with the heads of foreign delegations attending the SCO Foreign Ministers Council meeting, pointing out the direction for building a better SCO home. As the SCO Tianjin (天津) Summit is about to be held, the gathering of media and think tank representatives for dialogue and exchange is of great significance for promoting the construction of a closer SCO community of shared future. He expressed hope that all parties will actively promote the "Shanghai Spirit" and promote the continuous development and growth of the SCO.
Fu Hua (傅华), President of Xinhua News Agency (新华通讯社), stated that he is willing to fully leverage the advantages of media think tanks and work with all parties to comply with the common aspiration of the SCO to seek joint development, focusing on the convergence points, concerns, and resonance points of the national interests of the SCO countries, and present a panoramic and three-dimensional view of the vivid practices of unity and cooperation among the SCO countries in the new era, contributing wisdom and strength to building a closer SCO community of shared future.
Peng Jinhui (彭金辉), Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院), stated that he is willing to continue to deepen cooperation and exchanges with media think tanks and cultural institutions in SCO countries, jointly tell the "SCO story," disseminate "SCO experience," implement the consensus of the leaders of SCO member states, and jointly write a new chapter in SCO civilization exchange and mutual learning.
Liu Ning (刘宁), Secretary of the Henan (河南) Provincial Party Committee, stated that Henan Province (河南省) will take this Media Think Tank Summit as an opportunity to further strengthen friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation with SCO countries in various fields, leverage its profound historical and cultural heritage, continuously tighten the bonds of cultural exchange, and make the construction of the SCO community of shared future have a more solid public opinion foundation.
Chinese and foreign guests attending the meeting stated that the SCO countries have diverse and splendid civilizations, with different ethnic cultures blending and converging, harmoniously coexisting, and media think tanks should play an important role in communicating public opinion, guiding public opinion, and serving decision-making, promoting mutual understanding and affinity among the people of all countries, and contributing to the construction of a common SCO home.
At the meeting, a congratulatory letter from Kyrgyz President Zhaparov (扎帕罗夫) to the summit was read. Zhaparov (扎帕罗夫) stated that media think tanks play an important role in building trust and will fully demonstrate the spirit and culture of the SCO. He believes that this summit will further promote the generation of new ideas and measures aimed at promoting peace and sustainable development.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Media Think Tank Summit is being held in Zhengzhou (郑州), Henan (河南) from July 23rd to 27th, guided by the State Council Information Office (国务院新闻办公室) of China, and jointly hosted by Xinhua News Agency (新华通讯社), the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院), and the People's Government of Henan Province (河南省人民政府). During the summit, the "Zhengzhou Consensus of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Media Think Tank Summit" and the think tank reports "Jointly Safeguarding the Treasures of Human Civilization - Concepts and Practices of Cultural Heritage Protection in the New Era in China" and "Research on the Construction of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Community of Shared Future" were released. Participating guests will also visit various places in Henan (河南).
Return to TopBeijing, July 25th (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi (王毅), member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn (高金洪) in Beijing (北京) on the 25th.
Wang Yi (王毅) stated that China always regards ASEAN as a priority direction in its neighborhood diplomacy and supports ASEAN in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs. Currently, attention can be focused on three aspects of cooperation: First, jointly safeguard free trade and the multilateral trading system. Second, jointly shape a new narrative of peace, friendship, and cooperation in the South China Sea. Third, jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.
Kao Kim Hourn (高金洪) thanked China for its firm support of ASEAN's central role in regional cooperation and the construction of the ASEAN community. He expressed support for accelerating consultations on the "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea." Regarding the Cambodian-Thai border conflict, he thanked China for its active efforts in promoting peace and facilitating talks.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 25th (Xinhua) On July 25th, Yin Li (尹力), member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, met in Beijing with a delegation led by Pere Aragonès (伊利亚), First Secretary of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia and President of the Government of Catalonia.
Yin Li (尹力) stated that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain. China is willing to work with Spain to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen inter-party exchanges and local cooperation, promote the continuous deepening and solidifying of practical cooperation in various fields, and promote the development of China-Spain and China-Europe relations.
Pere Aragonès (伊利亚) said that the West is willing to strengthen exchanges and dialogue with China, deepen cooperation in areas such as inter-party relations, local affairs, economy and trade, science and technology, and culture, to better benefit the people of both sides.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 25th (Reporter Mei Changwei (梅常伟)) Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (张又侠) met with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Munir (穆尼尔), who was visiting Beijing (北京) on the 25th.
Zhang Youxia (张又侠) said that the relationship between the Chinese and Pakistani militaries is an important pillar of the two countries' relations. Both sides should resolutely implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen strategic communication, deepen exchanges and cooperation, and work together to promote regional peace and development, and build a closer China-Pakistan community of destiny in the new era. He hoped that Pakistan would continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.
Munir (穆尼尔) said that Pakistan is willing to deepen and expand pragmatic cooperation with China in various fields, will make every effort to combat terrorism, and protect Chinese friends in Pakistan.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 25th (Xinhua) -- On July 25th, Zheng Jianbang (郑建邦), Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, met in Beijing with a study group of leaders from the Conference of Latin American Political Parties (COPPPAL), led by Vice President Olgerd. Both sides expressed their willingness to work together to promote all-round cooperation between China and Latin America to a new level and jointly build a China-Latin America community with a shared future.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 25th (Xinhua) – On July 25th, Wu Weihua (武维华), Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, met with a delegation led by Illa (伊利亚), Secretary of the Socialist Party of Catalonia and President of the Catalan Regional Government, at the Great Hall of the People. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and deepening cooperation between China and Spain in various fields.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Singapore, July 25th (Reporters Cai Shuya (蔡蜀亚) and Liu Chuntao (刘春涛)) From July 23rd to 24th, Liu Jianchao (刘建超), Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央对外联络部), led a CPC delegation to visit Singapore. He met and exchanged views with Singapore's People's Action Party (人民行动党) Secretary-General and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黄循财), Assistant Secretary-General of the People's Action Party, Coordinating Minister for Public Service, and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing (陈振声), Chairman of the People's Action Party and Minister for Education, Chan Chun Sing (李智陞), Chairman of the People's Action Party Policy Forum and Minister for National Development Desmond Lee (徐芳达), Central Executive Committee member of the People's Action Party and Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs, Sun Xueling (沈颖), and visited community service centers and Nanyang Technological University (南洋理工大学), and observed new parliamentarians interacting with voters.
Both sides expressed their commitment to implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthening political dialogue, deepening party-to-party exchanges, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, and injecting more stability and certainty into the world through the development of China-Singapore relations.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, San José, July 24 (Reporters Zhai Shurui (翟淑睿) and Li Mengxin (李梦馨)) From July 23 to 24, 2025, Ma Hui (马辉), Deputy Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央对外联络部), led a delegation of the Communist Party of China (中共代表团) to visit Costa Rica, meeting with Costa Rican Foreign Minister André Tinoco (安德烈), Costa Rican Deputy Foreign Minister Peralta (佩拉尔塔), Secretary-General of the Latin American Social Sciences Institute (拉美社科院) Lemos (莱莫斯), and attending a seminar on the tenth anniversary of the China-Costa Rica strategic partnership. Ma Hui (马辉) stated that China values its relationship with Costa Rica and is willing to strengthen dialogue and exchanges to promote the healthy development of bilateral relations. The Costa Rican side reiterated its adherence to the one-China principle and its willingness to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Return to TopBeijing, July 25 (Reporter Li Ming (李明) and Li Mo (李墨)) The Boao Forum for Asia Global Health Forum 2025 Beijing Conference was held from the 24th to 25th. The conference was jointly hosted by the Boao Forum for Asia (博鳌亚洲论坛) and the Beijing Municipal People's Government (北京市人民政府), with the theme of "The New Future of the Health Industry Driven by Innovation." More than 300 people, including government officials, heads of international organizations, entrepreneurs, scholars, ambassadors to China, and Chinese and foreign media representatives from 34 countries and regions, attended the conference.
Return to TopAccording to a report from our Nanning (南宁) office on July 25th (Reporter Pang Geping (庞革平)), the 2025 China-ASEAN Financial Exchange Conference was held in Nanning (南宁) from July 23rd to 24th.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 金 歆
On July 24th, the 2025 World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum opened in Quanzhou (泉州), Fujian (福建). The theme of this forum is "Digital Intelligence Maritime Silk Road, Embracing the Future Together - Working Together to Build a Community of Common Destiny in Cyberspace." More than 600 guests from 49 countries and regions around the world and 13 international organizations attended the conference.
At the forum, guests from all walks of life stated that the construction of the Digital Silk Road is based on the present and concerns the future. All countries should deepen digital exchanges and cooperation to contribute wisdom and strength to jointly building a community of common destiny in cyberspace.
Upholding the Silk Road Spirit
Promoting Exchanges and Cooperation
Digital Silk Road cooperation has become a new highlight in practicing the Global Development Initiative and promoting "Belt and Road" cooperation. China and countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" uphold the Silk Road spirit, strengthen the alignment of digital development strategies, and promote exchanges in various fields.
"The 'Belt and Road' Initiative helps achieve common prosperity in the world." Si Han (斯寒), President of Greater China at the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), said at the main forum, "We have a unique opportunity to jointly shape a more interconnected and inclusive digital future. Let us continue to work together to unleash the infinite potential of digital cooperation."
"Openness is conducive to interaction, peace, and the development and innovation of technology." Francis Gurry (弗朗西斯·高锐), Vice Chairman of the World Internet Conference and former Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, said that China's advocacy of the open-source model and its innovative methods in data rights and data exchange will help share the construction of virtual information and expertise, and avoid the expansion of the digital divide.
Martin Charles (马丁·查尔斯), Dominica's Ambassador to China, said that international cooperation should be used to narrow the digital divide between developing countries and move towards the correct direction of jointly building a community of common destiny in cyberspace.
"By gathering consensus and pooling strength, we will surely be able to meet the challenges of the times and transform maritime routes and digital networks into true bridges of development, cooperation, and peace." Soufiane Hamiche (苏夫扬·哈米希), Tunisian Minister of Communication Technologies, said that Tunisia will work with its partners to jointly promote inclusive and sustainable digital interconnection, consolidate the foundation of trust and security in cyberspace, and jointly create a more prosperous, united, and innovative future.
Relying on Digital Intelligence Technology
Promoting Quality Development
A new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, and the development trend of digitalization, networking, and intelligence is becoming more prominent. Developing the Digital Silk Road is of great significance. At the forum, participating guests discussed new technologies and new developments.
"Artificial intelligence (AI) is undoubtedly one of the technologies that companies are most concerned about now." Chen Xudong (陈旭东), Chairman and General Manager of IBM (China) Co., Ltd., said that as a leading global enterprise-level AI company, he hopes to help other companies seize the innovation opportunities brought by AI.
Fang Rong (方榕), Chairman of ZTE Corporation (中兴通讯), said that Chinese companies have accumulated rich experience in digital infrastructure construction and digital transformation, and can provide "Belt and Road" co-construction countries with technologically leading and cost-effective "Chinese solutions" for digital transformation and upgrading. All countries can deepen cooperation, actively promote mutual recognition, interconnection, joint construction, and joint governance of technologies, and jointly explore digital development paths that meet their needs based on local conditions.
"Digital intelligence technology is not only a technological revolution, but also the core engine for improving the quality and efficiency of the real economy." Liu Junjie (刘俊杰), Chairman of Yizhi Technology (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. (一智科技（成都）有限公司), shared his experience in digital intelligence innovation in the construction field at the main forum. "Only by promoting industrial transformation and upgrading through digital intelligence technology and fostering new models and new momentum can the construction industry achieve high-quality development."
At this forum, the World Internet Conference Think Tank Cooperation Program released several new achievements. Among them, Wei Chenguang (魏晨光), Deputy Dean of the China Mobile Research Institute (中国移动研究院), released the report "Gathering the Power of AI Co-Governance to Help the Development of the Digital Silk Road." The report recommends: strengthening technical cooperation to promote the transfer and sharing of technology; promoting the joint construction of infrastructure to promote the joint construction of intelligent computing centers, cloud computing platforms, and network infrastructure; strengthening policy and standard coordination, strengthening communication and cooperation, and jointly promoting cross-border data flow and the coordinated promotion of AI standards in the industry.
Improving the Governance System
Maintaining Cybersecurity
Building a sound global internet governance system and building a secure cyberspace are the common aspirations of all sectors. The participating guests believe that we should adhere to managing and governing the internet according to law and jointly improve the ability to maintain cybersecurity. We should respect the cyber sovereignty of all countries and jointly improve the global internet governance system.
In recent years, China has proposed the "Global Data Security Initiative" and the "Global Initiative on Data Security" (《全球数据安全倡议》《全球数据跨境流动合作倡议》), etc. At the opening ceremony of the forum, Zhao Houlin (赵厚麟), former Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, said that this provides important ideas for formulating global digital rules and contributes "Chinese wisdom" and "Chinese solutions" to establishing a rules-based international digital order. He looks forward to all countries deepening dialogue, building consensus, and coordinating actions on the basis of mutual trust to jointly promote the global digital rules system towards a more fair, reasonable, inclusive, and universally beneficial direction.
Also as a new achievement of the World Internet Conference Think Tank Cooperation Program, the "Practice and Prospects of Antitrust Law in the Global Digital Economy Field" released at the forum attracted attention. Huang Zhixiong (黄志雄), Dean of the Institute of Internet Governance at Wuhan University (武汉大学网络治理研究院), who released the report, said that we are jointly witnessing and participating in the reshaping of the antitrust system in the digital economy field in the 21st century. Through exchanges and discussions, everyone will surely be able to jointly promote the construction of a more fair, open, and dynamic new order in the global digital economy.
