Summary: Following deadly flash floods in Gansu's Yuzhong County, Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to rescue the missing, relocate affected residents, and restore communication and transportation infrastructure. Li Keqiang stressed the importance of heightened vigilance and responsibility in disaster prevention during the critical "seven down, eight up" flood season. An emergency management working group was dispatched to the site to guide rescue efforts, and leading Gansu officials are directing operations. The article does not discuss the United States.
Summary: In a phone call with Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping reiterated China's consistent stance on promoting peace talks regarding the Ukraine crisis, noting there are no simple solutions to complex problems. Putin briefed Xi on Russia's perspective on the situation in Ukraine and recent communications between Russia and the United States. Xi stated that China welcomes contact between Russia and the U.S. and hopes for improved relations to politically resolve the Ukrainian crisis. Both leaders affirmed the high level of political trust and strategic coordination between China and Russia and agreed to further develop bilateral relations and to prepare the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
Summary: From August 1-7, sixty experts from various fields were invited by the Party Central Committee and the State Council to Beidaihe for a summer vacation. Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, visited the experts on behalf of Xi Jinping, conveying the Party Central Committee and State Council's greetings. The experts expressed their determination to contribute to China's modernization through achievements in their respective fields, including AI and aerospace. Several experts discussed the need for China to achieve technological self-reliance and strengthen its talent pool to compete with other countries. One expert said that competition in the field of artificial intelligence is essentially a competition of national power.
Summary: According to the article, Changchun is implementing Xi Jinping's directives to strengthen the real economy and integrate technological innovation with industrial innovation. Changchun is focusing on upgrading key industries through collaborative efforts between research institutions, government, and enterprises. The city has established funds and mechanisms like "揭榜挂帅" (assigning tasks to the best candidate) to support technological innovation and commercialization, leading to a significant increase in high-tech enterprises. Zhang Enhui, Standing Committee Member of the Jilin Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Changchun Municipal Party Committee, stated the city will focus on integrating research resources and strengthening the central role of enterprises in innovation. The article makes no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The Yuecheng district of Shaoxing is rapidly developing its low-altitude economy, attracting companies like Zongheng, DJI, and others to establish manufacturing and innovation centers. Zongheng showcased their new "Yunlong 3" large fixed-wing drone, highlighting the district's efficient business environment. Yuecheng has established a comprehensive service center with extensive surveillance and is pioneering low-altitude public transportation routes, including a route from Shaoxing to Shanghai Pudong, which is being extended to other cities in the Yangtze River Delta. Xu Jun, secretary of the Yuecheng District Party Committee, emphasized the district's commitment to exploring and practicing this new sector. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Since reopening on July 8th, the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression has received over 300,000 visitors as of August 7th. The museum's exhibition, "For National Liberation and World Peace," covering 12,200 square meters and featuring 1,525 photos and 3,237 artifacts, aims to allow visitors to commemorate revolutionary martyrs and draw strength from the spirit of the war. The exhibit uses modern exhibition methods combining real objects, scenes, static displays, and dynamic interpretations. The article does not mention the U.S. or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: This article highlights China's focus on developing "smart cities" that are convenient and efficient. It also showcases traditional Chinese architecture, specifically focusing on the artistry of wooden carvings found on rooftops. The article does not discuss politics, specific officials, the United States, or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: High electricity demand in China, driven by widespread high temperatures, prompted the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration to issue a plan to break down the division between the State Grid and Southern Grid electricity markets. This allowed for over 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to be transferred from southern regions to eastern regions, specifically Shanghai, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Fujian. The move aims to ensure power supply during peak periods and foster market competition by creating a nationwide "online electricity market." Previously, power transfers between the grids were infrequent due to a lack of a standardized market mechanism. The plan facilitates cross-regional transactions, including green electricity transfers, by establishing standardized procedures and improving market access, as well as addressing obstacles to a unified national electricity market.
Summary: China has finalized the "1+6" basic rule system for its national unified electricity market with the issuance of the "Electricity Market Measurement and Settlement Basic Rules" by the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration. These rules aim to standardize settlement management, strengthen risk control, and unify payment requirements, facilitating the free flow and optimal allocation of electricity across provinces. The unified rules address key aspects like market participation, trading procedures, information disclosure, and settlement standards to break down market segmentation and provincial barriers. According to an official from the National Energy Administration, the new rules will standardize the entire settlement process, unify measurement units, and standardize the settlement cycle. The establishment of a unified system will facilitate fair transactions between sellers and purchasers of electricity across China.
Summary: The article discusses the importance of streamlining mechanisms within China's electricity market to address the challenge of rising demand amidst constrained transmission capacity. It highlights efforts to improve coordination between power generation companies and load-bearing provinces, citing the development of cross-regional transaction procedures by State Grid and China Southern Power Grid. The piece emphasizes that such mechanisms facilitate the consumption of surplus renewable energy and ensure a stable power supply, ultimately promoting a win-win situation for various stakeholders. The article also mentions how electricity from Guangdong helped light up Shanghai and other provinces, illustrating the benefits of a unified national market. The author concludes that continuous improvements to the system will provide a stronger foundation for high-quality development.
Summary: According to officials from the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, and the General Administration of Customs, Hainan Free Trade Port will officially launch island-wide customs closure on December 18, 2025, marking a new phase of opening up. This involves a "zero-tariff" policy for imported goods, aiming to facilitate the free flow of goods, personnel, and capital. The initiative seeks to position Hainan as a key gateway for China's further opening to the world, with the aim of aligning with high international standards of trade and economy. Officials emphasized the importance of balancing liberalization with risk prevention, particularly in managing the flow of goods between Hainan and the mainland. The officials stated that the plan would increase opportunities for international exchange and cooperation.
Summary: The article reports on ecological conservation efforts in Yushu City, Qinghai Province, focusing on the source region of the Yangtze River. A 227 million yuan investment has been made to enhance water conservation capacity in the Batang River basin, a tributary of the Tongtian River (upper Yangtze), through afforestation and smart irrigation. Local authorities are also promoting rural tourism by improving the Lebagou tourist road, highlighting the confluence of the Batang and Tongtian rivers where the Jinsha River (another name for the upper Yangtze) begins. The project aims to balance ecological protection with economic development through tourism. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: A short video contest titled "My Health Story: A Flavorful Life, Learnable and Usable Knowledge" was launched on August 8th to promote the concept of prioritizing public health over simply treating illness, as advocated by Xi Jinping. The contest, organized by People's Daily Health Client and the "Xuexi Qiangguo" platform with academic support from the China Health Promotion and Education Association, seeks original short videos on various health and wellness topics. Submissions are open until December 31, 2025, and winning entries will be featured on People's Daily and related platforms.
Summary: To commemorate the 50th anniversary of China's medical aid to Morocco, a series of events were held, highlighting the long-standing friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Moroccan Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amin Talabi, emphasized that the 50-year presence of Chinese medical teams in Morocco represents a historic milestone in bilateral cooperation. The events included the premiere of a documentary showcasing the collaboration between Chinese and Moroccan medical personnel, as well as a photo exhibition. Over the past 50 years, Chinese medical teams have treated millions of Moroccan patients, and China has also donated advanced medical equipment.
Summary: The author, Director of the Center for Contemporary China Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, emphasizes Russia and China's shared responsibility as victors of WWII to defend the outcomes of the war and the UN's authority. The author states that Russia and China will jointly oppose attempts to distort WWII history, resist hegemony, promote multilateralism, maintain the UN-centered international system, and uphold international law, thereby promoting global security and justice. The author criticizes unnamed countries for pursuing unilateralism and distorting WWII history, undermining the international order. The author also promotes China's Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative.
Summary: Chinese athlete Lu Zhuoling won the first gold medal for China at the Chengdu Universiade in the women's Taijiquan-Taijijian event with a score of 19.522. Lu also won first place in the Taijiquan competition held in the morning. Singapore's Luo Zhining won silver, and Malaysia's Chen Shuwen took bronze. The Universiade marks Lu's first time participating in an international competition. Swiss athlete Riccardo Rancan secured the first gold medal of the Chengdu Universiade in the men's middle distance orienteering event.
Summary: From August 1-7, sixty experts from various fields were invited by the Party Central Committee and the State Council to Beidaihe for a summer vacation focused on "making contributions in the new era." Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, visited the experts on behalf of Xi Jinping, conveying the Party Central Committee's greetings and emphasizing the importance of talent for national development. Experts discussed topics ranging from biomedicine and AI to space exploration and strategies for overcoming bottlenecks to achieve high-level technological self-reliance. Experts expressed their determination to contribute to the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization. The experts' discussions did not mention the United States, or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson responded to a reporter's question regarding remarks made by the Philippine leader during a visit to India, in which the Philippine leader stated that the Philippines could not remain neutral in a conflict between the U.S. and China over Taiwan. The spokesperson emphasized that Taiwan is an integral part of China, and the Taiwan question is China's internal affair, accusing the Philippines of violating its commitment to the One China Policy and interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of geographical proximity and overseas citizens. China urged the Philippines to abide by the One China Principle and not to "play with fire" on issues concerning China's core interests. China has lodged a formal protest with the Philippines through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines.
Summary: The 2025 World Robot Conference opened in Beijing, focusing on cutting-edge robotics technology and industrial trends. The event includes a conference, expo featuring over 1,500 exhibits from 200 domestic and international companies (including 100 new product launches), and a competition involving over 10,000 participants from 10 countries. Beijing's "Robot World 2.0" was launched, featuring a robot 4S shop and themed restaurant, along with the release of the "2025 Top Ten Potential Application Scenarios for Humanoid Robots." The conference is co-organized by the China Institute of Electronics and the World Robot Cooperation Organization.
Summary: According to officials from the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, and the General Administration of Customs, Hainan Free Trade Port will officially launch island-wide customs closure operations on December 18, 2025, marking a new stage of development. This involves implementing a "zero-tariff" policy and streamlining customs procedures, aiming to increase trade liberalization and attract foreign investment. The initiative seeks to establish Hainan as a key gateway for China's opening up, aligning with high international standards. While promoting trade and investment, authorities emphasize the need to manage risks and maintain connections with the mainland. The officials stated that the plan would entail new opportunities for international exchange, but did not allude to potential impacts or implications for U.S.-China relations.
Summary: A promotional event for the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) was held in Prague, attended by over 130 representatives from Czech government, businesses, and Chinese companies. Czech officials, including Richard Hlavatý from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, highlighted CIIE as an opportunity to deepen economic cooperation with China. Representatives from the Czech Industrial and Transport Confederation, including Vice President Frantisek Hlaupecki, emphasized the expo’s role in facilitating Czech companies' access to the dynamic Chinese market. Chinese Economic and Commercial Counselor Liu Haiyan encouraged Czech entrepreneurs to leverage the CIIE to expand into China, and emphasized China's desire to promote bilateral economic relations. The event was hosted by the Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic, China International Import Expo Bureau, and ICBC Prague Branch.
Summary: The China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra concluded its debut performance in the UK in Edinburgh, marking the start of its first multi-nation European tour in 15 years. The performance, anticipated as a highlight of the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival, drew an audience of approximately 2,000. The orchestra is scheduled to hold concerts in five cities across the UK, Spain, and Germany from August 6th to 15th. Two cultural exchange events will be held in Edinburgh and Frankfurt.
Summary: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations, the "China Film Screening Tour of Thai Universities" began in Bangkok on August 6, sponsored by the Thailand-China Friendship Association and co-organized by several Thai and Chinese institutions. The film tour, featuring works from the China Academy of Art's Film Academy, will run until August 13. The event aims to further strengthen cultural ties between the two countries. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article summarizes efforts by various Chinese government entities to reduce bureaucratic burdens on local governments and businesses, following the issuance of the "Several Provisions on Rectifying Formalism to Reduce Burdens for the基层" in August 2024. The Central Social Work Department focused on streamlining village-level organization and regulating trade associations, while the Ministry of Ecology and Environment reduced paperwork and inspections. Shanghai introduced measures to ease the burden of bureaucratic hurdles on businesses by reducing the need for applications and certifications. Zhejiang province is reported to be leveraging digitalization. The article makes no explicit mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Heavy rainfall in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, specifically Yuzhong County, triggered flash floods causing 10 deaths and 33 missing as of August 8th. The disaster affected 2002 people across eight townships, prompting the deployment of 717 rescue personnel and the evacuation of 9,828 residents. Infrastructure including roads, power, and communication lines suffered significant damage, with efforts underway to restore them by August 10th. Gansu Province has raised its flood defense emergency response level and issued a red alert for geological disaster risks.
Summary: In response to severe flooding in Gansu Province, China's National Disaster Reduction Committee activated a Level-IV emergency response. The central government allocated disaster relief funds, materials, and emergency investments to Gansu and Inner Mongolia for rescue and infrastructure recovery. The Ministry of Water Resources convened a meeting to coordinate support for flood relief efforts in Yuzhong County, Lanzhou. The government also allocated funds to several other provinces for highway repairs.
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Summary: The article emphasizes the importance of "smart city" construction in China, highlighting Xi Jinping's support for leveraging technologies like IoT, big data, and AI to enhance urban governance and efficiency. It details how smart city initiatives are improving daily life through convenient services and fostering innovation, sustainability, and resilience. The piece calls for further data empowerment, expanded applications, and inclusive services in smart city development to improve citizens' quality of life. It further emphasizes the importance of modern tech coupled with careful, detail-oriented implementation in developing Chinese-style urban modernization.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to create the summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics, adhering to your specified guidelines.
Summary: Chinese Academy of Engineering Academician and Director of Zhejiang Lab, Wang Jian, discusses the impact of AI on scientific innovation, stating it's revolutionizing research methodologies and becoming a universal language across scientific disciplines. He highlights Zhejiang Lab's "San Ti" computing constellation project which aims to transform space into a new AI application environment. Wang emphasizes that AI should be seen as a tool to extend human creativity rather than replace scientists, while also acknowledging the ethical risks associated with AI development. He mentioned discussing AI governance with international scholars at the UN, stressing that failing to develop AI capabilities poses its own risks. He also warned of the U.S. in his claim that scientists that do not use AI will be replaced by those that do.
Summary: The article discusses the phenomenon of "brain rot" (脑腐), a state of mental fatigue and reduced cognitive function caused by overconsumption of fragmented, instantly gratifying online content. It argues that platforms use algorithms to capture user attention, leading to dopamine-driven addiction and a decline in deep thinking abilities. The piece suggests strategies to combat brain rot, such as limiting screen time, engaging with in-depth content, and practicing activities that require sustained focus. Ultimately, it emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and resisting algorithmic manipulation in the digital age. The piece does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: A team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a new programmable chromosome editing technology capable of precise manipulation of large DNA fragments in plants and animals, ranging from kilobases to megabases. This breakthrough, published in *Cell*, significantly enhances the scale and capability of genome manipulation in eukaryotic organisms. The technology enables multi-gene editing and manipulation of genomic structural variations, potentially leading to new approaches for crop improvement and genetic disease treatment. Reviewers noted its potential as a major breakthrough in genetic engineering with applications in breeding and gene therapy. The new technology could promote new breeding strategies by manipulating genetic linkage and regulating recombination frequencies to achieve fertility control.
Summary: Chinese scientists have successfully synthesized high-purity hexagonal diamond, a material with superior properties compared to regular diamond, overcoming a long-standing challenge due to the demanding formation conditions. The research team achieved this by compressing and heating single-crystal graphite under controlled high-temperature, high-pressure, and quasi-hydrostatic conditions. Key to their success was the use of high-purity graphite and in-situ X-ray observation to prevent slippage of densely packed planes during the synthesis process. This achievement provides a methodological foundation for future research into diamond-like materials. According to Academician Mao Heguang, this breakthrough may pave the way for advanced applications in superhard materials and high-end electronic devices.
Summary: Li Liang, professor at the National Pulse High Magnetic Field Science Center at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and director of the center, announced that his team has achieved a 71.36 Tesla flat-top pulsed magnetic field, surpassing their previous 2018 world record. This breakthrough in pulsed magnetic field technology, offering high magnetic field strength and stability, was achieved through advancements in materials and control technology, including domestically produced copper-silver alloy wires. The facility, approved in 2007 and operational since 2014, has enabled domestic scientists to conduct experiments previously only accessible in other countries. The facility is open to global researchers, and is planning further upgrades to its capabilities. The article did not discuss the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to provide an accurate and concise summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics.
Summary: The article discusses the history, function, and symbolism of "Xuanyu" (悬鱼), a traditional Chinese architectural component. Xuanyu, often shaped like a fish, is a decorative and functional wood carving found on traditional roof structures, protecting the roof's wooden components from the elements. Beyond its practical purpose, the Xuanyu embodies wishes for safety, prosperity, and good fortune, also symbolizing integrity due to a historical anecdote. Modern applications of Xuanyu appear in architectural restoration, design, and cultural products.
Summary: China's museums have rapidly increased in number, yet popular institutions still face ticket shortages during peak seasons, leading to overcrowding. The National Cultural Heritage Administration has urged flexibility in reservation systems, allowing some museums to waive them, but popular venues maintain reservations to manage crowds and protect exhibits. The article attributes the issue to both a surge in museum visits and an uneven distribution of resources, with smaller museums struggling to attract visitors. To address this, museums are extending hours, offering nighttime programs, and expanding access through digital platforms and traveling exhibitions. The article did not mention the United States, or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article discusses the significance of the "Beginning of Autumn" (立秋) solar term in the Chinese calendar, marking the transition from summer to autumn. It explains the historical practice of using the falling of a single Chinese parasol tree (梧桐) leaf as an indicator of the arrival of autumn, highlighting its sensitivity to temperature changes and cultural significance as a symbol of auspiciousness. The falling leaf represents not only a change in season but also a broader understanding of the interconnectedness of nature. The article clarifies that the "梧桐" referenced is the Chinese parasol tree (青桐), not the introduced sycamore tree.
Summary: The article explains the significance of "Chushu" (处暑), the end of the summer heat in the traditional Chinese calendar, and its connection to the annual fishing ban ("伏季休渔") and subsequent fishing season opening ("开渔"). The fishing ban protects marine life during the summer breeding season. The "Kai Yu Jie" (开渔节), or fishing season opening ceremony, coincides with Chushu and is a cultural event including traditional rituals and celebrations. This practice demonstrates respect for nature, ecological protection, and the inheritance of marine culture, illustrating a harmonious relationship between humans and the ocean.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to provide an accurate and concise summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics.
Summary: Archaeological analysis of bronzes unearthed from the Erlitou site reveals a complete copper production process ("sulfide copper ore smelting - blister copper refining - bronze alloying"). This suggests Erlitou's bronze industry involved early copper mining and resource utilization. Researchers also identified at least three sources of raw materials for Erlitou bronze production, including resources from the Zhongtiao Mountains, northern China, and a lead resource similar to that found in Erligang, Zhengzhou. The findings demonstrate continuous use of resources from the Zhongtiao Mountains, even as reliance on northern China increased. The Erlitou site reflects an early stage of technological tradition and industrial division, laying a material foundation for the ritual system of later dynasties.
Summary: The 47th World Heritage Committee meeting recognized China's achievements in cultural heritage protection, adding the Western Xia Mausoleums to the World Heritage List. China’s systematic governance approach, exemplified by heritage management in Macau and along the Silk Road, was praised. China hosted side events on topics like archaeological heritage protection and cultural heritage digitization to foster global dialogue and knowledge sharing. International experts actively participated in these events, discussing the integration of archaeological sites into contemporary life and sustainable development. China aims to be a collaborative partner in the world heritage community, facilitating knowledge exchange and supporting global heritage initiatives.
Summary: An exhibition at the Suzhou Museum, "From the Humble Administrator's Garden to Monet's Garden" and "From the Humble Administrator's Garden to Treatise on Superfluous Things", showcases ancient Chinese methods of escaping the summer heat through art, objects, and garden design. The exhibition highlights how literati of the Ming Dynasty sought to create a sense of coolness by appreciating paintings of landscapes with water, pavilions, and lush greenery. Methods of creating a cool environment, from the construction of gardens, to the foods eaten, are explored.
Summary: The "Daxinzhuang Pottery Fragment Assembly AI Challenge" was launched at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, connecting AI with the task of piecing together pottery shards from the Shang Dynasty-era Daxinzhuang site in Jinan. Organized by Shandong University's School of Archaeology and the Advanced Institute for Cross-disciplinary Studies of Hong Kong Baptist University, the competition emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration to develop algorithms for pottery shard classification and reassembly. The goal is to develop general and interpretable algorithms capable of addressing the challenges posed by the condition of the 3,000-year-old pottery. Organizers also hope that the competition will contribute to the development of a new paradigm for computational archaeology. Open access to archaeological data and solutions is emphasized to accelerate innovation in archaeology and cultural heritage protection.
Summary: The article describes the ancient village of Heyang in Zhejiang province, highlighting its well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty architecture, including ancestral halls, residences, and water systems. It emphasizes the importance of preserving the village's "耕读家风" (tradition of valuing both farming and studying) and its cultural heritage. Recent restoration efforts at the He Gong Memorial Temple utilize digital technology combined with traditional craftsmanship to repair damaged structures. The village also focuses on fire prevention and community involvement in preservation, ensuring the sustainable coexistence of heritage and modern life.
Summary: Please provide the article you would like me to summarize. I need the text of the article to provide a concise and accurate summary for professional analysts of Chinese politics.
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 8th (Reporter). Since August 7th, Yuzhong County (榆中县), Lanzhou (兰州) City, Gansu (甘肃) Province, and other places have experienced continuous heavy rainfall, triggering flash floods, resulting in 10 deaths and 33 missing persons as of 15:30 on the 8th.
After the disaster occurred, Xi Jinping (习近平), General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央), President of the People's Republic of China (国家主席), and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (中央军委), attached great importance to it and issued important instructions, pointing out that continuous heavy rainfall in Yuzhong County (榆中县), Lanzhou (兰州) City, Gansu (甘肃) Province, and other places triggered flash floods, causing significant casualties. The top priority is to **千方百计** (qiān fāng bǎi jì - "a thousand ways, a hundred plans," to make every possible effort) to search for and rescue missing persons, relocate and resettle threatened people, minimize casualties, and restore communication and transportation as soon as possible. In response to the recent frequent occurrence of extreme weather, all regions and relevant departments must resolutely overcome the idea of **麻痹大意** (má bì dà yì - "numbed, careless," to be careless and slack), strengthen risk forecasting and early warning, strengthen hidden danger investigation and rectification, strengthen emergency duty and guarding, and do a good job in flood prevention and disaster relief in a targeted manner to ensure the safety of the people during the flood season.
Li Qiang (李强), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee (中共中央政治局常委) and Premier of the State Council (国务院总理), issued instructions, pointing out that efforts should be made to quickly investigate, search for, and rescue missing and trapped people, fully carry out emergency rescue and relief, repair damaged facilities such as communications and transportation as soon as possible, and relocate and resettle affected people in a timely manner. Currently, it is still the key period of flood prevention from "July to August" (七下八上), the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (国家防总) should guide all localities and relevant parties to further improve vigilance, implement responsibilities, strengthen monitoring and early warning of rainfall and flood conditions, and disaster prevention and response, and make the greatest efforts to reduce casualties.
According to the important instructions of Xi Jinping (习近平) and the requirements of Li Qiang (李强), the Ministry of Emergency Management (应急管理部) dispatched a working group to the scene to guide the search and rescue work, and the main responsible comrades of the Gansu Provincial Party Committee (甘肃省委) were at the scene to dispatch and direct the emergency rescue and disaster relief work. At present, all work is being carried out in an intense and orderly manner.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 8th. On August 8th, President Xi Jinping (习近平) spoke with Russian President Putin (普京) on the phone at the latter's request.
Putin (普京) introduced the Russian side's views on the current situation of the Ukrainian crisis and the recent contacts and communications between Russia and the United States, and expressed that the Russian side highly appreciates China's constructive role in politically resolving the crisis. The Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination will not change under any circumstances, and the Russian side is willing to continue to maintain close communication with the Chinese side.
Xi Jinping (习近平) elaborated on China's principled position, pointing out that complex problems do not have simple solutions. No matter how the situation changes, China will adhere to its consistent position and persist in promoting peace and promoting talks. China is pleased to see Russia and the United States maintain contact, improve their relations, and promote the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.
The two heads of state positively evaluated the high-level political mutual trust and strategic coordination between China and Russia, and unanimously agreed to jointly promote greater development of bilateral relations. The two sides will work together to prepare for the Tianjin Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and make it a friendly, united, and fruitful summit, and promote the high-quality development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 张 洋
The Beidaihe (北戴河) in summer is filled with sunshine dancing on the blue silk-like sea.
From August 1st to 7th, invited by the Party Central Committee and the State Council, 60 outstanding experts and talents from various fields temporarily left the precision instruments in their laboratories, the roaring production lines in factories, and the vast collections of books in their studies, gathering at this beautiful seaside to enjoy a well-arranged vacation.
Inviting outstanding experts and talents to take a summer vacation in Beidaihe (北戴河) is an important institutional arrangement for the Party and the country's talent work. The theme of this year's vacation activity is "Making Contributions in the New Era."
In the past few days, the experts have been bathed in the deep care and warmth of the Party and the country, feeling greatly encouraged, and determined to scale new heights and make new contributions in their respective positions, contributing greater wisdom and strength to advancing Chinese-style modernization.
Deep Care Like the Sea
As soon as the experts arrived in Beidaihe (北戴河), warmth quietly embraced them. "The Party and the country arranged for the vacation, keeping talents in mind. This kindness is too profound. The environment here is beautiful, and the service is thoughtful. It is a rare and valuable opportunity to spend time with and have in-depth exchanges with top experts in various fields," said Qian Chengdan (钱乘旦), Boya Chair Professor at Peking University (北京大学).
National development depends on talents, and national rejuvenation depends on talents. Talents are the primary resource.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has placed talent work in a key position in governing the country, made important deployments to thoroughly implement the strategy of strengthening the country through talent in the new era, and paid tribute to talents in various ways on many occasions, leading and promoting the formation of a good social atmosphere of respecting talents.
On August 3rd, entrusted by General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), Cai Qi (蔡奇), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, visited the experts on summer vacation in Beidaihe (北戴河), extending sincere greetings on behalf of the Party Central Committee and the State Council to the vast number of experts and talents on all fronts and in all fields across the country.
