Summary: President Xi Jinping met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province. Xi emphasized the historical significance of the Dujiangyan irrigation project, linking it to Chinese resilience and governance wisdom, while Macron lauded the ingenuity of the Chinese people. Xi highlighted the shared independent spirit rooted in the deep cultures of both China and France, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and cooperation amid global instability. Macron expressed France's willingness to strengthen communication and coordination with China to maintain world peace and stability. Both leaders agreed to maintain close communication and jointly promote the continuous development of the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership; they also released joint statements on global governance, climate change, peaceful use of nuclear energy, agriculture, Ukraine, and Palestine.
Summary: As the "14th Five-Year Plan" nears completion, various regions are implementing measures to ensure economic and social development goals are met, focusing on key projects like the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant and the Jilin hydrogen energy industrial park. Regions are emphasizing technological innovation and green development, with advancements in areas like brain-computer interfaces in Tianjin and ecological restoration in Hubei. Efforts are also focused on expanding opening up through cross-border e-commerce in Guangdong and international logistics routes in Jiangxi. Provinces are also working to address livelihood concerns, with Xinjiang prioritizing employment and Zhejiang improving rural healthcare.
Summary: Premier Li Qiang chaired a State Council executive meeting focusing on domestic issues. The meeting addressed energy conservation and carbon reduction, emphasizing coordinated efforts and market mechanisms to promote green development. Discussions also covered rectifying administrative law enforcement related to enterprises, aiming to improve the business environment through standardized practices and accountability. Furthermore, the meeting reviewed a draft law on national fire and rescue personnel and outlined measures to combat illegal activities related to tobacco production and sales. There was no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations in the summary.
Summary: The article discusses China's efforts to accelerate the construction of a "modernized water network" (现代化水网) to address water resource imbalances and improve flood and drought resilience, as mentioned in the "15th Five-Year Plan." According to Wang Jiuda, Deputy Director of the Planning and Programming Department of the Ministry of Water Resources, the project aims to interconnect water infrastructure, improve water resource allocation, and enhance water security for key areas like cities, energy bases, and agricultural regions. The initiative also focuses on promoting diversified investment channels, including public-private partnerships, and leveraging digital technologies to build "digital twin" water networks. The ultimate goal is to extend the water network's reach to smaller communities and improve the quality of public water services.
Summary: The article reports on Tibet's efforts to develop its modern service industries, following Xi Jinping's instructions to promote high-quality development based on local conditions. Financial support, such as loans from the Tibet Bank, has aided business expansion, while investments in cold chain logistics and rural postal services have expanded coverage. Network infrastructure has been improved and expanded to include rural areas. Wang Junzheng, the Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region Party Committee, stated that the region would unswervingly promote the efficient and high-quality development of modern service industries. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: French President Emmanuel Macron conducted a state visit to China from December 3-5, 2025, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and global governance, building upon previous joint statements. They emphasized the importance of the United Nations and its role in the international system, supporting reforms to enhance the representation of developing countries. Both nations pledged to strengthen cooperation within the G20 framework and acknowledged the challenges facing the global economy, calling for enhanced dialogue and coordination among major economies. France, as the upcoming G7 president, and China, as the host of APEC in 2026, expressed their willingness to engage in inclusive dialogue on global governance challenges, with France aiming to involve China and other emerging powers in finding solutions, including through the IMF.
Summary: At the invitation of Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron conducted a state visit to China from December 3rd to 5th, 2025, where the two countries reiterated their commitment to strengthening cooperation on global climate and environmental challenges. Both sides reaffirmed their dedication to multilateralism, the "Rio Conventions," the Paris Agreement, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. They emphasized upholding scientific integrity and adhering to the principles of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. China and France also pledged to strengthen global ocean governance and support developing countries in achieving sustainable development, encouraging developed nations to provide climate and environmental funding. The two countries are willing to actively study the establishment of a working group to deal with climate and environmental challenges and consider holding a meeting on the establishment of the working group in the first half of 2026.
Summary: China and France affirm nuclear energy's crucial role in addressing climate change and energy security, highlighting its importance within their comprehensive strategic partnership. Both countries will continue nuclear cooperation, focusing on areas like PWR technology, plant life extension, waste management, and innovative technologies like SMRs and AI applications, while ensuring nuclear supply chain stability. Both sides also expressed their intent to further participate in ITER. The two countries emphasized their commitment to nuclear safety, security, and non-proliferation, with both countries reiterating their commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. China supports France's call to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050 as part of carbon neutrality efforts.
Summary: During the French President's state visit to China, both countries reaffirmed the importance of agricultural cooperation in their bilateral relationship. They aim to deepen cooperation through increased exchange, adhering to WTO rules while providing a fair environment for businesses. Noteworthy progress included agreements on French alfalfa exports and registration of French pork exporters to China. China and France also seek to strengthen partnerships in the agri-food sector, including new models of cooperation, and encourage direct participation of businesses and cooperatives. The United States is not mentioned in this report.
Summary: At the invitation of Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron conducted a state visit to China from December 3-5, 2025. The two leaders discussed international peace and stability, reaffirming their commitment to constructive solutions based on international law and peaceful resolution of disputes. Regarding Ukraine, China and France support efforts for ceasefire and peace based on international law and the UN Charter. They also reiterated the necessity of the "two-state solution" for Israel and Palestine, welcoming France's recognition of Palestine, and emphasized the importance of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The leaders also expressed their willingness to maintain close communication on issues concerning international peace and security.
Summary: During President Macron's state visit to China, hosted by Xi Jinping in Beijing and Chengdu, both leaders emphasized the importance of multilateralism and independent foreign policy. They agreed to enhance political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, promote cultural exchanges, and improve global governance. Both countries signed cooperation documents in nuclear energy, agriculture, education, and environmental protection. Macron expressed agreement with Xi on reforming global governance and promoting a more balanced global economy, advocating for strengthened coordination and shared responsibility. The leaders also discussed the importance of China-Europe relations and the need to uphold multilateralism.
Summary: Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, China's lead person on economic and trade matters, held a video call with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Trade Representative Katherine Tai on December 5th. The two sides engaged in in-depth and constructive exchanges focused on implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state at the summit in Busan and the phone call on November 24th. They discussed pragmatic cooperation and appropriately resolving each other's concerns in the economic and trade fields. Both sides positively assessed the implementation of the results of the China-U.S. Kuala Lumpur economic and trade consultations. They stated that they would continue to leverage the role of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism to expand the list of cooperation and reduce the list of problems, in order to promote the continuous, stable, and positive development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations.
Summary: The 26th Asia TV Forum & Market in Singapore featured China's largest joint exhibition to date, showcasing over 200 productions. Organized under the guidance of the State Council Information Office and the National Radio and Television Administration, the exhibit included 24 top Chinese film and television institutions. Events included project launches, and collaborations, with several Sino-foreign partnerships formally signed in film, animation, and cultural exchange. Shanghai held a presentation promoting 11 works, while Ningmeng Pictures announced a partnership with Singapore MediaCorp to create a sequel to the TV show "Nothing but Thirty." Huace Group also promoted the historical drama "The Age of Peace," emphasizing its universal emotional appeal despite its Chinese historical context.
Summary: Jiangsu Party Secretary Xin Changxing led a CCP delegation to the UK and Malta, meeting with officials including UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Maltese Deputy Prime Minister and Labour Party Deputy Leader Daniel Bugeja. Xin promoted the spirit of the 20th Fourth Plenary Session and emphasized opportunities from China's 15th Five-Year Plan. UK and Maltese officials welcomed China's high-level opening-up, praised the stability and certainty of China's economic development for the world, and expressed interest in deepening practical cooperation with China. They also hoped to promote the development of bilateral and China-Europe relations.
Summary: Premier Li Qiang will host a "1+10" dialogue on global governance and development in Beijing on December 9th with leaders from ten international economic organizations. Participants include heads of the New Development Bank, World Bank, IMF, WTO, UNCTAD, ILO, BIS, FSB, AIIB, and OECD. The dialogue aims to foster discussion on global governance and promote global development. The announcement was made by a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
Summary: According to Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, the "15th Five-Year Plan" emphasizes high-level opening-up as crucial for both domestic reform and global cooperation. Wang highlighted China's commitment to expanding market access, promoting trade innovation, and attracting foreign investment. He noted China's role as a major trading partner and its efforts to sign free trade agreements, including offering zero tariffs to less developed nations. Wang also discussed strategies to boost domestic consumption by expanding service consumption, upgrading commodity consumption, and creating innovative consumption scenarios. The minister reaffirmed China's dedication to the Belt and Road Initiative, emphasizing mutually beneficial collaborations with participating countries.
Summary: China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has designated 39 pilot cities to explore the integration of the human resources service industry with the manufacturing sector. The aim is to improve human resource development and utilization within key manufacturing areas, focusing on sectors like smart manufacturing and biotechnology. The pilot program encourages innovation in areas like recruitment and training, leveraging technologies like AI and big data to improve matching efficiency. The initiative emphasizes the role of leading manufacturing firms and specialized HR service companies in driving this integration. The ministry will monitor progress, address challenges, and promote replicable best practices.
Summary: The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) released a draft of the "Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Listed Companies" to solicit public opinions, marking the first specialized administrative regulation for listed company supervision in China. The draft aims to prevent risks, strengthen supervision, and promote high-quality development of listed companies by standardizing the behavior of listed companies and related parties. Key aspects include improving corporate governance, strengthening information disclosure supervision with a focus on preventing financial fraud, regulating mergers and acquisitions, and enhancing investor protection through measures related to market value management, cash dividends, and share repurchases. The draft also emphasizes strict punishment for illegal and irregular activities, outlining specific penalties for actions like fund occupation and collusion in fraudulent activities.
Summary: China's light industry saw steady growth in the first ten months of the year, with revenues reaching 19 trillion yuan (up 1.9%) and profits hitting 1.14 trillion yuan (up 1.6%). Increased value was seen in the manufacturing of motor-driven vehicles, batteries, and plastic furniture, bolstered by policies promoting consumer goods trade-ins. Domestic demand is rising, with retail sales of 11 categories of light industrial goods rising 9.8% year-on-year. Retail sales of household appliances and audio-visual equipment increased by 20.1%. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The Nanning-Pingxiang High-Speed Railway (高铁) is now fully operational, reducing travel time between Nanning and the Vietnamese border city of Pingxiang to 1 hour and 15 minutes. As a key project for connectivity with neighboring countries under the 14th Five-Year Plan, this line establishes a rapid passenger transport route to the China-Vietnam border. The railway will operate at a maximum speed of 250 km/h with four daily train services. The railway connects to the broader national high-speed rail network through the Nanning hub.
Summary: As the "14th Five-Year Plan" nears completion, various regions are focusing on economic and social development goals, including Beijing's completion of 430,000 units of subsidized housing, Guangdong's promotion of technological achievements with nearly 2,100 incubators, and Inner Mongolia's ecological construction. Key projects like the Zhangzhou Nuclear Power plant and the Jilin hydrogen energy project are underway to support green development. Regions are also focusing on technological self-reliance and innovation, like Anhui's experimental fusion energy device and Tianjin's brain-computer interface technology. Guangdong is expanding cross-border e-commerce and trade with Belt and Road countries, while Jiangxi is increasing its China-Europe freight train routes.
Summary: An experimental heating and water infrastructure project in Inner Mongolia's Bayantala Daur ethnic township has successfully provided centralized heating to local nomadic residents, reducing reliance on coal and lowering costs. The project involved laying 64.2 km of heating and 56.1 km of water pipes, with a creative solution of running them together to prevent freezing in the harsh climate. Officials are also counting on the improvements to spur investments into local business. The success of this initial phase will inform expansion to other nearby towns along the pre-existing power line to the city. The project resulted in a substantial reduction of pollutants.
Summary: In Inner Mongolia's Evenk Autonomous Banner, innovative solutions utilizing residual heat from heating pipes are being implemented to prevent water pipe freezing in cold regions, providing centralized heating to local herders. This shift away from traditional heating methods benefits the environment and supports local industries like agriculture, tourism, and healthcare. The initiative demonstrates a commitment to addressing challenges and improving livelihoods by considering both immediate and long-term impacts. The article emphasizes the importance of solving problems, no matter how difficult they seem, to improve lives and livelihoods. There is no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: This article recounts the personal story of a woman from a fishing family on the shores of Chagan Lake in Jilin Province. She returned to her hometown after college in 2013 to start a business in the catering and hospitality industries. She was able to capitalize on government-led ecological restoration efforts that revitalized the lake by increasing the lake's water volume and improving water quality. The improved ecological environment and the unique winter fishing traditions of the lake are attracting tourists and promoting local economic development. The locals now understand the need to protect the area as it is a valuable resource.
Summary: Preparations are underway for the 24th Chagan Lake Ice and Snow Fishing and Hunting Culture Tourism Festival, promising another spectacle of winter fishing. The festival marks a transformation from ecological degradation and poverty to prosperity through environmental protection and tourism. Local communities are experiencing increased income and improved livelihoods due to this shift. The development model prioritizes ecological preservation alongside tourism, enhancing the well-being of residents around Chagan Lake. There is no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations in the article.