Zhang Donggang (张东刚), Secretary of the Party Committee of Renmin University of China (中国人民大学), said that Renmin University of China will host the Global Rule of Law Conference in the AI era, focusing on digital technology, artificial intelligence and justice, artificial intelligence intellectual property rights, and other fields to conduct in-depth discussions, and work together to contribute solutions, wisdom, and talent to global artificial intelligence governance.
In the AI era, risks and security issues are common global challenges. In this regard, Zhou Hongyi (周鸿祎), founder of 360 Group (360集团), said that cybersecurity in the AI era requires more global collaboration. 360 is willing to contribute its strength to help build a community of common destiny in cyberspace.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 张志锋
On July 22nd, the Great Heat solar term. The Anhui Grand Theatre auditorium became an "examination hall" for the Anhui Province Science and Technology-based Export-oriented Enterprise High-Quality Development Exchange and Promotion Conference, where 800 enterprise leaders centrally conducted a satisfaction evaluation of more than 30 provincial departments.
Anhui recently released its economic semi-annual report, with an economic growth rate higher than the same period last year, with both highlights and difficulties.
Since the in-depth implementation of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation and the launch of learning and education, Anhui has carried out actions to improve work style, visit enterprises and enter villages, listen to the real voices of enterprises, solve the practical difficulties of enterprises, further build a cordial and clean relationship between government and business, and promote development effectiveness with changes in work style.
With the "14th Five-Year Plan" coming to a close, how did the cadres perform in the first half of the year? How to continue to advance work and promote development in the second half of the year? Anhui held this exchange and promotion conference.
How well the cadres perform is judged by the service recipients—
At the exchange and promotion conference, eight enterprise representatives took the stage one by one.
"The provincial and municipal service teams provide personalized services to help enterprises cope with multiple pressures. It prompts us to cultivate a sense of national pride and empower multiple industries across the country with 'Artificial Intelligence+'." Liu Qingfeng (刘庆峰), head of iFlytek (科大讯飞), said, drawing rounds of applause.
"The government's dedicated help and energetic service have further boosted our confidence as private enterprises to concentrate on our work and be bold in our endeavors," said Xia Yingsong (夏迎松), head of Anhui Zhongding (安徽中鼎).
"In response to the actual difficulties of enterprises, the government supports enterprises to jointly conduct technological breakthroughs in energy storage, hydrogen energy, and other technologies with upstream and downstream research institutes to solve problems together," said Cao Renxian (曹仁贤), head of Sungrow Power Supply (阳光电源).
"I hope to help solve the old problems of difficult and expensive financing, give more 'timely rain' and less 'post-event remedies'." "Unpaid debts cannot be recovered, and enterprises face great financial pressure..." "Preferential policies for enterprises should have fewer transit stations and reach them as soon as possible." Some entrepreneurs spoke bluntly.
Enterprise representatives talked about confidence, difficulties, and suggestions. The main responsible comrade of the Hefei (合肥) Municipal Government stated on the spot: It is necessary to insist on turning the change of work style from document requirements into the real effectiveness felt by enterprises. "Find the reasons from the work style and cure 'acute diseases' and 'chronic diseases'. Overcome the fear of difficulties and come up with more tough and practical measures," said the relevant person in charge of the Wuhu (芜湖) Municipal Party Committee.
In response to the urgent needs and concerns of enterprises, Anhui recently introduced a series of measures to promote the high-quality development of science and technology-based export-oriented enterprises, and the relevant person in charge of the provincial government interpreted them on the spot as "sincere, precise, pragmatic, and effective."
After the exchange, enterprise leaders conducted a satisfaction evaluation of more than 30 provincial departments involved in enterprises and workers. The questionnaire was densely packed on two pages, divided into three levels: "good," "average," and "not good enough."
Enterprise leaders scored on the spot and put the evaluation forms into the ballot box. The evaluation took more than 20 minutes. Faced with the evaluation, some department cadres had serious expressions, and some frowned...
"Subsequently, the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department and the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervision Commission will use and supervise the evaluation results, and commend those responsible persons of relevant departments who should be commended, criticize those who should be criticized, and adjust those who should be adjusted," the host "knocked on the table" on the spot.
Evaluation by 800 people in the same hall is both pressure and motivation. "It is rare in the past for enterprise leaders to centrally score provincial departments," said one enterprise leader.
How to work in the second half of the year still requires the "key minority" to demonstrate and lead the "vast majority"—
"Provincial leaders take the lead in visiting enterprises and entering villages. I only found out when they came and where they went afterward," a municipal party secretary mentioned. A provincial party committee leader went to Qimen County (祁门县) and other places for research, without prior notice, randomly choosing an expressway exit to get off, and visited enterprises, villages, and roadside people. When the research reached lunchtime, they went to the enterprise cafeteria to pay for their own meals and sat around with employees to chat.
"Now, when I look for leaders to report the situation, they come to my door before I go to them." "The speed at which the Party Committee and government solve problems is faster than the speed at which we debug equipment." The front line of enterprises praised repeatedly.
During the investigation, a car company in Wuhu (芜湖) reflected that "local logistics support is insufficient and transportation costs are high." Wuhu City (芜湖市) coordinated and formulated a "land-water-rail" logistics solution, opening up a new channel to the sea, which can reduce logistics costs for enterprises by nearly 40 million yuan per year.
Eliminate "one problem" and solve "a class of problems." While solving problems with one policy for each enterprise, Anhui Province has sorted out 13 categories of common problems, and cities and counties have identified a batch of problems, which are systematically solved through institutional and mechanism reforms. In response to problems such as multi-department law enforcement, Anhui has fully promoted the "one-time comprehensive inspection" reform, integrating 122 inspection items into 24 joint inspection items.
With hard work as the top priority, strive for excellence and compete for the first. "The whole province is of one mind, working together, and fighting together. Grasp work style construction with one hand and development with the other, grasp both hands together, and create a new situation in high-quality development with new achievements in work style construction," said the main responsible comrade of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee.
Observe the real situation, solve problems, and promote development. As of now, more than 10,000 leading cadres at all levels in Anhui have visited more than 25,000 enterprises, with a problem resolution rate of 96.6%; for those that cannot be solved temporarily, efforts are also made to communicate and follow up.
Return to TopThis newspaper reported from Chongqing on July 25th (重庆): The 33rd National Book Expo, hosted by the National Press and Publication Administration (国家新闻出版署) and organized by the Chongqing Municipal People's Government (重庆市人民政府), opened in Chongqing (重庆) on July 25th. It brings together over a million kinds of quality books online and offline, including about 100,000 new books.
The theme of this Book Expo is "Scholarly China·The Beauty of Reading." More than 1,000 units from provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across the country are participating in the exhibition, focusing on publicizing and popularizing the Party's innovative theories, disseminating outstanding Chinese traditional culture, promoting high-quality publishing content, promoting in-depth interaction between readers and authors, and creating a strong atmosphere in the whole society of loving to read, reading good books, and being good at reading.
This Book Expo features exhibition areas such as the "Light of Truth - Exhibition of Publishing Achievements of the Party's Innovative Theories," "Reading China - National Exhibition of Fine Books," and "Exhibition of Outstanding Achievements of the National Social Science Fund."
During the period, nearly a thousand reading and cultural activities such as the "Reader Conference" and the "Red Sofa" series of interviews will be held; publishing and distribution units will be organized to carry out e-commerce live broadcast interaction to promote new and good books.
Focusing on inheriting outstanding Chinese traditional culture, this Book Expo will hold the "Old Books, New Knowledge" theme exhibition, providing intangible cultural heritage experience and old book evaluation and exchange services; organize the "Millennial Charm - Exhibition of Chinese Grotto Temple Publishing Works," using VR technology to allow the audience to tour the Dazu Rock Carvings (大足石刻), Dunhuang Grottoes (敦煌石窟) and other cultural heritage sites in the cloud, display related publications and works, and enable modern publishing to empower the inheritance of millennial cultural heritage.
This Book Expo will last until July 28 and is open to readers for free. Readers can apply for benefit-the-people book purchase coupons and enjoy discounts on on-site book purchases. The Book Expo also provides a series of preferential measures in terms of book mailing.
Return to TopThe mountain road winds, and the stream flows gently. Deep in the Xibai Mountain (西白山) in Shengzhou (嵊州), Zhejiang (浙江) province, the houses are densely arranged, with white walls and red tiles complementing the green mountains and trees. This is Xiaokun Village (小昆村) in Changle Town (长乐镇). The village has a long history and profound cultural heritage and is listed in the fifth batch of Chinese traditional villages.
To promote the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside, the village collective has set its sights on the path of "ecological revitalization of the village, cultural tourism to enrich the people" and is developing cultural tourism resources. The steep mountain road that once restricted development has been widened and hardened into a "road to prosperity" connecting the village; idle farmhouses have been renovated and transformed into homestays that retain the ancient charm of wooden beams and are equipped with modern facilities. The ancient opera stage sings the rural Yue Opera League, and the newly built camping site welcomes batches of stargazers... Xiaokun Village (小昆村), which was once silent, is now焕发新活力 (huàn fā xīn huó lì - "radiate new vitality," to regain vigor and vitality), and more and more tourists are coming to experience the "pillow mountain listen to the stream" life.
Photography and report by Zhang Yongtao (章勇涛) (People's Vision)
Return to TopThe eighth China International Import Expo will be held in Shanghai from November 5th to 10th this year, according to a report from our newspaper on July 25th in Shanghai (Reporter Tian Hong (田泓), Luo Shanshan (罗珊珊)). The reporter learned from the press conference of the eighth China International Import Expo on the 25th that all preparatory work is progressing smoothly. More than 50 countries and international organizations have confirmed their participation in the National Comprehensive Exhibition; the contracted exhibition area for the Enterprise Business Exhibition has exceeded 330,000 square meters, and 170 companies and 27 institutions have become "full attendance" participants in all eight sessions.
Wu Zhengping (吴政平), Party Secretary and Deputy Director of the China International Import Expo Bureau, introduced that Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and other countries will serve as guest countries of honor at the eighth CIIE National Comprehensive Exhibition, and Kyrgyzstan will participate for the first time. New themes of cooperation between domestic and foreign friendly cities have been added to carefully create distinctive joint booths, building a comprehensive display platform for Chinese and foreign friendly cities.
The Enterprise Business Exhibition will set up a special zone for products from the least developed countries for the first time, further expanding and upgrading the original African product zone. At the same time, cooperation with foreign provinces and cities will be expanded, and Saskatchewan (萨斯喀彻温省), Canada, Almaty (阿拉木图市), Kazakhstan, and others will be stationed for the first time. In terms of curatorial services, a special line and functional area for exploring new product launches will be planned to support exhibitors in amplifying the effectiveness of their participation through online live broadcasts; a "Cross-border E-commerce Selection Platform" will be created for the first time to carry out special promotions, professional matchmaking, and on-site live broadcasts for participating companies.
The eighth Hongqiao International Economic Forum will continue to release the "World Openness Report" and the latest "World Openness Index," and organize several forum activities according to sections such as "Revitalizing Multilateral Cooperation," "Digital Intelligence Empowerment," "Green and Sustainable Development," and "A More Open China."
Supporting activities and cultural exchange activities have begun to be widely solicited. Supporting activities include policy interpretation, industry seminars, investment promotion, matchmaking and signing, and product releases. The cultural exchange activities will add a new "Charming Friendly City" display area.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 25th. The Office of the National Disaster Reduction Committee (国家防灾减灾救灾委员会办公室) and the Ministry of Emergency Management (应急管理部) on the 25th, together with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (国家粮食和物资储备局), urgently allocated 23,000 items of central disaster relief supplies, including folding beds and towel quilts, to support Hebei (河北) and Shaanxi (陕西) in their emergency relocation and disaster relief efforts for affected people.
It is reported that since the 24th, heavy rainfall has occurred in many places, including Baoding (保定) and Chengde (承德) in Hebei Province (河北省), and Yulin (榆林) and Yan'an (延安) in Shaanxi Province (陕西省), triggering floods.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者
Since the in-depth implementation of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation, various regions and departments have implemented precise policies, and through solid learning, in-depth investigation, and immediate rectification, they have educated and guided the vast number of young cadres to temper their excellent work style and demonstrate their responsibility.
Persist in Unremitting Learning
Consolidate the Foundation of Thought
Learning, investigation, and rectification are promoted in an integrated manner, with learning as the foundation. Only by learning deeply can the investigation be more accurate and the rectification be more thorough. For young cadres who are at a critical period of growth and development, it is particularly important to strengthen theoretical learning and consolidate the foundation of thought.
Various regions and departments have educated and guided the vast number of young cadres to read the original works, study the original texts, and understand the principles, and continuously enhance their political consciousness, ideological consciousness, and action consciousness in implementing the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation and its implementation rules.
"Strengthen Party spirit cultivation, strictly abide by rules and discipline, and internalize the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation in the heart and externalize it in action..." Opening the notebook of Li Changxin (李昌欣), a selected student in the Asset Management Department of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Finance (北京市财政局), keywords such as "living a 'tight life'," "careful calculation," and "practicing thrift" are circled among the dense handwriting, with annotations and心得体会 (xīn dé tǐ huì - "understanding and experience," personal reflections and insights).
Beijing (北京市) takes the in-depth study of Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on strengthening the Party's work style construction as an important part of the initial training for selected students. By setting up special courses and organizing the viewing of warning education films, it educates and guides young cadres to consciously temper a good work style.
The Ministry of Education (教育部) relies on nearly 400 youth theoretical study groups to organize young cadres of directly affiliated organs to carry out more than 800 collective studies, deepening the study and understanding of the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speeches and the Party Central Committee's decision-making and deployment.
The Central Party School (National Academy of Governance) (中央党校（国家行政学院）) organized students in the middle-aged and young cadres class to deeply study the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speeches, held a special organizational life meeting on Party spirit analysis, and carried out solid Party spirit education.