The outstanding experts and talents invited to this vacation are dazzling stars: they include pioneers in technological frontiers and innovative scholars in the field of philosophy and social sciences; both veteran experts with outstanding achievements and energetic young talents, including 8 under the age of 40.
"Being invited to participate in this vacation is an honor and also a motivation. This is not only a great recognition of our younger generation, but also full of heavy expectations," said Feng Jiandong (冯建东), a 33-year-old specially-appointed professor at Zhejiang University (浙江大学). "We must actively take responsibility, dare to challenge cutting-edge problems, and bravely tackle tough scientific research challenges. The road of scientific research is long and arduous, requiring the spirit of persevering to the end. The warmth and strength given by the Party and the country are the confidence for us to move forward fearlessly and climb to new heights."
"This care is a great encouragement to the thousands of workers fighting on the front lines of manufacturing. I will definitely bring it back to the enterprise, the workshop, and the team," said Ye Linwei (叶林伟), the team leader of the 80,000-ton die forging press team of China Erzhong (中国二重) under the Sinomach Group (国机集团). At 39 years old, he is the first operator of the world's highest-level 80,000-ton die forging press, and together with his team, he overcame difficulties and successfully developed key components for the C919. He said, "I will transform this warmth into the most ardent action, shoulder our responsibilities with my colleagues, and work harder to continue to deepen the research of new materials, refine every operation process, and ensure that every product we forge is of high quality, so that domestically-made large aircraft can fly higher, lighter, and safer."
Wisdom Sparks Like a Tide
Although it is a vacation, thinking has never stopped. On the beach and in the courtyard, experts can be seen exchanging ideas everywhere. The light spots of thought move freely, collide with each other, and weave into brainstorming sessions.
"Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's biomedical industry has achieved rapid development." In an exchange, Xu Binghe (徐兵河) immediately attracted everyone's attention with his opening remarks. As the director and chief physician of the Drug Clinical Trial Research Center of the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (中国医学科学院肿瘤医院), and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (中国工程院), his sharing was inspiring: In the field of anti-tumor drug research and development, China's independently developed anti-tumor new drugs have gained wide recognition, and multi-center studies led by Chinese scholars are also increasing...
"Major medical breakthroughs often require transcending the barriers of a single discipline." Xu Binghe (徐兵河) particularly cherishes this rare cross-field exchange. "I hope to strive for greater breakthroughs in medical health through mutual integration and innovation."
2025 is the closing year of the "14th Five-Year Plan" and an important year for further comprehensively deepening reforms. Breaking through "bottleneck" problems, transforming and upgrading traditional industries, promoting the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and strengthening the cultivation of young talents... The experts exchanged ideas modestly, enlightened each other, and jointly planned for high-quality development.
Artificial intelligence is one of the focuses of discussion. The future of humanoid robots, the evolution path of large models, the challenges of computing power, and security concerns affect everyone's thoughts.
Zhou Bowen (周伯文), director and chief scientist of the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (上海人工智能实验室), said, "The competition in the global artificial intelligence field is essentially a competition of national strength and a competition for the future." He called for further coordinating the integrated development of education, science, technology, and talent, and accelerating the cultivation of strategic talents, young talents, and compound talents. "I hope that through institutional and mechanism innovation, and through the cultivation model of 'high-intensity factor input + highly concentrated task tackling + high-density talent training ground', we can discover, select, and cultivate a group of strategic scientists to more effectively promote the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement."
When talking about their professions, the experts were enthusiastic; when listening to sharing, they were eager to learn. From different fields and engaged in different jobs, they all have a patriotic heart and are all for a common cause—comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization.
"Are you tired? Are you afraid?"
"From the moment I joined the astronaut team, my heart was filled with the heavy mission of serving the country. Brave and fearless, loyal and dedicated, I have long been prepared to dedicate everything, even sacrifice everything, for the aerospace industry of the motherland." In an exchange, astronaut Wang Haoze (王浩泽) of the Astronaut Corps of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (中国人民解放军航天员大队) won rounds of applause with her answer.
"This vacation, I deeply feel the care and support of the Party and the country for us astronauts, especially the younger generation." She said firmly, "Every time we fly into space, people see the astronauts standing in the spotlight, but behind this are thousands of aerospace science and technology workers who selflessly dedicate themselves, and the great motherland is our strongest backing. In the future, I will not forget my original intention, keep my mission in mind, and strive tirelessly to explore the vast universe and build a strong aerospace country."
Restarting the Journey to the Stars and Sea
"We must have a spirit of long-termism and devote ourselves to painstaking research with the effort of sharpening a sword for ten years";
"We must seize every minute and every second, even if we develop it one day earlier, it is a victory";
"An old steed in the stable still aspires to travel a thousand miles. As long as we have the ability to learn, we will always be young";
…………
The sea breeze rustles, blowing over the ancient Shanhaiguan (山海关) city tower. Under the clear sky, the Great Wall (长城) stretches like a giant dragon winding into the sea, witnessing the vicissitudes of history and the surge of the times. The experts' eyes swept over the vast Bohai Sea (渤海) in front of them and turned to a more distant place—that is the stars and sea of technological innovation, and the magnificent picture of national prosperity.
Everyone said that they should thoroughly study and understand General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thoughts on doing a good job in talent work in the new era, vigorously promote the spirit of scientists, aim high, love the country, dedicate themselves, and be determined to innovate, and strive to launch more original, leading, and iconic major achievements in their respective fields.
"Chinese-style modernization is key to scientific and technological modernization." Pan Jianwei (潘建伟), professor at the University of Science and Technology of China (中国科学技术大学) and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), shared three wishes: to return to China after completing his studies and establish a laboratory in the field of quantum optics and quantum information; to benchmark against the international top level and create a first-class national scientific research institution—the first two wishes have been realized, and China's research level in quantum communication, quantum computing, and other fields has entered the world's forefront. "The third wish is to continuously cultivate innovative talents, continue to carry out in-depth quantum research, and contribute more to China's realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement by 2035 and the construction of a strong country in science and technology. This mission inspires us to work tirelessly."
Yan Ning (颜宁), President of the Shenzhen Institute of Medical Sciences (深圳医学科学院) and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), has been deeply involved in the research of ion channels, a key issue in life sciences. She said, "Many diseases, such as arrhythmia, epilepsy, pain syndromes, and even certain neurodegenerative diseases, are closely related to abnormal ion channel function. Elucidating their working mechanism is not only a basic scientific breakthrough in revealing the essence of life, but also the cornerstone of developing the next generation of precision drugs. I hope that scientific research results can better protect the health of the people." At the same time, as a manager of scientific research institutions, "we must actively provide services and guarantees for the introduced talents, help them concentrate on their work and fully demonstrate their potential, and strive to lead the forefront in basic and translational research."
The pace of deep space exploration is also sonorous and powerful. Wu Weiren (吴伟仁), chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (中国探月工程) and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (中国工程院), outlined the blueprint: "We plan to launch Chang'e-7 (嫦娥七号) and Chang'e-8 (嫦娥八号). Our sights are not limited to this. We will move towards deeper space in the future, and we have at least aimed at Mars. We are also concerned about small celestial bodies that pose a potential threat to the Earth, and explore changing the orbits of small celestial bodies to ensure the safety of the Earth's home."
The waves are surging, and the sails are raised again. The short vacation has accumulated more surging kinetic energy. The experts are heading towards the magnificent voyage to the stars and sea, and are striving to be the first with more full passion and riding the waves.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 汪志球 郑智文 门杰伟
Loading raw materials, die bonding operations, finished product transportation... In the spacious packaging workshop of Changchun Heda Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. (吉林长春希达电子技术有限公司) in Changchun (长春), Jilin (吉林), the entire production line requires only one worker.
"Relying on technological upgrades, our 'integrated packaging small-pitch and micro-pitch LED display' products have a market share that ranks among the top in the world," said Zhang Xin (张鑫), Deputy General Manager of the company. The company has in-depth cooperation with the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (长春光学精密机械与物理研究所) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院). In 2024, its turnover was 350 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 90%.
In July 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized during his inspection in Jilin (吉林): "We must strengthen the real economy, especially the manufacturing industry" and "accelerate the construction of an integrated innovation platform for industry, academia, and research." In February of this year, when listening to the work report of the Jilin Provincial Party Committee (吉林省委) and the Jilin Provincial Government (吉林省政府), General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "We must promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, integrate scientific research resources and forces, strengthen the main position of enterprises in innovation, optimize the innovation ecosystem, strive for new breakthroughs in a number of major scientific and technological projects, and promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements into real productive forces."
Thoroughly implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech, Changchun (长春) is leveraging its comparative advantages in abundant scientific and educational resources, optimizing the system and mechanism for scientific and technological innovation, and continuously promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation.
Pooling efforts to serve the upgrading of key industries—
The driver wears a brain-computer interface device, and as an idea flashes through their mind, the car window automatically lowers.
"Through precise brain-computer interaction to control some equipment in the car, the system delay is less than 0.2 seconds," said Chang Zhiyong (常志勇), a professor at the College of Bionic Science and Engineering of Jilin University (吉林大学), while testing data at a test site in Changchun (长春).
The Jilin Provincial Government (吉林省政府) and the Changchun Municipal Government (长春市政府) jointly established and implemented a major scientific and technological project for key core technology research and development in the automotive industry, gathering more than 2,700 researchers from 97 innovation entities, including Tsinghua University (清华大学), Jilin University (吉林大学), and the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院物理研究所), to jointly tackle key problems. "We have already made breakthroughs in 170 key core technologies in the automotive-related field, applied for more than 700 patents, formulated 108 standards, and a number of major innovative achievements have been applied to vehicles," said Zhang Guozhong (张国忠), Director of the High-Tech Technology Division of the Changchun Municipal Science and Technology Bureau (长春市科学技术局).
Changchun (长春) has formed a strategic cooperation committee for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Through the joint efforts of government, industry, academia, research, local institutions, universities, and enterprises, it is focusing on promoting breakthroughs in provincial-level major scientific and technological projects, building two major science and technology innovation platforms, 28 pilot bases for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and 16 municipal-level science and technology industrial parks.
Cultivating capabilities and strengthening the main position of enterprises in innovation—
At the 2025 Changchun International Optoelectronic Expo (2025长春国际光电博览会), the booth of HengHui Optoelectronic Measurement Technology (Jilin) Co., Ltd. (珩辉光电测量技术（吉林）有限公司) attracted widespread attention, as the company's latest products achieved full-index, low-cost substitution of foreign products.
"We encountered technical difficulties during the research and development process, and with the support of Changchun (长春), we 'posted a list to recruit talents'," recalled Chang Shuai (常帅), General Manager of the company. The Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (长春光机所) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) approached them and quickly solved the problem. Since its establishment three years ago, HengHui Measurement has continuously improved its independent innovation capabilities through various mechanisms such as "science and technology commissioners" and "bidding to take the lead," and its revenue has increased year by year.
From 2022 to 2024, the number of high-tech enterprises in Changchun (长春) increased from 2,497 to 3,367, and the number of specialized, refined, and new enterprises increased from 1,037 to 2,499.
Stimulating vitality and continuously optimizing the innovation ecosystem—
In the workshop of Changchun Guangkete Technology Co., Ltd. (长春光客科技有限公司), the digital production line for satellite laser communication terminals is in full swing, and these devices will soon enter space with satellites.
"The company once encountered difficulties, and the funding could not keep up, which limited production capacity," said Dong Zhe (董喆), Deputy General Manager of the company. "The Changchun Future Seed Fund (长春市未来种子基金) invested 5 million yuan, which solved the urgent need, and the new technology was quickly put into production and application."
In recent years, Changchun (长春) has focused on building a "1+6+N" fund cluster, establishing multiple funds according to different needs, and the scale of science and technology innovation funds has developed to 24 billion yuan. "Investing early, investing in small businesses, and investing in hard technology to help science and technology enterprises solve problems such as long project cycles, difficult financing, and slow transformation," said Zhang Guozhong (张国忠).
To "pave the way and build bridges" for scientific and technological achievements, Changchun (长春) has formed 7 special teams for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, cultivated more than 1,300 technology brokers, connected supply and demand, and continuously explored projects suitable for local transformation. At the same time, Changchun (长春) is gradually building a full-cycle policy support system for scientific and technological innovation. From 2022 to 2024, the number of annual local transformations of scientific and technological achievements in Changchun (长春) increased from 850 to 3,517.
"We must keep in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) earnest entrustment, further comprehensively deepen reforms, fully integrate scientific research resources, strengthen the main position of enterprises in innovation, promote scientific and technological achievements to leave the laboratory, accelerate industrialization, form productive forces, and promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation," said Zhang Enhui (张恩惠), member of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial Party Committee (吉林省委常委) and Secretary of the Changchun Municipal Party Committee (长春市委书记).
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 李中文 刘军国
"3, 2, 1! Offline!" The huge red silk cloth slowly slid down, and a "Yunlong 3 Medium and Large Fixed-Wing UAV" with smooth lines and silver wings made its debut under the spotlight.
In the bright factory of Zongheng Co., Ltd.'s Yangtze River Delta Manufacturing Base in Yuecheng District (越城区), Shaoxing City (绍兴市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), engineers gathered around to carefully inspect this industrial-grade UAV.
"This model leads the technical level of similar products in China," said Ren Bin (任斌), Chairman of Zongheng Co., Ltd. "Shaoxing (绍兴) has efficient work efficiency and a transparent business environment. We are accelerating our layout and developing steadily here." The first phase of the Zongheng Co., Ltd. Yangtze River Delta Manufacturing Base project took only two months from signing and landing to starting construction and production.
In recent years, Yuecheng District (越城区) has aimed to develop new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions, seized opportunities to accelerate the layout of the low-altitude economy's new track. With 90% of its airspace suitable for flight, Yuecheng District (越城区), based on its own airspace resource endowment and sound industrial ecology, has attracted many low-altitude economy enterprises to settle down.
Anchoring the three tracks of "complete aircraft, components, and systems," Yuecheng District (越城区) has cumulatively introduced and cultivated 18 low-altitude economy industrial projects, with a planned total investment of 26.6 billion yuan. A number of iconic and innovative "chain owner" enterprise projects such as DJI (大疆), Jiuzhou (九洲), Zongheng (纵横), and AVIC Special Aircraft (中航特飞) have been launched, and a Yangtze River Delta low-altitude economic development highland with "leading dragons and driving chains" is accelerating its formation.
The low-altitude economy industrial cluster is taking initial shape. The entry of DJI's (大疆) first Yangtze River Delta low-altitude economy industrial park project is like a magnet, accelerating the agglomeration of upstream and downstream enterprises. This project will build DJI's (大疆) Yangtze River Delta Chain Owner Supporting Industrial Park and DJI's (大疆) Yangtze River Delta Innovation Center in Yuecheng District (越城区), relying on DJI's (大疆) globally leading technology and industrial chain integration advantages to cultivate a low-altitude economy industrial cluster.
Innovation in subdivided fields continues to emerge. In the Zhejiang Huasheng Radar (浙江华盛雷达) workshop, the phased array weather radar production line is running at high speed. This radar significantly reduces the time required for traditional radar scanning from 6 minutes to 30 seconds, and the radial resolution is increased by more than 60 times. The low-altitude meteorological large model trained by technicians can effectively plan risk-avoidance routes for UAVs.
Application scenarios are accelerating their expansion. In May of this year, the first normalized low-altitude bus route in the Yangtze River Delta—the Shaoxing Yuecheng District (绍兴越城区) to Shanghai Pudong (上海浦东) route—was officially upgraded to a low-altitude bus network covering five locations: Shanghai Pudong (上海浦东), Jiaxing Pinghu (嘉兴平湖), Jiaxing Haining (嘉兴海宁), Shaoxing Yuecheng District (绍兴越城区), and Shaoxing Keqiao District (绍兴柯桥区). Shaoxing Yuecheng District (绍兴越城区) to Shanghai Pudong (上海浦东) takes only about 1 hour of flight. Since the opening of the route, it has served many passengers, covering all age groups. "My child has always wanted to ride a helicopter. This trip to Shanghai (上海), taking a helicopter is much easier than driving," said Ms. Wang (王女士), a citizen of Shaoxing (绍兴). In the future, the route will also extend to Suzhou (苏州), Yancheng (盐城) and other directions in Jiangsu (江苏), further weaving a dense low-altitude transportation network in the Yangtze River Delta.
Platforms and supporting services that support industrial development are also being improved simultaneously. The China Civil Airport Association Low-Altitude Economic Infrastructure Pilot, the Zhejiang Provincial Low-Altitude Public Safety Technology R&D Base, and the Zhejiang Low-Altitude Talent Training Base have been successively launched; the All-Area Low-Altitude New Infrastructure Project (Phase I) has started construction, and 17 medium and small-sized take-off and landing sites have been completed; the first China (Shaoxing) Low-Altitude Economic Exhibition was held, and UAV license training was carried out nationwide.
Safety is the prerequisite for industrial development. On the large screen of the Low-Altitude Economic Comprehensive Service Center in Yuecheng District Jianshui Science and Technology City (越城区鉴水科技城), data such as meteorology, routes, and take-off and landing points are jumping in real time.
"Clicking on a take-off and landing point, the scene is clear at a glance," said Zhan Jitao (詹际涛), director of the Yuecheng District Low-Altitude Development Promotion Center. Yuecheng District (越城区) has built a low-altitude economic comprehensive service center and deployed 3,028 sets of perception and security base stations, taking the lead in achieving full coverage of low-altitude airspace monitoring from zero to ten thousand meters at the county level nationwide.
At present, Yuecheng District (越城区) has been selected as one of the first batch of low-altitude economy "first flight zone" pilots in Zhejiang Province (浙江省) with its systematic promotion and full-link first practice. "The low-altitude economy is related to future development. We will increase our efforts to explore and practice pilot projects, and strive to create more experience for the development of the low-altitude economy," said Xu Jun (徐军), member of the Standing Committee of the Shaoxing Municipal Party Committee (绍兴市委常委) and Secretary of the Yuecheng District Party Committee (越城区委书记).
Return to TopBeijing, August 8th (Reported by Pan Junqiang (潘俊强) from this newspaper) Since the Museum of the Chinese People's Anti-Japanese War reopened on July 8th, it has received more than 300,000 visitors from all walks of life as of August 7th. The museum launched the theme exhibition "For National Liberation and World Peace." Visitors stop and contemplate here, remember the revolutionary martyrs, appreciate the great spirit of the Anti-Japanese War, and draw strength for progress.
The theme exhibition "For National Liberation and World Peace" is divided into 8 parts, with a total area of 12,200 square meters, exhibiting 1,525 photos and 3,237 cultural relics.
The theme exhibition uses a variety of modern exhibition methods, combining physical exhibits with scene displays, and combining static displays with dynamic interpretations, highlighting interactivity and enhancing the sense of participation, presenting precious cultural relics, archival documents, historical images, artworks, and historical scenes to the audience in three dimensions.
Return to TopThe New Era Painting
Strive to Build Convenient and Efficient Smart Cities
Fifth Edition
China Museum Tour · Traditional Architecture
The Flowing Wood Carving Poetry on the Roof Ridge
Seventh Edition
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 丁怡婷
1.222 billion kilowatts, 1.229 billion kilowatts, 1.233 billion kilowatts! From August 4th to 6th, affected by a wide range of high temperature and humidity weather, the power load in the State Grid (国家电网) operating area hit a record high for three consecutive days, equivalent to the simultaneous power generation of more than 50 Three Gorges power stations to support it.
In Hefei (合肥), Anhui (安徽) Province, the power load has exceeded last year's extreme value more than 10 times since July, and the power grid has maintained a high level of operation. In Hefei Guoxuan High-Tech Power Energy Co., Ltd. (合肥国轩电池材料有限公司), production is in good order. "In previous years, we occasionally had to adjust production plans to cooperate with staggered peak power consumption, but this year's power consumption is very stable," said Xia Bo (夏博), senior supervisor of the company's public equipment department.
What is the reason for the change? In addition to the State Grid's efforts to improve the peak power supply capacity and optimize demand management, the China Southern Power Grid (南方电网) also came to help.
In July, the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) and the National Energy Administration (国家能源局) issued the "Reply on the Plan for the Normalization of Electricity Trading Mechanism across Power Grid Operating Areas" (《关于跨电网经营区常态化电力交易机制方案的复函》, hereinafter referred to as the "Plan" 《方案》), to promote the breaking of the division of the power market between the State Grid and the China Southern Power Grid, and realize the mutual assistance and mutual protection of the power system nationwide.
Under this mechanism framework, the Beijing Electric Power Trading Center (北京电力交易中心) and the Guangzhou Electric Power Trading Center (广州电力交易中心) jointly organized and reached a mutual electricity assistance transaction from the South to East China from July to September. More than 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of more than 800,000 households, are transmitted from Guangdong (广东), Guangxi (广西), and Yunnan (云南) to Shanghai (上海), Zhejiang (浙江), Anhui (安徽), and Fujian (福建) through the Min-Yue Interconnection Project (闽粤联网工程) and related channels around the clock.
Walking into the Beijing Electric Power Trading Center, on the big screen, data such as the amount of electricity traded across provinces and regions and the load forecast information of each province are updated in real time, and the staff are busy communicating the trading needs of all parties in the market.
"The most feared thing during the peak summer season is insufficient power supply." Zhang Xian (张显), director of the Market Department of the Beijing Electric Power Trading Center, introduced that in June, the State Grid had predicted that the power load in East China would increase rapidly, but the transmission channels in the State Grid area that could support East China were already fully loaded.
Where else can we find electricity? After checking, Zhang Xian and his colleagues found that the Min-Yue Interconnection Project connecting the State Grid and the China Southern Power Grid operating areas still had power transmission space, and they immediately fed back the demand to the China Southern Power Grid.
"This year, the water in the southern region came earlier, and the water levels of the main reservoirs in Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou are relatively high. The power load in Guangdong is stable, and it has the capacity to send surplus power to other places. Starting normalized electricity trading across operating areas not only expands the source of electricity in East China, but also broadens the scope of surplus power transmission in the southern region. The two sides hit it off." Huang He (黄河), general manager of the China Southern Power Grid Dispatching and Control Center, introduced that high temperatures in Guangdong appear early, and usually enter the load climbing period in May. At this time, Fujian and other places happen to be in the flood season, and the peak of electricity consumption has not yet arrived. Surplus hydropower can be sent to Guangdong through the Min-Yue Interconnection Project to alleviate the power supply pressure.
Normalized electricity trading across power grid operating areas is like establishing a "online power mall" covering the whole country, which can not only ensure the safe supply of electricity during key periods, but also help release market competition vitality.
Zhou Xing (周星), director of the Marketing Department of Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Co., Ltd. (华能澜沧江水电股份有限公司), whose hydropower station is located in the southern region, has a deep feeling: "The output of hydropower stations is significantly affected by the inflow of water in the basin, and there are natural fluctuations in the wet and dry seasons. In a single regional market, there is 'more electricity but it cannot be sold at a good price' in the wet season, and 'it is difficult to generate electricity at a good price' in the dry season. This volatility limits the competitiveness of enterprises."
"Normalized electricity trading across operating areas allows power generation companies to smoothly connect with more load provinces." Zhou Xing said that from July to September, the company's cross-operating area electricity trading volume will exceed 100 million kilowatt-hours.
At present, there are two power transmission channels between the State Grid and the China Southern Power Grid, namely the Jiangcheng DC (江城直流) from the Three Gorges to Guangdong and the Yunxiao DC (云霄直流) mutually sent by the Min-Yue interconnection. However, in the past, the frequency and scale of channel utilization were small. Taking the Min-Yue Interconnection Project as an example, the full-load transmission can reach 2 million kilowatts, but most of the time only about 30% is used.
What is the reason why the mutual assistance function of the inter-grid channel has not been fully utilized?
First look at the dispatch. Luo Zhiqiang (罗治强), deputy director of the Dispatching and Planning Department of the National Electric Power Dispatching and Control Center, told reporters that in the past, there was a lack of a normalized market trading mechanism between the two grids, and electricity mutual assistance was mainly based on inter-governmental agreements and emergency dispatch, with a "one-line, one-discussion" (一线一议) and "one-thing, one-discussion" (一事一议) approach, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive to communicate and coordinate.
Not only that, due to the lack of market mechanism support, the supported electricity needs to be processed in the "electricity return" method under the traditional plan model in the later stage, and it often happens that the return electricity has missed the peak demand of the supporting party, or the supporting party has demand but the contact channel has no available capacity. This can neither meet the objective needs of the rapid switching of supply and demand between the sending and receiving parties, nor can it reflect the time and space value of electricity in a market-oriented environment.
Looking at the transaction again. Zhang Xian introduced that the preliminary work required to organize cross-operating area transactions is extremely complicated. It is necessary to accurately assess the balance of electricity supply and demand, to achieve efficient coordination and interconnection between the two trading platforms, and to connect the transaction business processes. Previously, there was no policy basis for the organization, release, and settlement of cross-operating area transactions, so the willingness of all parties to participate was not high.
Chen Xiaodong (陈晓东), director of the Development and Research Department of the Guangzhou Electric Power Trading Center, introduced that the State Grid and the China Southern Power Grid jointly compiled detailed cross-operating area transaction business process rules such as safety verification, transaction execution, transaction settlement, and green certificate transfer. At the same time, promote the docking of technical platforms to achieve "one-place registration, national sharing" (一地注册、全国共享), improve the convenience of business entities participating in the electricity market, and reduce transaction costs.
According to the "Plan" 《方案》, this year, cross-power grid operating area transactions will be opened on a regular basis in annual, monthly, intra-month, and spot trading cycles; promote transactions such as sending green electricity from the South to the Yangtze River Delta, sending green electricity from the Northwest to the South, and sending green electricity from Inner Mongolia to the South.
In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) and the National Energy Administration (国家能源局) will continue to improve the overall design of the national unified electricity market system, remove institutional and mechanism obstacles, improve supporting policies, and promote cross-power grid operating area normalized electricity transactions to play a role in optimizing electricity resource allocation on a larger scale.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 丁怡婷
Xinjiang's afternoon sun "lights up" Beijing's night scene, and hydropower from the southwest is sent to load centers in the east... China has a vast territory, and there is broad scope for staggering peak electricity demand and mutual assistance. In the first half of this year, China's cross-provincial and regional electricity trading volume exceeded 670 billion kilowatt-hours, which means that for every 4 kilowatt-hours of electricity traded in the electricity market, 1 kilowatt-hour is realized through cross-provincial and regional transactions.