Summary: The 2025 China (Pu'er) International Coffee Expo and Pu'er Tea Expo opened in Pu'er City, Yunnan Province on December 5th, lasting three days. The expo combines both coffee and tea exhibitions, featuring product sales, competitions, and cultural experiences. Over one hundred domestic and international companies are participating in the event. A photo shows attendees examining coffee products at the expo. The article does not mention United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) has issued a notice initiating the "Warm Winter Campaign" for the 2026 New Year and Spring Festival, focusing on aiding struggling and key worker groups. Difficult worker groups include those laid off, with low incomes, those with heavy education costs, those who have experienced disasters or illnesses, and those affected by business closures. The campaign will also target new forms of employment, workers in key national projects, model workers, and those in difficult positions. With over 30 years of operations, the 2026 campaign aims to expand its reach beyond the 2025 campaign, which raised 6 billion yuan and visited 167,000 companies and 18.5 million workers.
Summary: The article discusses efforts in Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City in Hainan to optimize resource allocation for scientific research, particularly in seed breeding and deep-sea technology. Key initiatives include a shared land service platform for seed breeding research, facilitating land access and reducing costs for researchers. Additionally, a shared instrument platform increases utilization rates and lowers expenses for scientific equipment. Shared research voyages for deep-sea equipment testing further contribute to cost savings and efficiency. The goal is to improve the cultivation of scientific research, achievement transformation, and public service capabilities by optimizing resource allocation. The United States and US-China relations are not mentioned in the article.
Summary: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee visited the Yau Ma Tei "Open Up" hotline and stated the Hong Kong government is highly concerned with the mental health support for fire victims in Tai Po. Lee stated that the government will work closely with the Legislative Council, proposing motions at its first meeting to discuss support and reconstruction efforts. Secretary for Medical and Health Lo Chung-mau reported that 79 injured individuals were treated, and the Medical and Health Bureau is providing 24-hour medical services. Other officials, including Secretary for Labour and Welfare Sun Yuk-han and Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin, detailed efforts to provide social work support and psychological assistance to affected residents and students.
Summary: The State Administration of Government Offices Affairs (国管局) and the Administration of the CPC Central Committee Offices (中直管理局) jointly issued an opinion on strengthening the management of public asset warehouses and promoting the sharing of state-owned assets. The opinion emphasizes strengthening asset management throughout the entire lifecycle, from acquisition to disposal, prioritizing allocation through public asset warehouses, and maximizing asset utilization. The initiative aims to improve asset inventory management, optimize asset allocation and usage, and facilitate the coordinated utilization of assets. Public asset warehouses have reportedly saved 2.166 billion yuan by revitalizing 382,300 assets by the end of October 2023. The document does not mention the U.S. or U.S.-China relations.
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Summary: Yuanqiao Village in Henan Province has revitalized its local economy and cultural heritage by becoming a hub for "weiju," or micro-dramas. According to the village's Party Secretary, the village has become a popular filming location, leading to increased income for villagers who participate as actors and crew, and for the village itself through renting out old houses to production companies. The local government in Zhengzhou and Dengfeng has supported this development through policy and training programs, with plans to further develop the industry and integrate tourism. The village plans to upgrade its filming locations, cultivate talent through cooperation with higher education, and develop immersive experiences for tourists.
Summary: This article discusses Henan province's efforts to revitalize rural areas through cultural industries, highlighting the case of Yuanqiao village in Dengfeng, which has leveraged its historical architecture to attract micro-drama productions. The piece points to policy support and the utilization of local cultural assets, such as traditional crafts and historical sites, as key drivers of economic growth and improved rural environments. It advocates for further development of cultural industry brands and unique village identities through creative design, film production, and intangible cultural heritage research. The article suggests this approach can lead to increased incomes and the preservation of cultural heritage in rural communities.
Summary: A representative from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that influenza activity is currently high in 17 provinces and moderate in the rest, with a 51% positive rate among influenza-like cases, predicting a peak in mid-December. The H3N2 strain is dominant, and the CDC recommends vaccinations for high-risk groups in densely populated areas, as this season's outbreaks are higher than last year. Symptoms range from mild to severe, with high fever and potential complications requiring medical attention, especially for vulnerable populations. The official did not discuss cooperation with the United States on fighting against the epidemic.
Summary: The 2025 China International Tropical Crops Industry Conference highlighted the significant role of tropical crops in rural revitalization, contributing over 30% to farmers' income in key regions. China's tropical crop production accounts for 70% of the country's winter vegetables and tropical fruits, with the total output value of primary industry reaching 283.99 billion yuan in 2024. The conference emphasized the need for innovation in drought resistance, pest control, and mechanization, as well as the development of sustainable agriculture standards. Several forums were held focusing on specific crops like rubber and coffee, and discussing international trade.
Summary: The first generator unit of the Minjiang Pengshan Jianzishan Hydropower Project in Sichuan Province is about to generate electricity. This key project in Sichuan's "14th Five-Year Plan" focuses on shipping combined with hydropower, with a total installed capacity of 69 MW and an expected annual power generation of over 285 million kWh. The project aims to open a "golden waterway" from Chengdu to Meishan and Shanghai, promoting local economic development. The article does not discuss the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Fei Dongbin, former Party member of the Ministry of Transport and former Party Secretary and Director of the National Railway Administration, is under investigation by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission for severe violations of discipline and law. The investigation reveals Fei's abandonment of ideals, political opportunism, violation of regulations, seeking personal gain through power, and acceptance of bribes. Consequently, Fei has been expelled from the Party and removed from public office, with his case transferred to the procuratorate for prosecution, pending confirmation by the Central Committee. There were no mentions of the United States or U.S.-China relations in the article.
Summary: Shenzhen leveraged its technological prowess during the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th Special Olympics Games by showcasing locally developed high-tech products, including AI-powered exoskeletons and AI glasses. The city implemented a "four-in-one" command system using digital twin technology for real-time monitoring and rapid response to emergencies. Shenzhen has also focused on barrier-free infrastructure, including accessibility modifications to sporting venues and the implementation of sign language translation services. The city has prioritized the assistive device industry, fostering innovation through policy support, incubators, and design competitions. This has translated into significant orders at international expos, including some from overseas, demonstrating Shenzhen's commitment to technological assistance for people with disabilities.
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Summary: A recent press conference by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' National Space Science Center highlighted achievements from the Space Science Pioneer Program, including data from satellites like "悟空" (Wukong) and "慧眼" (Insight), revealing insights into cosmic rays, black hole activity, and solar flares. Future plans for the "15th Five-Year Plan" include the Tai Kong Tan Yuan (Space Exploration) science satellite program encompassing four missions: the "Hongmeng Program," "Kuafu-2," the Extrasolar Earth Survey Satellite, and the Enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarization Space Observatory, aimed at exploring the universe's origins and searching for Earth-like planets. The "Smile" satellite is a joint project with the European Space Agency. These efforts aim to advance China's space science capabilities from "running alongside" to "leading" in some areas.
Summary: China is rapidly integrating artificial intelligence into its meteorological services, enhancing forecasting capabilities for various weather phenomena. AI models like Fenglei, Fengqing, Fengshun, and Fenghe are being utilized for tasks ranging from predicting severe convective weather to long-term seasonal forecasts and tailored weather services. These advancements aim to improve the accuracy and efficiency of weather predictions, enabling proactive disaster warnings and supporting industries like energy and transportation. The models are designed to complement, not replace, human forecasters' expertise. To manage potential risks, regulations are being implemented to ensure responsible and secure AI application in meteorology.
Summary: Chinese scientists have developed a 100-nanometer quantum superconducting diode that operates efficiently without energy loss in liquid nitrogen temperatures, achieving 100% rectification efficiency and quantum noise resistance. Zhang Ding, an adjunct researcher at the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences and associate professor in the Physics Department at Tsinghua University, explained that the new diode achieves zero energy dissipation by ensuring electrons move in pairs. Zhu Yuying, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences, stated that their new cryogenic device fabrication technology also substantially improves the stability and yield rate of superconducting diodes. The device is considered an important step toward the industrialization of superconducting electronic devices and provides a new path for developing energy-free logic circuits in the microwave frequency range.
Summary: China's first high-energy direct geometry inelastic neutron scattering time-of-flight spectrometer has been completed and put into use at the China Spallation Neutron Source in Dongguan, Guangdong. Developed by Sun Yat-sen University and the Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, the instrument will observe the structure and dynamics of the microscopic world, filling a gap in China's inelastic neutron scattering capabilities above 100 meV. It functions like a "super camera" capable of capturing the dynamics of atoms and molecules on a picosecond scale. According to Zheng Yue, Vice President of Sun Yat-sen University, construction began in 2019 after the university signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2017. The spectrometer will be open to domestic and foreign researchers.
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Summary: To celebrate the Palace Museum's centennial, the Qianlong Garden in the Ningshou Palace has reopened to the public after 25 years of restoration. The garden, built by Emperor Qianlong as his retirement residence, showcases unique architectural and artistic elements. Restoration efforts have focused on preserving the garden's original Qing Dynasty architecture and interior decorations, including rare materials and craftsmanship. Highlights include the black lacquer gold-painted screens in Guhua Hall, and the lacquer gauze in Fuwang Pavilion, the only instance of its kind. The restoration involved extensive research, collaboration with artisans from southern China, and the recreation of lost techniques.
Summary: The article chronicles the 90-year history of the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (CACH) and its predecessor organizations, from early architectural preservation to broader cultural relic protection. CACH has been involved in key projects, including the Mogao Caves exploration, Three Gorges Dam antiquities preservation, and post-earthquake rescue efforts. Since the 18th Party Congress, CACH has adapted to new demands, undertaking significant projects like the Dazu Rock Carvings and the Grand Canal preservation, as well as promoting technological cooperation and exchange. As a key player in China's foreign aid efforts for cultural heritage protection, CACH has undertaken projects in Cambodia, Uzbekistan and Nepal. The academy will continue to promote the development of a national cultural heritage science and technology innovation center.
Summary: The article discusses Zhang Fangquan, the fourth-generation inheritor of Yangjiao (goat horn) lantern-making, whose craftsmanship was sought after by a museum to repair a Qing Dynasty lantern. Zhang's technique involves a meticulous, mold-free process of shaping and fusing thin pieces of goat horn using heated tools. Zhang expresses a commitment to preserving this traditional art, which is now listed as a municipal and provincial intangible cultural heritage. He is also willing to teach his craft to anyone interested in learning.
Summary: A recent competition at Capital Normal University showcased creative approaches to popularizing oracle bone script (甲骨文) among preschool children, leveraging AI-generated content (AIGC) to create animated works depicting Shang dynasty history and culture. The competition, part of the "Ancient Writing and Chinese Civilization Inheritance and Development Project," featured entries from multiple universities. Furthermore, AIGC, VR, and AR technologies were used to develop children's plays performed at various venues in Beijing, which have been well-received by children and families. The aim is to integrate oracle bone script into daily life and foster an appreciation for traditional Chinese culture. The article also highlights recent publications aimed at making oracle bone script more accessible to the public, building on a century of academic research.
Summary: Archaeological analysis of textiles from the Haihunhou tomb, which began in 2015, has identified five main categories of textiles including lacquered gauze, silk with colored embroidery, and plain silk. Due to the tomb's waterlogged conditions and prior looting, most textile artifacts required specialized extraction techniques involving consolidants, careful separation from the surrounding mud, and layered transfer to supporting boards. Microscopic analysis revealed the lacquered gauze (漆纱) included some of the highest density gauze of its type discovered, made with advanced techniques. The excavation and conservation efforts were guided by experts from the National Cultural Heritage Administration, including textile archaeologist Wang Yarong. The textile artifacts are still undergoing conservation, with the ultimate goal of revitalizing the cultural heritage they embody.
Summary: I am sorry, I do not have access to the internet to get the contents of any articles. Therefore, I am unable to follow your instructions.
Summary: The author reflects on Suzhou's evolution, contrasting the traditional image of canals and gardens with the modern industrial park around Jinji Lake. He notes the initial skepticism of some Suzhou locals towards the industrial park's development. He praises the industrial park as a successful example of urbanization and economic development. The author credits Suzhou's cultural heritage as the foundation for its economic success and its ability to adapt to change, enabling continuous industrial upgrading.
Summary: During a visit to Heze, Shandong, the author heard about the local legend of Bo Le, a talent scout, emphasizing his origins in the area. The article stresses the importance of talent recognition and cultivation, drawing parallels between Bo Le and the discovery of exceptional individuals. It argues that true talent will eventually be recognized, even if initially overlooked. The author advocates for broader, more inclusive standards in talent selection, emphasizing leveraging individual strengths rather than focusing on shortcomings. The piece concludes with the need for "Bo Les" at the grassroots level to cultivate ordinary individuals.