The National Energy Administration (国家能源局) compiled and printed relevant learning materials to help young cadres learn from cases, strictly abide by the bottom line of discipline at all times, and transform "lessons seen in the eyes" into "awe engraved in the heart."
The Bank of China (中国银行) organized youth lecturer groups and youth theoretical study groups to carry out learning, and promoted young cadres to continue to work hard in deepening, internalizing, and transforming. Make good use of red resources such as Party spirit education bases, combine with promoting the financial culture with Chinese characteristics, carry out characteristic activities, and draw strength from the Party's history and excellent traditional Chinese culture.
In June of this year, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology (浙江省科技厅) held a warning education meeting for young cadres, guiding young cadres to adhere to principles and strictly abide by discipline. Since the launch of the learning and education campaign, Zhejiang Province (浙江省) has organized "Youth Talking about Work Style" activities, focusing on studying General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on strengthening the Party's work style construction and the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation and its implementation rules to talk about experiences, and promote young cadres to temper an excellent work style.
In order to strengthen warning education, Zhaotong City (昭通市), Yunnan Province (云南省), organized more than 900 young cadres to participate in public court trials in the court, turning the trial site into a warning classroom. "The cases around us warn us to withstand temptation, manage small details, and take every step in life well." After attending the trial of the case, Yang Yang (杨阳), deputy mayor of Guozhu Yi Ethnic Township (果珠彝族乡), Zhenxiong County (镇雄县), Zhaotong City (昭通市), said.
Strict and Realistic Investigation
Deeply Excavate the Root of the Problem
Focus on investigating problems and rectifying problems, and carry out solid learning and education. Various regions and departments actively organized young cadres in capital-intensive, resource-rich fields and key positions such as law enforcement and discipline inspection, management of people, finances, and materials to list post risk points in light of actual conditions, and strictly and realistically investigate problems.
The National Healthcare Security Administration (国家医疗保障局) organized young cadres in key positions to sort out and investigate 61 risk points, and formulated more than 100 targeted prevention measures; organized young cadres to give speeches, talk about business, and make suggestions on the reform of medical insurance policies, and took the lead in the formulation of innovative drug catalogs, drug and consumables centralized procurement reform, and other work, and continuously improved Party spirit cultivation and tempered ability and skills.
China Construction Bank (中国建设银行) formulated 10 measures to strengthen the learning and education of young cadres around three aspects: learning and discussion, problem investigation and rectification, and practical training, and issued relevant notices to urge young cadres to compare themselves with self-reflection, draw inferences about other cases, be strict with themselves, and take responsibility.
Jiangsu Province (江苏省) randomly reviewed the list of problems of young cadres in the leading bodies of various regions and units, carefully reviewed them, and corrected them in a timely manner. Shuyang County (沭阳县), Suqian City (宿迁市), found that some young cadres had an unrealistic work style and lacked the awareness of actively serving the masses by reviewing the list of problems investigated. To this end, Shuyang County (沭阳县) actively promoted young cadres to go to the front line. At present, more than 1,800 young cadres in the county have registered in the community and carried out a series of volunteer service activities to effectively solve the urgent and difficult problems of the masses.
State Grid Corporation of China (国家电网有限公司) led young cadres to strengthen learning and deeply investigate their own problems. Pinghu City Power Supply Company (平湖市供电公司), State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co., Ltd. (国网浙江省电力有限公司), launched warning education films such as "Under the Window" and high-quality courses for the clean government education lecturer group, and organized court hearings to integrate warning education into daily life and grasp it regularly. Ren Wenqian (任雯倩), a relevant staff member of the company, said: "We have supervised young cadres to investigate and rectify 35 problems such as inaction and slow action, and formulated 13 measures through self-searching, mutual assistance, mass suggestions, and open listening."
Rectify with Real Action
Strengthen Practical Responsibility
The investigation of problems should be real, and the rectification measures should be practical to ensure that practical results are achieved. Various regions and departments have educated and guided young cadres to actively improve their work style and transform the results of learning and education into practical actions to promote high-quality development and serve the masses.
Recently, an artificial intelligence industry chain leading enterprise in Wuhou District (武侯区), Chengdu City (成都市), Sichuan Province (四川省), encountered difficulties in applying for a policy-based fund project. After learning about the situation, Han Zheng (韩政), deputy director of the Digital Promotion Department of the Chengdu Municipal Development and Reform Commission (成都市发展改革委), led a team to visit the company many times and carefully helped to solve the problem. "When I first arrived at this position, there were also shortcomings in my work style. The organization talked to me at the first time. This made me deeply realize that I must establish a correct view of achievements for the benefit of the people and be willing to be a 'shopkeeper' who serves enterprises and promotes the development of the private economy." Han Zheng (韩政) said.
Since the launch of the learning and education campaign, Chengdu City (成都市) has seized the three key stages of young cadres' first job, first middle-level position, and first entry into the leadership team, strengthened the Party organization's education, training, management, and supervision responsibilities, and vigorously cultivated a good work style of doing business and starting a business.
Various regions and departments have urged young cadres to consciously find the root causes and grasp rectification from the ideological concepts, work style, and leadership methods, adhere to promoting responsibility and promoting career development as the focus and foothold of carrying out learning and education, and educate and guide young cadres to consciously abide by rules and discipline and boldly do business and start a business.
The Shanghai Municipal Party Committee (上海市委) held a learning and education special seminar demonstration class to train more than 300 newly promoted cadres, young cadres, and key position cadres at the bureau level and above, and carried out in-depth activities of "learning thought, strengthening work style, and building new achievements," and transformed the effectiveness of work style construction into a spirit of being the first and striving for the first. Among them, Shanghai (上海) focused on cutting-edge fields such as quantum technology and brain-computer interfaces, selected outstanding young cadres to serve as project managers, and took the lead in solving problems in major tasks such as improving the energy level of the three leading industries and building a world-class advanced manufacturing cluster, and handed over a new answer sheet of practical achievements in daring to act and being good at acting.
The General Administration of Customs (海关总署) focused on the difficulties and blockages in customs duties and trade, port customs clearance, etc., selected young cadres to go to the front line of the port to study, customized "one enterprise, one policy, one file" support programs for import and export enterprises, and guided young cadres to take the initiative in helping enterprises to relieve difficulties, optimize customs clearance services, and ensure the overall situation of foreign trade development.
More than 5,700 young cadres of China Life Insurance (Group) Company (中国人寿保险（集团）公司) and its member units walked out of the office and went deep into the grassroots level, and jointly conducted research with government departments, peer institutions, universities, and research institutes, focusing on solving the urgent and difficult problems of the masses, and formed more than 1,400 topics. Through research, young cadres put forward a series of hard and practical measures to promote the company to enrich the supply of financial products such as pension and health.
(Reporters Geng Lei (耿磊), Wang Haonan (王昊男), Wu Dan (吴丹), He Zhaoyu (何昭宇), Ding Yiting (丁怡婷), Ouyang Jie (欧阳洁), Dou Hao (窦皓), Yang Wenming (杨文明), Sun Xiuyan (孙秀艳), Wu Qiuyu (吴秋余), Bai Guangdi (白光迪), You Yi (游仪), Cao Lingjuan (曹玲娟), Qu Xinming (屈信明) of this newspaper)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 孟祥夫 宋 飞 环球时报记者 李迅典
In the height of summer, driving along the Yarlung Tsangpo River (雅鲁藏布江) bank road into Zhanang County (扎囊县), Shannan City (山南市), Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治区), green trees, clear water, and blue sky reflect each other in a beautiful scene. Not far away, automatic irrigation equipment is watering the trees, drawing beautiful arcs.
Once, this place was covered in yellow sand. Every winter and spring, the riverbeds were exposed, and sandstorms raged. The elders recall that the crops they planted were always buried in the sand or blown away by strong winds. Through the continuous efforts of local cadres and the masses, sand control has brought a good ecology and has also become a "way to prosperity" for residents to increase their income.
Improving the Land Locally, Fragrant Fruits and Vegetables in the Sandy Land
In Zhangda Village (章达村), Aza Township (阿扎乡), Zhanang County (扎囊县), in modern greenhouses, asparagus nearly one person tall is growing vigorously in the "quicksand land."
Why can asparagus thrive here? It turns out that this is not ordinary sandy soil. Lvzhiyuan Modern Agriculture Technology Co., Ltd. (绿之源现代农业科技有限公司), the operator of the greenhouses, uses the abundant local cow and sheep manure to improve the sandy soil. After years of intensive cultivation, the shifting sand land has become fertile soil suitable for crop growth.
Yu Ying (喻莹), general manager of the company's Tibet (西藏) business division, introduced that more than 1,200 mu of desertified land has been improved, and 18 smart glass greenhouses and multi-span greenhouses and 20 picking sheds have been built. Multiple varieties of fruits and vegetables, such as asparagus, netted melon, and pepper, suitable for planting in Tibet (西藏), have been domesticated and screened.
With the company's development and growth, surrounding villagers can work and earn money at their doorsteps. After working at the company, village woman Zhuoma (卓玛) learned techniques such as seedling cultivation, transplanting, pruning, and harvesting from technicians and grew into a supervisor. "We are employed nearby, which allows us to earn money and take care of our families," Zhuoma (卓玛) said with great enthusiasm.
"Every day, more than 50 employees work in the greenhouses. We drive the income increase of 380 local farmers, with an average household income increase of 20,000 yuan," said Yu Ying (喻莹). The company will continue to improve the sandy land so that green development can benefit more people.
Introducing Improved Varieties, Red Apples on the Branches
In Langsailing Village (朗塞岭村), Zhaqi Township (扎其乡), Zhanang County (扎囊县), in the 4,000-mu dwarfed apple base, apples are hanging full of branches, and the fragrance of fruit is overflowing.
Four years ago, to prevent wind and control sand, Zhanang County (扎囊县) invested 545 million yuan to introduce dwarfed apples suitable for growing in river valley sandy land in Langsailing Village (朗塞岭村), Zhaqi Township (扎其乡), and Luocun Village (洛村), Sangye Town (桑耶镇), with a planting area of over 10,000 mu.
"The climate here is unique, with strong ultraviolet rays, and the anthocyanin and fructose content of the apples are very high, so there is no need to spray pesticides," said Li Shiyin (李世银), technical director of Zhanang County Grain and Oil Company (扎囊县粮油公司). After the apples are on the market, they are very popular, with 30% sold locally, 40% sold outside the region, and 30% exported overseas.
As the apples turn red, the villagers' lives become sweeter. During the peak season for labor, as many as 400 villagers work in Langsailing Village (朗塞岭村). "Each person earns 190 yuan per day, and almost every household in the village has someone working here," said Li Shiyin (李世银).
Suolang Renzeng (索朗仁增) chose to return to his hometown to work after graduating from Jinling Institute of Technology (金陵科技学院) in Nanjing (南京), Jiangsu (江苏), learning orchard management from technicians. "I chose to come back because I am familiar with the environment here and can better take care of my family," said Suolang Renzeng (索朗仁增).
Each apple tree is also a barrier to prevent wind and fix sand. "In the past, there were nearly six months of sandstorms. As soon as you went out, sand would get straight into your hair," said Lasang (拉桑), general manager of Zhanang County Grain and Oil Company (扎囊县粮油公司). Now that the sandstorms have receded, it is more convenient for the masses to produce and live.
The dwarfed apple planting area in Shannan City (山南市) is currently about 30,000 mu, with an annual output of nearly 3,000 tons, driving more than 600 fruit farmers in 3 counties to increase their income and become rich. "The lush fruit trees are a treasure of this land," said Lasang (拉桑) with deep feeling.
Planting Trees and Afforestation, Lush Greenery in the River Valley
In the 1960s, a saying circulated in the Longzi River Valley (隆子河谷), Longzi County (隆子县): "As soon as you speak, the sand on your body will fall off." At that time, sandstorms raged here for nearly 8 months of the year.
In 1964, Langzong (朗宗), then the head of Xinba Township (新巴乡), Longzi County (隆子县), led the masses to try planting five kinds of seedlings, including willow, poplar, and sea buckthorn. In the end, only sea buckthorn survived. In 1965, Longzi County (隆子县) began to promote sea buckthorn planting, which has been going on for 60 years, building a sea buckthorn forest stretching more than 40 kilometers and covering more than 50 square kilometers in the Longzi River Valley (隆子河谷), known as "the world's largest artificially planted contiguous sea buckthorn," becoming a bright ecological calling card.
Today, in the Longzi River Valley (隆子河谷), clear river water flows slowly, and dense sea buckthorn forests spread and extend along the riverbanks. On the shore are green highland barley fields.
"Every year in March and April, we organize cadres and the masses to plant trees voluntarily," said Basang Tsering (巴桑次仁), the county head of Longzi County (隆子县). In the past three years, Longzi County (隆子县) has added more than 6,000 mu of sea buckthorn forest, and the total area of sea buckthorn planting has reached 82,000 mu.
With more trees and less sand, farmers' harvests are better. The former sandy land has become fertile land today—the average yield of black highland barley has increased from more than 300 jin per mu to 650 jin, with an annual output of more than 14,000 tons.
A good ecology cannot be separated from the joint protection of cadres and the masses. Dorje (多布杰) is one of more than 1,500 forest rangers in the Longzi River Valley (隆子河谷) area, guarding the sea buckthorn forest for 22 years. Tree irrigation, pest and disease control, forest fire prevention... patrolling once a week, each time walking for 5 hours. In recent years, Dorje (多布杰) has witnessed the continuous improvement of the ecological environment and always says, "Protect the sea buckthorn seedlings and pay attention to environmental hygiene." "I hope that young people can continue to protect and manage forest and grass resources and adhere to good experiences and practices," said Dorje (多布杰).