Once a kilowatt-hour of electricity enters factories, enterprises, and households from power generation stations, the closing of the switch is backed by the operation of a complex electricity market.
In this large market, multiple entities such as power generation companies, electricity sales companies, and electricity users participate. What are the transaction varieties? How is the price determined? How is settlement carried out? The rules between provinces vary greatly, which brings certain obstacles to the free flow of electricity throughout the country, and it is particularly necessary to strengthen the unification of basic market system rules.
Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) and the National Energy Administration (国家能源局) issued the "Basic Rules for Measurement and Settlement of Electricity Markets" (《电力市场计量结算基本规则》) (hereinafter referred to as the "Rules"), which standardize settlement business management, strengthen settlement risk management, unify electricity fee collection and payment requirements, and fill the last gap in the "1+6" basic rule system of the unified national electricity market, marking the completion of the construction of the basic rule system, and the free circulation and optimal allocation of electricity have a unified "standard."
"A unified electricity market must first have unified rules. Imagine if the speed limits on highways varied from place to place, the signs were different, and the traffic rules were varied, how could the traffic flow smoothly? The same is true for electric current. Establishing a unified market basic rule system helps to break down market segmentation and barriers between provinces, and is the basic project for building the foundation and establishing rules for a unified electricity market," said Fan Pengfei (凡鹏飞), Dean of the Energy Policy and Market Research Institute of the Electric Power Planning and Design Institute (电力规划设计总院).
What is "1+6"? "1" refers to the "Basic Rules for Electricity Market Operation" (《电力市场运行基本规则》) released in 2024, which determines the most critical content, such as who can participate in the market, what are their respective responsibilities and rights, and how electricity is bought and sold, which is the "trunk" of the electricity market.
"6" is equivalent to the 6 "branches" of the electricity market. The first are the 3 rules for transaction varieties, including the rules for electricity medium- and long-term, spot, and ancillary services. "The medium- and long-term transaction rules are the basic rules for electricity trading in the next few months or even years, ensuring basic market stability; the spot is the basic rules for real-time electricity trading 'on the day' or 'the next day', reflecting real-time supply and demand and prices, which is more flexible; the ancillary services standardize the peak regulation, frequency regulation and other services that ensure the safe and stable operation of the power grid, how to buy and sell, and how to pay," explained Han Fang (韩放), Deputy Director of the Planning and Development Department of the China Electricity Council (中国电力企业联合会).
The second are the 3 rules concerning the key links of market operation, including information disclosure, market registration, and measurement and settlement rules. Unified information disclosure allows everyone to obtain key information on the same starting line; unified market registration allows companies to participate in the market across provinces without having to go through repeated procedures; unified settlement standards allow the buying and selling of electricity to be clearly accounted for, and no more disputes.
"The 'Rules' combine the actual construction of the electricity market, standardize the preparation and release of settlement basis, electricity fee collection and payment, recovery and refund, and liquidation and other settlement business processes and time limit requirements, unify the units of measurement and settlement subject styles, and unify the settlement cycle, etc.," said the relevant person in charge of the National Energy Administration (国家能源局).
(Zhang Ling (张玲) participated in writing)
Return to TopBy: 吴 凯
On one hand, electricity demand continues to climb; on the other hand, the available transmission channels within the region are already fully loaded. How can this problem be solved?
To play the game of the electricity market well, the key lies in unblocking the mechanisms.
Unblocking the mechanisms stimulates market vitality. From the State Grid (国网) and China Southern Power Grid (南网) jointly compiling detailed rules for cross-operating area transaction business processes, to promoting technical platform docking and reducing transaction costs, the stable and reliable power supply is backed by the smooth connection between power generation companies and more load provinces. These explorations promote the consumption of surplus new energy, ensure the safe and stable supply of electricity, enhance the competitiveness of related enterprises, and form a win-win situation for all parties.
Unblocking the mechanisms optimizes resource allocation. More than 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity from provinces such as Guangdong (广东) light up the lights of thousands of homes in provinces such as Shanghai (上海). Through this story, we can clearly feel the great role of the nation acting as **一盘棋** (yī pán qí - "a game of chess," viewing the nation as a unified whole). When market segmentation is broken, the value of each kilowatt-hour of electricity will be reflected in a broader dimension.
Energy and electricity are related to the national economy and the people's livelihood, and to thousands of households. With the continuous improvement of supporting policies and the continuous unblocking of systems and mechanisms, a vibrant national unified electricity market will provide a more reliable guarantee for high-quality development.
Return to TopBy: 新华社记者
Building the Hainan Free Trade Port is a major reform and opening-up initiative personally planned, deployed, and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平).
In December 2024, when listening to the work reports of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and the Hainan Provincial Government, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized the need to scientifically plan the reform, opening up, and high-quality development work before and after the island-wide customs clearance, to continue to emancipate the mind, pioneer and innovate, overcome difficulties, and steadily advance, and strive to build the Hainan Free Trade Port into an important gateway leading China's new era of opening up to the outside world, and strive to write a Hainan chapter of Chinese-style modernization.
With the approval of the Party Central Committee, on December 18, 2025, the island-wide customs clearance of the Hainan Free Trade Port will be officially launched. What are the core policy arrangements for the customs clearance operation? After the customs clearance, what impact will it have on people's travel to and from Hainan, tourism consumption, and corporate investment? How to ensure that various policies are implemented in detail and the customs clearance operation is smooth and orderly?
On the 8th, Xinhua News Agency launched the 21st episode of the "China Economic Roundtable" large-scale all-media interview program, inviting Cai Ping (蔡平), Deputy Director of the Regional Coordination and Development Department of the National Development and Reform Commission, Wu Jingfang (吴京芳), Deputy Director of the Tariff Department of the Ministry of Finance, Jiang Zijun (蒋子军), Deputy Director of the Coordination Department for the Construction of Free Trade Zones and Ports of the Ministry of Commerce, and Du Chaoxin (杜朝新), Deputy Director of the Department of Free Trade Zones and Special Zones Development of the General Administration of Customs, to discuss the island-wide customs clearance operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port.
The Beginning of a New Stage in the Construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port
On April 13, 2018, at the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Hainan Province as a special economic zone, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) announced that he would support Hainan in gradually exploring and steadily promoting the construction of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics.
A free trade port is the highest level of openness in the world today. Hainan is China's largest special economic zone and a relatively independent geographical unit, with unique advantages in becoming a national reform and opening-up experimental field.
"The island-wide customs clearance operation is to expand opening up and accelerate development, and it is the beginning of a new stage in the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port," said Cai Ping (蔡平). The opening and development of the Hainan Free Trade Port is not simply opening the door, but systematically building a system environment for the free and convenient flow of people, logistics, and capital. After the customs clearance, there will be more room to explore and implement higher-level opening-up measures, which is of great significance both for Hainan's high-quality development and for exploring and paving the way for national reform and opening up. At the same time, it also shows the world that China's determination to expand high-level opening up will not change, and China's door to opening up will only open wider and wider.
What is island-wide customs clearance? Cai Ping (蔡平) said that island-wide customs clearance refers to building Hainan Island into a special customs supervision area, implementing a policy system characterized by "'first line' liberalization, 'second line' control, and freedom within the island." "In layman's terms, the 'first line' is to the outside of the customs, and a series of free and convenient entry and exit measures will be implemented after the customs clearance; the 'second line' is to the mainland, and precise management will be implemented for the content of the 'first line' liberalization to ensure the order of the mainland market."
One of the core policies for the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port is the "zero tariff" system for imported goods. Wu Jingfang (吴京芳) introduced that the Ministry of Finance took the lead in formulating tax policies for the entry and exit of goods on the "first line" and "second line" and their circulation within the island, as well as the Hainan Free Trade Port import taxable commodity catalog.
According to Wu Jingfang (吴京芳), the specific content of the policy is that independent legal entities registered in the Hainan Free Trade Port, as well as public institutions and private non-enterprise units that meet the conditions in the Free Trade Port, can become beneficiaries. Beneficiaries can import goods from abroad, and all goods except those in the import taxable commodity catalog can be exempted from import tariffs, import value-added tax, and consumption tax, realizing "first line" liberalization. At the same time, "zero tariff" goods and their processed products can be exempted from supplementary import taxes when circulating among beneficiaries on the island, realizing "freedom within the island." In addition, for goods produced by enterprises in the Hainan Free Trade Port's encouraged industries, import tariffs can be exempted when the processing value-added reaches or exceeds 30% when entering the mainland.
"The existing three import 'zero tariff' policies for raw and auxiliary materials, transportation vehicles and yachts, and self-use production equipment will be incorporated into the goods tax policy after customs clearance and implemented together. In this way, the Hainan Free Trade Port import 'zero tariff' system is basically established, and high-quality global factors can gather more freely and conveniently in Hainan and circulate more freely and conveniently," said Wu Jingfang (吴京芳).
Trade liberalization and facilitation are typical characteristics of a free trade port. In Jiang Zijun's (蒋子军) view, the prominent feature of the policy system design for customs clearance operation in the field of trade in goods is to implement more preferential "zero tariff" policies and more relaxed trade management measures, and to promote the flow and aggregation of goods in and out of Hainan through lower import tax rates and relaxed trade management.
After the customs clearance operation, how customs supervision is carried out has attracted much attention.
"The focus of customs supervision is what is liberalized on the 'first line', what is controlled on the 'second line', and how the supervision of goods freely circulates within the island," said Du Chaoxin (杜朝新).
After the island-wide customs clearance, the customs will set up 10 "second line ports" in Haikou Port (海口港), Sanya Port (三亚港), etc., for goods, personnel, etc. to pass between the Hainan Free Trade Port and the mainland. At the same time, customs supervision channels will be set up at 10 "second line ports."
Du Chaoxin (杜朝新) said that this is mainly to classify and manage goods leaving the island, and to use limited supervision resources where they are most needed. Except for three types of goods, namely "zero tariff", processing value-added tariff exemption, and relaxed trade management measures, which must pass through this channel to leave the island, other goods can leave the island through non-customs supervision channels without being subject to customs supervision.
Sharing Development Opportunities and Sharing Reform Achievements
Multiple customs clearance policies facilitate investors from all over the world to invest and start businesses in Hainan, share China's development opportunities, and share China's reform achievements.
"After the island-wide customs clearance, the preferential 'zero tariff' policy that operating entities can enjoy will be further increased," said Wu Jingfang (吴京芳). More operating entities can enjoy the "zero tariff" policy; beneficiaries can import more "zero tariff" goods, and the scope of the "zero tariff" policy is expanded to about 6,600 tax items. In addition, the flow of goods between beneficiaries is more convenient. This will further reduce corporate costs, which is conducive to attracting upstream and downstream enterprises in related industries to gather in the Free Trade Port and promote the cluster development of the industrial chain.
Not long ago, the Ministry of Commerce announced the "List of Goods and Items Prohibited and Restricted from Import and Export in the Hainan Free Trade Port." "This is a brand-new exploration based on the current goods trade management model to improve trade liberalization and facilitation. For the Hainan Free Trade Port, it has greatly improved the transparency and openness of its goods trade management," said Jiang Zijun (蒋子军).
He introduced that the list comprehensively and systematically lists the scope of import and export goods and items that are currently subject to national prohibition and restriction management measures for the first time, which helps operating entities to clearly and conveniently understand the management boundaries; at the same time, the list relaxes the management measures for some imported goods, such as allowing products with 38 commodity codes to carry out bonded maintenance in the Hainan Free Trade Port. "Operating entities will truly feel the convenience of trade and the dividends of opening up."
Customs clearance does not mean closing the island, and a more convenient customs clearance model for goods will be implemented in Hainan.
"'Release directly' is a convenient customs clearance model for goods 'tailor-made' for the Hainan Free Trade Port," said Du Chaoxin (杜朝新). Compared with the current import goods filling in import declarations when entering the "first line", which requires declaring 105 data items, after the island-wide customs clearance, the declaration data for "zero tariff" goods and bonded goods that are not subject to certificates or inspections can be simplified to 33 items, and enterprises only need to fill in the necessary cargo information, which greatly improves customs clearance efficiency and convenience. In addition, the customs will further optimize and improve the processing value-added tariff exemption policy, which is beneficial to enterprise development and industrial transformation and upgrading.
With the in-depth promotion of the island-wide customs clearance operation, the impact of the basic system design of "'first line' liberalization, 'second line' control, and freedom within the island" will continue to emerge.
In this regard, Cai Ping (蔡平) summarized it as "three changes" and "three unchanged." "The three changes are: for enterprises, the scope of 'zero tariff' goods will be greatly increased, the management of import and export of goods will be further relaxed, the import costs of enterprises will be reduced, and they can better integrate into the global industrial chain and supply chain; for individuals, everyone can buy more rich duty-free goods, and will have more opportunities to participate in international exchanges and cooperation, and both development opportunities and quality of life will be improved; for the government, the 'first line' management links will be greatly reduced, and the 'second line' will use intelligent means to implement precise policies, and management services will be more precise and efficient."
Cai Ping (蔡平) said, "The 'three unchanged' are: the direction of Hainan Free Trade Port's expansion of opening up to the outside world will not change, customs clearance is not closing the island, but moving towards a more open direction; convenient exchanges with the mainland will not change, personnel entry and exit will be managed according to current regulations, and no additional certificates are required, and a variety of facilitation measures will also be taken for goods that need to be supervised to ensure efficient passage; the bottom line of adhering to safety will not change, and we will always adhere to the simultaneous prevention of major risks to ensure that the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port is in the right direction and healthy development."
Strive to Build an Important Gateway Leading China's New Era of Opening Up to the Outside World
Island-wide customs clearance is the beginning of a new stage in the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, and it is also a long-term and continuous task.
"Implementing customs clearance operations in such a large area as Hainan Island is a complex and systematic project. There is no ready-made experience to learn from. It is necessary to take into account multiple aspects, and the key is to grasp the 'three connections'," said Cai Ping (蔡平).
She said that it is necessary to do a good job in the connection between "inside" and "outside", to maintain close ties between Hainan and the mainland, and to strengthen connections with the international community to achieve high-quality development of internal and external linkage and two-way empowerment; to do a good job in the connection between "release" and "control", to release the vitality of opening up on the "first line", and to build a risk defense line through "second line" control to achieve a balance between opening up and security; to do a good job in the connection between "front" and "back", to consider the policy differences before and after customs clearance, to clarify the transition arrangements in advance, and to ensure the smooth and orderly policy switching and seamless connection of various tasks.
Cai Ping (蔡平) said that according to the deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the focus of the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port in the next step is to promote "five free and convenient" and "one safe and orderly", namely trade liberalization and facilitation, investment liberalization and facilitation, cross-border capital flow liberalization and facilitation, personnel entry and exit liberalization and facilitation, transportation to and from liberalization and facilitation, and data security and orderly flow.
Wu Jingfang (吴京芳) said that after the island-wide customs clearance, the Ministry of Finance will continue to deepen tax system reform in combination with the actual construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the need to promote a higher level of opening up to the outside world, to ensure that the policy strength continues to increase and the policy dividends are continuously released.
She introduced that the focus of tax system reform in the next step is to implement the current preferential policies for enterprise income tax and individual income tax to attract more high-end talents and high-quality enterprises that meet the needs of the Free Trade Port construction to settle in Hainan; to adjust the import taxable commodity catalog in a timely manner and continuously expand the scope of "zero tariff" goods; to study and further optimize and adjust the offshore duty-free shopping policy; to actively study the relevant tax policies for the import of goods for consumption by residents on the island, and to carry out positive list management for the import of goods for consumption by residents on the island in a timely manner; and to steadily promote the research work on sales tax reform.
Promoting reform and development through opening up is an important magic weapon for China's continuous achievements in development. Data shows that from 2020 to 2024, Hainan added 4.468 million operating entities, and the actual use of foreign capital exceeded the total of the first 32 years after the establishment of the province, and the average annual growth rate of the total import and export of goods trade exceeded 30%.
Jiang Zijun (蒋子军) said that the Ministry of Commerce will support the Hainan Free Trade Port to actively connect with international high-standard economic and trade rules and improve the level of institutional opening up; continue to support Hainan to strengthen various opening platforms and continue to give play to the superimposed advantages of opening platforms; and introduce more targeted policies and measures to support Hainan to supplement the chain, extend the chain, and strengthen the chain, and continue to cultivate and develop new driving forces.
The more open the policy, the more important it is to grasp and implement risk prevention and control work. Du Chaoxin (杜朝新) said that adhering to the principle that "only by being able to control can we let go", we will plan, deploy, and promote the implementation of policies and risk prevention and control in an integrated manner, and improve the "early detection, early disposal" mechanism; promote collaborative co-management, strengthen cooperation with industry authorities, and establish a full life cycle management system for enterprises such as beneficiary qualification filing, operation management, violation disposal, and joint punishment; widely use intelligent means in the field of port customs clearance, strengthen security access supervision in the "first line" entry and exit links, continuously improve the level of passage convenience at the "second line ports", and effectively guard the bottom line of not causing systemic risks.
Cai Ping (蔡平) said that he believes that with the steady implementation of the island-wide customs clearance operation, the Hainan Free Trade Port will be able to open up new prospects in opening up and innovation and become an important gateway leading China's new era of opening up to the outside world.
(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 8)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 乔 栋摄影报道
On August 7th, in Lebagou, Batang Township, Yushu City (玉树市), Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (玉树藏族自治州), Qinghai Province (青海省), the Tongtian River (通天河) rushes past, merging with the clear water from the Batang River (巴塘河) of Yushu City (玉树市), presenting a distinct "Mandarin Duck Hot Pot" of clear and muddy colors. The confluence of the two rivers is also the starting point of the Jinsha River (金沙江). After flowing for more than 2,300 kilometers, the Jinsha River (金沙江) merges with the Min River (岷江) and is officially called the Yangtze River (长江).
The Tongtian River (通天河) is the upper reaches of the Yangtze River (长江). As a primary tributary of the Tongtian River (通天河), the water conservation capacity of the Batang River (巴塘河) continues to improve. According to reports, Yushu City (玉树市) has launched the North-South Mountain Water Conservation Forest Construction Project in recent years, with a cumulative investment of 227 million yuan, newly building 9,300 mu of water conservation forest in the Batang River (巴塘河) basin, planting 2,064,600 Qinghai Spruce (青海云杉), Qilian Juniper (祁连圆柏) and other suitable native tree species, and supporting the construction of 33.8 kilometers of intelligent irrigation pipe network, effectively enhancing the water conservation capacity and ecosystem stability of the Yangtze River (长江) source area.
On the basis of high-level ecological protection, the local area, based on its unique resources, promotes the construction of beautiful villages. With the help of counterpart assistance funds, Batang Township (巴塘乡) in Yushu City (玉树市) implemented the Lebagou (勒巴沟) Tourism Highway Improvement Project. Over a period of 3 months, 4.5 kilometers of asphalt concrete road were newly built, and another 17.625 kilometers of the original cement concrete pavement were overlaid with asphalt and colored tourist markings were added, with a total length of 22.125 kilometers, which is currently in the preparation and acceptance phase. Half of the Lebagou (勒巴沟) Tourism Highway is adjacent to the Batang River (巴塘河), and half is along the Jinsha River (金沙江). The "relay" scene of green and yellow attracts many visitors.
Return to TopThis newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on August 8th (Health Times reporter Zhao Mengmeng (赵萌萌)) In order to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important exposition on Healthy China, and actively respond to the call of "establishing a concept of great health and great health, shifting from a disease-centered approach to a people's health-centered approach, and paying attention to the entire life cycle and the entire process of health," on August 8th, the short video collection activity "My Health Story: A Flavorful Life, Learnable and Usable Knowledge" was launched. The event is hosted by the People's Daily Health Client and the "Xuexi Qiangguo (学习强国)" Learning Platform, with the China Health Promotion and Education Association as the academic support unit.
The event requires short video works to be created around topics such as health preservation for the elderly, chronic disease management, workplace health preservation, regional characteristic health preservation, health preservation for young people, and weight management stories. The works must be original and not infringe on any rights of third parties; the form is not limited; the duration is within 3 minutes, and the submission time is from now until December 31, 2025. Submissions can be made through the online submission platform of the People's Daily Health Client, the online submission platform of the "Xuexi Qiangguo (学习强国)" Learning Platform, or through the special page for the "My Health Story" short video collection on the People's Daily Client, People's Daily Online (人民网), and "People's Daily Online+ (人民网+)" Client, or by submitting to the submission email address.
The high-quality works collected in this event will be promoted on the People's Daily Client, People's Daily Online (人民网), the People's Daily Health Client, and related new media platforms of Xuexi Qiangguo (学习强国).
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 管克江
This year marks the 50th anniversary of China sending medical teams to Morocco. Over the past 50 years, a total of 197 batches of more than 2,000 team members from major hospitals in Shanghai have been dispatched to Morocco. At the opening ceremony of a series of activities held recently to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the dispatch of Chinese medical teams to Morocco, Moroccan Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amina El Mouchrif (阿明·塔拉维), stated that China has been sending medical teams to Morocco for 50 years, which is a historic milestone in bilateral cooperation between Morocco and China, symbolizing the sincere and lasting friendship between the two countries. "The Chinese medical team is an envoy of friendship between Morocco and China."
"No matter how late, Chinese medical team members are available upon call."
This spring, Zhang Baigen (张柏根), an 85-year-old retired doctor from Renji Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, returned to Hassan II Hospital in Settat Province, Morocco. Fifty years ago, as the leader of the first Chinese medical team to Morocco, he and his team members spent two years here. "During that time, there was no day or night, as long as there were patients, we would provide diagnosis and treatment," said Zhang Baigen (张柏根).
Greeting Zhang Baigen (张柏根) in Morocco was Khadija (卡蒂迦), a local nurse who had worked with him 50 years ago. "I remember that no matter how late it was, the Chinese medical team members were available upon call. We were as close as family with the Chinese medical team members," said Khadija (卡蒂迦). Fifty years ago, the two were in their prime; now, they are gray-haired, and the tree of Sino-Moroccan medical cooperation they planted is lush and green.
At the opening ceremony of the series of activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the dispatch of Chinese medical teams to Morocco, a documentary titled "Love Comes from the East" premiered. The documentary tells the story of cooperation between Chinese and Moroccan medical staff, highlighting the deep friendship between the two peoples. A Sino-Moroccan medical cooperation photography exhibition was also held during the series of activities, vividly recreating the beautiful moments of medical cooperation between the two countries over the past 50 years - joint rounds by Chinese and Moroccan doctors, free clinics by Chinese medical team members in remote mountainous areas of Morocco...
According to statistics, over the past 50 years, the medical teams to Morocco have treated a total of 5.88 million Moroccan outpatients and emergency patients, and admitted 840,000 inpatients. Wen Daxiang (闻大翔), Director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, stated that over the past 50 years, Sino-Moroccan health cooperation has continued to deepen, building a lasting bridge of friendship between China and Morocco. China is willing to work with Moroccan colleagues to promote the progress of medical science and enhance the health and well-being of the people of both countries.
"The Chinese medical team is a diligent, dedicated, capable, and intelligent team. Your arrival has strongly supported us. Thank you to the Chinese medical team!" said Khalid Amar (哈立德·阿玛尔), Director of the Ministry of Health of Chefchaouen Province, Morocco.
Nasser Bouchiba (纳赛尔·布希巴), President of the Moroccan Association for Cooperation and Development with China, stated that the Chinese medical team has helped improve the livelihoods of Africans, reflecting China's internationalist spirit and its role as a major power.
"The professionalism of Chinese doctors is admirable."
One morning in mid-July, in the examination room of Mohammed V Hospital in Chefchaouen Province, a Chinese doctor uncovered the gauze on the right eye of a local youth named Ibrahim (易卜拉欣). "I can see, I can see! Dad, is that you?" For the first time in 30 years, Ibrahim (易卜拉欣) saw the light and saw the faces of his relatives.
The "Brightness Action" team, composed of Shanghai ophthalmology experts, recently came to Mohammed V Hospital to provide diagnosis and treatment for local patients. Ibrahim (易卜拉欣) suffered from congenital cataracts, and his eyeballs would tremble involuntarily during the operation, increasing the difficulty of the surgery. Guo Tao (郭涛), Deputy Director of Ophthalmology at the Ninth People's Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, who performed the surgery, said: "As long as his vision can be restored to 0.1, we will work hard to achieve it." Postoperative review results showed that Ibrahim's (易卜拉欣) vision was restored to 0.2, and he no longer had to walk by groping.
It is reported that this "Brightness Action" diagnosis and treatment activity is the most concentrated cataract surgery carried out in Mohammed V Hospital in recent years, and more than 300 cataract patients have been operated on so far. Zainab (宰纳卜), an ophthalmologist who cooperated with Chinese doctors to perform the surgery, said with emotion: "The professionalism of Chinese doctors is admirable. I hope that there will be more and more such exchange activities to help the Moroccan medical system further develop and improve."
The Chinese expert team also donated advanced ophthalmological medical equipment to Mohammed V Hospital on behalf of the National Health Commission of China to meet the hospital's needs for cataract surgery. Sarah Jaafar (莎拉·贾法尔), Dean of Mohammed V Hospital, said: "The Chinese medical expert team is like an envoy of light, bringing light and hope to the local people. The 'Brightness Action' diagnosis and treatment activity is a symbol of Moroccan-Chinese friendship. We look forward to taking this activity as a starting point for more exchanges and cooperation between Morocco and China." Fan Xianqun (范先群), the leader of the Chinese expert team and Dean of the School of Medicine of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said: "We are willing to make greater contributions to the mutual understanding between the people of China and Morocco by carrying out more exchanges and cooperation in the field of medical and health care."
"An indelible memory in the history of Moroccan health."
In the medical center of Rehamna Province, Morocco, Iman Rachidi (伊曼·拉希迪), an obstetrician and gynecologist, skillfully operates while guiding nurses to cooperate.