Summary: The author describes finding solace and rejuvenation in the quiet sounds of nature surrounding a lake, drawing a distinction between mere "声" (sound) and the more profound "音" (tone/resonance). They detail the subtle variations in the lake's "sound" throughout the day and seasons, attributing it to elements like insects, water plants, and even stars reflected in the water. The author also reflects on a stream flowing into the lake, drawing a parallel to Mark Twain's imagined musicality of stones, suggesting a shared appreciation for the sounds of silence. The author believes that listening to the sounds of nature can allow people to better listen to one another.
Summary: This article identifies Huang Binhong as the artist of the Chinese painting "Evergreen Trees in Winter," which is held in the collection of the National Art Museum of China. The article primarily focuses on the painting's provenance and current location. No information is provided regarding Chinese politics, officials, the United States, or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: This article describes a person's early morning commute via bus to catch a high-speed train to work in another city. The author observes fellow passengers, including elderly individuals going to the hospital or market, and students on their way to school. A conversation with an elderly man recovering from cancer surgery, who expresses gratitude for healthcare and pension benefits, deeply moves the author. The author reflects on the resilience and hope seen in the elderly man's attitude towards life's challenges. The bus ride provides a moment of reflection and connection with the community.
Summary: The provided text is a poem describing a nighttime drive on the Shanghai-Kunming Expressway. The author observes the full moon illuminating the landscape and a heavily laden truck lumbering along the road. The poem reflects on the contrast between the hurried journey of the author's car and the slow, steady progress of the truck, symbolizing the realities of life. The author imagines the truck continuing its journey alone under the moonlight after they enter a tunnel. The poem does not discuss Chinese politics, officials, or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: This article describes the process of harvesting and storing vegetables, particularly Chinese cabbage, for the winter in a rural setting. The author details the transition from outdoor cultivation to indoor storage for most vegetables, except for the cold-resistant cabbage that remains in the fields longer. The piece highlights the communal aspect of the harvest, with neighbors helping each other prepare the cabbage for winter storage in underground cellars. The author emphasizes the importance of careful preparation and the satisfaction derived from a successful harvest. There is no mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations in the text.
Summary: The article discusses the traditional Chinese craft of "Qingcheng tea dyeing," using tea and other natural ingredients to dye fabrics. The author recounts a personal anecdote about their mother knitting and dyeing a cotton sweater using tea and herbs, resulting in a grey-brown garment. This act of dyeing transformed the plain white sweater into something more beautiful, and the author wore it for a photograph with their family. The author reflects on how this tea-dyeing technique has added a delicate color to their childhood memories.
Summary: This short announcement from the *People's Daily* welcomes submissions from readers. It specifies that submissions must be original works, published for the first time, and not submitted to multiple publications simultaneously. The announcement also provides the email address for submissions. There is no mention of specific political figures, events, the United States, or U.S.-China relations.
Xinhua News Agency, Chengdu, December 5th (Reporters Sun Yi (孙奕) and Wu Guangyu (吴光于)) On December 5th, President Xi Jinping (习近平) held friendly exchanges with French President Emmanuel Macron (马克龙) in Dujiangyan (都江堰), Chengdu (成都) City, Sichuan (四川) Province.
In early winter, Dujiangyan (都江堰) is covered in lush green mountains. When Mr. and Mrs. Macron (马克龙) arrived, they were warmly welcomed by Xi Jinping (习近平) and Peng Liyuan (彭丽媛). Xi Jinping (习近平) welcomed Macron (马克龙) to the "Land of Abundance" (天府之国), saying that last year you invited me to your hometown in the Hautes-Pyrénées (上比利牛斯省). I believe this trip will further enrich your understanding of China.
The two heads of state and their spouses walked and talked along the Yengong Road (堰功道).
Xi Jinping (习近平) introduced the history and significance of Dujiangyan (都江堰), pointing out that the Dujiangyan Irrigation System (都江堰水利工程) is the only ancient water conservancy project in the world that is still in use, and it is also one of the earliest successful practices of harmonious coexistence between mankind and nature. The construction process fully reflects the Chinese nation's spirit of 自强不息 (zì qiáng bù xī - "self-improvement without cease," constantly striving to become stronger), not fearing difficulties, and daring to explore. Every time I come to Dujiangyan (都江堰), I can feel the wisdom of the ancestors in adapting to local conditions, acting in accordance with the trend, the unity of nature and man, and managing water for the benefit of the people, and draw wisdom from it for governing the country. The French nation also has a spirit of perseverance. China and France should be able to understand and respect each other more than other countries.
Macron (马克龙) said that Dujiangyan (都江堰) has beautiful mountains and clear waters. The water conservancy project built more than 2,000 years ago is still playing a role today. The hard work and wisdom of the Chinese people are admirable. Both France and China have a long history and culture, and the people of both countries have the same pursuit of a better life. Franco-Chinese cooperation can seek common development and prosperity and benefit the people of both countries.
The two heads of state and their spouses sat down in Huaiguting (怀古亭) Pavilion, tasted tea by the water, and discussed the world situation.
Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that the strength of a country and the rejuvenation of a nation require the accumulation of material civilization and the sublimation of spiritual civilization. A nation with cultural confidence can stand upright, stand firm, and go far. Chinese civilization is the only great civilization in the world that has continued and developed into a national form to this day, and has outstanding continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness, and peacefulness. China and France are outstanding representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations respectively. The spirit of independence and autonomy shared by the two countries stems from their respective profound cultural heritage. The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France is not only a "handshake" between two independent and autonomous countries, but also a convergence of two brilliant civilizations. Facing the turbulent international situation, I believe that China and France, as two major countries with historical cultures, can make greater contributions to world peace, stability, and human development and progress through dialogue and cooperation.
Macron (马克龙) said that the current international situation is rapidly evolving and full of uncertainty. France is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China, adhere to resolving conflicts through dialogue and consultation, and work together to maintain world peace and stability.
Xi Jinping (习近平) and his wife invited Macron (马克龙) and his wife to lunch and continued in-depth exchanges.
The two heads of state agreed to maintain close communication and jointly promote the continuous development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France.
During the visit, the two sides issued joint statements on strengthening global governance, cooperating to address global climate and environmental challenges, continuing to promote cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, agricultural and food exchanges and cooperation, the situation in Ukraine, and the situation in Palestine.
Wang Yi (王毅) participated in the above activities.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 武少民 葛孟超
The vivid scroll of the year-end sprint, determining the victory of the "14th Five-Year Plan," is unfolding: Beijing (北京) has completed 430,000 sets (rooms) of guaranteed housing, and four types of extremely poor families have achieved "full coverage of guarantees" upon application; Guangdong (广东) is vigorously promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and has built nearly 2,100 science and technology business incubators and maker spaces; Inner Mongolia (内蒙古) has cumulatively completed 123 million mu of ecological construction tasks, including 66.88 million mu of desertification control...
Xi Jinping (习近平), General Secretary, emphasized: "It is necessary to accurately implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, focus on stabilizing employment, stabilizing enterprises, stabilizing the market, and stabilizing expectations, fully implement various policies benefiting the people, do a good job in safe production and maintaining stability, and strive to complete the annual goals and tasks."
As the "14th Five-Year Plan" is about to conclude, all regions are putting action first, taking solid measures to fully carry out various economic and social development tasks, and ensuring a good conclusion and a good report card.
Work diligently and practically to ensure a good conclusion and a good report card for the "14th Five-Year Plan."
Major national instruments forge the cornerstone of green development. On November 22, in Zhangzhou (漳州), Fujian (福建), the world's largest "Hualong One" nuclear power base—Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Unit 2—was successfully connected to the grid for the first time, officially transmitting electricity to the grid. As a key project of the "14th Five-Year Plan," after the commissioning of Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Units 1 and 2, the annual power generation is expected to reach 20 billion kilowatt-hours, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 16 million tons.
Demonstrate responsibility in overcoming difficulties, and forge advantages in transformation and upgrading. At the Jilin (吉林) Zhongneng Jian Songyuan Hydrogen Energy Industrial Park (Green Hydrogen-Ammonia-Methanol Integration) project site, staff are working intensively to prepare for trial production. Sun Xiang, Deputy General Manager of Nengjian Green Hydrogen-Ammonia New Energy (Songyuan) Co., Ltd., said that the first phase of the project is in the joint commissioning stage, the parameters are normal, and they will strive to put it into production and achieve results as soon as possible.
Take the "progress" of projects to solidify the "stability" of development. Jilin (吉林) is aiming at its target tasks and deeply tapping its potential. "There are many positive factors supporting the continued improvement of Jilin's economy in the fourth quarter. We will seize the effective working time and accelerate the formation of more physical workload," said Zhao Shuli, Deputy Director of the Jilin Provincial Development and Reform Commission.
Major projects are the "ballast stone" of economic development.
In the mountains of Zhangwan District (张湾区), Shiyan City (十堰市), Hubei (湖北) Province, the WZ500-type track-laying unit moved slowly, laying 500-meter-long rails smoothly on the Shending River Super Bridge. On November 27, the entire track-laying construction of the high-speed railway from Xi'an (西安), Shaanxi (陕西) to Shiyan (十堰), Hubei (湖北) was completed.
The Xi'an-Shiyan High-Speed Railway is a key project in the "14th Five-Year Plan" railway network construction. Guo Hao, a project staff member, introduced that since the track-laying started in September this year, the project has adopted a high-power crawler tractor in conjunction with heavy track-laying equipment, laying an average of 8 kilometers of track per day, with a maximum of 18 kilometers per day. After the opening of the railway, it will better support the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the national development strategies such as the Western Development.
As of now, the 102 major projects determined in the "14th Five-Year Plan" are progressing smoothly, and it is expected that the planning goals will be fully completed before the end of the year.
Located in the hinterland of the Wuling Mountains (武陵山), in northeastern Guizhou (贵州), at the site of the Southern Power Grid's 500 kV Tongren West Transmission and Transformation Project, more than 200 workers are continuing to work hard.
"The project construction has entered the sprint stage. The construction team is working with the operating unit to carry out acceptance to ensure the 'zero defect' commissioning target. After the project is put into operation, it can meet the electricity needs of more than 1.3 million people," said Zeng Zhangjie, the project manager.
Go all out to grasp projects, race against time, and seize efficiency, scientifically study and judge plans, ensure construction safety, optimize working methods, and solve development problems... All regions are competing to exert their strength and converge into momentum, consolidate and expand the momentum of economic recovery, and strive to complete the annual goals and tasks.
Forge ahead and implement the new development concept throughout the entire process and all fields of economic and social development.
Technological self-reliance and self-improvement stand tall at the forefront of the times, and innovative breakthroughs lead the development pattern.
As the "14th Five-Year Plan" is about to conclude, a recognition is becoming increasingly clear: implementing the new development concept is the key to solving development problems and cultivating development advantages.
Innovation is the primary driving force. At the construction site of the Compact Fusion Energy Experimental Device (BEST) in Hefei (合肥), Anhui (安徽), the device has taken shape. Zheng Lei, the person in charge of the BEST device process and on-site coordination, said that the device is composed of approximately 5 million parts and more than 40 subsystems, and has entered the main engine assembly stage.
Anhui (安徽), based on promoting high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, has currently built, is building, and is pre-researching 13 large scientific devices, and the ability to create scientific and technological innovation sources is accelerating.
As thoughts arise, words form naturally. In the laboratory of China Electronics Cloud Brain (Tianjin) Technology Co., Ltd. (中电云脑（天津）科技有限公司) in Tianjin Binhai High-tech Zone (天津滨海高新区), a tester wearing an EEG cap achieved a high-speed "brain-controlled typing" with an online information transmission rate of 420 bits/minute by simply using "thoughts."
"The channel for 'dialogue' between the brain and the machine must be in our own hands," said Cheng Longlong, the company's general manager. After years of hard work, they have achieved a key breakthrough in the development of high-precision acquisition chips, laying the foundation for the large-scale and industrial application of brain-computer interface technology.
Liu Tao, Deputy Director of the Tianjin Municipal Development and Reform Commission (天津市发展改革委), said that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Tianjin (天津) will rely on innovative platforms such as the Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration Haihe Laboratory to accelerate the formation of a complete ecological chain from core hardware, software algorithms to landing applications. The stroke rehabilitation training system developed based on this platform has been clinically verified in many tertiary hospitals in China.
The ecological background is "greener," and the development path is towards "green."
In Yichang (宜昌) City's (市) Xiaoting District (猇亭区), Hubei (湖北) Province, the river water is clear and the scenery on both sides is picturesque. On the clean sidewalks, citizens stroll leisurely.
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Xiaoting District (猇亭区) promoted the "closure, transformation, relocation, and transfer" of chemical enterprises and built a 17.2-kilometer riverside greenway. "We have turned wharves and stockyards into parks and check-in locations, connecting them into the Yangtze River ecological corridor, and at the same time accelerating the construction of an electronic chemicals zone to cultivate green and low-carbon industries," said Liu Chang, Director of the Development and Reform Bureau of Xiaoting District (猇亭区发展改革局).