How to turn a good ecology and good scenery into "good money prospects"? Basang Tsering (巴桑次仁) introduced that Longzi County (隆子县) is extending the sea buckthorn industrial chain to health products, medicines, cosmetics, and other fields. At the same time, it is cultivating and building the "four blacks" industry of black highland barley, black Tibetan pigs, black Tibetan chickens, and black-and-white dairy cows.
"We want to deeply integrate the 'four blacks' industry with tourism so that tourists can see the sea buckthorn forest, walk the border patrol road, make black highland barley zanba by hand, and taste roasted black Tibetan pork, so that a good ecology can not only beautify the plateau but also fill the pockets of the people," said Basang Tsering (巴桑次仁).
Return to TopThis newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on July 25th (Reporter Qi Yukun (亓玉昆)) - The National People's Congress (全国人大常委会) Standing Committee's Trade Union Law Enforcement Inspection Group held its second plenary meeting on the 25th to study and discuss the draft enforcement inspection report. Wang Dongming (王东明), Zheng Jianbang (郑建邦), and Peng Qinghua (彭清华), all Vice Chairpersons of the National People's Congress (全国人大常委会) Standing Committee, attended.
Wang Dongming (王东明) pointed out that, through the joint efforts of all parties, the enforcement inspection work has achieved phased results. It is necessary to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on the working class and trade union work, thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (中华全国总工会) and the National Model Workers and Advanced Workers Commendation Conference, conscientiously revise and improve the enforcement inspection report, put forward more targeted opinions and suggestions from the legal and institutional level, and do a good job in listening to and deliberating the report, tracking supervision, and rectification and implementation. It is necessary to adhere to the Party's comprehensive leadership over trade union work, give full play to the role of the working class as the main force, adhere to the work orientation of being centered on employees, promote the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Trade Union Law, and promote the high-quality development of trade union work.
Return to TopThis newspaper Changsha (长沙) July 25th (Reporter Ni Yi (倪弋)) From July 22nd to 25th, Xiao Jie (肖捷), Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, led a team to Hunan (湖南) to conduct law enforcement inspections on the Energy Conservation Law. During their stay in Hunan (湖南), the law enforcement inspection team listened to a report on Hunan Province's (湖南省) implementation of the Energy Conservation Law and conducted on-site inspections in Changsha (长沙), Yueyang (岳阳), and Zhuzhou (株洲).
The law enforcement inspection team fully affirmed the achievements made by Hunan (湖南) in organizing and implementing the Energy Conservation Law. Xiao Jie (肖捷) emphasized the need to thoroughly implement Xi Jinping's (习近平) ecological civilization thought and the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments on energy conservation work, to fully and effectively implement the Energy Conservation Law, to focus on energy conservation management in key areas and key energy-consuming units, to actively promote energy-saving technological innovation and the transformation of achievements, to deeply explore the potential for energy conservation and consumption reduction, and to promote greater achievements in energy conservation work. It is necessary to promote energy conservation and carbon reduction work in an integrated manner, adhere to the principle of giving priority to conservation, and accelerate the formation of green production methods and lifestyles. It is necessary to further improve relevant laws and regulations to provide a solid legal guarantee for doing a better job of energy conservation at a higher level and higher quality, and for building a dual control system for carbon emissions.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 李龙伊
Above the vast sky, there is an invisible information "sky net": whether they are border soldiers traveling in the snowy plateau or island garrison soldiers stationed on remote islands, as long as they issue commands with communication equipment, they can use this "sky net" to achieve information "one-click access over thousands of miles."
This information "sky net" that safeguards national security embodies the decades of effort of a satellite communication expert—she is He Yuanzhi (何元智), a researcher at a certain research institute of the Information Support Force (信息支援部队) (pictured, photo by Nie Jinbo (聂金波)).
He Yuanzhi has been deeply involved in the field of satellite communication for more than 30 years. Closely focusing on the urgent needs of war preparedness, she has boldly innovated and worked hard to overcome difficulties, leading her team to independently design, develop, and build a new generation of communication systems, earning one first-class merit citation and four second-class merit citations.
More than 30 years ago, He Yuanzhi was admitted to a military academy with excellent grades. During her studies, she participated in the research and development of a certain type of satellite communication equipment in China.
At that time, there was a huge technological gap between China and developed countries in the field of satellite communication. Above the vast sky, the construction of satellite systems, a vital instrument of the nation, involved unimaginable difficulties, risks, and investments.
The dependence on others for key technologies made He Yuanzhi deeply realize that: "Core technologies cannot be bought, and reliance on imports is unreliable. We must embark on a path of breaking the blockade, self-reliance, and catching up!"
Not long after joining the workforce after graduating with a doctorate, she took the initiative to undertake a pre-research project for a certain system, leading the team to resolutely choose the path of independent innovation, and began the long journey of the scientific research battlefield: the system architecture pursued overall optimization, the technical route adhered to original breakthroughs, the quality standards implemented strict control, and multiple contingency plans were formulated for key links...
Years passed, and seasons changed. Thousands of technical model deductions and system test verifications were conducted, and new technical solutions were conceived even in her sleep. Many nights, she suddenly jumped out of bed and hurriedly picked up a pen to write down inspiration on the drawings.
This "Iron Lady" on the scientific research front led a group of "star chasers," spending more than 10 years overcoming countless technical barriers, cleverly connecting thousands of "information islands," and finally weaving them into a "neural network" connecting heaven and earth.
In order to ensure that the equipment remains reliable in extreme environments, she went to plateaus, islands, deserts, and border areas, trekking to the frontiers of the motherland to verify the equipment's performance on the ground. "The closer we are to the grassroots, the more we can understand the needs of the officers and soldiers, and the closer we are to the battlefield, the more we can know how to win." He Yuanzhi said.
In order to meet the urgent needs of the troops, she was ordered to develop a certain type of system. In the severe winter, at a border post more than 5,000 meters above sea level, severe altitude sickness gave her a splitting headache, and her legs were deeply mired in the snow, making it difficult to move. "The soldiers are already carrying enough weight, we must reduce their burden!" Back in the laboratory, she led the team to work day and night, and finally developed a lightweight and reliable handheld terminal. Seeing the smiles on the soldiers' faces, He Yuanzhi said with emotion: "All the hard work is worth it."
In recent years, He Yuanzhi has led her team to launch an assault on the forefront of cyberspace. She led the team to focus on the operational needs of new domains and new qualities, actively building a cross-domain talent matrix, focusing on discovering professional talents in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and unmanned collaboration.
"Talent is the core engine for the leapfrog development of new quality combat capabilities." He Yuanzhi said with deep feeling. This innovative team carried out collective research on the generation and transformation of new quality combat capabilities. To solve a certain urgent and difficult communication problem, He Yuanzhi proposed a new integrated design scheme.
This scheme has strong technical innovation, high performance requirements, and great implementation difficulty. During the joint test, the team fought continuously for several months, overcoming hundreds of technical problems. Team members recalled: "During that time, we worked more than 16 hours a day, often discussing technical solutions in the early hours of the morning."
What makes He Yuanzhi most proud is that the team has always maintained a clear orientation of "research for war, and tackling key problems for war." In a major mission, she led the team to eat and live with the officers and soldiers of the mission force, fighting side by side. Although her face was tanned and her body was thinner, when she saw that the research results were widely recognized by the officers and soldiers, everyone truly felt the value of "writing papers on the training ground."
This "research-war integration" working model has accelerated the transformation of scientific research results into combat capabilities, and forged a scientific research iron army that understands operations and is determined to win.
Over the years, the innovation team led by He Yuanzhi has completed more than 30 key scientific research projects. The team has successively won 1 first prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, 1 second prize of the National Technology Invention Award, and 4 first prizes of the Military Science and Technology Progress Award, and more than 30 professional and technical backbones have emerged.
The sky is boundless, and the pace never stops. Striving on the new journey of the leapfrog development of the network information system, He Yuanzhi has set a new goal for herself: "To build a highly reliable information 'sky net' to provide strong support for winning battles!"
(Ma Yanru (马艳茹) and Xu Hongyuan (徐弘源) participated in the writing)
Return to TopEntering the summer season, the Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park (张掖七彩丹霞景区) in Gansu Province has ushered in a peak tourist season. In recent years, the scenic area has expanded its tourism products, developing in-depth exploration, low-altitude viewing, and characteristic study tour programs to enrich tourism consumption choices and enhance the tourist experience. The picture shows tourists taking a hot air balloon to view the Danxia landform on July 24.
Photo by Yang Xiao (杨 潇) (Image China)
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Jinan, July 25th (新华社济南7月25日电) The 2025 International Conference on Food Loss and Waste Reduction, co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (农业农村部), the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (国家粮食和物资储备局), and the Shandong Provincial People's Government (山东省人民政府), opened on the 25th in Jinan (济南), Shandong (山东).
Peng Qinghua (彭清华), Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (全国人大常委会), attended the conference and delivered a speech. Peng Qinghua (彭清华) stated in his speech that President Xi Jinping (习近平) personally proposed and promoted the convening of the International Conference on Food Loss and Waste Reduction, leading all parties to form a strong synergy to jointly promote food loss and waste reduction and jointly safeguard world food security. We must gather broader consensus, promote deeper reforms, and strengthen publicity and guidance, so that the awareness of "reducing loss is increasing production, and reducing consumption is increasing income" becomes deeply rooted in people's hearts and transformed into conscious action, contributing to the realization of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the "Zero Hunger, Zero Poverty" goals.
The conference, themed "Technological Innovation Empowers Grain Saving and Loss Reduction, Global Cooperation Promotes Food Security," was attended by approximately 300 guests from political, business, and academic circles both domestically and internationally.
Return to TopThis newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on July 25th (Reporter Li Hongmei (李红梅)) - The China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局) recently released the "Atmospheric Environment Meteorology Bulletin (2024)." The bulletin shows that in 2024, haze and dust weather continued to decrease. The national average number of haze days decreased by 1.8 days compared to 2023, and the number of dust weather processes decreased by 3 compared to 2023. Meteorological conditions were conducive to reducing PM2.5 concentrations.
In 2024, the national average number of haze days was 18.7, a decrease of 3.4 days compared to the average of the past 5 years. In 2024, the PM2.5 meteorological condition assessment index decreased by 3.4% compared to 2023 and 4.1% compared to the average of the past 5 years. In 2024, the national average number of dust days was the same as the average since 2000, with more in the Northwest region. In 2024, there were a total of 14 dust weather processes in China (中国), 3 fewer than in 2023.
In recent years, meteorological departments have continued to provide seamless atmospheric pollution meteorological condition forecasts from short-term to medium- and long-term, and have continued to carry out scientific research on the integrated application of multi-source data and the causes and meteorological climate impacts of atmospheric pollution.
Return to TopBy: 新华社记者 贺书琛
In Arong Banner (阿荣旗), Hulunbuir (呼伦贝尔) City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (内蒙古自治区), the Anti-Japanese Heroes Park (抗联英雄园) has lush pine trees, and a bronze statue stands majestically. This bronze statue depicts the scene of Feng Zhigang (冯治纲), a famous general of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army (东北抗联), leading his troops in a charge. In 1940, on this land of Arong Banner (阿荣旗), Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) sacrificed his life in a fierce battle with the Japanese army at the young age of 32.
"There is an Anti-Japanese General Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) who led his cavalry on the Long March. He drove out the Japanese invaders to defend his hometown, and his bravery and skill in battle are well-known." Feng Lixia (冯丽霞), a guide at the Hulunbuir Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army Memorial Hall (呼伦贝尔东北抗联纪念馆), created a song based on the deeds of the martyrs, using the song to commemorate this famous commander of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army (东北抗日联军).
Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) was born in 1908 in Jilin (吉林) Province and grew up in Tangyuan (汤原) County, Heilongjiang (黑龙江) Province. After the September 18th Incident (九一八事变) in 1931, Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) returned to his hometown to farm and later worked in a local gold mine. The following year, Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) and his elder brother Feng Zhiguo (冯治国) joined the mine protection team and used the gold mine's firearms to fight against the enemy. At this time, the mine protection team had already established contact with the Tangyuan Guerrilla (汤原游击队) led by the Chinese Communist Party (中国共产党).
In 1934, after a fierce battle, few members of the mine protection team remained. Feng Zhiguo (冯治国) sacrificed his life, and Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) organized the remaining forces to form the Wenwu Team (文武队) to fight against the Japanese and puppet troops. This team used the Red Army's discipline as its rules and regulations and developed into a fighting force of more than 60 people in one year.
In the autumn of 1935, the Wenwu Team (文武队) joined the Tangyuan Guerrilla General Team (汤原游击总队), and Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) served as the captain of the central team. In the Lesser Khingan Mountains (小兴安岭) area, Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) and others拔伪军据点、缴敌军枪械, constantly strengthened the armed forces behind enemy lines. In January of the following year, the Tangyuan Guerrilla General Team (汤原游击总队) was reorganized into the Sixth Army (第六军) of the Northeast People's Revolutionary Army (东北人民革命军), and Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) served as the commander of the Third Regiment. Under the leadership of Army Commander Xia Yunjie (夏云杰), this unit successively achieved victories in many battles such as "Outwitting Lao Qian Gui (智取老钱柜)," "Surprise Attack on Hegang Coal Mine (奇袭鹤岗煤矿)," "Intercepting Japanese Trains (拦截日军火车)," and "Ambush at Yin Family Courtyard (伏击尹家大院)." Feng Zhigang (冯治纲), who was intelligent and brave, repeatedly made outstanding achievements.