Iman's (伊曼) connection with the Chinese medical team began in October 1981. At that time, a Moroccan pregnant woman suddenly went into labor while traveling and was rushed to Ibn Baja Hospital in Taza, where there was a Chinese medical team. After half an hour of surgery, the Chinese doctors successfully saved the baby's life. This baby is Iman Rachidi (伊曼·拉希迪).
After growing up, Iman (伊曼) chose to study medicine and became an obstetrician and gynecologist. Her ambition is to save more lives like the Chinese doctors who rescued her that year. "Without the Chinese doctors, without their rich experience in emergency treatment, I would not be where I am today," said Iman (伊曼).
Like Iman (伊曼), there are many Moroccan people who have changed their lives and formed a connection with China because of Chinese medical team members: the Batia family, who often invite Chinese doctors from the Agadir sub-team to their home, Mauina (马乌伊娜), a local doctor who voluntarily acts as a translator for the Chinese medical team, and Mr. Boujima (鲍吉玛), who leads villagers to send living supplies to the Chinese team members in Taza...
Amina El Mouchrif (阿明·塔拉维) stated that Morocco and China have achieved fruitful results in 50 years of health cooperation, and "the professionalism and selfless dedication of Chinese medical team members have become an indelible memory in the history of Moroccan health." He believes that Moroccan-Chinese health cooperation is not only of great significance for deepening the strategic partnership between the two sides, but also contributes to multilateral cooperation in the global health field.
(Reported from Rabat by this newspaper)
Return to TopBy: 安德烈·维诺格拉多夫
Russia and China will remember history, resolutely oppose attempts to distort and falsify the history of World War II, resist hegemonic and domineering practices, adhere to promoting multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the United Nations as the core, abide by the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, and work together to promote global security and stability and defend international fairness and justice.
World War II was a catastrophe in human history, bringing tragic tragedies and enormous destruction to the world. Eighty years ago, the people of Russia and China, together with peace-loving people all over the world, supported each other and fought bloody battles, and finally achieved the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, completely shattering the ambitions of fascism and militarism to dominate the world, and laying an important foundation for the establishment of the post-World War II international order. This historic moment deserves to be remembered forever by the international community.
Only by **以史为鉴** (yǐ shǐ wéi jiàn - "take history as a mirror," learn from history) and remembering historical experiences and lessons can we safeguard the fruits of victory won with blood by the just forces of various countries and the beautiful life of today. As the main European and Asian battlefields of the World Anti-Fascist War, Russia and China paid huge national sacrifices for the victory of World War II. In the Great Patriotic War, almost every Russian family had someone who participated in the war and sacrificed. My grandfather and great-grandfather were both serving in the army at that time and rushed to the front from the beginning of the war. My great-grandfather fought near Moscow (莫斯科) and participated in the organization of the guerrillas; my grandfather participated in the battle to counterattack Nazi Germany (纳粹德国), and both were wounded in battle and received national awards. My grandmother's father and his two brothers all bravely sacrificed in the war. Reviewing that history full of war and smoke is not only to commemorate the feats of the martyrs, but also to prevent the tragedy from happening again.
During that period, the Chinese people also stubbornly and unyieldingly supported the main Eastern battlefield of the World Anti-Fascist War with blood and lives. The Communist Party of China (中国共产党) has always maintained close ties with the people and cared about the destiny of the country and the nation, and played a pivotal role in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Thanks to the Anti-Japanese National United Front advocated by the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people shared a common hatred against the enemy and fought bravely, demonstrating their firm will to defend their country. After 14 years of bloody battles, the Chinese people finally defeated the Japanese militarist aggressors and made a major contribution to winning world peace.
As an important achievement of the victory of World War II, Russia and China, together with other important members of the anti-fascist alliance, jointly discussed the establishment of the United Nations, laying the cornerstone of the post-war international order. However, to this day, individual countries, out of their own self-interest, pursue unilateralism, hegemonism and power politics, provoke camp confrontation, and even deny and distort the history of World War II, which seriously undermines the international system with the United Nations as the core and the international order based on international law.
Russia and China, as major victors of World War II and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, bear important and special responsibilities for safeguarding the achievements of the World Anti-Fascist War and maintaining the status and authority of the United Nations. Russia and China will remember history, resolutely oppose attempts to distort and falsify the history of World War II, resist hegemonic and domineering practices, adhere to promoting multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the United Nations as the core, abide by the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, and work together to promote global security and stability and defend international fairness and justice.
Remembering history is to create a better tomorrow. In today's world, peace and development are facing many severe challenges. The Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China have great significance for the times. All countries should strengthen unity and cooperation, **同舟共济** (tóng zhōu gòng jì - "crossing the river in the same boat," to share weal and woe; to stick together in difficulties), jointly implement the three major global initiatives, jointly promote world peace, stability and development and prosperity, and work together to create a bright future for a community with a shared future for mankind.
(The author is the Director of the Center for Modern Chinese Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (俄罗斯科学院东方学研究所).)
Return to TopChengdu, August 8th (Reported by Li Yanfei (厉衍飞)) On the 8th, in the Chengdu World University Games Wushu Taolu Women's Taijiquan-Taijijian competition, Chinese team athlete Lu Zhuoling (卢卓灵) won the championship with a total score of 19.522 points, winning the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation in this World University Games. Singaporean athlete Luo Zhining (罗芝宁) won the silver medal, and Malaysian athlete Chen Shuwen (陈书文) won the bronze medal.
In the Taijiquan competition held on the morning of the 8th, Lu Zhuoling (卢卓灵) won first place with 9.796 points. In the Taijijian competition in the evening, Lu Zhuoling (卢卓灵) continued to show a good performance and finally won the championship with a total score of 19.522.
Lu Zhuoling (卢卓灵) from Guangzhou (广州) will celebrate her 22nd birthday on the 22nd of this month. The World University Games is the first international competition she has participated in. After winning the gold medal, she cried with joy: "This is the best birthday gift for me."
In the men's middle distance foot orienteering competition held on the morning of the 8th, Swiss athlete Riccardo Rancan won the championship with a time of 45 minutes and 22 seconds, winning the first gold medal of the Chengdu (成都) World University Games.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 张 洋
The Beidaihe (北戴河) in summer is filled with sunshine dancing on the blue silk-like sea.
From August 1st to 7th, at the invitation of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, 60 outstanding experts and talents from various fields temporarily left behind the precision instruments in their laboratories, the roaring production lines in their factories, and the vast collections of books in their studies, gathering at this beautiful seaside to enjoy a well-arranged vacation.
Inviting outstanding experts and talents to take a summer vacation in Beidaihe (北戴河) is an important institutional arrangement for the Party and the country's talent work. The theme of this year's vacation activity is "Making Contributions in the New Era."
In the past few days, the experts have been bathed in the deep care and warmth of the Party and the country, feeling greatly inspired and determined to scale new heights and make new contributions in their respective positions, contributing greater wisdom and strength to advancing Chinese-style modernization.
The Deep Care is as Deep as the Sea
As soon as the experts arrived in Beidaihe (北戴河), they were quietly embraced by warmth. "The Party and the country have arranged this vacation, keeping talents in mind. This kindness is so profound. The environment here is beautiful, and the service is considerate. It is a rare and valuable opportunity to spend time with and have in-depth exchanges with top experts in various fields," said Qian Chengdan (钱乘旦), Boya Chair Professor at Peking University (北京大学).
National development relies on talent, and national rejuvenation relies on talent. Talent is the primary resource.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has placed talent work in a key position in governing the country, made important deployments to thoroughly implement the strategy of strengthening the country through talent in the new era, and paid tribute to talent in many occasions in different ways, leading and promoting the formation of a good social atmosphere of respecting talent.
On August 3rd, entrusted by General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), Cai Qi (蔡奇), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, visited the experts on summer vacation in Beidaihe (北戴河), extending sincere greetings on behalf of the Party Central Committee and the State Council to the vast number of experts and talents on all fronts and in all fields across the country.
The outstanding experts and talents invited to this vacation are shining stars: there are pioneers who are pioneering and innovating at the forefront of science and technology, as well as scholars who are deeply involved in the field of philosophy and social sciences; there are veteran experts with outstanding achievements, as well as energetic young talents, including 8 people under the age of 40.
"Being invited to participate in this vacation is an honor and a motivation. This is not only a great recognition of our younger generation, but also contains heavy expectations," said Feng Jiandong (冯建东), a 33-year-old distinguished professor at Zhejiang University (浙江大学). "We must actively take responsibility, dare to challenge cutting-edge problems, and bravely tackle tough scientific research 'bones'. The road of scientific research is long and arduous, and requires the spirit of persevering to the end. The warmth and strength given by the Party and the country is the confidence for us to move forward fearlessly and climb to new heights."
"This care is a great encouragement to the thousands of workers who are fighting on the front line of manufacturing. I will definitely bring it back to the enterprise, the workshop, and the team," said Ye Linwei (叶林伟), the team leader of the 80,000-ton die-forging press team of China Erzhong (中国二重) of Sinomach (国机集团). At 39 years old, he is the first operator of the world's highest-level 80,000-ton die-forging press, and he and his team have overcome difficulties to successfully develop key components for the C919. He said, "I will transform this warmth into the most ardent action, shoulder our responsibilities with my colleagues, and work harder to continue to deepen the research of new materials, refine every operating process, ensure that every product we forge is of high quality, and make the domestically produced large aircraft fly higher, lighter, and safer."
Wisdom Sparks Like a Tide
Although it is a vacation, thinking has never stopped. On the beach and in the courtyard, experts can be seen exchanging ideas everywhere. The light spots of thought move freely and collide with each other, weaving into brainstorming sessions.
"Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's biomedical industry has achieved rapid development." As soon as Xu Binghe (徐兵河) spoke in an exchange, he immediately attracted everyone's attention. As the director and chief physician of the Drug Clinical Trial Research Center of the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (中国医学科学院肿瘤医院), and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (中国工程院), his sharing was inspiring: In the field of anti-tumor drug research and development, China's independently developed anti-tumor new drugs have gained widespread recognition, and multi-center studies led by Chinese scholars are also increasing...
"Major medical breakthroughs often require transcending the barriers of a single discipline." Xu Binghe (徐兵河) cherishes this rare cross-field exchange, "I hope to strive for greater breakthroughs in medical health through mutual integration and innovation."
2025 is the closing year of the "14th Five-Year Plan" and an important year for further comprehensively deepening reforms. Breaking through "bottleneck" problems, transforming and upgrading traditional industries, promoting the excellent traditional Chinese culture, strengthening the training of young talents... Experts humbly exchanged ideas, inspired each other, and jointly planned high-quality development.
Artificial intelligence is one of the focuses of discussion. The future of humanoid robots, the evolution path of large models, the challenges of computing power, and security concerns affect everyone's thoughts.
Zhou Bowen (周伯文), director and chief scientist of the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (上海人工智能实验室), said, "The competition in the global artificial intelligence field is essentially a competition of national strength and a competition for the future." He called for further coordinating the integrated development of education, science, technology, and talent, and accelerating the training of strategic talents, young talents, and compound talents. "I hope that through the innovation of systems and mechanisms, through the cultivation model of 'high-intensity factor input + highly concentrated task tackling + high-density talent training ground', we can discover, select, and cultivate a group of strategic scientists, and more effectively promote the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance."
When talking about their professions, the experts were enthusiastic; when listening to sharing, they were eager for knowledge. Coming from different fields and engaged in different jobs, they all have a patriotic heart and are all for a common cause—comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization.
"Are you tired? Are you afraid?"
"From the moment I joined the astronaut team, what filled my heart was the heavy mission of serving the country. Brave and fearless, loyal and dedicated, I have long been prepared to dedicate everything, even sacrifice everything, for the cause of China's aerospace industry." In an exchange, Wang Haoze (王浩泽), an astronaut from the Astronaut Corps of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (中国人民解放军航天员大队), won rounds of applause with his answer.
"This vacation, I deeply feel the care and support of the Party and the country for our astronauts, especially the younger generation." She said firmly, "Every time we fly into space, people see the astronauts standing in the spotlight. Behind this are thousands of aerospace science and technology workers who have made selfless contributions, and the great motherland is our strongest backing. In the future, I will not forget my original intention, keep my mission in mind, and strive tirelessly to explore the vast universe and build a strong aerospace country."
Restarting the Journey to the Stars
"We must have a spirit of long-termism and devote ourselves to painstaking research with the effort of sharpening a sword for ten years";
"We must seize every minute, even if we develop it one day earlier, that is a victory";
"An old steed in the stable still aspires to travel a thousand miles. As long as we have the ability to learn, we will always be young";
...
The sea breeze rustles, blowing the ancient Shanhaiguan (山海关) city tower. Under the clear sky, the Great Wall (长城) stretches like a giant dragon into the sea, witnessing the vicissitudes of history and the surging of the times. The experts' eyes swept over the vast Bohai Sea (渤海) in front of them and cast towards the more distant horizon—that is the sea of stars for scientific and technological innovation, and the magnificent picture of national prosperity.
Everyone said that they should thoroughly study and understand General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thoughts on doing a good job in talent work in the new era, vigorously promote the spirit of scientists, aim high, love the country, dedicate themselves, and strive to launch more original, leading, and iconic major achievements in their respective fields.
"Chinese-style modernization is key to scientific and technological modernization." Pan Jianwei (潘建伟), a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China (中国科学技术大学) and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), shared three wishes: to return to China after completing his studies and establish a laboratory in the field of quantum optics and quantum information; to benchmark against the international top and create a first-class national scientific research institution—the first two wishes have been realized, and China's research level in quantum communication, quantum computing, and other fields has entered the world's forefront. "The third wish is to continuously cultivate innovative talents, continue to carry out in-depth quantum research, and contribute more to China's realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and the construction of a strong scientific and technological country by 2035. This mission inspires us to work tirelessly."
Yan Ning (颜宁), President of the Shenzhen Institute of Medical Sciences (深圳医学科学院) and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), is deeply involved in the research of ion channels, a key issue in life science. She said, "Many diseases, such as arrhythmia, epilepsy, pain syndromes, and even certain neurodegenerative diseases, are closely related to abnormal ion channel function. Elucidating its working mechanism is not only a basic scientific breakthrough in revealing the essence of life, but also the cornerstone for developing the next generation of precision drugs. I hope that scientific research results can better protect the health of the people." At the same time, as a manager of a scientific research institution, "we must actively provide services and guarantees for the introduced talents, help them to be single-minded and fully display their potential, and strive to lead the forefront in basic and translational research."
The pace of deep space exploration is also sonorous and powerful. Wu Weiren (吴伟仁), chief designer of China's Lunar Exploration Program (中国探月工程) and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (中国工程院), outlined the blueprint: "We plan to launch Chang'e-7 (嫦娥七号) and Chang'e-8 (嫦娥八号). Our sights are not limited to this. We will move towards deeper space in the future, and we have at least aimed at Mars. We are also concerned about small celestial bodies that pose a potential threat to the Earth, and explore changing the orbits of small celestial bodies to ensure the safety of the Earth's home."
The waves are roaring, and the sails are raised again. The short vacation has accumulated even more surging momentum. The experts are heading towards the magnificent voyage to the sea of stars, striving to be the first with more full of passion and riding the waves.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 8th. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部) answered reporters' questions on the 8th regarding the remarks of the Philippine leader concerning Taiwan.
A reporter asked: According to reports, the Philippine leader, during an interview while visiting India, stated that if the United States and China confront each other over the Taiwan issue, the Philippines cannot remain uninvolved, which is entirely determined by the Philippines' geographical location. If a full-scale war (in the Taiwan Strait) occurs, the Philippines will inevitably be drawn into it. We will have to defend our territory and sovereignty. Furthermore, there are a large number of Filipino citizens in Taiwan, and (if a war occurs in the Taiwan Strait) this will immediately become a humanitarian issue, and we will have to intervene and try to bring Filipino citizens back to the country, which is our biggest concern. We will mobilize all resources to evacuate Filipino citizens in Taiwan; this is no small matter. What is China's comment?
The spokesperson stated that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. The Taiwan issue is China's internal affair and is at the core of China's core interests. How to resolve the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese people themselves and brooks no interference from others.
The spokesperson said that the Philippine government once made a solemn commitment to China, "adhering to the One China Policy, recognizing that Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, and understanding the efforts made by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification." The Philippine leader also clearly stated to China that "the Philippines firmly adheres to the One China Policy, and the Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair and must be resolved by the Chinese people themselves." These words are still ringing in our ears, written in black and white, yet the Philippines is now 自食其言 (zì shí qí yán - "eat one's own words," to go back on one's word) and, disregarding the consequences, continues to take erroneous and provocative words and actions, continues to hollow out and dilute the One China Principle, and continues to damage Sino-Philippine relations. China firmly opposes this, and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (中国外交部) and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines (中国驻菲律宾使馆) have made solemn representations to the Philippines on this matter.
The spokesperson stated that "geographical proximity" and "a large number of overseas citizens" are not excuses for a country to interfere in other countries' internal affairs and meddle in other countries' sovereign affairs. This argument not only violates international law and the ASEAN Charter but also harms regional peace and stability and the fundamental interests of its own people. China urges the Philippines to earnestly abide by the One China Principle and the spirit of the Sino-Philippine Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, and not to 玩火 (wán huǒ - "play with fire," to take dangerous risks) on issues concerning China's core interests.
Return to TopThis newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on August 8th (Reporters Li Jianguang (李建广) and Pan Junqiang (潘俊强)) On the morning of the 8th, the 2025 World Robot Conference opened in Yizhuang (亦庄), Beijing (北京) (Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (北京经济技术开发区)). With the theme of "Making Robots Smarter, Making Embodied Intelligence More Intelligent," this conference focuses on cutting-edge technology trends, industrial trends, application practices, and innovative achievements in the robotics field, featuring an opening ceremony, main forum, supporting activities, etc. The 2025 World Robot Expo and the 2025 World Robot Competition will also be held concurrently.
It is understood that this expo will showcase more than 1,500 exhibits from over 200 outstanding domestic and foreign robot companies, including more than 100 new products making their debut. 50 humanoid robot manufacturers will bring their latest exhibits and industry solutions, with the number of humanoid robot manufacturers participating in the exhibition reaching a record high for similar exhibitions. The competition consists of three major events: the Cooperative Robot Challenge, the BCI Brain-Controlled Robot Competition, and the Youth Robot Design Competition, attracting more than 10,000 elite competitors from over 6,000 teams from more than 10 countries to compete on-site.
At the opening ceremony, Beijing (北京) Yizhuang's (亦庄) "Robot Grand World 2.0" was officially launched. Compared to Robot Grand World 1.0, it innovatively introduced the world's first embodied intelligent robot 4S store and robot-themed restaurant, two major consumer business formats. The "Top Ten Potential Application Scenarios for Humanoid Robots in 2025" were also released at the opening ceremony.
The World Robot Conference has become an innovative leading event, an industrial promotion event, and an international cooperation event in the global robotics field. This conference is co-sponsored by the Chinese Institute of Electronics (中国电子学会) and the World Robot Cooperation Organization (世界机器人合作组织), and jointly supported by 28 international organizations, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology (北京市经济和信息化局), and the Administrative Committee of Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (北京经济技术开发区管委会).
Return to TopBy: 新华社记者
Building the Hainan Free Trade Port is a major reform and opening-up initiative personally planned, deployed, and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平).
In December 2024, when listening to the work reports of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and the Hainan Provincial Government, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized the need to scientifically plan the reform, opening-up, and high-quality development work before and after the island-wide customs closure, to continue to emancipate the mind, pioneer and innovate, overcome difficulties, and steadily advance, and strive to build the Hainan Free Trade Port into an important gateway leading China's new era of opening up to the outside world, and strive to write a Hainan chapter of Chinese-style modernization.
With the approval of the Party Central Committee, on December 18, 2025, the island-wide customs closure of the Hainan Free Trade Port will be officially launched. What are the core policy arrangements for the customs closure operation? After the customs closure, what impact will it have on people's travel to and from Hainan, tourism consumption, and corporate investment? How to ensure that various policies are implemented in detail and the customs closure operation is smooth and orderly?
Xinhua News Agency launched the twenty-first issue of the "China Economic Roundtable" large-scale all-media interview program on the 8th, inviting Cai Ping (蔡平), Deputy Director of the Regional Coordination and Development Department of the National Development and Reform Commission, Wu Jingfang (吴京芳), Deputy Director of the Tariff Department of the Ministry of Finance, Jiang Zijun (蒋子军), Deputy Director of the Coordination Department for the Construction of Free Trade Zones and Ports of the Ministry of Commerce, and Du Chaoxin (杜朝新), Deputy Director of the Free Trade Zone and Special Zone Development Department of the General Administration of Customs, to discuss the island-wide customs closure operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port.
The Beginning of a New Stage in the Construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port
On April 13, 2018, at the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Hainan Province as a special economic zone, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) announced support for Hainan to gradually explore and steadily promote the construction of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics.
A free trade port is the highest level of opening-up in the world today. Hainan is China's largest special economic zone and a relatively independent geographical unit, possessing unique advantages to become a national experimental field for reform and opening up.
"The island-wide customs closure operation is to expand opening up and accelerate development, and it is the beginning of a new stage in the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port," said Cai Ping (蔡平). The opening up and development of the Hainan Free Trade Port is not simply opening the door, but systematically building a system environment for the free and convenient flow of people, logistics, and capital. After the customs closure, there will be more room to explore and implement higher-level opening-up measures, which is of great significance both for Hainan's high-quality development and for exploring and paving the way for national reform and opening up. At the same time, it also shows the world that China's determination to expand high-level opening up will not change, and China's door to opening up will only open wider and wider.
What is island-wide customs closure? Cai Ping (蔡平) said that island-wide customs closure refers to building Hainan Island into a special customs supervision area, implementing a policy system characterized by "'first line' liberalization, 'second line' control, and freedom within the island." "In layman's terms, the 'first line' is to the outside of the customs territory, and a series of free and convenient entry and exit measures will be implemented after the customs closure; the 'second line' is to the mainland, and precise management will be implemented for the content of the 'first line' liberalization to ensure the order of the mainland market."
One of the core policies for the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port is the "zero tariff" system for imported goods. Wu Jingfang (吴京芳) introduced that the Ministry of Finance took the lead in formulating tax policies for goods entering and leaving the "first line" and "second line" and circulating within the island, as well as the Hainan Free Trade Port import taxable goods catalog.
According to Wu Jingfang (吴京芳), the specific content of the policy is that independent legal entities registered in the Hainan Free Trade Port, as well as qualified public institutions and private non-enterprise units in the Free Trade Port, can become beneficiaries. Beneficiaries can import goods from abroad, and all goods except those in the import taxable goods catalog can be exempted from import tariffs, import value-added tax, and consumption tax, realizing "first line" liberalization. At the same time, "zero tariff" goods and their processed products can be exempted from supplementary import taxes when circulating among beneficiaries on the island, realizing "freedom within the island." In addition, for goods produced by enterprises in Hainan Free Trade Port's encouraged industries, import tariffs can be exempted when the processing value-added reaches or exceeds 30% when entering the mainland.
"The existing three 'zero tariff' policies for imported raw and auxiliary materials, transportation vehicles and yachts, and self-use production equipment will be incorporated into the goods tax policy after the customs closure and implemented together. In this way, the Hainan Free Trade Port import 'zero tariff' system has been basically established, and high-quality global factors can gather more freely and conveniently in Hainan and circulate more freely and conveniently," said Wu Jingfang (吴京芳).
Trade liberalization and facilitation are typical characteristics of a free trade port. In Jiang Zijun's (蒋子军) view, the outstanding feature of the policy system design for customs closure operation in the field of trade in goods is the implementation of more favorable "zero tariff" policies and more relaxed trade management measures, promoting the flow and transit aggregation of goods in and out of Hainan by reducing import tariffs and relaxing trade management.
After the customs closure operation, how customs supervision will be carried out has attracted much attention.
"The focus of customs supervision is what is liberalized on the 'first line' and what is controlled on the 'second line', as well as how to supervise the free circulation of goods on the island," said Du Chaoxin (杜朝新).
After the island-wide customs closure, customs will set up 10 "second line ports" in Haikou Port (海口港), Sanya Port (三亚港), etc., for goods, personnel, etc. to pass between the Hainan Free Trade Port and the mainland. At the same time, customs supervision channels will be set up at the 10 "second line ports."
Du Chaoxin (杜朝新) said that this is mainly to classify and manage goods leaving the island, and to use limited supervision forces where they are most needed. Except for three types of goods, namely "zero tariff," value-added processing tariff exemption, and relaxed trade management measures, which must pass through this channel to leave the island, other goods can leave the island through non-customs supervision channels without being subject to customs supervision.
Sharing Development Opportunities and Sharing Reform Achievements
Multiple customs closure policies facilitate investors from all over the world to invest and start businesses in Hainan, sharing China's development opportunities and sharing China's reform achievements.
"After the island-wide customs closure, the preferential 'zero tariff' policy that business entities can enjoy will be further increased," said Wu Jingfang (吴京芳). More business entities can enjoy the "zero tariff" policy; beneficiaries can import more "zero tariff" goods, and the scope of the "zero tariff" policy has been expanded to approximately 6,600 tariff items. In addition, the flow of goods between beneficiaries is more convenient. This will further reduce corporate costs, which will help attract upstream and downstream enterprises in related industries to gather in the Free Trade Port and promote the cluster development of the industrial chain.
Not long ago, the Ministry of Commerce announced the "List of Goods and Items Prohibited and Restricted from Import and Export in the Hainan Free Trade Port." "This is a brand-new exploration based on the current goods trade management model to improve trade liberalization and facilitation. For the Hainan Free Trade Port, it has greatly improved the transparency and openness of its goods trade management," said Jiang Zijun (蒋子军).
He introduced that the list comprehensively and systematically lists the scope of import and export goods and items that are currently subject to national prohibition and restriction management measures for the first time, which helps business entities clearly and conveniently understand the management boundaries; at the same time, the list relaxes the management measures for some imported goods, such as allowing products with 38 commodity codes to carry out bonded maintenance in the Hainan Free Trade Port. "Business entities will truly feel the convenience of trade and the dividends of opening up."
Customs closure does not mean closing the island, and a more convenient customs clearance model for goods will be implemented in Hainan.