Expand opening up and smooth circulation.
Walking into the Fenggang Vehicle Inspection Yard (凤岗车检场) in Dongguan (东莞), Guangdong (广东), the lights are bright and vehicles come and go. Workers are gathered around automatic sorting machines, busy with their hands and feet. Customs officers are stationed on-site to work overtime to quickly inspect and release cross-border e-commerce goods. Batches of neatly packaged parcels are loaded onto vehicles and sent directly to Yantian Port (盐田港) in Shenzhen (深圳) for shipment, and the goods are expected to be delivered to consumers in Southeast Asia within 5 days.
Guangdong (广东) continues to exert its strength in new cross-border e-commerce formats and emerging markets such as countries jointly building the "Belt and Road," injecting new impetus into high-level opening to the outside world.
Hundreds of kilometers north of Dongguan (东莞), at the Ganzhou International Land Port (赣州国际陆港) in Ganzhou (赣州), Jiangxi (江西), in late November, a China-Europe freight train loaded with imported Russian timber slowly came to a stop. This batch of imported timber will be sent to several solid wood furniture processing factories in Nankang District (南康区), Ganzhou City (赣州市) for processing.
At present, Jiangxi (江西) has opened 12 China-Europe freight train transportation routes. Expanding channels and building platforms, Jiangxi (江西) is taking solid steps towards high-level opening to the outside world.
Focus on the urgent needs and concerns of the masses and respond to people's livelihood concerns.
"Working here is guaranteed, and it is close to home, which is convenient for taking care of my family. Life is getting better and better!" said Zheng Hongxia, who is receiving customers at a business in Gongliu County (巩留县), Xinjiang (新疆).
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Xinjiang (新疆) added more than 2.3 million new jobs in urban areas, and key groups such as college graduates, rural laborers, and people with employment difficulties have received effective assistance, and zero-employment families have been dynamically cleared.
"Now it is so convenient to see a doctor without leaving the village and without delaying farm work!" Ye Longda, a villager in Songyang County (松阳县), Lishui (丽水), Zhejiang (浙江), recently completed a treatment in the village.
Health is the foundation of people's livelihood, and safeguarding it is a responsibility. "Difficulties in seeing a doctor and getting medicine" used to be a problem that plagued people in remote mountainous areas of Songyang County (松阳县) for many years. Today, Songyang County (松阳县) has created a "comprehensive emergency rescue + mobile medical vehicle + small medicine box household action + smart village health room" health scenario to improve the health level of villagers.
Looking at the overall situation from one area, China's economy is gradually shifting to a higher quality, more balanced, and more sustainable growth model, and the new development concept is leading China's economy onto a broad road of high-quality development.
Plan ahead and lay a good foundation for the start of the "15th Five-Year Plan."
The economic and social development during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period has achieved new and important achievements, laying a solid foundation and accumulating sufficient confidence for continuing to forge ahead in the "15th Five-Year Plan."
All regions are continuing to struggle and opening the prelude to forging ahead in the "15th Five-Year Plan."
——Plan ahead, conduct serious research, and do a good job in practical matters for the people's livelihood.
What the people desire is what the government is directed towards. "There is great pressure on home care for disabled and demented elderly people," "Communities lack sports venues," "Food safety for children needs to be strengthened"... Each message clearly outlines the people's most urgent livelihood expectations.
Ensuring people's livelihood is the top priority. In the second half of this year, the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Finance (江西省财政厅) planned ahead for the 2026 livelihood practical matters, widely solicited opinions through online columns and offline research, and jointly assessed and demonstrated with multiple departments to form a number of targeted and implementable measures.
——Each region should give full play to its strengths and leverage its own advantages in accordance with local conditions.
Gong Changlun, the driver of Sichuan Junyi Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (四川骏谊机械制造有限公司), drove a truck loaded with goods to Chongqing Sanden (China) Automotive Air Conditioning Co., Ltd. (重庆三电（中国）汽车空调有限公司). "With the cross-provincial truck pass issued by the Sichuan-Chongqing Gaozhu New Area (川渝高竹新区), my truck and trucks with Chongqing license plates enjoy the same traffic rights, and I no longer need to drive 'at night'," said Gong Changlun.
The economic aggregate of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle has increased from less than 6.4 trillion yuan in 2019 to 8.7 trillion yuan in 2024.
Looking forward to the "15th Five-Year Plan," Chongqing's (重庆) striving goals are clear and firm: focus on enhancing the development level of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, accelerate the construction of a world-class modern industrial cluster, build a Chengdu-Chongqing comprehensive science center at a high level, and strive to build an important growth pole and new source of power for national high-quality development.
——Work together in the same direction, and coordinated development is closer.
On November 19, two large-span gantry cranes worked together, and the track laying of Beijing Rail Transit Line 22 (Pinggu Line) (北京轨道交通22号线（平谷线）) in the Hebei (河北) section was launched, accelerating the construction of the "Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei on the Rail." During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, Hebei (河北) will adhere to full-area connection and comprehensive undertaking, promote the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei to expand in depth and breadth, and accelerate its own development in connecting with and serving Beijing and Tianjin.
Expand space in coordination and enhance energy in integration. Facing the "15th Five-Year Plan," Zhejiang (浙江) benchmarks the higher-level goal of "high-quality and balanced" development, deeply implements the "Seven Sharing" project of public services, vigorously promotes the integration of basic public services, and improves the long-term mechanism for doing practical things for the people; Guangdong (广东) steadily expands institutional opening up, deeply implements the upgrading strategy of the Free Trade Pilot Zone, and deeply integrates into the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road"...
Concentrate on doing our own things well and firmly grasp the initiative of development. Decisively battle the "14th Five-Year Plan" and lay out the "15th Five-Year Plan," seize all favorable opportunities, transform all positive factors into development achievements, and work hard in practice, and we will surely succeed in practice.
(Reporters Men Jiewei (门杰伟), Wu Jun (吴君), Su Bin (苏滨), Xu Jing (徐靖), Li Jiading (李家鼎), He Linping (贺林平), Yang Yanfei (杨颜菲), Li Yanan (李亚楠), Liu Junguo (刘军国), Shen Jingran (沈靖然), and Shao Yuzi (邵玉姿) of this newspaper participated in the writing)
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 5th (北京) - Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) presided over a State Council executive meeting on December 5th (国务院常务会议), to study further improving energy conservation and carbon reduction work, listen to a report on the special action to regulate administrative law enforcement involving enterprises, and review and approve the "Regulations on Administrative Law Enforcement Supervision (Draft)" (《行政执法监督条例（草案）》), discuss the "Law of the People's Republic of China on National Fire and Rescue Personnel (Draft)" (《中华人民共和国国家消防救援人员法（草案）》), and deploy relevant measures to crack down on illegal activities involving tobacco across the entire chain.
The meeting pointed out that energy conservation and carbon reduction are important means to promote carbon peaking and carbon neutrality and accelerate the green transformation of development methods. It is necessary to do a better job of energy conservation and carbon reduction at a higher level and with higher quality, increase overall coordination, anchor overall goals, promote them in accordance with local conditions, promote green transformation in economic development, and achieve better development in green transformation. It is necessary to effectively enhance the endogenous power of energy conservation and carbon reduction, give full play to policy effects, continuously improve market mechanisms, effectively mobilize the enthusiasm of the whole society, and accelerate the formation of green production and lifestyle.
The meeting pointed out that administrative law enforcement involving enterprises is related to the optimization of the business environment and the stability of market expectations. Since the beginning of this year, various regions and departments have conscientiously carried out special actions to regulate administrative law enforcement involving enterprises and have achieved positive results. It is necessary to focus on key and difficult points, implement long-term and systematic governance, promote the deepening and expansion from individual case correction to similar case standardization, and from problem rectification to mechanism improvement, and continuously improve the standardization level of administrative law enforcement. By formulating and implementing the "Regulations on Administrative Law Enforcement Supervision" (《行政执法监督条例》), it is necessary to strengthen all-round and whole-process supervision, further clarify the boundaries of law enforcement powers and responsibilities, consolidate the responsibility for standardized law enforcement, and seriously investigate and hold accountable behaviors such as abuse of power and arbitrary law enforcement, so that administrative power always operates on the track of the rule of law.
The meeting discussed and in principle approved the "Law of the People's Republic of China on National Fire and Rescue Personnel (Draft)" (《中华人民共和国国家消防救援人员法（草案）》), and decided to submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (全国人大常委会) for deliberation. The meeting pointed out that fire and rescue personnel are the guardians of the people's lives and property safety. Since the establishment of the national comprehensive fire and rescue team, it has effectively dealt with a series of major accidents and disasters, and has been widely praised and trusted by all sectors of society. It is necessary to further clarify the duties, disciplines, personnel management, and treatment security systems of the fire and rescue team, and improve the level of regularization, specialization, and professionalization. It is necessary to focus on enhancing the fire and rescue capabilities at the grassroots level, focus on weak links to strengthen the investigation and rectification of risks and hidden dangers, strengthen comprehensive drills such as early disposal and transfer evacuation, consolidate the foundation of fire safety governance, and resolutely prevent and curb the occurrence of major fire accidents.
The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to severely crack down on illegal activities involving tobacco, strengthen regulatory law enforcement on tobacco production, warehousing, logistics, distribution, and retail in an all-round and whole-chain manner, continuously purify the tobacco market environment, and effectively safeguard national interests and consumer rights.
The meeting also studied other matters.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王 浩
Reader Concerns
In the past, the water pressure in our community was unstable, but this problem was solved after the water source was changed to surface water. According to the water company staff, the water is transferred through the National Water Network Project. I would like to know, what kind of network is the National Water Network? What benefits can it bring to ordinary people?
The "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五) proposal suggests: "Accelerate the construction of a modern water network to enhance flood and drought disaster prevention, water resources allocation, and urban and rural water supply security capabilities."
Accelerating the construction of a modern water network is an inevitable requirement for comprehensively solving water resources, water ecology, water environment, and water disaster problems. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" (十四五) period, China completed 12 major water diversion projects, including the first phase of the water diversion project from the Yangtze River to the Huai River (引江济淮). Among the 40 backbone water transmission and drainage channels defined in the *National Water Network Construction Plan Outline* (《国家水网建设规划纲要》), 35 have been built or are under construction. The water resources allocation pattern of "north-south diversion and east-west mutual assistance" is accelerating, playing an important role in ensuring flood control safety, water supply safety, food security, and ecological security.
To advance Chinese-style modernization, water resource issues must be taken into account. Wang Jiuda (王九大), Deputy Director of the Planning and Planning Department of the Ministry of Water Resources (水利部), introduced that the basic water situation in China is characterized by summer floods and winter droughts, and a severe imbalance in the spatial and temporal distribution of water resources, coupled with the significant trend of frequent extreme droughts and floods. This poses higher requirements for building a national water network. At the same time, there are shortcomings in water conservancy infrastructure, such as insufficient interconnection and synergistic integration, and the level of public water conservancy services needs to be improved. Next, it is necessary to consolidate the foundation, strengthen weaknesses, and enhance strengths to create a high-quality, high-standard, and resilient modern water network.
To weave a dense modern water network, efforts must be focused on interconnection.
"The water conservancy department will focus on bottlenecks and blockages, with networking, supplementation, and strengthening the chain as the key points. Following the principle of demonstrating the actual need, ecological safety, and sustainability of major water conservancy projects, we will optimize the layout, structure, function, and system integration of water network projects to fully release the overall effectiveness of the water network," Wang Jiuda (王九大) introduced.
To weave a dense modern water network, the reform of water conservancy investment and financing must be continuously deepened.
The water conservancy department adheres to the principle of "using both hands" (两手发力), actively exploring the integrated construction and management model of investment, construction, and operation, raising construction funds through multiple channels, and supporting social capital to participate in the construction and operation of water network projects through equity cooperation, franchise, and other methods. In addition, the market-oriented trading system of water rights will be improved to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of water network operation.
For example, the Xinjiang Dashi Canyon Water Conservancy Hub Project (新疆大石峡水利枢纽工程) is one of the first 12 pilot major water conservancy projects of government and social capital cooperation (PPP) in the country, constructing a diversified investment and financing system of "government guidance + social capital dominance + financial institution support," effectively solving the problems of slow investment recovery and insufficient attractiveness of major water conservancy projects. Currently, the reservoir has been closed for water storage and is expected to be fully completed in October 2026.
To weave a dense modern water network, active exploration must be carried out in digital empowerment.
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" (十四五) period, the water conservancy department focused on planning work in monitoring and perception, mathematical model construction, and business applications, systematically promoting the construction of digital twin basins, digital twin water networks, and digital twin water conservancy projects, and organized three batches of 14 provincial water network pilot zones to carry out digital twin water network pilot work. Cheng Jianguo (成建国), Deputy Director of the Information Center of the Ministry of Water Resources (水利部信息中心), introduced that the application and promotion of digital twin technology will be further increased, deep interactive coupling of physical water networks and digital water networks will be carried out, and the digital intelligence of the entire life cycle of water network projects will be promoted. Actively promote the construction of the National Water Network Dispatch Center (国家水网调度中心), Big Data Center (大数据中心), etc., combined with the actual development of provincial and local water networks, continue to promote the pilot construction of digital twin water networks, and continuously iterate and improve in application.