In June 1936, Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) officially joined the Chinese Communist Party (中国共产党), tempering his faith in the flames of war and becoming the Chief of Staff of the Sixth Army (第六军) of the Northeast People's Revolutionary Army (东北人民革命军). Under the enemy's "comb-style" multi-service intensive encirclement and suppression, Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) led his team to brave the cold wind, endure hunger, and break through the encirclement, like a sharp knife stabbing at an enemy several times its size. In 1937, Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) commanded his troops to attack Tangyuan (汤原) County at night, rescuing dozens of people from all walks of life and severely damaging the enemy. The Japanese military report described the battle as follows: "Our side suffered heavy losses in this battle... three mortars, three light machine guns, thirty rifles, ninety-six shells, and thirty-five thousand rounds of ammunition were seized."
On September 18, 1939, the 8th anniversary of the September 18th Incident (九一八事变), Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) led his troops to capture Nehe (讷河) County, capturing the puppet army commander, rescuing arrested patriots, and seizing a large amount of supplies, greatly boosting the morale of the army and civilians. Feng Zhigang's (冯治纲) troops fought the enemy more than 70 times in half a year, becoming a "thorn in the enemy's side."
On January 14, 1940, Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) said when he took office as the commander of the Longjiang Northern Command of the Third Route Army (第三路军) of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army (东北抗联): "Considering that every man has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the country, I cannot but be loyal to the motherland with a high degree of revolutionary enthusiasm, and I vow to do my best to fight the Japanese invaders in the wilderness of Longjiang (龙江)." More than half a month later, Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) was marching to the Sancha River (三岔河) area of Arong Banner (阿荣旗) when he encountered the Japanese army while climbing a mountain to observe the enemy's situation and unfortunately sacrificed his life. Three days later, on Lunar New Year's Eve, Arong Banner (阿荣旗) was silent, and the dense forest was full of grief.
"Blood stained the battle clothes, and the ambition was not fulfilled. It is painful to say goodbye to the generous sacrifice. The inscription is inscribed, the snow is in front of the enemy, and it will never be replaced. Mourn the martyrs, the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month." There are elegiac couplets, which are full of sorrow.
Every year on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, the tombstone where Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) was martyred and the bronze statue in the Anti-Japanese Heroes Park (抗联英雄园) are always covered with flowers. "The lofty ambition of saving the country will never be forgotten." The song of the Third Route Army (第三路军) of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army (东北抗联), where Feng Zhigang (冯治纲) worked before his death, will forever echo in the lush pine forests of the Xing'an Mountains (兴安岭).
(According to Xinhua News Agency (新华社), Hohhot (呼和浩特), July 22)
Return to TopBy: 孙衍刚
Netizen: I saw a news report that 10 mesoscopic brain atlas research results were published in journals such as *Cell* and *Neuron*. "Mesoscopic brain atlas" sounds related to our brain and full of technology! I want to know, what is a mesoscopic brain atlas? And what is it for?
Editor: What you are paying attention to is the research result of the "Whole-Brain Mesoscopic Neural Connection Atlas" major science plan initiated by the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院脑科学与智能技术卓越创新中心). According to reports, more than 300 scientists at home and abroad used high-precision optical brain imaging and other technologies independently developed in China to create multiple mesoscopic brain atlases over 5 years, covering key species such as reptiles, birds, rodents, non-human primates, and humans, which is equivalent to drawing an unprecedented "galaxy distribution map" for the brain.
In this issue, we invite Sun Yangang (孙衍刚), a senior researcher at the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院脑科学与智能技术卓越创新中心), to follow the "brain map" and take us "into" the depths of the brain to explore a promising future.
Drawing brain atlases provides support for brain research.
Many readers are curious, what is a mesoscopic brain atlas? The mesoscopic brain atlas is between macroscopic and microscopic, and it draws the components of the brain, such as neuron cells, neuron networks, brain regions, and brain functional areas, at the resolution scale of individual neuron cells.
The human brain has nearly 100 billion neurons, and each neuron is connected to thousands of other neurons, like a universe with countless galaxies. To explore the "brain universe," we need a high-precision brain atlas to "navigate" in order to accurately locate neurons and analyze how they connect and transmit information.
Taking the study of Parkinson's disease as an example, the cause is the apoptosis of dopamine neuron cells in the brain, and the current relatively cutting-edge treatment strategy is to supplement dopamine neuron cells. However, the apoptosis of these cells may be related to the "soil" in which they grow, in addition to their own problems. If only cells are supplemented and the "soil" problem is not solved, the new cells will still not grow well. Therefore, we must not only study the cells themselves, but also study the surrounding environment in which they are located.
Under the "navigation" of the mesoscopic brain atlas, researchers can better analyze neuron cells and their surrounding environment, and crack the operating codes of important brain functions such as perception, movement, learning, memory, and decision-making.
Since the Spanish scientist Ramón y Cajal founded neuron science at the end of the 19th century, drawing a complete human brain atlas has become an important goal of life science. For more than 100 years, scientists have successively drawn brain atlases of small species such as nematodes, fruit flies, zebrafish, and mice, starting from nematodes with 302 neuron cells, just like climbing Mount Everest in the brain science world, from easy to difficult, from simple to complex, providing important support for brain research.
The brains of various species vary greatly, and the degree of complexity varies. The mesoscopic brain atlas research results of the "Whole-Brain Mesoscopic Neural Connection Atlas" major science plan cover key species such as reptiles, birds, rodents, non-human primates, and humans, drawing an unprecedented "galaxy distribution map" for the brain.
Fighting against "memory thieves," the brain GPS shows its skills.
The biggest breakthrough in this series of achievements is the innovation of the technical system. Practice has proved that the optical imaging technology independently developed in China is efficient and reliable in the drawing of mesoscopic brain atlases of primates. Among the published results, the single-cell resolution spatial transcriptome sequencing technology independently developed by BGI-Research (华大生命科学研究院) can simultaneously obtain the spatial location and gene expression information of cells, which is equivalent to installing GPS on each neuron and issuing an "identity card."
Taking Alzheimer's disease, known as the "memory thief," as an example, in the past, researchers only knew that Alzheimer's disease was related to the formation of senile plaques by extracellular β-amyloid protein deposition, but they could not identify all the different types of cells in the microenvironment of this protein. In this study, researchers used single-cell resolution spatial transcriptome sequencing technology to finely divide the hippocampus brain region and found that pathological microglia and astrocytes were highly enriched in the hippocampal umbrella region, just like a large number of abnormal people suddenly gathered in a certain block. Researchers have created the first single-cell resolution spatial transcriptome atlas of the hippocampus brain region of normal people and Alzheimer's disease patients, which not only identified damaged neuron cells in specific regions, but also screened out cell-specific and brain region-specific targets, providing new markers for early diagnosis and differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, which may change the way we fight this "memory thief."
Cerebral hemorrhage is a cerebrovascular emergency with a high mortality and disability rate. Its pathological damage mechanism is complex, and the spatiotemporal dynamic evolution process of the brain tissue microenvironment is not yet clear. This study also used single-cell resolution spatial transcriptome sequencing technology for the first time to depict the spatial transcriptome atlas of mice after cerebral hemorrhage from the hyperacute phase to the recovery phase, systematically analyze the process of brain tissue damage and repair, as well as the key roles of glial cells and other cells in it, clarifying that cerebral hemorrhage is not a simple local lesion, but triggers a whole-brain reaction. The creation of this atlas provides important resources for in-depth understanding of the dynamic pathological process of cerebral hemorrhage and lays the foundation for targeted intervention and individualized treatment strategies.
What else can the "brain map" do in the future?
Drawing a mesoscopic brain atlas is very difficult.
The first is the difficulty of sampling. Medical imaging cannot "see" neuron cells clearly, and can only rely on anatomical sections to obtain static information with limited timeliness, and cannot obtain clear dynamic images of the brain and observe the changes in the dynamic characteristics of the brain; secondly, limited by data processing, the resolution of the mesoscopic brain atlas is usually hundreds of nanometers, and the amount of data of only one macaque brain can reach 500TB (terabytes). If the resolution is further increased to tens of nanometers, the amount of macaque brain atlas data will reach tens of PB (petabytes), which is enough to exceed the data storage capacity of an ordinary data center. The number of neurons in the human brain is more than ten times that of the macaque brain, and the amount of data and the computing power required are even more difficult to estimate.
At present, the research of China's "Whole-Brain Mesoscopic Neural Connection Atlas" major science plan has been advanced from small animals to non-human primates, and is steadily moving towards the ultimate goal of drawing a human brain mesoscopic atlas. The value of the "brain map" is not only in the field of academic research. Imagine that brain diseases can be predicted in advance like weather forecasts, artificial intelligence can think like the human brain, and paralyzed patients can walk again through brain-computer interfaces - these may all become a reality due to the research of the brain atlas.
At the same time, China is also initiating the establishment of the "International Primate Mesoscopic Brain Atlas Research Alliance" to build a "brain atlas database" that is open and shared globally, providing a key foundation for understanding the mysteries of the human brain.
With the application of new tools such as synchrotron radiation X-ray neural tracing technology and AI algorithms, the "brain map" at the microscopic scale may no longer be far away, which may bring changes to understanding consciousness and developing brain-like intelligence, and bring revolutionary breakthroughs to the treatment of brain diseases. Standing at the new starting point of neuroscience, the mesoscopic brain atlas is helping us enter the era of "brain navigation." From basic research to clinical application, this high-precision "brain map" will continue to provide key guidance for human health and technological development.
(The author is a senior researcher at the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院脑科学与智能技术卓越创新中心), interviewed and compiled by Huang Xiaohui (黄晓慧), a reporter from this newspaper)
Return to TopBy: 杜梦然
The idiom "临渊羡鱼" (lín yuān xiàn yú - "at the edge of the deep pool, admire the fish," to only have a desire without taking practical action). However, Chinese researchers are brave enough to "enter the deep pool to explore for fish," gradually uncovering the mysteries of the underwater world's "magical creatures." Let's start with a fish that lives in areas deeper than 6,000 meters – the hadal snailfish (pictured, provided by the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences).
Generally speaking, the hadal zone refers to areas with a water depth exceeding 6,000 meters, characterized by low temperatures, ultra-high pressure, and complete darkness. The hadal snailfish is currently the deepest-living fish known to humans. They have a tadpole-like body shape, with a light overall color, some even approaching transparency, with muscles and internal organs clearly visible. Due to living in the dark seabed for a long time, the hadal snailfish's vision and sense of smell have degenerated, and their two small black eyes hardly react to visible light. They perceive the external environment through hearing and sensory pores.
In the ocean, every 10 meters of descent increases the pressure by 1 atmosphere. Descending to a depth of 10,000 meters requires withstanding 1,000 atmospheres, equivalent to 10,000 tons of pressure per square meter. To adapt to the ultra-high-pressure environment, the hadal snailfish has transformed its hard bones into cartilage to enhance flexibility, and achieves a balance between the brain cavity and external pressure through incompletely closed skull bones. However, this "以柔克刚" (yǐ róu kè gāng - "overcome the unyielding with the yielding," to use softness to overcome hardness) pressure resistance method also has its limits – the pressure that the hadal snailfish can withstand is roughly around 80 megapascals, equivalent to the hydrostatic pressure at a depth of over 8,000 meters underwater. In the 10,000-meter seabed, creatures such as sea cucumbers and hadal amphipods also "show their unique abilities" to adapt to the environment: sea cucumbers reduce their size, and even degenerate the bone needles that support their trunks; hadal amphipods adapt to high pressure through specific regulation of skeletal proteins and mitochondrial proteins. There are also some microorganisms that not only provide nutrition and immune defense for sea cucumbers and hadal amphipods, but also "digest" difficult-to-degrade organic matter, and even convert toxic metals for their own use.
Exploring the hadal zone is not only for observing "magical creatures," but also for answering the mysteries of the origin of life. One hypothesis suggests that the earliest life forms on Earth were likely born in the hadal zone. This is because in the deep parts of the hadal subduction zone, water-rock reactions under high temperature and pressure release hydrogen and carbon dioxide, which further react to produce methane and small organic molecules. This process from inorganic to organic provides the necessary carbon-based element foundation for the early initial life forms on Earth. Although this hypothesis has not been fully confirmed, we are still looking for clues in the hadal zone. Through manned submersibles, we have discovered the deepest mud volcano currently known globally, where hadal life can still survive at a depth of about 14 kilometers underground, which may represent the deepest deep biosphere globally.
Not long ago, the international large-scale scientific program "Global Hadal Zone Exploration Program" led by the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院深海科学与工程研究所) was officially approved by the Executive Committee of the United Nations "Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development." Relying on the full-ocean-depth manned submersible "Fendouzhe" (奋斗者) and the "Exploration" series of research vessels, scientists from many countries arrived at the Mariana Trench (马里亚纳海沟) and other 9 hadal trenches around the world. Exploring the deep sea, we gain not only answers to the mysteries of the hadal zone, but also the courage and confidence to work together to brave the wind and waves.
(The author is the Director of the Deep-sea Science Research Department of the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院深海科学与工程研究所深海科学研究部主任). This article was compiled and edited from an interview with reporter Dong Zeyang (董泽扬) of this newspaper.)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 刘诗瑶
Netizen: On July 16th, I read a report about the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft (天舟九号货运飞船) delivering space "express mail," which included brain organoid chips. I am curious, what are brain organoid chips? What roles can they play? How are they different from brain-computer interfaces?
On July 15th, a brain organoid chip was sent into space aboard the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft (天舟九号货运飞船). This is the first time internationally that a brain organoid chip has been sent to a space station. The Chinese Space Station (中国空间站) will also conduct life science research based on brain organoid chips.
To answer the reader's question, the reporter interviewed the person in charge of the brain organoid chip space science experiment project.
Q: What are brain organoid chips?
A: Brain organoid chips are 3D miniature brain models constructed on chips using human pluripotent stem cells as a source, used to simulate the physiological and pathological responses of brain organs.
In layman's terms, it is building a highly realistic miniature brain model on a chip the size of a credit card. This "brain organoid" contains a rich network of brain microvessels and nerve cells, immune cells, etc., which can simulate some of the structure and function of the brain, providing a reference for studying the real human brain, and providing a new tool and research approach for disease modeling, mechanism research, and drug screening.