"'Release upon arrival' is a convenient customs clearance model for goods 'tailor-made' for the Hainan Free Trade Port," said Du Chaoxin (杜朝新). Compared with the current import goods that need to fill in an import declaration form when entering the "first line," which requires declaring 105 data items, after the island-wide customs closure, the declaration data for "zero tariff" goods and bonded goods that are not subject to licenses and inspections can be simplified to 33 items, and enterprises only need to fill in the necessary cargo information, which greatly improves customs clearance efficiency and convenience. In addition, customs will further optimize and improve the value-added processing tariff exemption policy, which will benefit enterprise development and industrial transformation and upgrading.
With the in-depth promotion of the island-wide customs closure operation, the impact of the basic system design of "'first line' liberalization, 'second line' control, and freedom within the island" will continue to emerge.
In this regard, Cai Ping (蔡平) summarized it as "three changes" and "three unchanged." "The three changes are: for enterprises, the scope of 'zero tariff' goods will be greatly increased, the management of import and export of goods will be further relaxed, the import costs of enterprises will be reduced, and they can better integrate into the global industrial chain and supply chain; for individuals, everyone can buy more abundant duty-free goods, and will also have more opportunities to participate in international exchanges and cooperation, and both development opportunities and quality of life will be improved; for the government, the 'first line' management links will be greatly reduced, and the 'second line' will use intelligent means to implement precise policies, and management services will be more precise and efficient."
Cai Ping (蔡平) said, "The 'three unchanged' are: the direction of Hainan Free Trade Port to expand opening up to the outside world will not change, customs closure is not closing the island, but moving towards a more open direction; convenient exchanges with the mainland will not change, personnel entry and exit will be managed according to current regulations, and no additional documents are required, and for goods that need to be supervised, a variety of facilitation measures will also be taken to ensure efficient passage; the bottom line of adhering to safety will not change, and we will always adhere to the simultaneous prevention of major risks to ensure that the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port is in the right direction and healthy development."
Striving to Build an Important Gateway Leading China's New Era of Opening Up to the Outside World
Island-wide customs closure is the beginning of a new stage in the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, and it is also a long-term and continuous task.
"Implementing customs closure operation in such a large area as Hainan Island is a complex and systematic project. There is no ready-made experience to learn from, and it is necessary to take into account multiple aspects. The key is to grasp the 'three connections' well," said Cai Ping (蔡平).
She said that it is necessary to do a good job in the connection between "inside" and "outside," to maintain close ties between Hainan and the mainland, and to strengthen connection with the international community, to achieve high-quality development of internal and external linkage and two-way empowerment; to do a good job in the connection between "release" and "control," to release the vitality of opening up on the "first line," and to build a risk defense line through "second line" control, to achieve a balance between opening up and security; to do a good job in the connection between "before" and "after," to consider the policy differences before and after the customs closure, to clarify the transitional arrangements in advance, and to ensure the smooth and orderly switching of policies and the seamless connection of various tasks.
Cai Ping (蔡平) said that according to the deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the focus of the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port in the next step is to promote "five freedoms and conveniences" and "one safe and orderly," namely, free and convenient trade, free and convenient investment, free and convenient cross-border capital flow, free and convenient entry and exit of personnel, free and convenient transportation and data security and orderly flow.
Wu Jingfang (吴京芳) said that after the island-wide customs closure, the Ministry of Finance will continue to deepen the tax system reform in combination with the actual construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the need to promote a higher level of opening up to the outside world, to ensure that the policy strength continues to increase and the policy dividends are continuously released.
She introduced that the focus of the tax system reform in the next step is to implement the current preferential policies for enterprise income tax and individual income tax, to attract more high-end talents and high-quality enterprises that meet the needs of the Free Trade Port construction to settle in Hainan; to adjust the import taxable goods catalog in a timely manner and continuously expand the scope of "zero tariff" goods; to study and further optimize and adjust the offshore duty-free shopping policy; to actively study the relevant tax policies for inbound goods consumed by residents on the island, and to carry out positive list management for inbound goods consumed by residents on the island in a timely manner; and to steadily promote the research work on sales tax reform.
Promoting reform and development through opening up is an important magic weapon for China's continuous achievements in development. Data shows that from 2020 to 2024, Hainan added 4.468 million business entities, and the actual use of foreign capital exceeded the total of the first 32 years after the establishment of the province, and the average annual growth rate of the total import and export of goods trade exceeded 30%.
Jiang Zijun (蒋子军) said that the Ministry of Commerce will support the Hainan Free Trade Port to actively connect with international high-standard economic and trade rules, and improve the level of institutional opening up; continue to support Hainan to strengthen various opening platforms, and continue to give play to the superimposed advantages of opening platforms; and introduce more targeted policies and measures to support Hainan to supplement, extend, and strengthen the chain, and continue to cultivate and develop new driving forces.
The more open the policy, the more important it is to grasp and implement risk prevention and control work. Du Chaoxin (杜朝新) said that adhering to the principle that "only by being able to control can we let go," we will plan, deploy, and promote the implementation of policies and risk prevention and control in an integrated manner, and improve the "early detection and early disposal" mechanism; promote coordinated co-management, strengthen cooperation with industry authorities, and establish a full life cycle management system for enterprises, including qualification filing, operation management, violation disposal, and joint punishment for beneficiaries; widely use intelligent means in the field of port customs clearance, strengthen security access supervision in the "first line" entry and exit links, continuously improve the level of passage convenience at the "second line ports," and effectively guard the bottom line of not causing systemic risks.
Cai Ping (蔡平) said that it is believed that with the steady implementation of the island-wide customs closure operation, the Hainan Free Trade Port will be able to open up new prospects in opening up and innovation, and become an important gateway leading China's new era of opening up to the outside world.
(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 8)
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Prague, August 6 (Reporter Deng Yaomin (邓耀敏)) The 8th China International Import Expo Promotion Conference and the China-Europe Enterprise Alliance "Entering the Czech Republic" event was held on the 5th in Prague (布拉格), the capital of the Czech Republic. More than 130 representatives from the Czech government, enterprises, business associations, and Chinese-funded enterprises in the Czech Republic attended, jointly exploring new opportunities for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
Richard Hlavatý, Director of the Non-European Countries Department of the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade (捷克工贸部), said that the CIIE is not only a valuable opportunity to showcase Czech innovation achievements and industrial traditions, but also an important channel to deepen economic and trade cooperation with China. He believes that through this platform, the Czech Republic and China will continue to expand economic and trade ties and enhance mutual understanding.
František Chaloupecký, Vice Chairman of the Confederation of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic (捷克工业和交通协会), one of the co-organizers of the event, said that through the important platform of the CIIE, Czech companies can not only showcase their products, but also establish business contacts in the Chinese market. China is one of the most dynamic markets in the world, and the CIIE creates opportunities for Czech companies to explore new business opportunities and strengthen exports to Asia.
Liu Haiyan (刘海彦), Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic (中国驻捷克大使馆), said in his speech that the prospects for economic and trade cooperation between China and the Czech Republic are broad. As one of the Czech Republic's largest trading partners, China is willing to work with the Czech Republic to jointly promote the continuous and sound development of bilateral economic and trade relations. Czech entrepreneurs are welcome to take this CIIE as an opportunity to further expand the Chinese market.
The event was hosted by the Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic (中国驻捷克大使馆), the China International Import Expo Bureau (中国国际进口博览局), and the Prague Branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (中国工商银行布拉格分行).
Return to TopAccording to Xinhua News Agency, Edinburgh, UK, August 6th (Reporter Zhao Jiasong (赵家淞)) The China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra (中国国家大剧院管弦乐团) successfully completed its UK debut in Edinburgh (爱丁堡), the capital of Scotland (苏格兰), on the 6th, kicking off its first multi-country European tour in the 15 years since its founding. As one of the key programs of the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival (爱丁堡艺术节), the performance attracted approximately 2,000 viewers. From August 6th to 15th, the orchestra will hold concerts in five cities in the United Kingdom, Spain (西班牙), and Germany (德国), and will also conduct two cultural exchange activities in Edinburgh (爱丁堡), UK, and Frankfurt (法兰克福), Germany.
Return to TopThe "China Image Thailand University Tour Exhibition" was launched in Bangkok (曼谷), Thailand, on August 6 and will last until August 13. The event is hosted by the Thailand-China Friendship Association (泰国泰中友谊联合会) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand. It is co-organized by the Film Academy of the China Academy of Art (中国美术学院电影学院), Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (泰国坦亚武里皇家理工大学), Chitralada Technology Institute (泰国吉拉达技术学院), Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep (泰国曼谷皇家理工大学), and Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (泰国东北皇家理工大学). Reported by Sun Guangyong (孙广勇) from Bangkok (曼谷) on August 8.
Return to TopThe Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has always attached great importance to rectifying formalism and reducing burdens at the grassroots level. In August 2024, the General Office of the Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Several Provisions on Rectifying Formalism to Reduce Burdens at the Grassroots Level" (hereinafter referred to as the "Several Provisions"), which is the first time that a system norm for reducing burdens at the grassroots level has been formulated and promulgated in the form of Party regulations. Over the past year, all regions and departments have conscientiously implemented the "Several Provisions," focusing on outstanding problems to deepen rectification and remediation, establishing and improving long-term mechanisms, and achieving remarkable results. Rectifying formalism and reducing burdens at the grassroots level is an arduous battle and a protracted war. All regions and departments should continue to deepen and solidify their efforts, solve the remaining problems, continue to promote the implementation of the "Several Provisions," and continuously consolidate and expand the effectiveness of burden reduction. This newspaper now excerpts and publishes the practices of some departments and localities in studying and implementing the "Several Provisions" for reference and learning.
-- Editor
Taking the Solution of the "Small Horse Pulling a Big Cart" Problem in Grassroots Governance as a Starting Point
Striving to Promote the Rectification of Formalism and Reduce Burdens at the Grassroots Level
Special Work Mechanism of the Central Social Work Department for Rectifying Formalism and Reducing Burdens at the Grassroots Level
In August 2024, the Party Central Committee formulated and promulgated the "Several Provisions," which is another important Party regulation to strengthen the construction of work style, conveying a strong signal to the entire Party and society, fully reflecting the Party Central Committee's consistent and comprehensive strict governance of formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level, fully demonstrating the clear attitude of perseverance and seeing things through to the end, and fully highlighting the work orientation of reducing burdens and empowering the grassroots level and encouraging cadres to take responsibility and act.
The Central Social Work Department resolutely implements the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, establishes a special work mechanism, with the main responsible comrade serving as the chief convener, to grasp the work of the Central Social Work Department to reduce burdens at the grassroots level. On the one hand, it promotes the institutionalization and standardization of the department's organs, strictly streamlines documents and meetings, strictly manages the plans and filings for supervision, inspection, and assessment, strictly regulates the borrowing of cadres from the grassroots level, and strictly regulates the creation of demonstration and standard-reaching activities, etc.; on the other hand, combined with functional responsibilities, it takes solving the "small horse pulling a big cart" problem at the grassroots level as a starting point, continuously standardizes the signs and certificates of village-level organizations, strengthens the supervision of national industry associations and chambers of commerce, and plays a positive role in rectifying formalism and reducing burdens at the grassroots level.
Promoting "Great Governance" with a "Small Cut." The "small horse pulling a big cart" is a long-standing problem that plagues the grassroots level. The Central Social Work Department, together with relevant departments, has studied and formulated 20 specific measures to reduce burdens and empower the grassroots level in accordance with the idea of "strengthening the horse, lightening the cart, smoothing the road, and gathering strength." Relying on the coordination mechanism of Party building leading grassroots governance, it gathers work synergy and solves difficult problems through meetings, special research, and follow-up promotion. Combining with the compilation of the list of responsibilities of townships (streets), it explores and improves the access system for village (community) work to ensure that rights and responsibilities are consistent and that responsibilities and capabilities are consistent. It promotes the application of Beijing's experience in Party building leading the handling of complaints and demands, and improves the working mechanism for departments and localities to jointly solve demands. It strengthens the construction of the community worker team, and conducts "door-to-door" community worker training classes for the central and western regions. During the training, students from Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), Hubei (湖北), Yunnan (云南), Shaanxi (陕西) and other places generally reflected that every measure to reduce burdens at the grassroots level "hits" the formalism "key points" and "warms" the hearts of grassroots cadres. Now they obviously feel that the burden is lighter and they have more energy to do practical things and solve difficult problems for the masses.
The grassroots signs are "reduced," and the quality of service is "improved." In recent years, various "centers," "homes," and "bases" in grassroots positions have competed to be put on the wall, and the phenomenon of "indiscriminate hanging of signs" has become a major burden that plagues grassroots cadres and consumes a lot of energy. The Central Social Work Department, together with relevant departments, has deeply promoted the standardization of village-level organization work affairs, mechanism signs, and certification matters. At present, the external hanging of signs by village (community) organizations has been effectively cleaned up, and the number, name, and style of internal hanging of signs have also been generally unified and standardized. The phenomenon of "one-size-fits-all" and "hidden hanging of signs" has been corrected in a timely manner, and a long-term management mechanism has been basically established. The relevant person in charge of the Social Work Department of Xiqu District (西区) of Panzhihua City (攀枝花市), Sichuan Province (四川省) introduced that reducing "signs" is not reducing "responsibility." Now that there are fewer signs, the service cannot be discounted, and more energy can be transferred to refined services to improve the sense of gain and happiness of the masses.
Reciting the "Tightening Curse" of Supervision and Resolutely Rectifying "Earning Money by Wearing Hats." The Central Social Work Department issued a notice to national industry associations and chambers of commerce on implementing the spirit of the "Several Provisions," and put forward requirements for the Party organizations of industry associations and chambers of commerce in three aspects: strengthening the study of Party members and employees, strengthening the political control of "two major and one foreign affairs," and strengthening supervision and inspection. It continues to rectify outstanding problems in work style such as illegal evaluations, commendations, and the creation of demonstration activities, makes good use of the interview and public notification mechanism, resolutely rectifies "earning money by wearing hats," and continuously improves the risk prevention and control mechanism to resolutely prevent hidden mutations and rebounds.
The Central Social Work Department will unremittingly study, publicize, and implement the "Several Provisions," and implement the requirements for reducing burdens at the grassroots level into every work and every link. It will not only dare to take tough measures to remove the chronic diseases and accumulated malpractices of formalism, but also be able to draw inferences from one instance and do a good job in establishing rules and regulations, so as to ensure that responsibilities are fulfilled to the end and that everyone is responsible for everything. It will put in enough "embroidery effort" to allow grassroots cadres to go into battle lightly and make the vast number of people feel and reach.
Continuously Deepen the Rectification of Formalism
Truly Reduce Burdens and Empower the Grassroots Level in the Field of Ecological Environment
Special Work Mechanism of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment for Rectifying Formalism and Reducing Burdens at the Grassroots Level
The promulgation of the "Several Provisions" fully reflects the firm determination of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core to consistently and comprehensively and strictly govern formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level, improves the long-term mechanism for deepening and expanding the rectification of formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level, and clearly establishes the work orientation of reducing burdens and empowering the grassroots level and encouraging cadres to take responsibility and act with reform and innovation methods. The Party Group and leading team of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment thoroughly implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, deeply understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," resolutely achieve the "Two Safeguards," continuously deepen and expand the rectification of formalism in the field of ecological environment, promote the implementation of various work tasks, and truly reduce burdens and empower the grassroots level.
Implementing Precise Policies and Establishing a "One Mechanism and Two Lists" for Rectifying Formalism. The Party Group of the Ministry conscientiously studies and comprehends General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on resolutely opposing formalism and bureaucracy, insists on taking the rectification of formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level as an important political task, places it in a prominent position, scientifically and accurately targets the rectification, and requires Party members and cadres at all levels of the Ministry system to firmly establish and practice the correct view of performance. Focusing on managing the long-term and consolidating the foundation, implementing mechanism and list management, establishing the Ministry of Ecology and Environment to promote the implementation of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation and the work mechanism for rectifying formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level, studying and formulating a list of key tasks and a list of audit points for the Ministry system, clarifying the division of responsibilities, refining task measures, and promoting the formation of a work pattern in which the "one mechanism and two lists" are used as the starting point and all departments and units of the Ministry system are grasping and managing together.
Reducing Burdens and Increasing Efficiency, Coordinating and Standardizing the Conduct of Supervision, Inspection, and Assessment. Carrying out inspections in a pragmatic and efficient manner. The third round of central ecological and environmental protection inspections focuses on subtracting from the form and adding to the effectiveness, greatly reducing the number of materials consulted, and achieving "six no adjustments" (materials that are too early in time are not adjusted, materials that can be found online are not adjusted, materials that have been mastered in the early stage are not adjusted, materials obtained through visits are not adjusted, materials that are vague and broad are not adjusted, and materials that are repeated and multiple are not adjusted), and the number is reduced by more than 40% compared with the previous round; comprehensively streamlining the scope of interviews, only talking with the main responsible comrades of the Party and government of the inspected objects, the responsible comrades in charge, and the main responsible comrades of departments closely related to the ecological environment, and the number of interviewees is reduced by about 50%; simplifying service guarantees, simplifying on-site inspections, proposing "three no's" (no welcoming and sending off, no accompanying residence, no visits and condolences), "the fewer the better" (the fewer on-site accompanying personnel, the fewer vehicles, the fewer exhibition board displays); optimizing and adjusting the handling of letters and visits, resolutely preventing and investigating "one-size-fits-all," which is called "unconscious inspection" by the local government, and truly achieving burden reduction without reducing responsibility and increasing the effectiveness of inspections. Improving the quality and efficiency of law enforcement inspections. Promoting non-on-site, intelligent, and penetrating law enforcement to ensure that law-abiding people are not disturbed. Carrying out a special action to standardize the centralized rectification of ecological and environmental administrative law enforcement involving enterprises. In the first half of 2025, a total of 3,840 clues to problems were investigated nationwide, 3,345 problems were found, and 2,275 have been rectified, effectively correcting problems such as failure to administer according to law and non-standard law enforcement. Streamlining and optimizing the effectiveness assessment. Revising the scoring rules for the effectiveness assessment indicators of the pollution prevention and control battle, streamlining the levels and number of indicators, reducing the number of first-level indicators by 31% year-on-year, highlighting key and key indicators, not setting process-based and trace-leaving indicators, and greatly reducing the submission of local assessment materials, so that the grassroots can spend more time on grasping the implementation of work.
Taking Multiple Measures to Continuously Implement the Requirements for Reducing Burdens at the Grassroots Level. Comprehensively establishing a full-caliber management mechanism for documents and meetings, the number of indicator-type documents issued in the first half of 2025 decreased by 5.8% year-on-year, and 2 indicator-type meetings were proactively reduced. Comprehensively clearing out cadres borrowed from municipal and lower-level units, and the number of new batches of borrowed cadres was reduced by 12. Promoting the return of data from 8 vertical management business systems to local government service platforms to assist local governments in realizing "one-stop online" for 14 government service items. Streamlining and standardizing festivals, exhibitions, forums, and the creation of demonstration activities. Cooperating with the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau to review and determine 39 ecological and environmental matters to be recovered from townships (streets) to higher-level departments, and effectively promoting the solution of the "small horse pulling a big cart" problem in grassroots governance.
Rectifying formalism is an arduous battle and a protracted war. The Party Group of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will resolutely shoulder its political responsibility, in accordance with the unified deployment requirements of the central-level special work mechanism for rectifying formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level, solidly promote the centralized rectification of formalism problems in the field of ecological and environmental protection, grasp deeply and solidly the work of rectifying formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level, and continuously expand to the depths and achieve practical results.
Solidly Promoting the "New Four Reductions" for Enterprises
Striving to Safeguard High-Quality Development with the Practical Effectiveness of Burden Reduction
Special Work Mechanism of Shanghai Municipal Level for Rectifying Formalism and Reducing Burdens at the Grassroots Level
As Shanghai (上海), the concentrated carrier of national strategies, implementing the rectification of formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level is an important support for practicing the mission of "being responsible for the country and being a pioneer." We must take General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on resolutely opposing formalism and bureaucracy and strengthening the Party's work style construction as the fundamental guideline, implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee without compromise, integrate the requirements of the "Several Provisions" into ideological consciousness, and run through all aspects of the entire process of reform and development, so as to provide a strong work style guarantee for the modernization of super-large city governance.
Since 2023, Shanghai (上海) has taken the lead in launching the "four reductions" work of reducing certificates, reducing systems, reducing signs, and reducing assessments for residential villages in the country. Since the promulgation of the "Several Provisions," Shanghai (上海) has combined the consolidation and deepening of the "four reductions" achievements and grasped the implementation with the spirit of nailing nails. First, strengthen publicity and grasp education. The theoretical study center group of the municipal party committee took the lead in carrying out special studies, and the special work mechanisms at the municipal and district levels went deep into the grassroots to widely publicize, helping cadres at all levels to fully understand the spirit and deeply understand the requirements. Second, focus on key points and grasp rectification. According to the "Several Provisions," a series of practical and hard measures were taken to promote the reduction of burdens at the grassroots level to go deeper and more solid. For example, building the "Community Cloud," a digital platform for grassroots governance, cleaning up and integrating applications for the grassroots, promoting "reporting only once" for street and town report data, and deepening data sharing to reduce burdens at the grassroots level. For another example, carrying out pilot projects for full-caliber management of documents and meetings, creating the application tool of "Supervision Code," preventing the rebound of paperwork and meetings, and preventing the arbitrary carrying out of supervision, inspection, and assessment without reporting for approval. Third, focus on problems and grasp rectification. A "QR code" for collecting clues to problems of reducing burdens at the grassroots level was set up for all 216 streets and towns and more than 6,500 residential villages in the city. This year, it was further extended to party and government organs, enterprises and institutions at all levels, and 7 batches of 24 typical problems were reported in a real and hard way. Drawing inferences from one instance, we promoted the rectification from "one thing" to "one type of thing" to help grassroots cadres get out of cumbersome affairs and "finger-tip burdens," and put more energy into serving the masses and reforming and tackling key problems.
At the same time, Shanghai (上海) continues to extend and expand the connotation of rectification, and combines the tasks of stabilizing employment, stabilizing enterprises, stabilizing the market, and stabilizing expectations to further launch a combined punch of "new four reductions" for enterprises to promote the better transformation of burden reduction achievements into high-quality economic and social development effectiveness.
Reducing Cumbersome Declarations, Relying on "Exemption from Application and Immediate Enjoyment" to Promote "Direct Access to Benefits for Enterprises." Focusing on the problems of enterprises "difficulty in finding policies, cumbersome declarations, and slow payments," we unified the policy release and query entrance, equipped enterprises with service stewards, and intelligently matched and accurately pushed policies. The policy payment process was optimized, and the "exemption from application and immediate enjoyment" items were expanded from 69 to 158. In 2025, more than 2.7 million enterprises have been served, and the payment amount has exceeded 6.8 billion yuan, helping enterprises to automatically receive support funds without leaving their homes, realizing the "second touch" of preferential dividends for enterprises.
Reducing Redundant Certificates, Replacing "a Pile of Certificates" with "Credit Reports." In order to solve the problem that enterprises need to run around to issue certificates such as "no illegal records," Shanghai (上海) took the lead in launching a special credit report for enterprises in the country, comprehensively including 41 law enforcement fields in the scope of substitution, covering matters such as listing applications, bidding, and financial support. Enterprises can independently choose the scope of certification and generate it with one click through "One Network Office." At present, 46,000 reports have been issued and about 1.32 million certificates have been replaced, effectively allowing data to run more and enterprises to run less.
Reducing Multi-Head Statistics, Reducing the "Filling Burden" with "Data Collaboration." In response to the pain point of enterprises filling in multiple reports, we promoted the reform of "one thing for enterprise data filling," integrated seven data filling systems such as statistics and taxation into a unified platform, and used blockchain smart contract technology to realize data filling once and multiple reuse, reducing the repeated filling of 937,000 data items for more than 6,000 enterprises in the city. Enterprises said that the filling efficiency has been greatly improved, and "more energy can be put into innovation and development."
Reducing Repetitive Inspections, Using "Inspection Code" to Solve "Frequent Disturbances." In order to prevent excessive and frequent inspections involving enterprises, we explored the "Inspection Code" mechanism: pre-coordinate inspection matters, aggregate cross-departmental tasks in the background and assign codes, enter one door and check multiple matters; departments show the code for inspection during the event, relying on a unified database covering 745 matters and more than 8,700 key points to improve the standardization of inspections; enterprises scan the code for evaluation after the event, and the whole process is digitally traced for supervision. This year, a total of 280,000 inspection codes have been sent, involving 192,000 enterprises, and the enterprise recognition rate has reached 99.8%, making the inspection "unconscious" and effective.
Grasping Deeply and Solidly the Rectification of Formalism to Reduce Burdens at the Grassroots Level
Providing a Strong Guarantee for High-Quality Development and Building a Demonstration Zone for Common Prosperity
Special Work Mechanism of Zhejiang Provincial Level for Rectifying Formalism and Reducing Burdens at the Grassroots Level
The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has always attached great importance to rectifying formalism and reducing burdens at the grassroots level, requiring continuous deepening of this work to create a good environment for grassroots cadres to start businesses. Zhejiang (浙江) deeply understands the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments" and resolutely achieves the "Two Safeguards." From the height of resolutely achieving the "Two Safeguards," we deeply study and understand General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on strengthening the Party's work style construction, combine the in-depth implementation of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation and learning and education, strictly implement the "Several Provisions," vigorously promote the "Six Gan" work style, and empower high-quality development and build a demonstration zone for common prosperity with the actual results of burden reduction.
Adhere to understanding and grasping from a political perspective, promoting from a high position, and leading by example. Rectifying formalism to reduce the burden on the grassroots is an important and serious political task, and the implementation of the "Several Provisions" tests political stance and political ability. We combined deepening the tracing of the source to enhance the consciousness and responsibility of deeply studying and earnestly implementing the spirit of important instructions and approvals of General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平). The Provincial Party Committee took the lead in implementing the main responsibility, and the main responsible comrades shouldered the responsibility of the "first person in charge," and integrated the in-depth implementation of the "Several Provisions" with the central work of the Provincial Party Committee, and integrated it with the rectification of unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems around the masses, and the centralized rectification of violations of eating and drinking. According to the requirements of "unperceived, traceless, and invisible," we streamlined and optimized assessment indicators, guided and promoted, and demonstrated and led all levels of the province to integrate the spirit of the "Several Provisions" into daily life and form a conscious habit.