The ultimate goal of weaving a dense modern water network is to benefit the people.
Facing the "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五), the water conservancy department will focus on the water resource needs of important urban agglomerations, energy bases, major grain-producing areas, and key ecological function areas, improve the water conservancy infrastructure system, and ensure water security. On the other hand, it will strengthen the integration of the national water network with provincial, municipal, and county-level water networks, continuously open up the "last mile," extend the coverage of the water network to small and medium-sized rivers, small and medium-sized irrigation areas, towns and villages, etc., and provide high-quality public water conservancy services.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 袁 泉 徐驭尧
In Xigazê (日喀则市), Bai Lang County (白朗县), Tibet (西藏), in the Zanba (糌粑) factory of a company, the production line is running at high speed, and the warehouse next to it is filled with highland barley raw materials. Since the beginning of this year, the company's production capacity has increased significantly, and the purchase volume of raw materials has continued to increase, effectively driving the income growth of surrounding farmers and herdsmen.
The development and growth of the enterprise started with a bank loan. At the beginning of this year, staff from the Xigazê Branch (日喀则分行) of the Bank of Tibet (西藏银行) took the initiative to come to the door and tailor a financing plan for the company. "With working capital, we have more confidence to expand production!" said Robu Tenzin (罗布旦增), the head of the company. As of September this year, more than 26,000 business entities in Tibet have been included in the "Recommended List" for credit financing support, of which more than 80% of the business entities have obtained new bank loans, with the loan amount exceeding 30 billion yuan. The modern financial service industry has injected strong impetus into the development of small and micro enterprises.
In August this year, when General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) listened to the work report of the Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治区) Party Committee and Government, he pointed out: "Tibet's development has its own characteristics, and we must promote high-quality development from the actual situation" and "actively develop modern service industries." The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed: "Promote the high-quality and efficient development of the service industry and build a modern infrastructure system."
To thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, Tibet is based on its own characteristics and combines with the actual situation of the industry to actively develop modern service industries.
Policy support makes the foundation for development more solid—
In Gsangthang (格桑塘) Modern Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Industrial Demonstration Park in Lhundrup County (林周县), Lhasa (拉萨市), cold chain logistics trucks are fully loaded and ready to go. "In the past, the company only had a small cold chain transport vehicle, and insufficient transportation capacity limited the sales of agricultural products." said Huang Yikui (黄义奎), head of Lhundrup County Pure Land Industry Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (林周县净土产业投资开发有限公司). The Lhasa Municipal Commerce Department (拉萨市商务部门) invested 5 million yuan to purchase cold chain trucks to help open up the transportation link for agricultural products to enter the city. In recent years, relevant national departments and the Tibet Autonomous Region have invested more than 2 billion yuan in total to promote the development of modern logistics industry.
Shannan City (山南市) is accelerating the comprehensive reform of the construction of a rural express logistics system, exploring the "postal express cooperation + passenger and cargo postal integration + low-altitude logistics" model, and has now achieved full coverage of the logistics and express delivery network in 577 administrative villages, 467 schools, and 26 centrally-administered state-owned enterprises stationed in the area.
Make up for shortcomings and expand coverage—
The mountain road is winding, and driving on National Highway 349 (349国道), even if it is located in the depths of the mountains, the mobile phone signal is still good.
"Not long ago, a new type of signal tower that does not require laying cables was put into use, which not only protects the ecology but also expands the network signal coverage." introduced Zhao Juan (赵娟), deputy general manager of the Lhasa Branch (拉萨分公司) of China Mobile Tibet Company (中国移动西藏公司).
This is a microcosm of Tibet's continuous optimization of network communication conditions. As of the end of June this year, the number of 5G base stations per 10,000 people in Tibet reached 58.6, and nearly 90% of the administrative villages in the autonomous region have achieved 5G network coverage.
Focusing on the needs of people's livelihoods, the coverage of modern service industries is more extensive. As of now, Tibet has achieved full heating coverage for farmers and herdsmen above 5,000 meters above sea level; all townships and administrative villages in the autonomous region that meet the conditions have access to passenger buses.
People-oriented, people's livelihood security is more sustainable—
In the integrated medical and elderly care service center in Nagqu City (那曲市), staff are carefully applying medicine to Tibetan elder Luo Zhu (罗祖), who suffers from joint diseases. "I have received very good care here, and my days are getting better and better!" said Luo Zhu.
"The center provides Tibetan medicine therapies and modern integrated medical and elderly care services to meet the health needs of the elderly as much as possible." introduced He Can (何灿), a staff member of the Nagqu City Tibetan Hospital (那曲市藏医院). The center is jointly operated by the Nagqu City Civil Affairs Bureau (那曲市民政局) and the Tibetan Hospital. It currently has 153 beds and has served more than 2,000 people.
Adhering to a people-centered approach, Tibet promotes the development of modern service industries closely related to people's livelihoods, and the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security is constantly enhanced. Lhasa (拉萨), Xigazê (日喀则), Nyingchi (林芝), and Qamdo (昌都), four pilot cities, continue to promote the construction of a 15-minute convenient living circle, which is expected to cover 5,415 commercial outlets and 22 community commercial centers; Tibet has built a village postal delivery network with a coverage rate of 98%, and more and more farmers and herdsmen have achieved "online shopping freedom."
"Bearing in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's earnest entrustment, thoroughly studying, publicizing, and implementing the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, we will unswervingly promote the efficient and high-quality development of modern service industries, so that more people on the plateau can enjoy a high-quality life." said Wang Junzheng (王君正), Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region Party Committee (西藏自治区党委书记).
Return to TopAt the invitation of President Xi Jinping (习近平) of the People's Republic of China, President Emmanuel Macron (埃马纽埃尔·马克龙) of the French Republic paid a state visit to China from December 3 to 5, 2025. The two heads of state exchanged in-depth views on multilateralism and the international situation, and reaffirmed their commitment to global governance on the basis of the Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the French Republic on Jointly Safeguarding Multilateralism and Improving Global Governance of March 25, 2019, the Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the French Republic of April 7, 2023, and the Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the French Republic on Artificial Intelligence and Global Governance of May 7, 2024.
1. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. As founding members of the United Nations and permanent members of the Security Council, China and France reaffirm their firm commitment to safeguarding the authority and status of the United Nations in the international system, and to maintaining and defending the international system based on international law and the rules of solidarity in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The two heads of state called for adherence to the promotion of multilateralism. Multilateralism is the cornerstone of the international order and the best way to promote international cooperation, maintain world peace and prosperity, and address the myriad common problems and challenges.
2. In this spirit, China and France support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to promote UN reform through the "UN 80th Anniversary Reform Initiative." The two countries reiterated their support for building a more inclusive international system by increasing the representation of developing countries in all governance platforms. The two countries emphasized their support for the rule-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and are committed to building a free, open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory trade and investment environment, and support the necessary reforms of the World Trade Organization. The two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation within the G20 framework to promote the G20's role as the main forum for international economic cooperation.
3. France values and appreciates China's proposed global governance initiatives, which support the UN's central role in international affairs. China and France are willing to cooperate on this.
4. The current world economy faces challenges such as insufficient growth momentum, imbalances, and the need for a more rational governance structure. Both sides call on major economies to strengthen dialogue, coordinate macroeconomic policies, and promote the reform of international economic and financial governance in order to promote more balanced and sustainable development of the world economy.
5. In 2026, France will hold the rotating presidency of the G7, and China will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Both sides are willing to conduct inclusive dialogue on addressing global governance challenges. China values and appreciates France's efforts. France's ambition is to discuss solutions with emerging powers such as China and involve the International Monetary Fund.
(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京), December 5)
Return to TopAt the invitation of President Xi Jinping (习近平) of the People's Republic of China, President Emmanuel Macron (埃马纽埃尔·马克龙) of the French Republic paid a state visit to China from December 3 to 5, 2025. The two heads of state are convinced that continued dialogue between the two countries is essential to finding lasting solutions to global climate and environmental challenges, and therefore decided to strengthen Sino-French cooperation in these areas:
1. China and France reaffirm their commitment to further effectively and continuously implement the 2019 Sino-French Beijing Initiative on Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change, the 2024 Sino-French Joint Statement on Strengthening Cooperation on Biodiversity and Oceans: Kunming-Montreal to Nice, and the 2025 Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the French Republic on Climate Change on the Tenth Anniversary of the Paris Agreement.
2. China and France reaffirm their commitment to strengthening multilateralism and addressing global challenges, in particular to implementing the "Rio Conventions," the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework," and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as the fundamental legal basis and main framework for international cooperation in addressing global climate and environmental challenges.
3. China and France reaffirm their firm commitment to upholding science as the basis for all parties' actions, support the work of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Committee on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution, and uphold the integrity of information on climate and environmental issues. The two countries call on all parties to adhere to the goals and principles established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement, including the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, taking into account different national circumstances, linking to efforts for sustainable development and poverty eradication, and honoring and implementing existing commitments, especially in mitigation and adaptation.
The two countries welcome the efforts made by Brazil as the President of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the commitments made by all parties in Belém, including new nationally determined contributions, while striving to do better through collective collaboration. The two countries reaffirm the temperature control target of the Paris Agreement, which is to keep the global average temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to strive to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, while recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. The two countries reaffirm their commitment to jointly create a favorable and open international economic system. The two countries continue to strengthen cooperation on accelerating the global deployment of renewable energy, including making continuous contributions to global efforts to gradually transition away from fossil fuels in the energy system in a just, orderly and equitable manner, and actively promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society. The two countries continue to strengthen communication in areas such as carbon pricing, climate investment and financing, methane, carbon footprint methodology, and adaptation. The two countries recognize the importance of controlling and reducing methane emissions, especially mobilizing existing technologies and innovative solutions. The two countries support tripling global nuclear power generation capacity by 2050. The two countries support the implementation of the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, with a view to reaching net-zero GHG emissions from the sector close to 2050.
4. Recognizing the links between climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, deforestation and land degradation, water degradation and scarcity, the two countries reaffirm the commitment made by all parties at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to achieve, through joint efforts, the cessation and reversal of deforestation and land degradation by 2030, to achieve sustainable development and promote inclusive rural transformation, and to make positive contributions to the protection of tropical rainforests in the three major rainforest basins. The two countries also recognize the need to strengthen integrated water resources management at the local, regional and global levels, and to promote a common vision for the next United Nations Water Conference in 2026.
5. The two countries are committed to strengthening global ocean governance. The two countries welcome the imminent entry into force of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, encourage countries to sign or ratify the agreement as soon as possible, and call for its rapid and effective implementation. The two countries will continue to make efforts in the organizations of the Antarctic Treaty System (the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources), including efforts in environmental protection, resource conservation and biodiversity.
6. In accordance with United Nations Environment Assembly Resolution 5/14 (UNEP/EA.5/Res.14), the two countries support efforts to negotiate a legally binding international instrument to end plastic pollution. The two countries are committed to encouraging research and innovation on sustainable and competitive plastic alternatives.
7. China and France are willing to cooperate to support developing countries in achieving sustainable development, while supporting them in enhancing their ability to access funds and encouraging the acceleration of ecological transition. Developed countries will continue to take the lead in providing and mobilizing climate and environmental funds for developing countries before 2035, and encourage developing countries to voluntarily contribute to this global effort. The two countries welcome the Kunming Biodiversity Fund and reaffirm their support for the financing targets of the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework." China will continue to participate in the follow-up committee meetings of the New Global Financing Pact Summit in June 2023 at an appropriate level, and will seriously study the Paris Pact for People and Planet (4P).
8. China and France are willing to actively study the establishment of a working group to address climate and environmental challenges, and consider holding a meeting on the establishment of the working group in the first half of 2026.
(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 5)
Return to TopBoth China and France (hereinafter referred to as "the two sides") agree that nuclear energy, as a clean, low-carbon, stable, and reliable baseload energy source, plays a uniquely important role in addressing global challenges such as climate change and energy security.
The two sides welcome the industrial and technological cooperation carried out under the framework of the intergovernmental agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy signed by the two countries on May 15, 1997, and the protocol on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy signed on November 22, 1982.
China and France will continue to carry out cooperation in this field, adhering to the principles of transparency, respect, and mutual trust.
1. Both sides agree that nuclear energy cooperation is an important component of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France. Building on the basis of successful cooperation, the two sides will continue to exchange experience and technology in the construction and operation management of third-generation pressurized water reactor nuclear power units, the life extension of existing nuclear power plants, the cleaning and decommissioning of permanently closed nuclear power plants, and the management of radioactive waste.