In fact, Chinese (我国) researchers can already construct various organ types that mimic the human body on chips, such as the brain, liver, and kidney, providing a more realistic environment closer to the human body than traditional static cell culture.
Q: Why "send" brain organoid chips "to the sky"?
A: Sending brain organoid chips to the space station is mainly to explore the impact of the space environment on human brain health.
Factors such as microgravity and radiation in space may interfere with human nervous system function. Astronauts (航天员) who are in orbit for long periods of time often experience symptoms such as dizziness, sleep disorders, and decreased attention, but the specific mechanisms are not yet clear. Exposing brain organoid chip models to space microgravity and other environments can further study the impact on brain organoids, which will not only help "restore the problem" but also potentially find solutions.
The significance of this work is not limited to space, but also has the application prospect of "space-to-ground transfer."
Existing research shows that special space environments can accelerate the aging or functional decline of the body. In other words, this "going to the sky" experiment provides a very unique "acceleration window," which may induce some pathological changes in diseases that usually take months or even years to appear on the ground. Therefore, researchers can provide corresponding "acceleration windows" for the study of ground-based brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, helping to innovate early diagnosis and treatment evaluation methods.
Q: How are brain organoid chips different from brain-computer interfaces?
A: Although brain organoid chips and brain-computer interfaces are both related to the brain and are intended to deepen the understanding of brain function, their specific purposes and implementation paths are different.
Brain organoid chips focus on mimicking the main structural and functional characteristics of the human brain in vitro, and are used for brain development, disease research, and drug screening. Brain-computer interfaces are a technological system for interaction between the human brain and devices, mainly used to collect brain electrical signals to realize human brain control of machines or computers, such as controlling prosthetics with thoughts. In short, brain organoid chips are more inclined to "brain organ simulation," focusing on brain disease exploration, etc., while brain-computer interfaces are more inclined to "human-computer interaction," focusing on service function expansion.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 徐驭尧
A netizen asked: Recently, I became very interested in the news that the first cloned yak was born at the Tibetan Golden Yak Breeding Base. It is said that this yak weighs 33.5 kg and is larger than normal newborn calves. Is this "big size" related to technology? What is the significance of cloning yaks?
Recently, the first cloned yak was born at the Tibetan (Damxung) Golden Yak Breeding and Research Base (西藏（当雄）金丝野牦牛繁育研究基地) (see picture, photo by Jinmei Dorje (晋美多吉), Xinhua News Agency reporter). This achievement was jointly achieved by Professor Fang Shengguo's (方盛国) team from the College of Life Sciences of Zhejiang University (浙江大学生命科学学院) and the Institute of Plateau Biology of the Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治区高原生物研究所). To answer the reader's questions, the reporter interviewed Professor Fang Shengguo.
Q: Why conduct research on cloning yaks?
A: Tibet (西藏) has a long history of yak breeding. However, factors such as traditional grazing methods have turned yak herds into fragmented populations. The interruption of gene exchange and the intensification of inbreeding are not conducive to the long-term development of yak germplasm resources.
Traditional breeding methods often take two or thirty years or even longer to cultivate new varieties of high-quality yaks. In order to speed up the breeding of superior breeds, we developed whole-genome selection technology to screen "seed yaks" that are large in size, grow fast, have high reproduction and feed conversion rates, and have good meat quality. We then further developed industrial-grade somatic cell cloning embryo construction technology methods, etc., spending 1/4 of the traditional breeding cycle to cultivate a new Tibetan yak line with independent intellectual property rights.
Q: Why is this cloned yak larger than normal newborn calves?
A: This little yak has a special genetic background. The yak embryos constructed by the team include "seed domestic yaks" selected for whole-genome AI traits and wild yaks that were rescued after being injured by snow leopards, wolves, and brown bears.
Since the individuals of both the "seed domestic yaks" and wild yaks are much larger than ordinary domestic yaks, the cloned yak calf bred is larger than normal newborn yaks.
The team's research and development has broken through the technical methods of Tibet (西藏) yak-specific industrial-grade in vitro maturation culture of oocytes and industrial-grade somatic cell cloning embryo construction, and built a technical platform for rapid breeding of Tibetan yaks. Relying on the technical platform, it will better protect yak germplasm resources, rapidly expand high-quality populations, and promote the protection of wild yak populations in the future.
Return to TopAccording to Xinhua News Agency, London (Reporter Guo Shuang (郭爽)) An international research team published a paper in the journal *Nature* stating that they used ground-based and space telescopes to take the first "snapshot" of an extrasolar star system in the process of being born.
The research team used the James Webb Space Telescope (詹姆斯·韦布空间望远镜) in the United States and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Telescope (阿塔卡马大型毫米波/亚毫米波阵列望远镜) located in Chile to discover that planets are forming around the young star HOPS-315 (HOPS—315) located in the Orion (猎户座) constellation.
Observations show that crystalline silicate minerals exist around the star, which is a clear sign of the early stages of planet formation. Researchers believe that the high temperature of this young star evaporated the rocks originally around it, and the resulting gas formed related minerals after cooling. These minerals are the raw materials for forming planets around the star.
The first author of the paper, astronomer Melissa McClure (梅莉萨·麦克卢尔), said that the scene of mineral accumulation around the star HOPS-315 is a "snapshot" of the early stages of the formation of a star system. We are witnessing the early stages of planet formation, which can provide new insights into the origin of the solar system.
Return to TopThis newspaper reports from Guangzhou (广州) (Reporter: Li Gang (李刚)) A study published in "Science Advances" by the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (广州地球化学研究所) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) shows that the chemical energy released instantaneously by crustal fractures can provide "alternative fuel" to sunlight for underground microorganisms. This discovery rewrites the "energy script" of the deep Earth ecosystem.
The research team simulated fracture activity within several kilometers underground through a "fracture-reaction" experimental platform. When rock fractures produce fresh surfaces, the fractured chemical bonds (free radicals) instantly encounter water, generating considerable hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide. Project leader Researcher Zhu Jianxi (朱建喜) described: "Tectonic activities such as earthquakes (violent crustal fracture processes) are like generators, constantly converting mechanical energy into chemical and electrical energy." The coupling of hydrogen free radicals and hydrogen peroxide drives the oxidation-reduction cycle of iron, with iron atoms repeatedly "cycling" between two states, continuously releasing electrons. These electrons further flow between essential elements for life such as carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen, forming an invisible "underground power grid" that provides readily available energy for microorganisms.
Calculations show that the energy generated by earthquakes on fault surfaces each year far exceeds the needs for the survival of microbial communities. Academician He Hongping (何宏平) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) said: "This energy mechanism may occur in ancient faults on Mars, providing a long-term 'battery' for 'dark life' in the solar system." In future extraterrestrial life detection, special attention should be paid to searching for redox signals near fault zones, as these may be markers related to life.
Return to TopLayout Design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)
Return to TopOn July 26th, the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance opened in Shanghai (上海). The theme of this conference is "Intelligent Era, Shared Future," attracting over 800 companies from around the world to participate and showcasing over 3,000 cutting-edge technology exhibits.
Since the breakout success of domestic open-source large models at the beginning of the year, the iteration of domestic large models this year can be described as rapidly changing, and they are gradually being applied in various industries: "AI employee" intelligent agents are taking up their posts one after another, from automatically processing purchase orders and analyzing reports to helping screen resumes, significantly improving work efficiency; driverless cars are running out of test fields and being put into operation in parks, ports, and even limited areas of some cities; robots and robot dogs are no longer confined to program-set functions, but are beginning to better understand the environment and learn to complete more complex actions...
As artificial intelligence technology moves out of the laboratory and rapidly enters factories, logistics warehouses, offices, and even homes, and begins to solve problems and improve efficiency in a tangible way, the development trend of the industry becomes increasingly obvious, that is, artificial intelligence is accelerating from technological breakthroughs to deep application with industrial integration. At this conference, various manufacturers showcased their key achievements, and JD.com (京东) also exhibited its newly upgraded large model brand JoyAI, as well as the deep application practice results of artificial intelligence in JD.com's (京东) entire supply chain and all scenarios.
JD.com (京东) Promotes the Deep Application of Artificial Intelligence to Help Achieve Industrial Leap
The development of artificial intelligence is rooted in the process of "data accumulation - algorithm improvement - scenario verification." The comprehensive rollout of digital transformation and upgrading in various industries has powerfully promoted the expansion of new space in the data factor market. According to the "Digital China Development Report (2024)," China's data production in 2024 reached 41.06 zettabytes (ZB), a year-on-year increase of 25%. The quantity and quality of high-quality datasets have improved simultaneously, providing fertile ground for the deep application of artificial intelligence.
Effective data governance promotes the development of artificial intelligence into the deep-water zone. At present, the construction achievements of "data + algorithm" have effectively supported a wide range of technological applications, and the continuous exploration of the deep application of artificial intelligence will further promote industry innovation and change.
The deep application of artificial intelligence to the entire industrial process, continuously accumulating data in real application scenarios, can provide training samples and optimization directions for algorithm upgrades. Algorithms continuously absorb new data and optimize performance in scenario applications, and optimized algorithms can also unlock more complex scenario needs. Taking JD.com's (京东) intelligent replenishment system as an example, the running data continuously feeds back to the supply chain model optimization, forming a positive cycle of "**越用越精**" (yuè yòng yuè jīng - "the more you use it, the better it gets," the more it is used, the more refined it becomes), and the inventory turnover days of millions of SKUs (stock keeping units) have been reduced to nearly 30 days, thereby realizing the transformation of technology from solving surface problems to reconstructing the essence of the industry, and making artificial intelligence complete the transformation from "tool" to "engine."
JoyAI Large Model Deeply Integrated into Hundreds of Business Scenarios, Forming Rich Practical Achievements
JD.com (京东), as a new type of entity enterprise with both physical genes and technological advantages, has achieved fruitful results in the deep application of artificial intelligence. Relying on its supply chain advantages, JD.com's (京东) newly upgraded JoyAI large model has been deeply integrated into hundreds of business scenarios, forming replicable industrial practice achievements.
Digital employees with intelligent agents as the main body efficiently reshape the production process. JoyAgent, a 100% open-source enterprise-level intelligent agent released by JD Cloud (京东云), realizes full-stack decoupling, open source, and local deployment, greatly reducing the application threshold for enterprises and highlighting its value in production scenarios: In the talent recruitment process, it achieves a 17-fold increase in resume screening efficiency, helping human resources departments make accurate decisions; it integrates multi-dimensional data from retail procurement and sales for accurate prediction, and the procurement process can be shortened from several days to several minutes when inventory is in short supply. Its solid technology base (GAIA accuracy rate exceeds 75%) relies on professional integration, accurate analysis, multi-agent collaboration, and financial-grade security capabilities to successfully solve key enterprise scenario problems. The deep application of intelligent agents is continuously improving the efficiency of key enterprise processes.
AI Toys and Embodied Intelligence Shape New Consumption Scenarios. In the education field, Sensetime's Yuan萝卜 (Yuán luóbo) robot transforms into an encyclopedia tutor and learning assistant, and intelligent toys such as Huohotu (火火兔) and FoloToy engage in heuristic interaction with children, combining education with entertainment; in companionship scenarios, Fuzozo (芙崽) provides emotional perception, anthropomorphic feedback, and consistent interaction, becoming a fashionable trendy toy; in the industrial application field, Zongqing (众擎) robots make a stunning appearance. These intelligent hardware terminals have all been successively connected to JD JoyInside (京东JoyInside), and based on more than 10 million daily interactions, the terminal experience is deeply optimized. JD.com (京东) cooperates with dozens of leading brands, and its products cover everything from early childhood education and companionship to the industrial field, allowing artificial intelligence to be deeply applied to the supply chain, workshops, and even life terminals, realizing a qualitative change from "technology showmanship" to "productivity re-creation."
Digital Human Anchors Bring Performance Increments. The highly commercially available digital human launched by JD.com (京东) has excellent emotional expression and scene adaptation capabilities, and is moving from "backup in the live broadcast room" to "center position in the live broadcast room." Its large-scale application has achieved remarkable results, and it currently serves more than 20,000 brands, winning the Special Prize of the Wu Wenjun (吴文俊) Artificial Intelligence Science and Technology Award in 2024. In order to meet the personalized customization needs of brands, JD.com (京东) has developed high-end customized digital humans, driving a 3-fold increase in user dwell time in the live broadcast room of the lifestyle products and leather accessories brand MCM; the well-known children's clothing brand Balabala (巴拉巴拉) has achieved matrix live broadcasts, and the contribution of digital humans to GMV (gross merchandise volume) has remained stable at 15%. The deep application of digital humans is driving small and medium-sized merchants to share the technological dividends and becoming a powerful engine for driving consumption growth.
Deep Application of Artificial Intelligence Forms a Virtuous Cycle of "Application - Model" Two-Way Promotion
Currently, after experiencing a wave of basic model research and development, artificial intelligence competition is turning to the application layer. Enterprises are actively embedding large models deeply into actual business scenarios, and continuously iterating through the application end to feed back model optimization, forming a virtuous cycle of "application - model" two-way promotion.
China has unique advantages in promoting the deep application of artificial intelligence: a large number of enterprises of various sizes and with rich scenarios jointly constitute the world's leading "application test field"; the world's most complete industrial system and the second largest consumer market provide unparalleled "problem library" and "training ground." The JD.com (京东) JoyAI large model has forged world-class application capabilities in hundreds of business scenarios, which is a vivid portrayal of the value of "scenario-driven."