Adhere to focusing on outstanding problems, grasping the small and early, and treating both the symptoms and root causes. The "Several Provisions" strengthen "hard constraints" with a "small incision," always going to the problem and focusing on changing the problem, and taking the "pain points" of the grassroots as the "target points" of rectification. We benchmarked the implementation of various restrictive and prohibitive measures of the "Several Provisions," promoted the full play of the role of the special work mechanism at the provincial, municipal, and county levels, established and improved the full-caliber management of documents, the "week and a half without meetings" and other systems and mechanisms, strictly controlled the total amount and frequency of supervision, inspection, and assessment oriented to the grassroots, and carried out special rectifications such as "formalism in the screen" and "formalism at the fingertips," with greater efforts to streamline documents and meetings, and with stronger tenacity to promote the solution of difficult problems such as cumbersome supervision and assessment, and cadre transfer, and pragmatically promote the timely correction of new situations such as excessive and frequent administrative inspections and research on enterprises, and win the trust of the people with new achievements in work style construction.
Adhere to using pragmatic and effective methods and means, empowering with digital intelligence, and building a normal state. The "Several Provisions" solve deep-seated institutional and mechanism problems with a blade facing inward, which fully embodies the spirit of self-revolution and the requirements of adhering to integrity and innovation. We give full play to Zhejiang's (浙江) first-mover advantage in digital reform, and use new technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence to ensure the accuracy and normalization of implementation, from "solving a problem" to "solving a class of problems," and explore and form new digital intelligence burden reduction methods such as "burden reduction online" and "burden reduction on the code," and classify problems in the field of burden reduction into the "seven problem lists" for closed-loop rectification, and focus on solving the root causes of problems from the institutional and mechanism level, and promote burden reduction work to a larger scope, deeper level, and wider field.
Adhere to using burden reduction to encourage responsibility, typical notification, and positive guidance. The "Several Provisions" reduce unnecessary affairs and increase the quality and efficiency of work, and further establish a clear orientation of taking responsibility and doing practical work. We adhere to the unity of high standing, practical work, and seeing real results, focus on the outstanding problems of "expressed at the grassroots level, rooted in the above," deepen verification and notification, promote local and unit-level warning education and comparison and inspection rectification, and form a wide range of warning and deterrent effects. At the same time, we promote provincial departments to take the lead in untying and empowering the grassroots, so that grassroots cadres have more time and energy to grasp implementation, create a better environment and conditions for grassroots cadres to start businesses, and the grassroots party members and cadres have more energy to grasp implementation with "reduced burden but not reduced responsibility" and "lightly loaded."
In the next step, we will take promoting the in-depth implementation of the eight central regulations and their implementation rules and strictly implementing the "Several Provisions" as the main line, strengthen overall planning and standardization in supervision, inspection, assessment, creation of demonstrations, commendation and awards, and work instructions and requirements, further improve the special work mechanism for normal and long-term effectiveness, continue to promote the rectification of formalism to reduce the burden on the grassroots, always work in a practical manner, be at the forefront, and dare to stand at the forefront, and provide a strong guarantee for high-quality development and construction of a common prosperity demonstration zone, accelerating the creation of an "important window," and striving to write a new chapter in Zhejiang's (浙江) Chinese-style modernization.
Benchmarking the Implementation of the "Several Provisions" Coordinate and Promote Burden Reduction and Empowerment
Intensively Cultivate and Deepen the Rectification of Formalism to Reduce the Burden on the Grassroots
Special Work Mechanism for Rectifying Formalism to Reduce the Burden on the Grassroots at the Level of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (宁夏回族自治区)
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) as the core has led the entire Party to continuously correct the four winds with the perseverance of transforming customs and habits, and issued the first special Party regulation in the history of the Party to reduce the burden on the grassroots, opening a tough battle and protracted war to temper the character of the century-old Party and consolidate the foundation of national governance. Ningxia (宁夏) takes General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important exposition on vigorously opposing formalism and bureaucracy as the fundamental guideline, takes the implementation of the "Several Provisions" as the main line, and the five levels of districts, cities, counties, townships, and villages work together to reduce the burden, and improve the sense of gain of the grassroots with the precision of rectification.
Deepening understanding and in-depth action are synchronized, and joint management and all-round promotion are carried out. From the height of deeply understanding the decisive significance of the "two establishments" and resolutely achieving the "two safeguards," closely focus on the main line to grasp overall planning and guidance. The Autonomous Region Party Committee and Government incorporated General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important exposition into the "first topic" for in-depth study and research, wrote the establishment of a long-term mechanism for burden reduction into the plenary session documents, formulated 26 implementation rules for burden reduction, and deployed key tasks such as grasping the simplification of documents and meetings, and standardizing supervision, inspection, and assessment. The special work mechanism at the level of the Autonomous Region held a high-quality seminar on burden reduction, carried out policy interpretation at the four levels of cities, counties, townships, and villages to the end, held meetings every quarter to deploy, and scheduled meetings every month in conjunction with the joint meeting of the secretaries-general of the four major organs, and delineated tasks such as reducing conferences, exhibitions, forums, hanging signs, and certification matters, and promoted special rectifications such as illegally carrying out administrative inspections involving enterprises and standardizing the behavior of industry associations and chambers of commerce, and implemented offensive actions to prevent "new image projects" and "face projects" in the field of government services, and promoted the "Several Provisions" to see action and effectiveness.
Correcting stubborn diseases and preventing seedlings are equally important, and symptomatic treatment is carried out in all fields. Closely focus on problems to play a combination of punches, and promote the deepening and expansion from point to surface. Targeted correction of stubborn diseases, implementation of full-caliber management of documents and meetings, exploration of full-process supervision of coded supervision, improvement of the efficiency assessment system, direct management to the county on one network, promulgation of 29 measures to prevent fingertip burden, establishment of 7 lists such as creating demonstrations, commendation and awards, and one-time reduction in place. Accurately prevent seedling hazards, explore measures such as staggered peak breaks to prevent "involution" duty, carry out special actions to strictly prevent the abuse of AI technology, correct "sitting hall" office through appointment services and other methods, closely focus on the internal departments and subordinate units of departments to strictly prevent formalized rectification. Systematically promote line governance, explore the work method that managing business, managing industries, and managing systems must manage burden reduction, conduct one-on-one consultations with district departments in 3 rounds, carry out targeted squatting research by the special work mechanism at the level of the Autonomous Region, mobile assistance and rectification by the four-prevention supervision team of districts, cities, and counties, concentrated review by the special work mechanism at the level of cities and counties, and sinking self-inspection and self-correction by district departments, and promote rectification to the edge and bottom.
The combination of traditional means and innovative practices, and the full-chain effort of normal and long-term effectiveness. Closely focus on reducing the burden and empowering the grassroots, strengthen information supervision, launch a document issuance and meeting monitoring platform, and take three methods of classification and reduction: planned management, total control, and separate ledger, and the full-caliber reduction of documents and meetings in district departments is more than 15%. Promote digital empowerment, strengthen the construction of "one table pass," promote the "only report once" of grassroots report data, explore the report list review and temporary report control mechanism, and change the data to the system from asking the grassroots for data. Carry out regular notifications, open 4 types of reporting channels such as public telephones, improve the three-way mechanism of cities and counties, departments, and four-prevention supervision teams, and build a closed loop of verification, notification, and rectification, and maintain a strict grasp and strict management attitude.
The combination of immediate change and long-term establishment, and the full-factor support of both the symptoms and root causes. Closely focus on system construction and execution, improve the education system of performance view, improve the assessment and evaluation system of leading bodies, revise the management methods of government investment projects, and prevent layer-by-layer escalation and "one-size-fits-all" behavior in a targeted manner. Improve the grassroots power and responsibility system, establish a list of job responsibilities for townships and streets, a guiding directory of village work affairs, and a list of basic public services, social welfare services, and convenient and beneficial services for communities, and promote the consistency of grassroots power and responsibility. Improve the daily management system, establish regular reporting, unannounced visits and supervision, and other mechanisms, optimize the strict management and control measures for borrowed cadres, and achieve full-cycle management. Improve the supervision and restriction mechanism, issue methods such as the consistency assessment of documents, meetings, and activities, strengthen the supervision of departments by the general office and the supervision of subordinates by superiors, and form a full-process system.
Return to TopThis newspaper's Lanzhou (兰州) dispatch on August 8th (Reporter Wang Jintao (王锦涛), Zhao Shuaijie (赵帅杰)) Since August 7th, Yuzhong County (榆中县) and other areas of Lanzhou (兰州) City, Gansu (甘肃) Province, have experienced continuous heavy rainfall, triggering mountain torrent disasters and causing significant casualties. As of 18:50 on the 8th, the disaster has resulted in 10 deaths and 33 missing persons. Preliminary statistics indicate that the affected area includes 8 townships, with 485 households and 2,002 people affected, of which 5 townships experienced mountain torrent disasters.
The Gansu Provincial Fire and Rescue Corps (甘肃省消防救援总队), the Forest Fire Brigade (森林消防总队), and the National Northwest Regional Emergency Rescue Center (国家西北区域应急救援中心) have successively dispatched 717 fire and rescue personnel to participate in the rescue. As of 23:00 on the 8th, a total of 443 trapped people have been rescued, and search and rescue efforts are underway.
According to reports, as of 23:00 on the 8th, Yuzhong County (榆中县) has adopted methods such as relying on relatives and friends, requisitioning hotels, and setting up centralized resettlement points to relocate a total of 9,828 people, and is making every effort to ensure the livelihood of the affected people.
Roads, power supply, communications and other facilities have been severely damaged. Affected by heavy rainfall, sections of 6 national and provincial trunk lines, including the G312 line (G312线) within Lanzhou (兰州), have experienced disasters such as road flooding and rockfalls. As of 19:00 on the 8th, the Gansu Provincial Department of Transportation (甘肃省交通运输部门) has dispatched more than 120 sets of various types of machinery and equipment and more than 650 emergency personnel, and has rushed to repair 3 water damaged sections of the S104 line (S104线) and 4 water damaged sections of the Xinghuang Highway (兴黄公路).
Gansu (甘肃) is making every effort to repair damaged power, communications and other infrastructure. Two of the seven power grid lines that were shut down due to rainfall have been repaired, and 37 of the 67 interrupted communication mobile network base stations have been repaired. According to reports, the local government will strive to restore power and communications by the 10th.
This newspaper's Lanzhou (兰州) dispatch on August 8th (Reporter Yin Yan (银燕)) The Gansu Provincial Department of Water Resources (甘肃省水利厅) decided to adjust the Lanzhou (兰州) flood defense Level III emergency response to a flood defense Level I emergency response from 18:00 on August 8th. The Gansu Provincial Department of Natural Resources (甘肃省自然资源厅) and the Gansu Provincial Meteorological Bureau (甘肃省气象局) jointly issued a red alert for geological disaster meteorological risks at 20:00 on the 8th. It is expected that in the next 24 hours, there is a high risk of geological disasters such as collapses, landslides, and mudslides in Yuzhong County (榆中县) of Lanzhou (兰州) City, Gansu (甘肃) Province, and Wudu District (武都区), Wen County (文县), and Kang County (康县) of Longnan (陇南) City.
Return to TopBeijing, August 8th (Reported by this newspaper) On August 8th, the National Disaster Reduction Committee (国家防灾减灾救灾委员会) initiated a Level-IV national disaster relief emergency response targeting the severe flooding disaster in Gansu Province (甘肃省). 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), together with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (国家粮食和物资储备局), allocated 10,000 pieces of central disaster relief supplies, such as folding beds, cotton clothing and quilts, to the disaster area. The National Fire and Rescue Administration (国家消防救援局) dispatched a working group to the scene.
On August 8th, the Ministry of Finance (财政部) and the Ministry of Emergency Management (应急管理部) urgently pre-allocated 120 million yuan of central natural disaster relief funds to support Gansu (甘肃) and Inner Mongolia (内蒙古) in carrying out emergency rescue and disaster relief work for affected people.
The National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) urgently arranged 100 million yuan of investment within the central budget to support Gansu Province (甘肃省) in carrying out post-disaster emergency recovery from the flooding disaster, focusing on post-disaster emergency recovery and construction of damaged roads, bridges, water conservancy dikes and other infrastructure and public service facilities in the disaster area.
The Ministry of Finance (财政部) and the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部) launched a rapid verification and allocation mechanism, pre-allocating 70 million yuan of central financial funds to support Beijing (北京), Tianjin (天津), Hebei (河北), Shanxi (山西), Jilin (吉林), Zhejiang (浙江), Fujian (福建) and other 7 provinces in quickly carrying out emergency road repairs.
On the evening of August 8th, the Ministry of Water Resources (水利部) held an expanded meeting of the Party Leadership Group and a flood control consultation meeting to provide support for the emergency rescue and relief of the flash flood disaster in Yuzhong County (榆中县), Lanzhou City (兰州市), Gansu Province (甘肃省).
(Reported by Qu Zhehan (曲哲涵), Liu Zhiqiang (刘志强), Qi Yukun (亓玉昆), Liu Wenxin (刘温馨), and Deng Jianyang (邓剑洋), reporters of this newspaper)
Return to TopBy: 张伟昊
Smart cities have great potential. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) is very concerned about the construction of smart cities in various places, emphasizing "accelerating the construction of smart cities and building an intelligent hub for urban operation and governance" and "making urban governance more intelligent, efficient, and precise." The Central Urban Work Conference (中央城市工作会议) clearly proposed "focusing on building convenient and efficient smart cities" and vigorously promoting "governance efficiency" in cities.
Cities are changing because of intelligence. Using technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, and artificial intelligence, cities have also evolved a smart "brain," giving more possibilities to the present and the future.
The relevant concepts and practices of smart cities have been integrated into daily life. With just a mobile phone, you can achieve shopping, ordering food, taking transportation, medical treatment, etc., bringing convenience and efficiency. Wisdom makes us take it for granted, using it daily without realizing it.
The benefits of intelligence are more than that. As one of the characteristics of a modern people's city, intelligence can especially play a positive externality and help other aspects: looking at innovation, intelligent rail trams, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other things have been launched one after another; looking at livability, the construction of good houses is in full swing; looking at beauty, intelligent equipment is used in cleaning, irrigation, and serving environmental protection and greening; looking at resilience, special robots play a positive role in pipeline network detection, fire rescue, and other aspects; looking at civilization, citizen service hotlines and other government service platforms coordinate and link together to resolve urgent difficulties and anxieties, and enhance social harmony... Intelligence is empowering urban development in all directions.
The construction of smart cities needs to further strengthen data empowerment, expand application scenarios, and enrich inclusive services, bringing more sense of gain, happiness, and security to the people. "We must not only be good at using modern technological means to achieve intelligence, but also improve the level of refinement through embroidery-like care, patience, and ingenuity," actively using the power of science and technology, and fully exerting subjective initiative, we will surely be able to embark on a new path of urban modernization with Chinese characteristics.
Return to TopLayout design: Wang Zheping (汪哲平)
Return to TopBy: 王 坚
A netizen commented: Not long ago, I saw the news that Zhejiang Lab (之江实验室) sent "computing" into space, and I found it very interesting. In recent years, artificial intelligence has deeply integrated into social development and daily life, and has also brought great impact to technological innovation. I am very curious, what does such a change mean for innovation? In the age of artificial intelligence, how should scientists conduct research? In the future, is it possible for artificial intelligence to replace scientists or even replace humans?
Editor: These questions are very contemporary and I believe they are common questions for many people. Zhejiang Lab (之江实验室) sending "computing" into space is actually a microcosm of the paradigm shift in scientific research led by artificial intelligence. In this issue of Academician Talks Science, we invited Wang Jian (王坚), Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (中国工程院) and Director of Zhejiang Lab (之江实验室), to talk about "Artificial Intelligence +" in today's scientific research.
How Does Artificial Intelligence Affect Technological Innovation?
Although the history of artificial intelligence is very short, it has a great impact on human society. Artificial intelligence is produced when technology develops to a certain stage, and it is closely related to computing and the Internet. In a sense, artificial intelligence is a product that integrates data, models, and computing power under the condition that the Internet is used as an infrastructure. The data we often talk about is mostly data on the Internet, and the emergence of computing power is due to the development of semiconductors. The development of semiconductors and the Internet, as well as breakthroughs in key model technologies, have jointly driven the revolutionary breakthrough of artificial intelligence.
The impact of artificial intelligence on technological innovation is multifaceted. The scientific research paradigm has undergone several major changes. Artificial intelligence leads the change of the scientific research paradigm, which changes the methodology of scientific research.
Everyone is talking about the leading and driving role of technological innovation, but it is easy to overlook that technological innovation is the field that needs the most change. The development of science often encounters bottlenecks. For example, it takes more than ten years or even longer to discover new materials, and the cost is also very high. Can we significantly reduce research time and costs? This is not just a matter of money, but also a matter of changing the scientific research paradigm. Any scientific discovery, even the most basic research, must conform to the laws of social development and consider whether the input-output ratio is sustainable. If the value brought by this new material is 10 yuan, but it costs 1,000 yuan to make it and it cannot be made in 1,000 years, then it is definitely unsustainable.
Many problems encountered in scientific research today are unsustainable if artificial intelligence is not used. For example, if we study protein structures according to the past methods of structural biology, it will take a lot of time. The same is true for new drug development. If we follow traditional methods, it is difficult to develop results in the short term. Traditional methodologies are becoming increasingly infeasible in scientific research.
Therefore, artificial intelligence, as a methodology, has become very common and has become an unavoidable topic in the fields of science, technology, and engineering. If you do not master the new scientific research paradigm, both technological innovation and engineering innovation will be difficult.
Do not regard artificial intelligence as a simple tool. Artificial intelligence is not a revolution of tools, but a tool of scientific revolution - it has become a common language that can break down disciplinary barriers, and is not just a simple "empowerment" of scientific research.
Artificial intelligence can provide help for many highly complex problems. For example, the Go board is composed of 19 vertical and horizontal lines, and the probability of placing a piece is about 10 to the power of 100, which is an astronomical figure. In the past, we only saw a small part of this chessboard. Why can AlphaGo defeat the top human Go players? Don't think of it as a machine defeating humans, but rather that the machine can "see" many wonderful moves that humans have never seen before, and discover complex information that many humans have not yet realized.
Why Send "Computing" into Space?
Not long ago, Zhejiang Lab (之江实验室) sent a computing satellite constellation into space, and the "San-Ti Computing Constellation" (三体计算星座) officially entered the networking stage. The "San-Ti Computing Constellation" (三体计算星座) is a thousand-star-scale space computing infrastructure jointly built by Zhejiang Lab (之江实验室) and global partners. It will solve the bottleneck of traditional satellite data processing efficiency through on-orbit real-time data processing, and promote the application and development of artificial intelligence in space.
This also belongs to the change of the scientific research paradigm by artificial intelligence. In a sense, computing and artificial intelligence should be regarded as two sides of the same coin. Zhejiang Lab (之江实验室) focuses on intelligent computing. Computing relies on artificial intelligence, which means that the breakthrough of computing power requires artificial intelligence; computing is for artificial intelligence, which means that computing power also serves artificial intelligence.
We have been thinking about how to expand the boundaries of technology and the boundaries of scientific discovery. Technological development has pushed computing to an important position in innovation capacity building. The "San-Ti Computing Constellation" (三体计算星座) is not simply sending satellites into the sky, but to build a space computing constellation, and then turn space into a new scenario for artificial intelligence applications.
Space is a good place to expand technology. The first time humans used integrated circuits in computers was in space - the Apollo moon landing program used integrated circuits for guidance computers; many current biotechnologies are also first developed in space and then returned to Earth.
At present, satellites in the sky are independent of each other and are all in "single-line contact" with the ground. Can satellites be interconnected? This is the most basic starting point for building a computing constellation. Once interconnected, the value of satellites will be greatly released. On the one hand, the satellites in the sky will become a whole after networking. As long as one satellite is running in the sky, it can be shared through interconnection. If each satellite is interconnected, there can be many fewer satellites in the sky, which greatly reduces operating costs. On the other hand, limited by ground station resources and transmission bandwidth, only a small amount of effective satellite data can be transmitted back to the ground, and the data timeliness is not ideal. After there is a computing constellation in space, satellite computing resources can respond quickly, work efficiency is significantly improved, and it can provide important help for emergency rescue and disaster relief.
Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Scientists?
Everyone's understanding of artificial intelligence may be biased. Many people are discussing what artificial intelligence has replaced. Will artificial intelligence replace some jobs? Certainly, but we should not think only in this logic. Artificial intelligence can help scientists. It is not here to replace human intelligence, but to extend human creativity. Creativity is especially important for scientific research.
A German scientist said that scientists who use artificial intelligence will eventually eliminate scientists who do not use artificial intelligence. I agree with this view.
Of course, using artificial intelligence for scientific research faces many risks and challenges, both technical and non-technical. Today, everyone talks more about non-technical risks, which are ethical issues. I majored in psychology. When we did psychology experiments back then, the first thing we considered was ethical issues. At least for me, this is not new. It's just that the ethical issues we face are different in different periods. I believe that humans have a way to solve them.
In September last year, I and scholars from many countries discussed a report on the governance of artificial intelligence at the United Nations headquarters, hoping to have a consensus on the development of artificial intelligence and to consider the capacity building and opportunities and challenges faced by artificial intelligence as a whole. Everyone agreed that if we must talk about the risks of artificial intelligence, the lack of ability is actually a risk, and the failure to seize opportunities is also a risk.
We are in an exciting era, an era in which technology, mechanisms, and infrastructure are all changing. As an important driving force of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, artificial intelligence is accelerating its penetration into various fields of economy and society at an unprecedented speed. How should scientific and technological workers "embrace" artificial intelligence? I think the word "embrace" is too mild and does not understand the disruptive nature of artificial intelligence. For scientific researchers, using artificial intelligence to change the paradigm of scientific research means entering a new era of scientific research, otherwise they may be abandoned by the times. From a development perspective, this is a huge opportunity for both individuals and countries to make more contributions to scientific research.
Huge changes mean opportunities for transcendence, and we may have already ushered in this opportunity.
(The author is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (中国工程院) and Director of Zhejiang Lab (之江实验室). This report was compiled by Liu Junguo (刘军国), a reporter from this newspaper.)
Return to TopBy: 李 旭
Straying after flipping through two pages of a book, difficulty concentrating, unable to take eyes off fragmented content... "Brain rot," a seemingly unfamiliar internet term, is describing a state familiar to us, moving from internet subculture to the mainstream. In the highly saturated digital age, more and more people are beginning to worry: Is our brain undergoing some kind of "degeneration"? Is human thinking ability and creativity facing the risk of "collapse"?
In fact, the term "brain rot" is not new. American writer Henry David Thoreau used it in *Walden*, aiming to criticize the then-social tendency to belittle complex ideas and prefer simple content. More than 100 years later, this word was selected as a hot word of the year 2024 by Oxford University Press in the United Kingdom. This time, it accurately hit the pain points of many people today—long-term immersion in fragmented, repetitive, and instantly gratifying content can lead to a state of mental numbness. For example, forgetting what you just watched after putting down your phone, repeatedly deleting and revising a sentence when writing an article... This state is not an individual's occasional "wandering," but a social cognitive syndrome jointly fostered by platform algorithms, technological stimulation, brain physiological mechanisms, and cultural rhythms.
In order to "grab" everyone's attention, many platforms and applications have designed more intelligent recommendation algorithms and launched more attractive content, extending users' stay time through short video autoplay, infinite scrolling of information streams, and instant feedback of likes and comments. Long-term exposure to such high-density stimulation will slowly "adapt" the brain to a high-frequency, variable, and fast-feedback rhythm. Just like people who are accustomed to strong flavors find it difficult to taste the sweet aftertaste of light tea, the brain will become increasingly "lazy" to process in-depth content that requires "energy consumption."
More insidious is the reshaping of the dopamine mechanism. Every time you see interesting content or receive a like notification, the brain secretes a small amount of dopamine, bringing a fleeting pleasure. Over time, we become dependent on this "instant reward." Just like people who always eat snacks easily lose their appetite for meals, brains accustomed to fragmented stimulation are also prone to losing their desire for "deep thinking."
Once the above state becomes a long-term habit, the original thinking "muscles" in our brains will slowly degenerate like a body that has not exercised for a long time. This will not only affect our learning and work efficiency, interfere with our emotions and judgment, but also change an individual's self-cognition mode.
However, "brain rot" is not irreversible. People who sit for a long time can restore their physical fitness through exercise, and our brains can also be "rebooted" through active intervention.
First, gain control of attention. This requires us to increase our vigilance about the use of electronic devices, such as setting time limits for browsing short videos, deliberately pausing after using social media, and reducing dependence on fragmented content. We must always be aware of "what I am doing" instead of being passively submerged in the information flow.
Next, "change the diet" for the brain. Don't always stare at "information fast food," leave a little time for in-depth content every day: read a few pages of a paper book, write a diary, or watch an episode of a documentary without double speed, so that these "slow content" can reactivate the brain's deep processing mechanism.
In addition, you can deliberately increase "delayed gratification" activities. For example, things that require long-term focus and investment, such as walking, painting, and writing, allow the brain to re-adapt to the "unstimulated" state and repair the nervous system disrupted by high-frequency stimulation.
In the end, "brain rot" is not a disease, let alone the brain really "rotting," but a reminder of the adaptive adjustment of the brain in the new information environment: Don't let algorithms control what we see and think. The future of mankind does not depend on how much information we have, but to a large extent on whether we can rely on deep thinking to find the connections behind the information. This is our powerful weapon to fight "brain rot" in the information age.
(The author is an associate professor at the School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China (中国科学技术大学), interviewed and compiled by Xu Jing (徐靖), a reporter from this newspaper)
Return to TopThis newspaper reports from Beijing (Beijing (北京)) (Wu Yuehui (吴月辉), He Xu (何旭)) In the field of life sciences, the rapid development and widespread application of genome editing technology provide strong technical support for basic research and application development. However, large fragment DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) editing has always faced major challenges, and precise manipulation of thousands or even millions of base pairs is a significant problem in the field of gene editing. Recently, Gao Caixia (高彩霞)'s team at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院遗传与发育生物学研究所) has developed a new type of programmable chromosome editing technology. This technology enables multi-type precise manipulation of DNA from kilobase to megabase levels in plants and animals, significantly improving the manipulation scale and capability of eukaryotic genomes. The related findings were recently published online in the international academic journal *Cell*.