2. Both sides agree that technological innovation is an important way to improve the safety and economy of nuclear energy, and will give full play to the role of existing cooperation projects, continue to carry out cooperation in the research and development of nuclear energy technology innovation; and explore the possibility of implementing new cooperation projects in the development of small modular reactors, the application of artificial intelligence technology (especially through the digitalization and automation of the manufacturing process), and the peaceful use of nuclear energy other than electricity production (thermal energy, medical radioisotopes).
3. Both sides recognize that coordination and cooperation in the fields of nuclear fuel supply, nuclear power equipment manufacturing, and uranium resource security are essential to ensuring the stability of the nuclear energy industry chain and supply chain; and will jointly commit to ensuring the safe, reliable, and sustainable treatment and disposal of spent fuel and radioactive waste. Both sides reiterate their joint commitment to promoting the safe development of nuclear energy, strengthening collaboration in the nuclear energy industry chain, and jointly maintaining its resilience.
4. Both sides recognize that nuclear fusion energy is an important direction for the peaceful use of nuclear energy by mankind, and is also an important option for having abundant zero-carbon energy in the future. They are willing to continue to deeply participate in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) international major scientific project, and make due contributions to the smooth progress and on-schedule completion of the ITER project.
5. Both sides emphasize that maintaining and strengthening nuclear safety and nuclear security efforts are essential to the sustainable development of the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and are willing to further strengthen the exchange of experience and technical cooperation in nuclear safety and nuclear security between government departments, regulatory agencies, and related technical support units of the two countries, and work together to address risks and challenges in this field.
6. Both sides emphasize that the development of nuclear energy science and technology and industry requires sustainable and sufficient professional and skilled personnel training. The two sides have a cooperative foundation in nuclear science and nuclear engineering academic degree education and nuclear reactor construction and operation personnel training, and are willing to continue to carry out cooperation in education and training and personnel training to consolidate the talent foundation for the sustainable development of nuclear energy in the two countries.
7. Both sides reaffirm their commitment to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, especially to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and emphasize that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plays a central role in leading and promoting the establishment of a robust and sustainable global framework, in ensuring nuclear safety and nuclear security, and in fulfilling corresponding nuclear safeguards and non-proliferation obligations. Together with the IAEA, the two countries will provide the necessary resources to achieve the above goals, provided that funding is accessible and in compliance with their respective domestic laws.
8. Both sides pledge to support the development of international nuclear energy and to achieve the decarbonization of the energy structure in accordance with international obligations on nuclear safety, nuclear security, and nuclear non-proliferation.
9. Both sides recognize the ideal aspiration of developing global nuclear energy. As part of accelerating the achievement of carbon neutrality commitments, the People's Republic of China agrees with the declaration proposed by the French Republic to triple global nuclear energy between 2020 and 2050.
(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京), December 5)
Return to Top1. On the occasion of the state visit of the President of the French Republic to China from December 3 to 5, 2025, the two heads of state reaffirmed the vital importance of agriculture in bilateral relations and the implementation of the joint statement of April 7, 2023, and the "full-chain rapid coordination mechanism from French farms to Chinese dining tables" proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平) in April 2023.
2. China and France are major agricultural powers with shared concerns about agriculture. Adapting to climate change, supporting the industry to improve quality and efficiency, increasing farmers' income, revitalizing rural areas, and ensuring global food security through the use of technology and the promotion of agro-ecological practices are common tasks that need to be advanced. In addition, China and France, as inheritors of rich gastronomic cultural heritage, promote the exchange of culinary cultures between the two countries in a spirit of openness and dialogue.
3. The two heads of state reaffirmed their willingness to deepen agricultural cooperation through strengthened cooperation and exchanges.
4. China and France commit to providing a fair and non-discriminatory competitive environment for enterprises, in compliance with their respective laws and regulations, as well as the multilateral rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
5. According to the joint statement issued on May 7, 2024, the two heads of state welcomed the signing of the protocol on sanitary and phytosanitary requirements for the export of French alfalfa hay to China and the significant progress in the registration of French pig offal exporting enterprises in China during this visit. Both sides are willing to carry out necessary technical exchanges on bovine spongiform encephalopathy and bluetongue disease.
6. Food safety is one of the priority issues, and China and France welcome the updated signing of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in infant formula registration between the State Administration for Market Regulation of China (中国国家市场监督管理总局) and the French Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-Food and Sovereignty over Food (法国农业、农食和粮食主权部).
7. China and France welcome the implementation of the regionalization cooperation agreement on highly pathogenic avian influenza signed during the state visit in May 2024 and support the evaluation of the implementation of the agreement.
8. Continue to actively carry out cooperation in the field of grape cultivation and wine making. China and France welcome the active implementation of the agricultural and food geographical indication cooperation protocol renewed by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (中国国家知识产权局) and the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty (法国农业和粮食主权部) and the French National Institute of Origin and Quality (法国国家原产地和质量管理局) during the state visit in May 2024, and the two heads of state welcome the recognition of 70 geographical indications of the Burgundy (勃艮第) region in China.
9. China and France support deepening cooperation between the two countries in the agricultural field, which has demonstrated a firm commitment to promoting exchanges in higher education, vocational education, wine, and beef cattle breeding.
10. China and France are willing to strengthen the partnership in the agri-food sector. The two sides will continue to explore new models and new areas, such as cooperative exchanges, to promote exchanges and cooperation in the agricultural and agri-food fields, and continue to encourage enterprises, cooperatives, and industry associations in the agricultural and agri-food fields as direct participants in this cooperation. In particular, the two sides will continue to encourage the direct beneficiaries of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries to participate in and support each other in agricultural and rural development.
(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (新华社北京), December 5)
Return to TopAt the invitation of President Xi Jinping (习近平) of the People's Republic of China, President Emmanuel Macron (埃马纽埃尔·马克龙) of the French Republic paid a state visit to China from December 3 to 5, 2025. Recalling the Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the French Republic of April 7, 2023, and the China-France Joint Statement on the Middle East Situation of May 7, 2024, the two heads of state had an in-depth exchange of views on two major issues facing international peace and stability and reached the following consensus:
1. As permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and France are jointly committed to seeking constructive solutions based on international law to address the challenges and threats to international security and stability. Both sides are committed to resolving differences and disputes between countries peacefully through dialogue and consultation.
2. Regarding Ukraine, China and France support all efforts to cease fire and end the war and restore peace on the basis of international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
3. China and France reiterate that favorable conditions must be created for the effective implementation of the "two-state solution," which is the only credible solution to meet the legitimate expectations of Israelis and Palestinians for a just, lasting peace and security. China and France welcome the adoption of the New York Declaration of September 12, 2025. China has recognized the State of Palestine since 1988 and reiterates its welcome to France's recognition of the State of Palestine on September 22, 2025.
4. China and France welcome the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas on October 9, 2025, and call on all parties to immediately fulfill their commitments and refrain from taking any actions that may undermine the fulfillment of their commitments. The two countries condemn all violations of international humanitarian law, including all acts of terrorist violence and indiscriminate attacks against civilians. The two heads of state reaffirmed the need to provide large-scale humanitarian assistance under UN supervision and to provide assistance throughout the Gaza Strip in a rapid, safe, sustainable and unimpeded manner.
5. China and France emphasize the importance of continuing to provide material and financial support to the Palestinian National Authority and appreciate the efforts of the members of the "Palestinian Emergency Alliance." The French side welcomes and appreciates China's assistance to Palestine.
6. The two countries reiterate their willingness to continue to maintain close communication on issues concerning international peace and security.
(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京), December 5)
Return to TopBoth China and France are independent and autonomous major countries with vision and responsibility, and are constructive forces in promoting world multi-polarization and promoting human unity and cooperation.
From December 4th to 5th, President Xi Jinping (习近平) received French President Emmanuel Macron (马克龙), who was making his fourth state visit to China, in Beijing (北京) and Chengdu (成都). The two heads of state held friendly, frank, and fruitful talks at the Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂) in Beijing (北京), and conducted friendly exchanges in Dujiangyan (都江堰), Chengdu (成都). The two sides reached a number of important consensuses and issued a number of joint statements. Both sides agreed that China and France, as independent and autonomous major countries, should hold high the banner of multilateralism, adhere to equal dialogue, open cooperation, fully demonstrate the strategic value and global influence of the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership, and promote equal and orderly world multi-polarization and inclusive economic globalization in the face of the current complex and volatile international situation.
The strategic guidance of the two heads of state is crucial to why China-France relations have always been at the forefront of China's relations with Western countries. President Macron's (马克龙) visit was a return visit to President Xi Jinping's (习近平) historic state visit to France on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France last year. From the night talks in Nice (尼斯) to the tea talks in Yu Garden (豫园), from the Song Garden (松园) meeting to the snow mountain dialogue, and now to discussing the world in the Huaiguting (怀古亭) Pavilion in Dujiangyan (都江堰), the diplomacy between the heads of state of China and France has continued to be a good story, continuously injecting strong impetus into the relations between the two countries. At this meeting, the two heads of state reached important consensus on doing a good job in four aspects: enhancing political mutual trust, expanding pragmatic cooperation, promoting cultural exchanges, and promoting the reform and improvement of global governance, and jointly witnessed the signing of a number of cooperation documents in the fields of nuclear energy, agriculture and food, education, and ecological environment. No matter how the external environment changes, China and France should always demonstrate the strategic vision and independence of major countries, understand and support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns, and safeguard the political foundation of China-France relations.
Both China and France are independent and autonomous major countries with vision and responsibility, and are constructive forces in promoting world multi-polarization and promoting human unity and cooperation. Only a nation with cultural confidence can stand firm, stand tall, and go far. As outstanding representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, the independent and autonomous spirit shared by China and France stems from their respective profound cultural heritage. Over the years, China and France have adhered to an independent and autonomous foreign policy, not following the crowd, not following the wind, actively advocating and committing to multilateralism, world multi-polarization, and democratization of international relations, and playing an important role in maintaining world peace and stability. At present, international political disputes and conflicts have broken out in multiple points, making them complex and difficult to resolve. China and France, as two major countries with historical culture, will strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and jointly make greater contributions to world peace, stability, and human development and progress.
China and France jointly practice true multilateralism, strengthen strategic communication and coordination, and safeguard the international system with the United Nations (联合国) as the core and the international order based on international law, which will promote the development of the global governance system in a more just and reasonable direction. This time, China and France issued joint statements on strengthening global governance, cooperating to address global climate and environmental challenges, continuously promoting cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, agricultural and food exchanges and cooperation, the situation in Ukraine, and the situation in Palestine, demonstrating the responsibility of the two countries as permanent members of the UN Security Council (联合国安理会), which is conducive to promoting the reform and improvement of the global governance system. President Macron (马克龙) said that he fully agreed with President Xi Jinping's (习近平) views on reforming and improving global governance and promoting a more balanced global economy, and was willing to strengthen coordination with China, share the responsibilities of major countries, and adhere to multilateralism.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. At an important moment in China-EU relations and at the crossroads of human development, the leading role of China-France relations in China-EU relations is becoming increasingly important. The important enlightenment brought to both sides by the 50 years of mutually beneficial and win-win exchanges and cooperation between China and Europe is that: opening up and cooperation bring opportunities for development, and "**脱钩断链**" (tuō gōu duàn liàn - "decoupling and severing chains," decoupling) means self-isolation. Protectionism cannot solve the problem of global industrial restructuring, but will instead worsen the international trade environment. China and Europe should adhere to the positioning of partnership, promote cooperation with an open attitude, and ensure that China-EU relations develop along the correct track of independence, autonomy, cooperation, and mutual benefit. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee (中共二十届四中全会) reviewed and approved the "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五规划) proposal, drawing a blueprint for China's development in the next five years and providing the world with a "list of opportunities." This will open up broader space for pragmatic cooperation between China and France and between China and Europe.
The more complex and turbulent the international situation is, the more prominent the strategic value and global influence of China-France relations become, and the more necessary it is to demonstrate responsibility, hold high the banner of multilateralism, and firmly stand on the right side of history. China is willing to work with France to always proceed from the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the long-term interests of the international community, jointly promote development, jointly build peace, and jointly win the future, so that the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership can move more steadily and better in the "new Jiazi" and continuously move towards building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 5th (Reporters Xie Xiyao (谢希瑶) and Dong Xue (董雪)) On the evening of December 5th, the Chinese lead person for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs, Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng (何立峰), held a video call with the U.S. lead person, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (贝森特) and Trade Representative Katherine Tai (格里尔). The two sides focused on implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state at the APEC Summit in San Francisco and the phone call on November 24th, and conducted in-depth and constructive exchanges on carrying out practical cooperation in the next step and properly resolving each other's concerns in the economic and trade fields. Both sides positively evaluated the implementation of the results of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultations in Kuala Lumpur, and expressed that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, they should continue to give full play to the role of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, continuously lengthen the cooperation list and compress the problem list, and promote the continuous, stable and positive development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations.