In the future, JD.com (京东) will accelerate the transformation of its scenario scale advantages and data resource advantages into technological innovation advantages and industrial standard advantages. Starting from the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, JD.com (京东) will reshape its competitiveness with the deep application of artificial intelligence, continue to contribute practical wisdom and innovative vitality to driving industrial leap, and empower the high-quality development of the real economy.
Data source: JD.com (京东)
Return to TopBy: 史金波
With the successful inclusion of the Western Xia Mausoleums in the "World Heritage List," public attention to the Western Xia Mausoleums and Western Xia studies has increased, with a desire to deeply understand the rise and fall of the Western Xia Dynasty and its interactions with various ethnic groups.
When the Yuan Dynasty compiled the history books of the previous dynasties, it only compiled the histories of the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties, uniquely omitting the history of the Western Xia, resulting in a severe lack of historical materials on the Western Xia and slow progress in Western Xia research for a long time. In the past three or four decades, Western Xia research has gradually become a hot topic. The driving force behind this is, first, the discovery and systematic research of Western Xia cultural relics represented by the Western Xia Mausoleums, and second, the sorting, publication, translation, and research of a large number of Western Xia documents unearthed in Khara-Khoto (黑水城) (now Ejina Banner (额济纳旗), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region). These cultural relics and documents preserve many important typical materials reflecting the interactions, exchanges, and integration of various ethnic groups during the Western Xia period.
Past research has shown that the traditional Chinese mausoleum system and mausoleum structure embodied in the Western Xia Mausoleums draw on the traditions of the Central Plains; the cultural relics unearthed from the Western Xia Mausoleums, including stone carvings, ceramics, castings, and textiles, are mostly handicrafts, and their craftsmanship is also in line with the Central Plains. Nine human statue stone pedestals have been successively unearthed from the stele pavilion sites of three mausoleums in the Western Xia Mausoleum Park. They are approximately cuboid and have male and female distinctions. They all express the expressions of burden bearers in an exaggerated manner and have a strong artistic appeal. A huge gilded bronze ox was unearthed from tomb No. 177, which is 1.2 meters long and gilded all over. The shape is vivid and the image is realistic, reflecting the mature casting technology of the Western Xia. A large number of architectural components unearthed from the Western Xia Mausoleum Park reflect the technological level of Western Xia architecture, and its skills are comparable to those of the Central Plains architectural components.
In addition, many details in the Western Xia Mausoleums deserve more attention, providing us with a new perspective on understanding Western Xia society and the relationship between various ethnic groups.
A large number of Western Xia and Chinese inscriptions unearthed from many stele pavilions in the Western Xia Mausoleums confirm that a system of using two languages in parallel has been formed in the highest-level buildings in the Western Xia. Although the inscriptions are fragmented, they still provide rich information and effectively supplement the lack of historical documents. The Western Xia royal family was of the Tangut ethnicity, but erected Chinese steles in the emperor's stele pavilion, indicating that the Tangut and Han ethnicities were the main ethnicities in the Western Xia, and the two ethnic cultures mutually confirmed each other here, engraving historical imprints in the form of inscriptions.
The writing style and the use of special terms in some inscriptions demonstrate that the cultural expression of the Western Xia at that time reached a very high level. From the Chinese inscriptions with a large number of characters, we can see the popular language style in China at that time. For example, the tomb owners in the accompanying tombs were all princes and ministers, and they were generally respectfully called "Gong (公)" in the Chinese inscriptions. This is the traditional Chinese inscription writing convention of "avoiding naming the respected," while in the Western Xia inscriptions, they are directly called "Zunzhe (尊者)," which is both an inheritance of traditional Chinese culture and a unique way of recording.
The term "Xuanyuan (轩辕)" appeared in the Chinese inscription of Mausoleum No. 6 of the Western Xia Mausoleums. Combined with the records of the Yellow Emperor and Xuanyuan in the Western Xia documents "Holy Establishment of Righteousness" (《圣立义海》) and "Sun Tzu's Art of War with Three Commentaries" (《孙子兵法三注》), it further confirms the Western Xia's respect for Xuanyuan (轩辕), the humanistic ancestor of the Chinese nation. This concept is not only recorded in documents, but also leaves a clear imprint in the inscriptions of the Western Xia Mausoleums, a high-level building. The term "Master (夫子)" appears in the Western Xia inscription unearthed from Mausoleum No. 7, which specifically refers to Confucius (孔子). Considering that the Western Xia once translated the "Analects of Confucius" (《论语》) into Western Xia and named Confucius as Emperor Wenxuan (文宣帝), it is not difficult to see that the appearance of the title of Confucius, the representative of Confucianism, on the Western Xia Mausoleum stele is a direct reflection of the Western Xia's deep acceptance and inheritance of Confucianism in the Central Plains.
The unearthed inscriptions of the Western Xia Mausoleums also preserve a large number of Western Xia official titles, some of which can be mutually confirmed with the Western Xia code "Tiansheng Law" (《天盛律令》), and some are not found in Chinese documents and other unearthed documents, highlighting their unique historical value. For example, the Western Xia inscription has the title of "Shangzhu Kingdom (上柱国)," and the Chinese inscription has the title of "Zhu Kingdom (柱国)," confirming that the Western Xia had honorary officials; both the Western Xia and Chinese inscriptions have "Jinzi Guanglu Dafu (金紫光禄大夫)," indicating that the Western Xia had a rank system. These records not only supplement the important content of the Western Xia official system, but also demonstrate that the Western Xia not only inherited the traditions of the Central Plains in the system of official affairs, but also continued the system of the Central Plains dynasty in the setting of honorary officials and rank officials.
In addition, the Chinese inscription unearthed from Mausoleum No. 6 contains the "Chunhua (淳化)" reign title (990-994) of Emperor Taizong (太宗) of the Northern Song Dynasty, which should have been used when recounting the history of the previous dynasty, confirming the Western Xia's compliance with the Song Dynasty's orthodox calendar before the founding of the country. More noteworthy is that the Western Xia and Chinese inscriptions unearthed from the Western Xia Mausoleums record the names of multiple ethnic groups in many places, which shows the close relationship between various ethnic groups during the Western Xia period.
In the early 20th century, documents and cultural relics unearthed in Khara-Khoto were looted by so-called "expedition teams" from Russia and Britain. Since the 1990s, with the support of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院), the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology (民族学与人类学研究所), the Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House (上海古籍出版社), and the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences have cooperated to sort out a large number of Western Xia and Chinese materials stored in Russia and publish them in China, laying a solid foundation for promoting the development of Western Xia studies.
Among the Western Xia documents unearthed in Khara-Khoto, "Pearl in the Palm" (《番汉合时掌中珠》) is a collection of Western Xia and Chinese vocabulary, and its author clearly stated in the preface: "If you don't learn the Tangut language, how can you unite the Tangut people? If you don't know Chinese, how can you enter the number of Chinese people?" This reflects the importance attached to strengthening cultural exchanges between ethnic groups. In addition, the Western Xia code "Tiansheng Revised Old and New Laws" (《天盛改旧新定律令》), which reflects Western Xia society, shows that there was also a Chinese version at that time, according to its promulgation table, which shows the multilingual application at the system level. Among the unearthed documents, Confucian works from the Central Plains such as "The Analects of Confucius" (《论语》), "Mencius" (《孟子》), and "Classic of Filial Piety" (《孝经》), military books such as "Sun Tzu's Art of War" (《孙子兵法》), "Six Secret Teachings" (《六韬》), "Three Strategies" (《三略》), and "Jiang Yuan" (《将苑》), and encyclopedias such as "Lei Lin" (《类林》) were all translated into Western Xia; at the same time, the Western Xia also compiled many popular works imitating the Central Plains, demonstrating the systematic absorption of Central Plains culture. In the religious field, relevant historical materials can clearly present the multi-ethnic exchange trajectory in the development of Western Xia Buddhism.
There are also a large number of documents reflecting social life in Western Xia documents, mostly written in cursive script. Among them, there is no lack of content about the harmonious coexistence and close exchanges of various ethnic groups. In the Western Xia household registration, the household heads are both Tangut and Han; in the Western Xia contracts, there are not only Tangut and Han, but also Khitan, Uyghur, and Rouran descendants; in some contracts, the contract maker and the co-contract maker are husband and wife, and they are interethnic marriages.
The cultural relics and documents of the Western Xia period prove that Western Xia civilization is an inseparable part of Chinese civilization. The development history of Chinese civilization is a history of mutual learning and common progress among all ethnic groups. In this process, all ethnic groups have continuously gathered consensus and shaped a pluralistic and integrated pattern of Chinese civilization.
(The author is a member of the Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院学部委员) and a researcher at the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology (民族学与人类学研究所).)
Return to TopBy: 仇金标
In the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall in Yancheng, Jiangsu, there is a seemingly ordinary stone tablet that attracts countless visitors every year. Upon closer inspection, the stone tablet is about 2 meters high, made of white marble, and inscribed with "Song Gong Jigon Bei (宋公纪功碑)" (Stele of Merit for Duke Song) on the front. The 570-character inscription tells a touching story: "The long dike starts from Huacheng in the south and ends at the Huai River in the north, about eighty *huali* long, with a base width of twenty-one meters and a top width of three meters and five inches..." Who is "Song Gong (宋公)"? How was this "about eighty *huali*" dike built?
Let's start with the geographical location of Yancheng (盐城), a revolutionary old area. Yancheng (盐城) is located east of the Yellow Sea. Historically, the coastal areas of Yancheng (盐城) have suffered from tsunamis and tidal surges. In August 1939, a massive tsunami occurred in the northern coastal area of Yancheng (盐城). Wherever the tidal surge passed, thatched houses were overturned, villages were razed, fertile fields were submerged, and more than 13,000 people were drowned... At this moment, the Communist Party of China and the New Fourth Army stepped forward to "block" the滔天海潮 (tāo tiān hǎi cháo - "huge waves," overwhelming tidal surge).
The "Song Gong (宋公)" on the stele is named Song Naide (宋乃德), a native of Qinyuan County (沁源县), Shanxi Province. He joined the Communist Party of China in March 1926. In the autumn of 1940, he followed Huang Kecheng (黄克诚)'s Fifth Column of the Eighth Route Army eastward to develop the Yanfu Anti-Japanese Base Area, serving as the first county magistrate of the Funing County (阜宁县) Anti-Japanese Democratic Government. In order to save the people from the suffering of tidal surges, the Funing County (阜宁县) Anti-Japanese Democratic Government listed the construction of a sea defense dike as the top priority for people's livelihood, and Song Naide (宋乃德) was responsible for promoting it. On May 15, 1941, the dike construction project started. Officers and soldiers of the Third Division of the New Fourth Army, along with party cadres of the Funing County (阜宁县) Anti-Japanese Democratic Government, led tens of thousands of local people to seize every minute to build the sea dike during the intervals of war.
The dike construction process was extremely arduous. When blocking the largest dike opening at the Wuzhang River, a sudden heavy rain occurred. The supervisors and village chiefs bravely jumped into the water to resist the impact of the rapid current. The remaining workers quickly dug mud to block the opening. After 11 hours of continuous work, the dike opening was finally closed. Just as the dike was about to be completed, the enemy intensified its sabotage activities, creating the "Jiantouyang Massacre," and successively assassinated Chen Jingshi (陈景石), the supervisor, Chen Zhendong (陈振东), the deputy commander of the dike construction, and other party members. But no difficulties could scare away the Communists. The sea dike project was finally completed on July 31.
This sea defense dike, stretching nearly 45 kilometers, is located in Binhai County (滨海县), Yancheng (盐城). It is 3 meters high and 19 meters wide at the base, making it a magnificent sight. The day after the dike was completed, a massive tsunami suddenly struck. The dike stood firm against the repeated impacts, protecting the homeland. The coastal residents, imitating the naming method of "Fan Gong Di (范公堤)" (Duke Fan's Dike), named the dike "Song Gong Di (宋公堤)" (Duke Song's Dike) and erected the "Song Gong Jigon Bei (宋公纪功碑)" (Stele of Merit for Duke Song) to express their love and respect.
The construction of Song Gong Di (宋公堤) was a practical thing done for the people by the New Fourth Army after arriving in the Yanfu area. To this day, it still plays a role in preventing tidal surges. In 2021, as a model of early water conservancy construction led by the Communist Party of China, Song Gong Di (宋公堤) was selected into the first batch of provincial-level water conservancy heritage list. In 2023, it was included in the "People's Water Management: Centennial Achievements" water management project by the Ministry of Water Resources.
Song Gong Di (宋公堤) is a great testimony. The Communist Party of China and its led New Fourth Army and Anti-Japanese Democratic Government, under the extremely difficult circumstances of anti-"mopping-up" operations, closely relied on the party and the people **心连心** (xīn lián xīn - "hearts linked to hearts," to be of one heart and mind) and firmly relied on the people to cooperate sincerely, completed this "great water conservancy project in northern Jiangsu," which was of great significance for expanding and developing the Central China Anti-Japanese Base Area. "From then on, there will be no disasters of rushing homes, and every time we hear the sound of the tide, we think of Duke Song (宋公)." With such a "people's heart project" as Song Gong Di (宋公堤) benefiting the people, the New Fourth Army received the heartfelt love and support of the people.
In 2019, the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall renovation and upgrading project was launched. The "Song Gong Bei (宋公碑)" (Duke Song's Stele) donated by the Binhai County (滨海县) People's Government of Yancheng (盐城) was listed as one of the important contents. The memorial hall protected it with a tempered glass cover (see picture, provided by the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall), and innovatively adopted high-precision three-dimensional scanning and composite 3D printing technology to successfully produce a replica of the Song Gong Bei (宋公碑). In 2024, the 3D printed replica of the Song Gong Bei (宋公碑) was officially exhibited in the "The People's Support Determines the Choice of History - Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, Touring Exhibition of Revolutionary Cultural Relics from the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall." The tour lasted for 3 months and received nearly 80,000 visitors.