Using large-fragment DNA precise manipulation technology, researchers can not only achieve multi-gene stacking editing, but also open up new paths for crop trait improvement and genetic disease treatment by manipulating genomic structural variations. This technology is also expected to promote the development of new breeding strategies, such as achieving fertility control by manipulating genetic linkage and regulating recombination frequency, as well as eliminating linkage drag and fully releasing the breeding potential of excellent alleles in wild germplasm resources. Reviewers commented that this work represents a major breakthrough in the field of genetic engineering and has great application potential in breeding and gene therapy.
Return to TopAccording to Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京) (Reporter Zhang Manzi (张漫子)), diamond, well-known to the public, is one of the hardest substances in nature. However, the artificial synthesis of high-purity hexagonal diamond has been a global challenge. Chinese scientists have recently successfully synthesized hexagonal diamonds at the hundred-micron level. The results were recently published in the international journal *Nature*.
The formation conditions of hexagonal diamond are extremely harsh. The biggest difficulty in artificial synthesis is that the formation energy of hexagonal diamond is higher than that of ordinary diamond under high temperature and high pressure. Therefore, high temperature and high pressure products are often dominated by ordinary diamond, making it difficult to obtain hexagonal diamond.
Chinese scientists have innovatively proposed a method of transforming from graphite to hexagonal diamond. Under controllable high temperature and high pressure and quasi-hydrostatic pressure conditions, graphite single crystals are compressed and heated to finally obtain high-purity hexagonal diamond.
According to Yang Liuxiang (杨留响), the first author of the paper and a researcher at the Beijing (北京) Center for High Pressure Science Research, the synthesis of high-purity hexagonal diamond is attributed to two key technologies: one is the selection of high-purity, impurity-free natural graphite single crystals, which helps to obtain higher purity, micron-sized, and structurally ordered hexagonal diamond samples; the second is the use of appropriate detection methods—researchers continuously pressurized the graphite crystals and observed sample changes with high-pressure in-situ X-rays, avoiding the slippage of close-packed planes, and finally produced pure hexagonal diamond bulk.
"This work lays the methodological foundation for the next step in diamond-like material research. The more outstanding hardness, thermal conductivity, optical properties, and quantum characteristics of hexagonal diamond will also open up new paths for the research and development of ultra-hard materials and high-end electronic devices," said Mao Heguang (毛河光), a high-pressure physicist and foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院).
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 强郁文
In the experimental area of about 4,000 square meters, various magnets, power supplies, and instruments are densely arranged. When the experimental device is started, the machine roars, and at the moment of discharge, a strong magnetic field equivalent to 2 million times the Earth's magnetic field can be formed.
This is the National Pulse High Magnetic Field Science Center of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (华中科技大学), where the national major science and technology infrastructure—the pulse high magnetic field experimental device—is located. Recently, with the help of this facility, Professor Li Liang's (李亮) team at the Science Center successfully achieved a 71.36 Tesla flat-top pulse magnetic field, further consolidating China's international leading position in this field. Previously, the team set a world record of 64 Tesla in 2018.
"The pulse high magnetic field facility is the most effective means of generating high-intensity magnetic fields," said Li Liang (李亮). Although strong magnetic fields are invisible and intangible, they are one of the important conditions for modern scientific experiments. They can generate extremely strong magnetic fields, extremely low temperatures, and extremely high pressures, which can cause materials to exhibit changes that are not observable under normal conditions, and are called "magnifying glasses for the microscopic world of matter." The higher the magnetic field strength, the clearer the microscopic things are seen, which helps to discover new physical principles and new materials.
The flat-top pulse magnetic field is the frontier direction of strong magnetic field technology. It has the advantages of both steady-state and pulse magnetic fields. It can achieve high magnetic field strength and maintain high stability for a period of time, providing unique experimental conditions for nuclear magnetic resonance and other research.
Under strong electromagnetic force, how can the magnet structure remain stable? How to accurately control large currents? Aiming at these two problems, Li Liang's (李亮) team achieved breakthroughs in materials and control technology, independently developed high-strength and high-conductivity copper-silver alloy wires, and the tensile strength was increased by nearly 40% compared with the original materials. The transient control problem was innovatively transformed into reverse circuit topology design to realize the precise generation of pre-constructed magnetic field waveforms. Finally, Li Liang's (李亮) team broke the world record with a highly stable 71.36 Tesla flat-top pulse magnetic field, and the field strength was 19% higher than the existing level abroad.
"Scholars from various countries have been very active in scientific research under strong magnetic field conditions, and have achieved a large number of original and significant results in physics, chemistry, materials, and biology," said Li Liang (李亮). In the past, China did not have such facilities, and scientists had to ask other countries for help if they wanted to do relevant experiments, and sometimes they could not do it even once a year.
In 2007, the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) approved Huazhong University of Science and Technology (华中科技大学) to form a team to build China's pulse high magnetic field experimental device, and Li Liang (李亮) served as the director of the National Pulse High Magnetic Field Science Center (国家脉冲强磁场科学中心). "During the construction phase, we did not copy foreign experience, but independently drew circuit design drawings. The key core materials and components were localized through independent research and development, reaching the international leading level," said Li Liang (李亮). In 2014, the device passed the acceptance and was officially put into operation.
For more than 10 years, Li Liang (李亮) has led the team to promote the facility to be open and shared globally, with an annual opening rate of more than 70%. At present, the pulse high magnetic field experimental device of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (华中科技大学) has attracted scientists from more than 130 scientific research institutes at home and abroad to "chase magnetism," helping to carry out more than 2,000 basic frontier research projects. The device has also been applied in large-scale fan equipment manufacturing, magnetic surface imaging, magnetic levitation, and human magnetic function imaging, realizing the leap from "being controlled by others" to "teaching others" in China's strong magnetic field experimental conditions.
Li Liang (李亮) introduced that in order to further improve the overall performance and open sharing level of the facility, the National Pulse High Magnetic Field Science Center (国家脉冲强磁场科学中心) will comprehensively improve the facility from three aspects: improving magnetic field parameters, enriching measurement methods, and expanding research fields, and build a 110 Tesla ultra-strong magnetic field, a 70 Tesla flat-top pulse magnetic field, and a 9.50 Tesla superconducting pulse composite magnetic field, 10 types of experimental testing systems, and a facility support infrastructure platform.
Return to TopLayout Design: Wang Zheping (汪哲平)
Return to TopBy: 陆 琦
The suspended fish, also known as the hanging fish, is a wooden component in traditional Chinese architecture that combines both decoration and functionality. It is located on the gable ends of a gable or hip roof. Because the early shapes were fish-shaped, it is called "suspended fish" (悬鱼). With rich patterns and exquisite shapes, the suspended fish have been swimming under the roof ridges of traditional buildings for thousands of years, telling the Chinese nation's beautiful wishes for peace and good fortune.
What is the function of the suspended fish?
Gable and hip roofs are common styles of roofs in traditional Chinese architecture. Both types of roofs have purlins cantilevered beyond the gable wall. The bargeboard is a long strip of wood nailed to the ends of the purlins to protect them from sun and rain. The suspended fish is located in the center of the bargeboard and can cover the joint where the bargeboards meet at the corner.
The existence of the suspended fish can prevent the bargeboard joints from widening due to sun and rain, better protect the ridge purlins, strengthen the rigidity of the bargeboard corners, prevent the bargeboards from deforming and being damaged, and beautify the appearance of the joints.
The shapes of the suspended fish vary from simple to complex. Simple ones use strips of wood, while complex ones are exquisitely decorated with rich patterns, including bats, dragons and phoenixes, and flowers, which complement the patterns on the bargeboards and together form the gable decoration.
The name of the suspended fish appeared in the "Biography of Yang Xu" (羊续传) in the "Book of the Later Han" (后汉书): "At that time, powerful and wealthy families mostly admired luxury, and Xu deeply hated it. He often wore worn-out clothes and ate simple food, and his carriages and horses were weak and dilapidated. The prefectural assistant once presented him with fresh fish, which Xu accepted and hung in the courtyard. The assistant later presented him with fish again, and Xu took out the fish he had previously hung to stop his intention." It is said that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, powerful and wealthy families mostly admired luxury and splendor. Yang Xu (羊续), then the prefect of Nanyang (南阳), deeply hated this and often wore worn-out clothes, ate coarse food, and rode in simple carriages and horses. The prefectural assistant sent him live fish, which Yang Xu accepted and hung in the courtyard. The prefectural assistant later presented him with fish again, and Yang Xu showed him the fish he had previously hung in the courtyard, telling him not to offer any more. Therefore, the suspended fish has also been given the meaning of integrity by later generations.
The suspended fish has a long history and has undergone a long period of evolution.
As early as the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were patterns of fish hanging at both ends of the eaves on portrait bricks. In the Maijishan Grottoes (麦积山石窟) in Tianshui (天水), Gansu (甘肃), a Northern Wei (北魏) mural in Cave 140 shows fish-tail-shaped suspended fish hanging at the junction of the bargeboards of a palace. In the Tang Dynasty (唐代), the "Construction Regulations" (营缮令) promulgated during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang (唐高宗) stated: "...Non-participating officials shall not build axial houses, or apply suspended fish, paired phoenixes, tile beasts, or through-purlin breast-tie beam decorations."
The "Building Standards" (营造法式) of the Song Dynasty (宋代) stipulated: "All suspended fish shall be applied under the tip of the bargeboard on the mountain of the house," "The length of the suspended fish shall be from three feet to one zhang, and the length of the trailing grass shall be from three feet to seven feet, and the width and thickness shall be calculated by multiplying the length of each foot," etc. It can be seen that the suspended fish as a building component had formed a relatively fixed shape in the Song Dynasty.
The suspended fish has rich meanings, containing the ancients' yearning for peace and happiness.
The suspended fish has the meaning of praying for buildings to be free from fire. Ancient wooden buildings are afraid of fire, and fish are creatures of water, so the suspended fish has the meaning of water being able to overcome fire. Not only the suspended fish, but also the roofs of ancient buildings in the past were often decorated with images related to water, such as dragons, chiwen, ao fish, and aquatic plants.
The suspended fish also has the meaning of praying for good luck and wealth. The fish is a homophone for "surplus" (余) and "abundance" (裕), symbolizing surplus, abundance, and "more than auspiciousness" (吉庆有余). Fish have many offspring, which also reflects people's desire for many children and grandchildren. Some suspended fish have two fish with intersecting tails carved at the lower end, implying "double fish celebrating."
In addition to using the image of fish, the suspended fish also uses other patterns, such as: bat patterns, taking the meaning of "fortune" (福); peach blossoms, lotus flowers, plum blossoms, peonies and other patterns, implying auspiciousness, harmony, and wealth; vase patterns, symbolizing peace, etc. Later, the suspended fish continued to evolve, with patterns such as curly clouds and ruyi, and flying birds, and the style of the shapes became increasingly rich.
After the Ming (明) and Qing (清) dynasties, architecture shifted from purely wooden structures to brick (stone) and wood mixed structures, and the roof form of hard gable walls gradually increased, and the purlins were no longer exposed. The previous wooden suspended fish form also changed.
Today, the suspended fish is rarely used as a purely functional component, but rather revitalizes with its cultural genes and artistic charm in modern times.
In the field of ancient building protection and restoration, the suspended fish is a key detail in restoring historical features and inheriting construction techniques. In new Chinese-style architecture and landscape design, designers often extract the shape and patterns of the suspended fish, abstracting and symbolizing them, and integrating them into architectural decoration. Classic shapes of suspended fish such as double fish and bats are more widely used in the design of modern arts and crafts and cultural and creative products.
After thousands of years of development and inheritance, the suspended fish swims out from the ancient roof ridge, writing in the cultural landscape of modern life, telling the prayers and wisdom that span thousands of years.
(The author is a professor at the School of Architecture of South China University of Technology (华南理工大学), and this report was compiled by Li Zong (李纵), a reporter from this newspaper)
Return to TopBy: 曹怡晴
In the past decade, the number of museums in China has been continuously increasing at an average rate of more than 200 per year, but why is it always so difficult to get a ticket for popular museums during the summer vacation? Tickets for some museums are often "sold out in seconds" the moment the reservation system opens; even if you are lucky enough to make a reservation, you often have to face the challenge of being "overcrowded" after entering the museum.
Is it possible not to make a reservation? This year, in response to the difficulty of making museum reservations during the summer vacation, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (国家文物局) issued a notice requiring cultural heritage administrative departments at all levels to scientifically assess the carrying capacity of venues, implement a reservation visit mechanism in light of actual conditions, and prohibit a "**一刀切**" (yī dāo qiē - "one knife cut," a one-size-fits-all approach). Venues with strong spatial carrying capacity or conditions for staggered peak diversion can, in principle, cancel reservation restrictions. However, for popular museums that are "fully booked" all year round, in order to ensure the safety of exhibits and the visiting experience, the flow of people can only be controlled through advance reservations and other methods, and the situation of "difficulty in obtaining a ticket" does indeed objectively exist.
What makes it difficult to make a reservation? Let's start with the current level of supply of cultural and museum resources—
As of the end of 2024, there were 7,046 registered museums nationwide, an increase of 213 over the previous year, achieving one museum for every 200,000 people, with a free opening rate of more than 91%. In recent years, China's modern museum system, which is rich in types, diverse in subjects, and universally equal, has basically taken shape, and the number of museums ranks among the top in the world.
Faced with the speed of one museum being born every day or two, many viewers still have the regret of "sighing at the museum," why?
There is a benign interaction of "mutual奔赴".
While the number of museums continues to climb, the increase in the number of visitors is equally astonishing. In 2024, museums across the country received more than 1.4 billion visitors, an increase of more than 100 million compared to the same period last year. The cultural tourism boom and museum boom are in full swing, becoming a vivid footnote to the vigorous development of the humanities economy.
"How to visit the Palace Museum (故宫博物院) without detours?" "Does the Sanxingdui Museum (三星堆博物馆) blind box have a 'hidden model'?"... More and more people are sharing their experiences of visiting museums on social media. From checking in at exhibitions and buying cultural creations to immersive experiences, "visiting museums" has gradually become a way of life: some people "go to a city for a museum," and some people are "not in the museum, but on the way to the museum." During the summer vacation, college, middle and primary school students concentrate on traveling, and the "cultural and museum fever" has become a new highlight of summer tourism. Multiple factors meet and overlap at this moment, adding to the sigh of "difficulty in obtaining a ticket."
Of course, there is also a structural imbalance of "uneven cold and heat."
At present, the number of small and medium-sized museums in China accounts for 70%, which is a solid foundation for the development of the museum industry. Go to Yunmeng County Museum (云梦县博物馆) in Hubei Province to see the true face of the "First Long Text on a Tablet in China"; at the Zigong Salt Industry History Museum (自贡市盐业历史博物馆) in Sichuan, you can appreciate the ancient wisdom contained in the well salt culture. However, only a few are out of the circle. Many small and medium-sized museums "hidden in the deep boudoir" have not fully exerted their cultural heritage and educational effectiveness due to limitations in scale, resources, and talent. This is also an important reason why audiences "flock" to popular venues.
In fact, from a global perspective, it is common for popular museums to be difficult to book and have large crowds. In response to the current problem of "difficulty in obtaining a ticket," everyone needs to solve it together. On a small scale, this is related to whether every cultural and museum enthusiast can "come with pleasure and return with satisfaction"; on a large scale, this is an inherent requirement to meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the people.
Perhaps "time" can be exchanged for "space"—
At the Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆) "Top of the Pyramid: The Great Exhibition of Ancient Egyptian Civilization" site, people are crowded. In order to increase the visiting capacity during the summer vacation and the end of the exhibition, the museum will open the "sleepless night" mode to achieve 168 hours of continuous opening.
How to "smooth out" peak passenger flow? Some museums cancel closing days and extend opening hours; others increase night tours and create diverse experiences. The increase in "time" in museums is a practical response to the pain points of the audience, and also a positive view and care for the enthusiasm of the audience.
It can also further break through the "boundaries" for "space"—
The construction of "Museum City" in Beijing (北京) is in full swing. Under the blueprint of "all-area living museum," cultural relics buildings, former residences of celebrities, etc. are integrated into urban renewal, and the cultural charm is fully displayed in every street, alley, brick and tile.
How to "break" the tangible walls of the museum? We are happy to see cultural relics "go on business trips," and the footprints of touring exhibitions are all over the country; we also look forward to the "hand in hand" of large and small museums, and the cultural supply is tilted to the grassroots; we also need to promote the construction of digital venues and spread spiritual nourishment to the cloud. The extension of "space" in museums allows cultural relics to go out of the warehouse and integrate into daily life, greatly improving the accessibility of cultural and museum resources.
"A museum is a university." Today, how do we "visit museums"? Perhaps we can appropriately put down the "check-in anxiety" and not excessively pursue "weight" and "popularity." Through the flowing history in the exhibition cabinets and awakening the solidified memories in the cultural relics, we will connect with a more far-reaching and broad time and space in each experience of "**游目千载** (yóu mù qiān zǎi - "roaming eyes thousand years," to survey the past), **对话古今** (duì huà gǔ jīn - "dialogue ancient present," to converse with the past and present)," and know where we come from, where we are, and where we are going.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 孟 扬
Beginning of Autumn
Beginning of Autumn (立秋) is the thirteenth solar term of the twenty-four solar terms and the first solar term of autumn. In 2025, Beginning of Autumn begins on August 7.
"Beginning (立)" means start, and "Autumn (秋)" means the maturity of crops. The *Shuowen Jiezi* (《说文解字》) explains: "Autumn (秋) means that the grains are ripe."
The arrival of the Beginning of Autumn indicates that the hot summer is about to pass, and the clear and refreshing autumn is coming, and it also indicates the beginning of the harvest season.
The summer heat has not yet receded, and the new coolness is gradually approaching. Beginning of Autumn means that autumn is coming.
Now, we can use instruments to accurately measure temperature changes and precisely capture the traces of autumn. But in ancient times, how did people perceive the arrival of autumn?
"When a paulownia leaf falls, the world knows autumn."
"One leaf knows autumn (一叶知秋)," is an ancient and poetic description of the Beginning of Autumn. "When a paulownia leaf falls, the world knows autumn" is semantically similar to "one leaf knows autumn," which can be traced back to the sentence "seeing a leaf fall and knowing that the year is coming to an end" in *Huainanzi·Shuoshan Xun* (《淮南子·说山训》). Later, a Tang Dynasty poem said: "The mountain monk does not understand the calculation of the Jiazi, one leaf falls and knows that the world is autumn." By the Ming Dynasty, Wang Xiangjin (王象晋) summarized in *Eru Pavilion Qunfang Pu* (《二如亭群芳谱》), "On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, if the Beginning of Autumn is at a certain time, one (paulownia) leaf will fall first at that time. Therefore, it is said: 'When a paulownia leaf falls, the world knows autumn.'"
The ancients believed that the paulownia tree was trustworthy, and "paulownia reports autumn" also had a concrete ritual. Wu Zimu (吴自牧) of the late Song Dynasty recorded in *Mengliang Lu* (《梦粱录》): "On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, the Taishi Bureau (太史局) commissioned officials to plant paulownia trees under the palace in the forbidden court. When the Beginning of Autumn arrives, the Taishi official wearing a bing奏 (bǐng zòu - formal report to the emperor) said: 'Autumn is coming.' At that time, one or two paulownia leaves should fall in response, to imply the meaning of reporting autumn." Although the scene of the first leaf of the paulownia tree falling exactly at the Beginning of Autumn is more like a deliberate design, it can still be seen from the whole set of rituals that the ancients recognized the paulownia as the spokesperson of autumn. In poetry, the paulownia has also become an important image for singing about autumn. For example, Sima Guang (司马光), a politician of the Northern Song Dynasty, wrote in his poem *Paulownia* (《梧桐》): "Hearing the first leaf fall, I know that the ninth autumn is coming." Lu You (陆游), a poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, lamented: "The paulownia alone knows autumn, one leaf falls into the well railing."
In the eyes of the ancients, the Beginning of Autumn, as one of the "four seasons and eight festivals," was an important time point in the year and was highly valued since the pre-Qin period. As the "messenger of reporting autumn," this leaf, of course, could not be taken lightly. But in autumn and winter, besides coniferous pines and cypresses, there are many deciduous trees, so why is the paulownia "leaf" so favored?
From a biological point of view, the deciduous tree paulownia has broad leaves and is sensitive to climate change. Around the Beginning of Autumn, the temperature difference between day and night increases, the abscission layer cell structure at the base of its leaves gradually disintegrates, and the bearing capacity of the petiole weakens, and slight external force can cause the leaves to fall off. Compared with other tree species, paulownia leaves fall earlier and more obviously. Therefore, it is not only logical to become a phenological sign of the approaching autumn, but also reflects the ancients' keenness to **见微知著** (jiàn wēi zhī zhù - "seeing the small know the great," to know the trend from a tiny clue).
From a cultural level, the paulownia, as a distinctive cultural symbol, constructs an image network with rich connotations, integrating consensus and emotion. Looking at its shape, "the skin is as green as jade, the leaves are missing like flowers, beautiful and clean," which conforms to the aesthetic cognition of the ancients; judging its nature, the ancients regarded it as a "spiritual tree," believing it to be a symbol of auspiciousness, nobility, and prosperity. Whether it is the chanting in the *Book of Songs* (《诗经》) "The phoenix is singing, on that high hill. The paulownia is growing, on that facing the sun," or the legend of the phoenix "not stopping without paulownia" in Zhuangzi's (庄子) writings, it is endowed with an auspicious aura. The natural attributes and cultural connotations echo each other, and it is logical for the paulownia to carry the autumn news and autumn thoughts.
It should be noted that the paulownia that reports autumn is the Chinese paulownia of the genus Paulownia of the Malvaceae family, also known as Qing Tong (青桐), not the plane tree "French paulownia" introduced to China in the mid-to-late 19th century.
From observing the subtle changes of plants, trees, insects, and birds, to understanding the ecological philosophy of the interconnection of all things, although modern technology can reveal the basic principles of solar term changes, the cognition and aesthetics contained in "when a paulownia leaf falls" still continue in the seasonal flow.
Return to TopBy: 文 馨 唐嘉跃
The End of Heat
The End of Heat is the 14th solar term in the twenty-four solar terms and the second solar term in autumn. In 2025, the End of Heat begins on August 23.
"Heat" means hot, and "End" refers to "termination." The End of Heat refers to the end of the hot weather.
The End of Heat is often mistaken for a summer solar term, but in fact, it is already autumn at this time. After the End of Heat, the temperature difference between day and night increases, which is conducive to the production and accumulation of dry matter in crops. The crops mature quickly, so there is a saying that "the rice fields change overnight at the End of Heat."
"The dog days have just passed, and the scorching sun has turned into rain." During the End of Heat, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and the autumn is beginning to show. With the prelude to the autumn harvest, the "Fishing Festival" arrives as scheduled in coastal areas such as Zhejiang (浙江), Guangdong (广东), and Hainan (海南).
The sea breeze caresses the face, and thousands of boats race. From the Beginning of Summer to the End of Heat, "opening the fishing season" is the re-departure to sea after the "fishing moratorium." It precisely connects the ecological cycle of the ocean and embodies the millennial wisdom of "following the seasons and praying for a good harvest."
It is no coincidence that the Fishing Festival coincides with the time node of the End of Heat.
Summer is the "golden period" for marine life to breed, and many fish enter the spawning season. In order to protect this vitality, China began to implement a summer fishing moratorium at the end of the last century, so that the marine ecology can "rest and recuperate" during the hot season, allowing young fish to absorb nutrients in the warm seawater and grow rapidly. Around the End of Heat, the summer heat on land gradually recedes, and although the surface temperature of the seawater is steadily decreasing, the solar heat absorbed by the seawater is still stored in the seawater, and the nearshore waters are still suitable habitats for fish, shrimp, and shellfish. In this warm "cradle," the breeding period of most fish is coming to an end, the body length of juvenile fish basically meets the protection standards, and shellfish and crustaceans have also entered the growth and maturity period. This is the "golden fish flood" given to mankind by nature.
Since ancient times, coastal fishermen have had the custom of "offering sacrifices to the sea" at the End of Heat. Nowadays, government regulations and cultural traditions have joined forces to highlight the "tacit understanding" reached between man and nature over the long years in the seasonal rhythm of "summer fishing moratorium" and "End of Heat fishing season" - reverence for nature, protection of ecology, and inheritance of marine culture. In many places, during the Fishing Festival, in addition to holding opening ceremonies to pray for harvest and peace, and to express reverence and gratitude, activities such as thousands of boats racing, thousands of households hanging fishing lights, and intangible cultural heritage displays are used to enrich the content and expand the connotation. The annual Fishing Festival is not only a "command" for fishery production, but also a distinctive cultural tourism resource in some coastal areas. The traditional folk customs inherited in it can be called a "living fossil" of Chinese marine culture, giving contemporary ideas and reflections to the proposition of harmonious coexistence between humans and the ocean.
From the scientific considerations of ecological protection, to the realistic choices of production practice, and then to the emotional sustenance of cultural inheritance, the End of Heat fishing season is like a precise "ecological clock," marking the "agreement" between humans and the ocean to live together and guard each other. When fishing boats sail towards the deep blue in the morning sun of early autumn, it is not only a rush to harvest, but also a firm commitment to ecological civilization - "**敬天而循时**" (jìng tiān ér xún shí - "respect heaven and follow the seasons," to respect nature and follow its laws), cherish our home, and the gifts of the sea can be endless and full of vitality.
Return to TopLayout Design: Wang Zheping (汪哲平)
Return to TopBy: 张周瑜 刘 煜
The Erlitou Culture (二里头文化) period was an era of great change: the earliest states appeared, and bronze handicrafts became an independent production sector under the control of royal power. The bronzes unearthed from the Erlitou site (二里头遗址) are representative of this period, laying the foundation for the forms, styles, and technological traditions of ancient Chinese bronzes. This style and technological tradition was inherited and developed by the Shang (商) and Zhou (周) bronzes, becoming a hallmark feature of ancient Chinese bronzes.