Return to TopThis newspaper reports from Bangkok on December 4th (Reporter Zhang Jinru (张矜若)): Singapore News: The 4-day 26th Asian Television Forum & Market (ATF) recently opened in Singapore (新加坡). The China Joint Exhibition Booth made its largest appearance in history, showcasing more than 200 of the latest high-quality works, attracting widespread attention.
The China Joint Exhibition Booth was established under the guidance of the State Council Information Office of China (中国国务院新闻办公室) and the National Radio and Television Administration (国家广播电视总局), with a total area of 270 square meters, bringing together 24 of China's top film and television production and audio-visual institutions.
Participating institutions held a number of events on the 3rd and 4th, covering new work promotions, project releases and cooperation signings. A number of Sino-foreign cooperation projects were officially signed on site, involving film and television, animation and cultural exchange and other fields.
On the 3rd, the "Shanghai Audiovisual" boutique promotion conference, hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism (上海市文化和旅游局) and the Shanghai Municipal Radio and Television Bureau (上海市广播电视局), was held at the main venue of the exhibition, promoting 11 representative works such as "A Good Life" and "Our Song". On the same day, Ningmeng Pictures released a new drama list at the main venue and announced a strategic partnership with Singapore Mediacorp (新加坡新传媒集团) to jointly create the sequel to the TV series "Nothing but Thirty", "Nothing but Thirty-Five".
On the 4th, Huace Group (华策集团) held the Asian promotion conference for the historical drama "The Peaceful Years" at the main venue. The play explains the Chinese civilization concept of "harmony is the most valuable" (以和为贵). Zhao Yifang (赵依芳), founder of Huace Group (华策集团), said that although the story is rooted in Chinese history, its emotional core is universal, which is an important reason why this work can resonate internationally.
The Asian Television Forum & Market (ATF) brings together television stations, production companies and studios from Asia and around the world, covering content trading, financing, distribution and cross-platform cooperation. Since 2011, the China Joint Exhibition Booth has organized Chinese audio-visual institutions to appear for 15 consecutive years, with a cumulative booth area of more than 2,000 square meters, successfully planned and held nearly 50 promotion activities, and nearly 300 domestic institutions participated.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Valletta, December 5th. From December 1st to 5th, Xin Changxing (信长星), Secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee, led a CPC delegation to visit the United Kingdom and Malta. He met with Kemi Badenoch, the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, and Daniel Micallef, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Deputy Prime Minister of Malta, respectively. He introduced the spirit of the 20th Fourth Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee to political parties, governments, parliaments, business circles, local authorities, youth, and other sectors in both countries, emphasizing that both sides should seize the opportunities brought by China's high-quality development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation.
Both countries positively appraised the stability and certainty that China's economic development has brought to the world, welcomed China's implementation of high-level opening-up policies, and looked forward to deepening practical cooperation with China and promoting the development of bilateral and China-Europe relations.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 5th. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announced on the 5th: Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) will hold a "1+10" dialogue in Beijing on the morning of December 9th with the President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff (罗塞芙), President of the World Bank Ajay Banga (彭安杰), Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva (格奥尔基耶娃), Director-General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (伊维拉), Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Rebeca Grynspan (格林斯潘), Director-General of the International Labour Organization Gilbert Houngbo (洪博), General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements Agustín Carstens (德科斯), Chair of the Financial Stability Board Klaas Knot (贝利), President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Jin Liqun (金立群), and Deputy Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen (鲁日奇卡), and other heads of international economic organizations. The theme of the dialogue is "Discussing Global Governance and Seeking Global Development" (共商全球治理，共谋全球发展 - gòng shāng quán qiú zhì lǐ, gòng móu quán qiú fā zhǎn - "discuss global governance, plan global development," to jointly discuss and plan for global governance and development).
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王 珂 罗珊珊
The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" proposals, deliberated and approved by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党), include dedicated chapters on building a strong domestic market and expanding high-level opening-up, emphasizing that "a strong domestic market is the strategic foundation of Chinese-style modernization" and "adhering to open cooperation and mutual benefit is the inevitable requirement of Chinese-style modernization." To thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, the reporter interviewed Wang Wentao (王文涛), Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Minister of the Ministry of Commerce (商务部).
Promoting Deep-Level Reform and High-Quality Development with High-Level Opening-Up
Reporter: During the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period, what is the significance and specific requirements for China to expand high-level opening-up?
Wang Wentao: General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that in the past, our opening-up was "following," but now our opening-up is to "lead." The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" proposals include a dedicated chapter on expanding high-level opening-up, reflecting the great importance attached to opening-up by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, and sending a strong signal that China adheres to open cooperation and mutual benefit. The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period is a crucial period for laying the foundation and fully developing the basic realization of socialist modernization. It is of great significance to promote reform and development internally through opening-up and to promote cooperation and win-win results externally through opening-up.
Expanding high-level opening-up is an important tool for promoting reform and development. Our reform and opening-up promote each other, continuously reducing the "border" and "behind-the-border" barriers that restrict the flow of factors, and steadily expanding institutional opening-up. The scale of trade in goods has ranked first in the world for eight consecutive years, trade in services has exceeded US$1 trillion, foreign investment has completed the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan" target six months ahead of schedule, and foreign investment has remained among the top three in the world. High-level opening-up has become a strong driving force for China's economic development.
During the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period, China's development faces both strategic opportunities and risks and challenges, and there are more uncertain and unpredictable factors. This requires us to promote deep-level reform and high-quality development with high-level opening-up, enhance the linkage effect of the domestic and international markets and the two types of resources, and promote the effective improvement of the quality and the reasonable growth of the quantity of the economy.
Expanding high-level opening-up is a broad road for developing ourselves and benefiting the world. In 2024, China is the main trading partner of more than 150 countries and regions. During the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan" period, imports of goods and services exceeded US$15 trillion, and cumulative foreign investment paid more than US$300 billion in taxes to host countries, driving a large number of jobs and promoting local industrialization and modernization. High-level opening-up has become a great cause that is good for China and good for the world.
During the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period, countries are still closely connected and mutually influenced, requiring us to take into account China's needs and the world's expectations, deeply participate in the global industrial division of labor and cooperation, make the cake of open cooperation bigger and better, and provide new opportunities for the world with China's new development.
Expanding high-level opening-up is a firm choice to grasp the general trend and forge ahead. At present, although unilateralism and protectionism are rising, economic globalization is the general trend of history. China has signed 24 free trade agreements with 31 countries and regions, granted 100% tariff-free treatment to the products of all least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations, and announced that China, as a responsible developing country, will not seek new special and differential treatment in the current and future negotiations of the World Trade Organization, injecting certainty and positive energy into the world.
During the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period, the international community still faces many common challenges, requiring us to adhere to the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, promote the common opening-up of the world with our own opening-up, and promote the construction of an open world economy.
Comprehensively Implement the Main Tasks of Expanding High-Level Opening-Up
Reporter: During the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period, what are the key tasks for expanding high-level opening-up?
Wang Wentao: Regarding the expansion of high-level opening-up, the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" proposals have made important arrangements in four aspects. We will adhere to and strengthen the Party's comprehensive leadership over opening-up, promote the implementation of relevant decisions and arrangements, continuously improve the level of opening-up, and expand the development space for Chinese-style modernization.
First, actively expand autonomous opening-up. We will actively connect with international high-standard economic and trade rules. Focusing on the service industry, we will expand market access and opening-up areas. Expand unilateral opening-up areas and regions. Actively expand economic and trade cooperation, comprehensively and deeply participate in the reform of the World Trade Organization, make good use of multilateral platform mechanisms, accelerate the process of regional and bilateral trade and investment agreements, and expand the network of high-standard free trade zones. Implement zero-tariff measures for African countries that have established diplomatic relations through the negotiation and signing of common development economic partnership agreements, and flexibly and pragmatically negotiate and sign more bilateral and small multilateral trade and investment agreements. Build open highlands, deeply implement the upgrading strategy of free trade pilot zones, build the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自由贸易港) to a high standard, improve the policy support system for national-level economic development zones, deepen and optimize the comprehensive pilot demonstration of expanding opening-up in the national service industry, build a national demonstration zone for innovative development of service trade, and do a good job in various opening-up pilot tests.
Second, promote innovative development of trade. We will consolidate the "three pillars" of a strong trading nation, optimize and upgrade trade in goods, expand trade in intermediate goods and green trade, promote market diversification and integration of domestic and foreign trade; vigorously develop trade in services, and improve the negative list management system for cross-border trade in services; innovate and develop digital trade, and orderly expand opening-up in the digital field. Support the development of new business forms and models such as cross-border e-commerce, promote the high-quality development of overseas warehouses, market procurement trade methods, bonded maintenance and remanufacturing, and improve the level of trade digitization. We will promote the balanced development of imports and exports, increase efforts to expand imports, create the "Export China" brand, which will not only meet the needs of industrial transformation and upgrading, but also better meet the needs of the people's better life.
Third, expand the space for two-way investment cooperation. In terms of attracting foreign investment, we will polish the "Invest in China" brand, shape new advantages in attracting foreign investment, implement "access and operation," and create a transparent, stable, and predictable institutional environment. Continue to optimize services, run the foreign-funded enterprise roundtable well, turn the enterprise's "demand list" into our "service list," and make foreign investment willing to come, stay, and develop well. In terms of outward investment, we will effectively implement outward investment management, improve the overseas comprehensive service system, guide the rational and orderly cross-border layout of production and supply chains, promote the integration of trade and investment, and expand the diversified platform functions of overseas economic and trade cooperation zones. We look at both GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and GNI (Gross National Income), and we attach importance to both the "Chinese economy" and the "economy of the Chinese people."
Fourth, jointly build the "Belt and Road" with high quality. The "Belt and Road" is not a "solo show," but a "grand chorus." We will strengthen the strategic alignment with co-building countries, and coordinate the promotion of major landmark projects and "small but beautiful" livelihood projects. Deepen pragmatic cooperation in trade, investment, industry, and culture, expand tripartite and multilateral market cooperation, expand cooperation in green, digital, and artificial intelligence fields, and build a high-standard "Silk Road E-commerce" cooperation pilot zone. We will strengthen friendly mutual trust and interest integration with co-building countries, and continuously expand new space for win-win development.
Adhere to Expanding Domestic Demand as a Strategic Base Point and Vigorously Boost Consumption
Reporter: What are the main focuses for vigorously boosting consumption in the next step?
Wang Wentao: The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" proposals emphasize adhering to expanding domestic demand as a strategic base point. China has the advantage of a super-large market, with a population of more than 1.4 billion and a large middle-income group. The people's diverse needs for high-quality life are constantly growing, which contains huge consumption potential. During the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan" period, China's commodity consumption scale ranked second in the world, service consumption maintained rapid growth, and the average annual contribution rate of consumption to economic growth reached about 60%, and the role of the main engine continued to be prominent. At the same time, we continue to open up the market to the world. We are the largest export destination for nearly 80 countries and regions. We have held the China International Import Expo (中国国际进口博览会) for eight consecutive years, promoting industrial and consumption upgrades.
The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" proposals propose to vigorously boost consumption. We will thoroughly implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee, adapt to changes in residents' consumption demand, adhere to the close combination of benefiting the people and promoting consumption, deeply implement special actions to boost consumption, create the "Buy in China" brand, cultivate and build an internationalized consumption environment, and expand the supply of high-quality consumer goods and services, providing strong support for building a strong domestic market and promoting high-quality development.
First, actively expand service consumption. We will adhere to "opening up to the outside world and opening up internally," and expand service consumption by focusing on relaxing access and integrating business formats. Implement the action of improving the quality and benefiting the people in service consumption, improve the "1+N" policy and measure system for service consumption, implement the 38 policy measures that have been issued, and promote the formulation and issuance of policy documents to promote the integrated development of railways and tourism, and the high-quality development of the domestic service industry. We will also vigorously cultivate new growth points for service consumption, such as travel, cruise yachts, and sports events, promote pilot projects, cultivate high-quality brands, clean up restrictive measures, and inject new impetus into the development of service consumption.
Second, promote the expansion and upgrading of commodity consumption. We will increase the intensity of inclusive policies that directly benefit consumers, continue to run promotional activities such as "Boutique Consumption Month" well, and allow the people to enjoy more tangible benefits. Promote the consumption of large durable goods, promote pilot projects for the reform of automobile circulation and consumption, expand automobile consumption throughout the entire chain, and promote the renewal of household appliances. Cultivate and expand the consumption of upgraded commodities, and release the consumption potential of green and intelligent products. Support the consumption of characteristic commodities, promote the consumption of domestic "trendy products," high-quality foreign trade products, and international boutique products, and promote "artificial intelligence + consumption."