"The country is the people, and the people are the country." Visitors can not only feel the deep affection between the army and the people from the story of Song Gong Bei (宋公碑), but also draw strength from it to forge ahead.
(The author is the curator of the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall, compiled by Yao Xueqing (姚雪青), reporter of this newspaper)
Return to TopBy: 郭 明 贾笑冰
The Shanghai Museum's "The Rise of the Dragon: Exhibition of Ancient Civilizations of Hongshan Culture" has garnered significant attention during the summer. Centered around the jade dragon, the most iconic cultural symbol of the Hongshan Culture, the exhibition brings together new archaeological discoveries from the three provinces of Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, and Hebei. It constructs a complete picture of the formation (Dragon Rising from the Liao River), development (Dragon Traveling through Hongshan), and influence (Dragon Spreading Across China) of the Hongshan Culture, representing a concentrated display of the latest archaeological discoveries and research findings on the Hongshan Culture.
The Hongshan Culture formed around 6500 years ago and continued to develop until around 4800 years ago. Its sites are widely distributed in the western part of Liaoning Province (辽宁省), the southeastern part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (内蒙古自治区), and the northern part of Hebei Province (河北省), covering an area of nearly 300,000 square kilometers. The exhibition aims to interpret the main threads of the Hongshan Culture's prosperity and development through typical cultural relics and important archaeological discoveries.
Continuity and innovation are characteristics of the Hongshan Culture's development. Although the flat-bottomed cylindrical jar is the most typical pottery of the Hongshan Culture, the development of jade artifacts and the emergence of painted pottery demonstrate the innovative vitality of the Hongshan Culture. The types and quantities of jade artifacts continued to increase, eventually developing into ritual objects with greater social functions. Painted pottery is a material carrier of cultural exchange between the Hongshan Culture and the Central Plains culture, and it embodies the openness and innovation of the Hongshan Culture.
A hierarchical order centered on sacrificial rituals is the institutional foundation for the formation of ancient state civilizations. No later than the late middle stage of the Hongshan Culture, centers for public sacrificial rituals began to be built and used. The Niuheliang Site (牛河梁遗址) in Chaoyang (朝阳), Liaoning (辽宁) is one of the sacrificial ritual centers with the highest level of scale. Archaeological discoveries of relics related to sacrificial activities indicate that a system of worshiping heaven, earth, and ancestral gods had initially formed during the Hongshan Culture period. Sacrificial pits with different accumulation characteristics suggest that a more complex classification system of sacrificial objects may have emerged. This thread is strengthened through digital exhibition.
Differences in the quality and size of jade artifacts used among high-ranking members indicate that a hierarchical order similar to the documented "using jade to make six emblems to rank states" had already appeared. The Niuheliang Site (牛河梁遗址) in Chaoyang (朝阳), Liaoning (辽宁) and the Hutougou Site (胡头沟遗址) in Fuxin (阜新), Liaoning (辽宁) jointly outline a simple picture of a unified society with a radius of about 150 kilometers. The structural layout and burial specifications of the newly discovered Yuanbaoshan Site (元宝山遗址) in Aohan (敖汉), Inner Mongolia (内蒙古) are similar to this, making it an important link in the hierarchical order of the Hongshan Culture and adding new evidence for the existence of ritual norms within the broad area of the Hongshan Culture.
Around 5000 years ago, the prosperity of the Niuheliang Site (牛河梁遗址) Hongshan Culture sacrificial ritual center ceased. Was this decline due to excessive focus on sacrificial activities, or was it an active choice made in response to changes in the natural and social environment? The new discoveries at the Zhengjiagou Site (郑家沟遗址) in Xuanhua (宣化), Hebei (河北) provide new clues to answer this question. The discovery of the Zhengjiagou Site (郑家沟遗址) confirms the scope of archaeologist Su Bingqi's (苏秉琦) "Liaoxi area of ancient culture." Related evidence indicates that the people of the Zhengjiagou Site (郑家沟遗址) may have been a branch that developed southward during the late Hongshan Culture period. Enriching the exhibition with the archaeological discoveries of the Zhengjiagou Site (郑家沟遗址) completes the development thread of the late Hongshan Culture gradually merging into the Central Plains, from diversity to unity, creating a new opportunity for "reconstructing Chinese prehistory."
The jade dragon, which is centrally displayed in this exhibition, is a relatively complex, widely distributed, and relatively standardized type of artifact in the Hongshan Culture, and it is also the most well-known cultural symbol of the Hongshan Culture. However, judging from the archaeological excavations, the jade dragon is not the highest-level jade artifact in the Hongshan Culture. From a modeling perspective, the jade dragon belongs to a composite biomimetic jade artifact, which is a concentrated embodiment of the complex jade ritual system of the Hongshan Culture and a material representation of the social acceptance and recognition of the Hongshan social hierarchical order.
The numerous archaeological discoveries of the Hongshan Culture provide us with important clues for exploring the origin of the Hongshan Culture and even Chinese civilization from the perspectives of institutions and spiritual realms. "The Rise of the Dragon: Exhibition of Ancient Civilizations of Hongshan Culture" provides the audience with the possibility of re-understanding the Hongshan Culture from a civilizational perspective.
Return to TopBy: 孙 键
The ocean has always been an active stage for human cultural activities, where various civilizations have had beautiful encounters.
The Maritime Silk Road, spanning over 2000 years, is an important bridge for ancient East-West civilization exchanges. This route eventually extended to the East African coast, with a total length of 14,000 kilometers, passing through multiple countries and regions. It can be regarded as one of the longest ocean routes in ancient times. During the Tang and Song dynasties, there was even a grand scene of "ships trading in the sea, their number unknown." From the 10th to the 13th centuries, for nearly 400 years, Chinese merchant ships relied on advanced compass navigation, braving the wind and waves, crossing the Indian Ocean, reaching as far as the end of the Persian Gulf and East Africa. With the help of monsoons, during the spring and summer, fleets of merchant ships, fully loaded with products from foreign lands, sailed from the Indian Ocean and even further away; during the autumn and winter, merchant ships transported best-selling Chinese porcelain, ironware, tea, and other goods to the West.
China has a vast sea area, a long coastline, and abundant inland waters, which contain a diverse range and a huge quantity of underwater cultural heritage. This underwater cultural heritage is an important part of China's historical and cultural heritage, carrying a large amount of valuable ancient information. Since the 1980s, China's underwater archeology professional team has been established. After years of development, China's underwater archeology work has transitioned from a single underwater archeology to a comprehensive underwater cultural heritage protection.
Every ancient ship that sailed far but unfortunately sank is equivalent to a site for land archeology, a highly condensed specimen and "time capsule" of that era. By capturing information, archeologists can reproduce authentic and credible historical details. China's underwater cultural heritage protection work started relatively late, but it is still an important force in the world's underwater cultural heritage protection. Following the policy of "protection first, strengthening management, exploring value, effective utilization, and bringing cultural relics to life," China has carried out a series of underwater archeology and protection projects. While carrying out underwater archeology work, it also expands the connotation and extension of the underwater cultural heritage protection cause by actively encouraging public participation and proactively giving back to society.
Developing marine resources and developing marine culture have become a new focus for coastal areas in China to seek economic development. Therefore, the protection of underwater cultural heritage in coastal areas needs to be strengthened. It is imperative to clarify the current situation and conduct a comprehensive survey of underwater cultural heritage resources. This includes not only material cultural heritage such as sunken ships, port sites and navigation relics, coastal settlements and buildings, coastal defense historical sites and seawall projects from past dynasties, but also intangible cultural heritage such as traditional shipbuilding and navigation technology, marine literature and art. On this basis, it is necessary to build a database of underwater cultural heritage resources, compile heritage projects and resource maps, scientifically evaluate the value of underwater cultural heritage resources, and formulate differentiated protection measures based on importance, vulnerability, and protection needs. At the same time, measures such as promoting the construction of underwater cultural relic protection zones and national marine cultural parks can be taken to improve the overall protection level of underwater cultural heritage and form a systematic protection pattern for underwater cultural heritage.
Today, China's underwater cultural heritage protection work has achieved leapfrog development, from underwater archeological academic research to an underwater cultural heritage protection pattern, and is contributing to the cause of human cultural heritage protection, providing experience and solutions with Chinese characteristics.
(Author's affiliation: Archeological Research Center of the National Cultural Heritage Administration (国家文物局考古研究中心))
Return to TopBy: 赵嘉铭
Four years ago, I left Beijing (北京) to study in London. In my tightly packed suitcase, my mother placed a diabolo for me.
I first heard the sound of the diabolo on the way home from my first day of elementary school. It was a winding hutong. I held my grandfather's and grandmother's hands in my left and right hands, respectively, excitedly talking about the new things at school. As we walked, talked, and laughed, a sound suddenly came from the corner of the hutong, like the wind and a whistle, sometimes loud and sometimes soft, from far to near. I broke free from my grandparents' hands and ran over. It turned out to be an old man pulling a long rope, shaking a spinning little wheel-like thing. The old man told me that this was a diabolo, mainly popular in the Beijing (北京) and Tianjin (天津) areas, and also found in the south. It was also an intangible cultural heritage. Being too young, I wasn't interested in these concepts and physical principles at the time, but I was very curious about how the old man could make something make a sound and not fall to the ground. It was really amazing!
In the third grade of elementary school, the school organized various intangible cultural heritage interest classes, and I specifically chose diabolo. 台上一分钟，台下十年功 (tái shàng yī fēn zhōng, tái xià shí nián gōng - "one minute on stage, ten years of practice off stage," great accomplishments require painstaking effort). Practicing was not that simple. In order to get a small red flower, I sometimes practiced so much that I couldn't lift my arms the next day. During the final performance, my grandmother didn't come. Being sick, she couldn't see my performance.
Later, I brought the diabolo to London, bringing with me the joy of childhood and the reluctant family affection. In the neighborhood, there were neighbors from the Middle East, North America, South Asia, and other places. Everyone always gathered in the small square on weekends, watching the children play happily. Three years ago, they discovered that every weekend there would be a Chinese "bamboo" brother teaching them to play together. In addition to the diabolo, I also taught them to play the kuaiban (快板). These toys and musical instruments made of bamboo allowed everyone to learn about Chinese culture.
One day, I passed by Covent Garden (考文特花园) street and saw a crowd gathered three layers deep from afar, with a red wheel jumping out of the crowd from time to time. Could it be a diabolo? I couldn't wait to run over, as if I was meeting an old friend in a foreign land (他乡遇故知 - tā xiāng yù gù zhī - "meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land," the joy of meeting someone familiar in an unfamiliar place). Pushing through the crowd, it really was a diabolo! Moreover, the performer was not an overseas Chinese person. His level was no less than my teacher's, driving wave after wave of cheers. Looking at the innocent smiling faces around me, I seemed to see myself encountering the diabolo for the first time in a small hutong in Beijing (北京) many years ago.
(The author is a postgraduate student at the Institute of Archeology, University College London (伦敦大学学院).)
Return to TopBy: 张济夏
As the closing ceremony of the 2nd National Cultural Relics Industry Vocational Skills Competition came to an end, the rankings of each event were finalized. Standing on the podium, I looked back at my former self, more than 10 years of professional career and nearly a thousand cultural relics that had been protected and restored were vivid in my mind, and all the efforts had been rewarded.
The competition was divided into two parts: theory and practical operation. The theoretical examination required candidates to answer 160 questions in 90 minutes, covering ceramic production technology, the historical development and evolution of ceramics, analysis and testing, technical means of ceramic cultural relics protection, ceramic cultural relics restoration processes, and relevant standards for the preparation of mobile cultural relics plan archives, etc., requiring candidates to have comprehensive knowledge reserves and rich front-line work experience. The practical operation part was divided into two days for a total of 15 hours, requiring candidates to complete the preparation of the protection and restoration plan and archives while implementing the protection and restoration work process. The two parts examined different content, and the practical operation part was more like a "blind box draw". The candidates did not know what type of ceramic cultural relics they would receive, nor did they know the damage situation of the cultural relics. They could only rely on whether the basic skills were solid or not.
The artifact I restored was a "Song Dynasty (宋代) Yingqing Glaze Carved Porcelain Bowl." The mouth rim was missing nearly 50%, the overall missing 40%, the body was extremely thin, and the colors were rich. At the Hubei Provincial Museum (湖北省博物馆), I have independently restored many heavyweight ceramic cultural relics, but the difficulty of patching and coloring this cultural relic is still very high. What is even more tricky is that pollutants were mixed into the artifact during the firing process, and the glaze surface was mottled with color patches, requiring precise matching of each color during restoration.
**谋定而后动** (móu dìng ér hòu dòng - "plan before acting," think before you act; carefully consider a plan before implementing it). After conducting a basic "observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking" of the artifact's disease condition, adhering to the principle of minimal intervention, I formulated a technical approach based on "cleaning - patching - repairing - coloring - repainting - toning," and the basic skills of ceramic cultural relics restoration will be assessed.
After 15 hours of intense protection and restoration implementation, I finally completed its protection and restoration work within the last 5 minutes, achieving the established goals of overall structural stability, complete appearance, and a combination of authenticity and artistry, improving its display effect and utilization value.
The ceramic cultural relics restoration ability of Hubei (湖北) cultural and expo circles has always had a good reputation, and has repeatedly provided technical support for national key cultural and expo units. My teacher said that even the most talented people need to practice for nearly 10 years to truly become cultural relics restorers. I have now also brought out apprentices, and everyone is constantly improving the concepts and techniques of cultural relics restoration. Although high-tech methods are used freely, the "ancient methods" will not be forgotten, and the original intention of loving and protecting cultural relics will not change.
Cultural relics are carriers of past history, and the restoration of cultural relics is always in progress.
(Author's unit: Hubei Provincial Museum (湖北省博物馆))
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