Since its discovery in the 1960s, the basic information of the Erlitou site (二里头遗址) bronze casting workshop has been preliminarily confirmed: the workshop area is large in scale, with the core area located within the enclosure south of the palace area, covering a total area of 10,000 square meters. The continuous and concentrated production of bronzes from the second to fourth phases of the Erlitou Culture (二里头文化) indicates that there may be other bronze casting sites within the palace area. Research shows that the bronze casting production at the Erlitou site (二里头遗址) generally presents the developmental characteristics of early metallurgical technology moving from its origins towards maturity and standardization. During the fourth phase of the Erlitou Culture (二里头文化), a distinctive tradition of bronze ritual vessels based on copper, tin, and lead alloys, as well as a composite ceramic mold casting technology tradition for casting containers, were gradually formed, laying an important technical foundation for the continuous evolution of bronze production during the Shang (商) and Zhou (周) periods.
The academic community still has some important issues worthy of in-depth study regarding the bronze casting production at the Erlitou site (二里头遗址). For example, did smelting activities exist at the site? Previous studies have found that there are two groups of mineral material sources for bronze at the Erlitou site (二里头遗址), and the utilization, development, and interaction of the two mineral materials are still unclear. Recently, we conducted a systematic analysis and research on new data of bronzes and their casting remains unearthed from the palace area of the Erlitou site (二里头遗址) from 2010 to 2018, and have gained some new understandings in two aspects: the connotation of workshop technology and the source of bronze mineral materials.
The first important finding is that the Erlitou site (二里头遗址) bronze casting includes the entire process of "sulfide copper ore smelting - crude copper refining - bronze alloying." In addition to bronze alloying slag, we also found various types of casting remains such as sulfide ore smelting slag, crude copper refining slag, sulfide copper ore, and copper matte. This is of great indicative significance for deeply understanding the industrial characteristics of bronze casting at the Erlitou site (二里头遗址), and the early development and utilization of copper mineral resources.
The bronze casting industry in the Shang Dynasty (商代) capital had already formed a division of labor between smelting and casting. The smelting and production of copper ore mostly occurred near the mines, and various metal material resources would be transported to the royal capital or important cities to carry out bronze alloying or smelting and casting production. This industrial division of labor reflects the unified royal power's remote control of bronze casting material resources. However, the formation of the bronze industrial division of labor was not achieved **一蹴而就** (yī cù ér jiù - "one kick then accomplish," to achieve something in one step; to be done in one fell swoop). The smelting and casting remains found at the Erlitou capital site (二里头都邑遗址) show the formation process of the bronze industrial pattern of the capital site. Currently, the number of smelting slag we have tested is far less than that of alloying slag. Does this mean that this full-process bronze production has an experimental nature? We will further explore the production scale and its temporal evolution characteristics of copper smelting and bronze casting at the Erlitou site (二里头遗址), and explain the specific relationship between the formation of the remote control and distribution system of bronze resources under the rule of the Erlitou site (二里头遗址) royal power.
From the perspective of the history of metallurgy technology, the discovery of sulfide ore smelting remains at the Erlitou site (二里头遗址) will also change the academic community's assumption of an early copper mineral resource exploitation and utilization model in China. There is an assumed production model in the academic community, that is, the early development stage of bronze casting tends to prioritize the use of oxide copper ore, and the mining and utilization of sulfide copper ore is relatively late. The discovery of sulfide copper ore, sulfide ore smelting slag, copper matte and other remains at the Erlitou site (二里头遗址) shows that China had already used sulfide copper ore resources for smelting production at an earlier stage, which also shaped China's unique copper smelting technology development path.
The second important finding is that the bronze casting production at the Erlitou site (二里头遗址) used at least three sources of mineral materials, including copper material resources from the Zhongtiao Mountain (中条山) area, copper and lead material resources from northern China, and a lead material resource with high radiogenic lead that is the same as the upper Erligang (二里岗) phase of Zhengzhou Shang City (郑州商城). This shows that, by the fourth phase of the Erlitou Culture (二里头文化), with the substantial increase in the scale of bronze casting, the number of bronzes made from mineral materials from North China has surged, but at the same time, the use of copper materials from the Zhongtiao Mountain (中条山) area has not decreased. Even during the Erligang (二里岗) period, a small number of bronzes still belonged to products produced from the Zhongtiao Mountain (中条山) copper mine.
In the fourth phase of the Erlitou Culture (二里头文化), the bronze alloying production line was continuously improved and matured, and a large amount of copper and lead materials from North China were used. The lead isotope signal of bronzes also shifted significantly towards the characteristics of North China, making it difficult for researchers to identify the covered Zhongtiao Mountain (中条山) information through this signal. Fortunately, this study found that multiple pieces of refining slag and sulfide copper ore from the fourth phase of the Erlitou Culture (二里头文化) belong to the Zhongtiao Mountain (中条山) signal, which empirically proves the continuity of the site's bronze casting production's development and utilization of resources in the Zhongtiao Mountain (中条山) area.
The bronze casting production at the Erlitou site (二里头遗址) is in an important stage of the formation of technical traditions and the early stage of industrial division of labor. The development of ceramic mold casting technology, bronze alloying technology, bronze production scale, and product material types presents the overall characteristics of progressiveness and continuity, laying the foundation for the formation of the bronze ritual vessel system of the Three Dynasties (三代). During the Erlitou Culture (二里头文化) period, metal material resources in southern Shanxi (晋南) continuously supported the bronze casting production of the Erlitou site (二里头遗址), the royal capital. The gradually maturing bronze casting technology, cross-regional resource allocation capabilities, and the organization and management of bronze production during the Erlitou Culture (二里头文化) period jointly constructed the material cornerstone of "Ritual and Music China (礼乐中国)."
These bronze objects, which embody wisdom and ingenuity, are not only a testament to technological breakthroughs, but also a vivid practice of the early state's consolidation of civilizational consensus through ritual systems.
(Author's affiliation: Key Laboratory of Scientific Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Protection, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院))
Return to TopBy: 燕海鸣
Not long ago, the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee was held, and the Western Xia Mausoleums were successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List, becoming China's 60th World Heritage Site. In addition to the achievements of the application, the most impressive thing during the meeting was the high evaluation of China's cultural heritage work by the international community—this is not only a recognition of China's systematic protection of cultural heritage achievements, but also an affirmation of China's important role in the world heritage system.
World Heritage is a living entity with the organic integration of multiple elements. Whether it is the development and control of historical urban areas, the rescue of cultural relics under climate disasters, or the overall maintenance of the heritage environment, it requires the coordination of multiple departments and the participation of multiple entities. This requires the establishment of a strong system mechanism to effectively integrate resources from all parties. It can be said that the level of world heritage protection and management directly reflects a country's comprehensive governance capabilities.
During the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee, the protection status reports of China's four World Cultural Heritage sites were reviewed and approved, namely the Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains (武当山古建筑群), the Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace (布达拉宫) in Lhasa (拉萨) (including the Norbulingka (罗布林卡) and Jokhang Temple (大昭寺)), the Historic Centre of Macao (澳门历史城区), and the "Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor (丝绸之路：长安—天山廊道的路网)". China's protection practices of cultural heritage sites have been widely praised, thanks to the systematic governance model we have explored in recent years. For example, relying on a special protection and management plan, the Historic Centre of Macao (澳门历史城区) has systematically constructed a "mountain-sea-city" landscape protection system; all new infrastructure along the Silk Road strictly implements heritage impact assessments to ensure that heritage values are not negatively affected. Behind these achievements is efficient cross-regional and cross-departmental collaboration, demonstrating China's capabilities in resource integration and systematic governance.
Another contribution of China at this conference was to build a dialogue platform for global issues and support the development of the World Heritage knowledge system. During this conference, China hosted a series of side events on archaeological heritage protection, digital cultural heritage, and the integration of nature and culture, covering issues of common concern in the field of world heritage in terms of topic design. At the side event on "Archaeological Heritage Protection, Inheritance and Sustainable Development," Chinese and foreign experts discussed how archaeological sites can better enter contemporary life. China's Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian (周口店北京人遗址), Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City (良渚古城遗址), Sanxingdui (三星堆) and Jinsha (金沙) Ruins, etc., demonstrate how China handles the relationship between the excavation, research, protection, and display of ancient sites and the lives of residents, urban and rural development, and explores paths that coordinate overall protection and sustainable development.
The side event attracted the active participation of global experts: representatives from Kazakhstan shared the concept of prudent excavation, and experts from Mexico introduced "original material" protection technologies. In addition to the speakers, dozens of international experts and scholars from organizations such as the World Heritage Center and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) also participated. These phenomena all show that the topics of the side events held by China are very attractive, and everyone is willing to speak out together on this stage. Our appeal in the field of world heritage is not only reflected in experience and cases, but also extends to the construction of topics, building a platform for more people to tell and share their stories. Teresa, the chairman of ICOMOS, highlighted the "Asia Region World Heritage Pre-Assessment Training Course" to be held in China in 2024 in her speech. At that time, we in the audience felt a great sense of accomplishment.
The topics that appear at the World Heritage Conference are a reflection of global cultural hotspots: How should culture serve life? How should cultural heritage respond to climate change? ... If we compare World Heritage to a large class, we are growing from a good student who knows how to learn to a good partner who is welcomed by our classmates. We share learning methods and experiences, and also share extracurricular reading materials; we organize interest groups and explore a larger world and discuss deeper topics with everyone. On the stage of World Heritage, our goal is not to become the most dazzling protagonist, but to allow each role to win more applause because of our existence.
(The author is a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (中国文化遗产研究院))
Return to TopBy: 杨倩菲
Amidst the sweltering heat, the Suzhou Museum (苏州博物馆) is currently hosting two garden-themed exhibitions, "From the Humble Administrator's Garden (拙政园) to Monet's Garden" and "From the Humble Administrator's Garden (拙政园) to Treatise on Superfluous Things (长物志)". Through paintings, artifacts, and thematic displays, we can glimpse the ancients' "Treatise on Superfluous Things (长物志)" for escaping the summer heat.
In the era before air conditioning, how did the ancients escape the summer heat? Holding a winter melon? Iced watermelon? Cooling drinks? While these "small tricks" for enjoying a moment of coolness were certainly delightful, ancient literati deeply understood the principle of "**心静自然凉**" (xīn jìng zì rán liáng - "a calm heart feels naturally cool," a peaceful mind naturally feels cool), and hoped to create a more lasting coolness by transforming their residences and state of mind.
Wen Zhenheng (文震亨), a famous Ming Dynasty (明代) Wu School (吴派) literati and great-grandson of Wen Zhengming (文徵明), once shared his心得 (xīn dé - "understanding") on appreciating paintings to escape the summer heat in his *Treatise on Superfluous Things (长物志)*: "In the sixth month, large pavilions, large landscape paintings, dense trees and rocks, large cloudscapes, lotus picking, and summer retreats from the Song (宋) and Yuan (元) dynasties are suitable." The idea is to use the imagery of the paintings to evoke a sense of coolness and soothe the heat in one's heart. This appreciation concept has also been applied to the special exhibition "From the Humble Administrator's Garden (拙政园) to Monet's Garden," which features many paintings and calligraphies with the aforementioned seasonal themes.
Among the paintings and calligraphies, waterside pavilions built near the water most often appear in scenes of escaping the summer heat. The Ming Dynasty (明代) kesi (缂丝) work *Qiu Ying's (仇英) Water Pavilion Playing Qin (仇英水阁鸣琴图)* in the exhibition is a work that replicates Qiu Ying's (仇英) pavilion gathering with extremely high kesi (缂丝) techniques. In a courtyard surrounded by mountains, several literati sit leisurely in the water pavilion, burning incense and playing the qin (琴), with a leisurely and carefree charm. Viewing it on a hot day is like feeling a cool breeze sweeping across the lake, refreshing!
In the exhibition, the Suzhou Museum's (苏州博物馆) collection of Zhou Chen's (周臣) *Peach Blossom Spring (桃花源图轴)* from the Ming Dynasty (明代) has a lofty artistic conception; Shen Zhou's (沈周) *Banana Plant and Lake Rock (芭蕉湖石图)* from the Qingdao Municipal Museum (青岛市博物馆), Wen Zhenheng's (文震亨) *Album of Tang Poetry (唐人诗意图册)* from the Palace Museum (故宫博物院), and other works all create a cool and secluded scene through the garden combination of mountains, water, trees, and rocks, all of which are suitable for viewing on hot days.
"Escaping the summer heat in Wu (吴) is not difficult, the green willows provide thick shade and the painted boats are wide. The stonefish presents a fresh yellow wax face, and the waxberries burst with purple-gold pills. Dense bamboo leaves cover the cool eaves, and pomegranate flowers are scattered on the zongzi (角黍) plate. Suddenly, it is reported that a rainstorm is washing the sky, and ten thousand people watch the dragon hanging at once." This is Tang Yin's (唐寅) *Poem on Escaping the Summer Heat in Wu (吴门避暑诗)* from the Ming Dynasty (明代). Why is escaping the summer heat "not difficult" in Suzhou (苏州), which is located in the subtropical zone? The talented Tang Bohu (唐伯虎) gave three perspectives on the Ming Dynasty's (明代) Suzhou's (苏州) air conditioning "substitutes".
First, the living environment is cool. Suzhou (苏州) is a garden city. The Jiangnan (江南) gardens, with the classical gardens of Suzhou (苏州) in the Ming Dynasty (明代) as the standard, take their inspiration from nature and emphasize spaciousness, either built on the water's edge, or drawing water into the garden, or with lush forests and tall bamboos. The phrases "green willows and thick shade," "wide painted boats," and "dense bamboo leaves" in the poems are all realistic scenes, naturally bringing the coolness of the mountains and forests into the city. The art of garden-making creates a natural air conditioner.
Second, the food is cool. In the second and third couplets of the poem, stonefish, waxberries, and zongzi (角黍) appear in turn, vividly depicting the Suzhou (苏州) people's dietary custom of "**不时不食**" (bù shí bù shí - "eat what is in season," eating food according to the seasons). The stonefish here is a type of marine fish with otoliths in its head, commonly known as yellow croaker. Waxberries are a specialty fresh fruit of Jiangnan (江南), with a sweet and sour taste that quenches thirst. They can be eaten fresh or often made into cold drinks to relieve the heat. Zongzi (角黍) is a common rice dumpling, with its own fragrance of grass and trees, and can also be eaten cold. Eating seafood, drinking cold drinks, and then having an iced "Mochi," the ancients had their own original "summer relief package."
There must also be visual and auditory coolness. Listening to the rain and watching the strong winds from the lake building, and even traveling in the rain, was also a great pleasure for the ancients to escape the summer heat. The rustling of rain hitting the banana leaves, the torrential downpour, every rainy day is a comprehensive healing of sight, hearing, smell, and touch.
Taking a ladle of mountain spring water and brewing a pot of clear tea, one can best spend the summer heat in the sound of rain and tea smoke. In the joint special exhibition "From the Humble Administrator's Garden (拙政园) to Treatise on Superfluous Things (长物志)" at the Suzhou Museum (苏州博物馆) itself, a special unit is dedicated to presenting the Ming Dynasty (明代) literati's lifestyle aesthetics of "listening to the rain hitting the banana leaves to cultivate one's aspirations." One simple tea set after another embodies the "elegant" lifestyle aesthetics.
Whether it is appreciating paintings, living in a garden, traveling, or brewing tea, they all convey a calm and relaxed attitude towards life. A fiery life awaits us. After seeing the exhibition, we hope that the audience can find coolness on their own and gain a sense of detachment and tranquility.
Return to TopBy: 王庆铸
Recently, at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference held in Shanghai (上海), a unique competition has attracted widespread attention. The "Daxinzhuang Pottery Fragment Assembly AI Challenge," jointly initiated by the School of Archaeology (Cultural Heritage Research Institute) of Shandong University (山东大学考古学院（文化遗产研究院）) and the Institute for Advanced Study, Hong Kong Baptist University-Beijing Normal University (北师香港浸会大学高等研究院), has officially launched. This challenge connects tens of thousands of Shang Dynasty pottery shards from the depths of the Daxinzhuang Site (大辛庄遗址) in Jinan (济南), Shandong (山东), with the world's top artificial intelligence.
These cultural relics, which have endured 3,000 years, each piece carrying historical secrets, await reassembly, silently telling long-sealed stories. For generations, archaeologists have been carrying out this vast and precise "puzzle project" day after day. Now, this challenge has been placed on the AI arena, opening an unprecedented in-depth dialogue between technology and humanities.
The "Daxinzhuang Pottery Fragment Assembly AI Challenge" focuses on in-depth cooperation across multiple disciplines and fields. It is not dominated by a single discipline but is jointly planned and promoted by experts and scholars from archaeology, mathematics, computer science, cultural anthropology, and other fields. Archaeologists provide real and valuable excavation data and propose key research problems that urgently need to be solved; computer scientists provide rigorous theoretical frameworks and innovative algorithm tools. This multidisciplinary integration ensures that the competition is closely aligned with the actual needs of archaeology and stimulates the most cutting-edge innovation potential of artificial intelligence.
In the process of AI empowering archaeology, we face a fundamental problem: artificial intelligence should not merely be a simple application of existing models but should delve into the most basic tasks of archaeology to solve the bottlenecks that restrict the development of the discipline. Intelligent classification of pottery fragments, matching of broken sections, and assembly are such basic and critical tasks. The significance of the competition lies in promoting breakthroughs in this type of fundamental research. We hope that participants can develop general and interpretable algorithm models that can effectively cope with the complex conditions of pottery fragments that have undergone 3,000 years of weathering, wear, and color distortion. The results of these basic studies will not only serve this competition but will also lay a solid technical foundation for future applications of AI in the fields of cultural relic restoration, ancient text interpretation, and cultural network simulation.
More importantly, when AI successfully reassembles the pottery fragments, what we get is not only a complete artifact but also a new dimension of historical interpretation, paving the way for the new paradigm of computational archaeology. It allows us to conduct in-depth observation and thinking from multiple dimensions:
Gaining insight into history from a microscopic level. The shape, decoration, and firing techniques of pottery contain information about ancient social production organization, artisan styles, and technological evolution. AI's precise classification and assembly can help us reconstruct a complete technological map from these fragmented details.
Reconstructing history from a macroscopic level. The shape and quantity of the assembled artifacts can serve as important clues for us to understand the social organization, life scenes, and cultural exchanges of the time. Through the analysis of a large number of pottery fragments, AI can help us more clearly identify the interaction patterns between Shang culture and the local Dongyi ethnic groups.
Exploring the future through open sharing. We have opened up valuable archaeological data to the world and require participating teams to open source their solutions. This concept of open science will accelerate the innovative application of AI technology in archaeology and cultural heritage protection, attracting more cross-disciplinary talents to join in.
AI will not replace archaeologists but will allow archaeological workers to understand the artifacts themselves more profoundly, piece together the fragments faster, and restore the history behind the artifacts more accurately and completely. This AI competition challenge, jointly initiated by multiple disciplines, is not only a contest of technology but also a collision of thinking and archaeological ideas. It allows us to see that when the light of artificial intelligence illuminates the deep river of history, archaeology will no longer be "niche" but will become more vibrant and charming.
We have reason to jointly look forward to the symphonic harmony of digital code and human history, which will jointly write a new chapter in AI archaeology and contribute new wisdom to the inheritance and innovation of Chinese civilization.
(Author's affiliation: School of Archaeology, Shandong University (山东大学考古学院))
Return to TopBy: 顾 春
The morning mist has not yet completely dissipated, and Heyang Ancient Village (河阳古村) in Jinyun County (缙云县), Zhejiang (浙江) has already awakened. Zhu (朱) Grandma, 92 years old, brings out a celadon bowl and places freshly ground soy milk on the Eight Immortals table.
Chinese historical and cultural village, national key cultural relics protection unit, national 4A-level tourist attraction... The concrete embodiment of these names is white walls and black tiles, ancient alleys and blue bricks, small bridges and flowing water. Heyang Ancient Residence (河阳古民居), founded in the late Five Dynasties, is known as having eight hundred stoves and three thousand people. The village has 10 ancestral manor-style ancient building complexes from the Ming and Qing dynasties, 15 ancient ancestral halls, and hundreds of old residences, slowly unfolding a poetic and picturesque Jiangnan (江南) scene.
Zhu Xiaohong (朱晓红), a tour guide at the Jinyun Heyang Ancient Residence Scenic Area (缙云河阳古民居景区), is a native of Heyang (河阳), the thirty-eighth generation. While greeting familiar neighbors, she leads tourists around the ancient village. There is a saying in Heyang (河阳): "If you haven't passed through the Eight Scholars Gate (八士门), you're not a Heyang (河阳) person." The "Eight Scholars Gate (八士门)" is the most important building in the village, built to commemorate the eight Jinshi (进士) (successful candidates in the imperial examinations) who came from Heyang (河阳) during the Song (宋) and Yuan (元) dynasties. Behind the Eight Scholars Gate (八士门) is an old street more than 150 meters long. With the old street as the central axis, there are transverse lanes on both sides, and inside are clusters of residential buildings.
The names of the houses are very elegant, such as "Between Honesty and Humility (廉让之间)," "Following Rules Reflecting the Moon (循规映月)," "Legacy of Tilling and Chiseling (耕凿遗风)," and "Ancient Residence of Scholars (儒林古第)." Above the arched door of one house, four characters created by the owner are written: "Field above with ox is tilling, heart and mouth united is reading, person under roof is home, clouds drifting is wind," together meaning "Farming and Reading Family Tradition (耕读家风)." "**耕读传家**" (gēng dú chuán jiā - "farming and studying to pass down the family," a family tradition of valuing both agricultural work and academic pursuits) can be said to be the ancient motto of Heyang (河阳), not only recorded in the genealogy but also written on the walls and carved on the wooden components of the houses, constantly reminding future generations to remember it.
The village's water system was planned in the Yuan Dynasty (元朝), drawing water from the upper reaches of the stream into the village, flowing around the village, and then flowing back to the lower reaches of the stream. The Yuan Dynasty (元代) layout of "one stream and two pits, one street and five lanes" is still visible today. Therefore, from the canals to the ponds, clear and lively water flows gurglingly. In particular, Daqiao Road (答樵路) constructs the essence of the entire village: the flowing water converges into a square pond, with 32 horsehead walls built continuously along the pond, reflecting the sky and clouds. The style of the Heyang (河阳) building complex integrates the styles of Suzhou (苏式), Anhui (徽派), and northern colors, as well as self-creation.
Heyang (河阳) has many ancestral halls, and many types. Xuzhu Ancestral Hall (虚竹公祠) was built by six sons for their father, called Ji Ancestral Hall (己祠); there are also joint ancestral halls for fathers and sons, and brothers, highlighting family harmony; there are righteous ancestral halls, where like-minded partners work together in harmony, and the descendants of the two families built ancestral halls to witness their friendship. In addition to family ancestral halls, there are also clan ancestral halls, and specially approved filial piety ancestral halls. He Gong Special Ancestral Hall (荷公特祠) is a filial piety ancestral hall built in the Guangxu (光绪) period of the Qing Dynasty (清朝), named "He Gong Special Ancestral Hall (荷公特祠)" because the father was named Zhu He (朱荷).
Inside the He Gong Special Ancestral Hall (荷公特祠), a set of exquisite sika deer wood carvings attracts attention and is touching. Once upon a time, the cultural relic wood components of the He Gong Special Ancestral Hall (荷公特祠) were damp, decayed, damaged, and even dislodged, the wooden frame of the front hall was skewed and deformed, the gable roof ridge of the gate tower was broken, and the exterior walls of the building were damaged and peeling. In March 2024, the He Gong Special Ancestral Hall (荷公特祠) was renovated, correcting the skewed beams and frames of the building, and repairing and replacing the decayed components. In the cloister of the He Gong Special Ancestral Hall (荷公特祠), the restoration process is displayed: using high-precision three-dimensional laser scanning technology, each brick seam and each mortise and tenon are transformed into an analyzable data stream. The ancient building is three-dimensionally scanned from the top and around, and a cross-sectional view is taken out, from the inside to the outside, each restoration detail can be clearly located.
The deep intervention of digital technology has not replaced traditional craftsmanship. In the restored Xuzhu Ancestral Hall (虚竹公祠), a beautiful four-corner pavilion at the entrance, the carvings of "Hehe Erxian (和合二仙)" (two immortals symbolizing harmony and union) on the moon beams are lifelike. Some are original, and some are restored by old non-heritage craftsmen using traditional techniques, seamlessly. More than 10 years ago, the restoration of Xuzhu Ancestral Hall (虚竹公祠) began, which was the first ancestral hall in Heyang Village (河阳村) to be repaired with cultural relics protection funds. The wood carvings were all restored by old artists from Dongyang City (东阳市), the non-heritage inheritance site of Zhejiang wood carving (浙江木雕). The He Gong Special Ancestral Hall (荷公特祠) is no exception. The entire brick wall inside has been restored to the ancient wainscoting, and three of the four windows were broken, which were also restored by non-heritage wood carving inheritors.
The entire village's vernacular building complex is a national key cultural relics protection unit, and the biggest hidden danger is fire. More than 2,800 permanent residents live here. Today, all exposed wires here are sheathed, and every household is equipped with an alarm system, and the concept of protecting the ancient village has taken root in people's hearts.
In order to protect the buildings of the ancient village and take into account the living of the villagers, the Heyang Management Center (河阳管理中心) divides the entire ancient village into 14 grids, and staff members conduct weekly inspections of households, and repair roof leaks and rain leaks, and loose tenons at any time. Every year, old craftsmen are invited to conduct two major inspections. The old roofs are all made of small tiles, and the original handmade small tiles are difficult to find, but Heyang Ancient Residence (河阳古民居) has stored a lot, and villagers can receive them for free to repair, which locals call "picking up roof leaks."
The villagers donated thousands of ancient cultural relics collected and built two folk museums: one museum displays ancient furniture and ancient agricultural tools; the other museum displays embroidery, Heyang paper-cutting (河阳剪纸), ancient daily necessities, ancient costumes, etc. Every year, during major and minor festivals, folk activities such as Kui Xing Pointing at the Dipper (魁星点斗), Taige Lion (台阁狮), sedan chair parade, and one-horned platform performance attract a large number of tourists to visit and experience.
A vibrant traditional village is a community that is still living. Heyang (河阳) is such a place, turning time into amber, allowing life to grow happily within it.
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