Third, innovate and create consumption scenarios. Improve the system and mechanism for promoting consumption, establish and improve management methods that adapt to new business forms, new models, and new scenarios of consumption, step up efforts to promote the "three new" pilot work, and support 50 cities to carry out pilot projects. Cultivate international consumer center cities and gather global high-quality consumer resources. Implement the offshore tax refund policy and expand inbound consumption. Develop the first-release economy, promote the integrated development of commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and health, and create a batch of new consumption scenarios with a wide driving range and high visibility, and further release diversified and differentiated consumption potential.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 沈童睿
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security issued a notice to deploy pilot work on the integrated development of the human resources service industry and the manufacturing industry, and determined 39 pilot cities including Beijing (北京), Tianjin (天津), and Tangshan (唐山). What is the special significance of the "cross-border integration" of the two industries? What is the focus? The reporter interviewed the relevant负责人 (fù zé rén - "person in charge") of the Human Resources Flow Management Department of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部).
The human resources service industry is an important category of modern productive service industries, and plays a positive role in promoting high-quality and full employment, strengthening the development and utilization of human resources, and helping the construction of a modern industrial system. As of the end of 2024, there were 74,000 various human resources service institutions across the country, with 1.09 million employees. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the entire industry provided employment, job selection, and mobility services to an average of 300 million person-times of workers each year, and provided professional support to more than 50 million person-times of employers. In the process of serving the manufacturing industry and other real economies, a number of human resources service products, models, and solutions adapted to the recruitment and employment needs of manufacturing enterprises have been formed, laying a good foundation for integrated development. The负责人 (fù zé rén - "person in charge") said that through carrying out pilot projects, "we will explore the innovation of integrated development mechanisms, policy innovation, platform innovation, and model innovation, and comprehensively improve the development and utilization level of human resources in the manufacturing industry."
Among the 39 pilot cities, 15 are in the eastern region, 9 are in the central region, 12 are in the western region, and 3 are in the northeastern region, basically covering China's major economic cities and key manufacturing areas. They generally have large-scale manufacturing industries, especially advanced manufacturing clusters, a relatively developed human resources service industry base, abundant education and talent resources, and strong regional demonstration and driving effects. "These cities have a large annual output value in manufacturing, strong employment absorption capacity, and the industrial fields involve key areas such as intelligent manufacturing, electronic information, new materials, new energy, and biotechnology, with strong recruitment and employment needs. The human resources service industry system is relatively complete, backbone enterprises of human resources services are gathered, the business formats and models are rich, and the service capabilities are outstanding," the负责人 (fù zé rén - "person in charge") introduced.
The pilot cities will focus on key areas of manufacturing, and combine local industrial foundations, resource endowments, and characteristic advantages to determine 1 to 3 sub-sectors as pilot directions, and explore innovative paths for the efficient coordination of industrial upgrading and employment promotion in a differentiated manner, helping to solve the shortcomings in the supply of human resources elements that restrict the development of manufacturing, and improve the development and utilization level of human resources in manufacturing. Give full play to the main role of enterprises, and focus on selecting manufacturing chain owner enterprises, manufacturing single champion enterprises, specialized and new small and medium-sized enterprises, and backbone enterprises of human resources services to carry out integrated development pilots, and create recruitment and employment consortia, cross-enterprise training consortia, and innovation consortia.
In addition, strengthen technology empowerment and continuously improve the efficiency of matching human resources supply and demand in the manufacturing field. Accelerate the application of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data, innovate integrated development scenarios, and cultivate new business forms, new technologies, and new models for human resources services in manufacturing.
Next, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部) will guide relevant provincial human resources and social security departments and pilot cities to further revise and improve the pilot work plan, promptly sort out work progress, mechanism innovation, typical cases, and difficulties and problems, and form effective experiences and typical projects that can be replicated and promoted. Implement inclusive and prudent supervision of new business forms and new models of integrated development, and crack down on illegal and irregular behaviors such as false recruitment, employment discrimination, and disclosure of personal information in accordance with the law, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers and employers.
Return to TopThis newspaper's Beijing (北京) December 5th dispatch (Reporter Zhao Zhanhui (赵展慧)) On the 5th, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (中国证监会) released the "Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Listed Companies (Draft for Public Comment)," which means that China (中国) will usher in the first special administrative regulation for the supervision of listed companies.
The draft for comments focuses on the goals of preventing risks, strengthening supervision, and promoting the high-quality development of listed companies. It takes consolidating the foundation of regulatory law enforcement and investor protection and promoting the improvement of the quality of listed companies as its main content, legally regulates the behavior of listed companies and related parties, and consolidates the foundation for the high-quality development of the capital market.
The main contents of the draft for comments include: First, improving the governance requirements of listed companies, standardizing the governance structure and the behavior of key minorities such as controlling shareholders, actual controllers, directors, and senior executives, promoting the effectiveness of governance, and consolidating the foundation for the high-quality development of listed companies. Second, further strengthening information disclosure supervision. In particular, in response to "financial fraud" in the information disclosure of listed companies, key strikes and prevention are carried out in multiple dimensions by improving the internal supervision and restriction, accountability and compensation mechanisms of listed companies, and prohibiting third parties from cooperating in fraud. Third, standardizing mergers and acquisitions. Refine and improve the regulations on acquisitions and major asset restructurings of listed companies, further clarify the responsibilities and independence requirements of financial advisors, and support industrial integration and upgrading and enterprise transformation. Fourth, strengthen investor protection. Make clear requirements for market value management, cash dividends, share repurchases, etc., and promote listed companies to enhance investment value and enhance awareness of returning to investors. Clarify investor protection arrangements in active delisting, and prevent listed companies from evading delisting and using bankruptcy reorganization to harm investors' interests. Fifth, severely crack down on violations of laws and regulations, detail the measures that the securities regulatory agency of the State Council (国务院) can take in the process of performing its duties in accordance with the law, and set up special penalties for behaviors such as occupation guarantees and cooperation in fraud.
Return to TopThis newspaper reported from Beijing on December 5th (Reporter Han Xin (韩鑫)): The reporter learned from the China National Light Industry Council (中国轻工业联合会): In the first 10 months, light industry enterprises above designated size achieved revenue of 19 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.9%, and realized profits of 1.14 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.6%. With the support of a series of policies to stabilize growth and expand domestic demand, the economic operation of light industry is stable and shows strong development resilience.
Production is generally stable. From January to October, the added value of light industry above designated size increased by 5.8% year-on-year. Thanks to the consumer goods trade-in policy, the added value of the electric bicycle, battery, and plastic furniture manufacturing industries continued to maintain double-digit growth, and the added value of the household appliance manufacturing industry increased by 5.5%. Among them, the output of washing machines and air conditioners increased by 6.4% and 3% respectively.
Domestic demand continues to be released. From January to October, the retail sales of 11 categories of light industrial products reached 7,101.9 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.8%. The consumer goods trade-in policy has been strengthened and expanded, and the consumption potential of related commodities has continued to be released. In the first 10 months, the retail sales of household appliances and audio-visual equipment increased by 20.1%, maintaining double-digit growth since September of last year. Among the trade-in commodities, high-energy-efficiency appliances continued to maintain rapid growth.
Return to TopBeijing, December 5th (People's Daily reporter Li Xinping (李心萍) and Pang Geping (庞革平)) - The reporter learned from China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (中国国家铁路集团有限公司): The Chongzuo to Pingxiang section of the Nanning to Pingxiang High-speed Railway was completed and opened to traffic on the 5th. This marks the full operation of the Nanning-Pingxiang High-speed Railway. The fastest travel time from Nanning (南宁) to Pingxiang (凭祥) in Guangxi (广西) is 1 hour and 15 minutes, which is 178 minutes shorter than the current regular-speed passenger train. This forms a fast passenger transport channel directly connecting Nanning (南宁) to the Sino-Vietnamese border port city.
The Nanning-Pingxiang High-speed Railway is a key project in the "14th Five-Year Plan" to interconnect with neighboring countries. It is located in the southwest of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区), connecting Nanning City (南宁市) and Pingxiang City (凭祥市), a Sino-Vietnamese border port city. It is constructed in two sections: Nanning to Chongzuo (崇左) and Chongzuo to Pingxiang. The Nanning to Chongzuo section was opened in December 2022. The Chongzuo to Pingxiang section opened this time is 81 kilometers long.
After the full opening of the Nanning-Pingxiang High-speed Railway, it will operate at a maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour, with 4 pairs of EMU train services operating daily. After the Nanning-Pingxiang High-speed Railway is connected to the national high-speed rail network through the Nanning Hub (南宁枢纽), Pingxiang (凭祥), Ningming (宁明), Longzhou (龙州) and other places will enter the high-speed rail era, greatly improving traffic conditions along the route and facilitating travel for people in related areas.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 武少民 葛孟超
The vivid scroll of the year-end sprint, determining the victory of the "14th Five-Year Plan," is unfolding: Beijing (北京) has completed 430,000 sets (rooms) of guaranteed housing, and four types of families with special difficulties have achieved "full coverage of protection" upon application; Guangdong (广东) is vigorously promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and has built nearly 2,100 science and technology business incubators and maker spaces; Inner Mongolia (内蒙古) has cumulatively completed 123 million mu of ecological construction tasks, including 66.88 million mu of desertification control...
Xi Jinping (习近平), General Secretary, emphasized: "It is necessary to accurately implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, focus on stabilizing employment, stabilizing enterprises, stabilizing the market, and stabilizing expectations, fully implement various policies benefiting the people, do a good job in safe production and maintaining stability, and strive to complete the annual goals and tasks."
As the "14th Five-Year Plan" is about to conclude, all regions are putting action first, taking solid measures to fully carry out various economic and social development tasks, and ensuring a good conclusion and a good report card.
Work Hard and Pragmatically to Ensure a Good Conclusion and a Good Report Card for the "14th Five-Year Plan"
Major national instruments forge the cornerstone of green development. On November 22, in Zhangzhou (漳州), Fujian (福建), the world's largest "Hualong One (华龙一号)" nuclear power base—Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Unit 2 was successfully connected to the grid for the first time and officially transmitted electricity to the grid. As a key project of the "14th Five-Year Plan," after the commissioning of Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Units 1 and 2, the annual power generation is expected to reach 20 billion kilowatt-hours, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 16 million tons.
Demonstrate responsibility in overcoming difficulties, and forge advantages in transformation and upgrading. At the Jilin (吉林) Zhongneng Jian Songyuan (松原) Hydrogen Energy Industrial Park (Green Hydrogen-Ammonia-Methanol Integration) project site, staff are working intensely to prepare for trial production. Sun Xiang (孙翔), Deputy General Manager of Nengjian Green Hydrogen-Ammonia New Energy (Songyuan) Co., Ltd., said that the first phase of the project is in the joint commissioning stage, the parameters are normal, and they will strive to put it into production and achieve results as soon as possible.
Use the "progress" of projects to solidify the "stability" of development. Jilin (吉林) is aiming at its goals and tasks, and deeply tapping potential. "There are many positive factors supporting the continued improvement of Jilin's economy in the fourth quarter. We will seize the effective working time and accelerate the formation of more physical workload," said Zhao Shuli (赵姝丽), Deputy Director of the Jilin Provincial Development and Reform Commission.
Major projects are the "ballast stone" of economic development.
Among the high mountains and ridges of Zhangwan District (张湾区), Shiyan City (十堰市), Hubei (湖北), the WZ500-type track-laying unit moved slowly, laying the 500-meter-long steel rails steadily on the Shendinghe (神定河) Extra-Large Bridge. On November 27, the entire track-laying construction of the high-speed railway from Xi'an (西安), Shaanxi (陕西) to Shiyan (十堰), Hubei (湖北) was completed.
The Xi'an-Shiyan High-Speed Railway is a key project in the "14th Five-Year Plan" railway network construction. Guo Hao (郭浩), a project staff member, introduced that since the track-laying started in September this year, the project has adopted a high-power crawler tractor in conjunction with heavy track-laying equipment, laying an average of 8 kilometers of track per day, with a maximum of 18 kilometers per day. After opening to traffic, it will better support national development strategies such as the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Western Development.
As of now, the 102 major projects determined in the "14th Five-Year Plan" are progressing smoothly, and it is expected that the planning goals will be fully completed before the end of the year.
Located in the hinterland of the Wuling Mountains (武陵山), in northeastern Guizhou (贵州), at the site of the Southern Power Grid's 500 kV Tongren West (铜仁西) Transmission and Transformation Project, more than 200 workers are continuing to work hard.
"The project construction has entered the sprint stage. The construction team is working with the operating unit to carry out acceptance to ensure the goal of 'zero defects' in commissioning. After the project is put into operation, it can meet the electricity demand of more than 1.3 million people," said Zeng Zhangjie (曾章洁), the project manager.
Go all out to grasp projects, race against time, and seize efficiency, scientifically study and judge plans, ensure construction safety, optimize working methods, and solve development problems... All regions are competing to exert efforts and converge into momentum, consolidate and expand the momentum of economic recovery, and strive to complete the annual goals and tasks.
Be Determined to Make Progress and Implement the New Development Concept Throughout the Entire Process and All Fields of Economic and Social Development
Scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement stand tall at the forefront of the times, and innovative breakthroughs lead the development pattern.
As the "14th Five-Year Plan" is about to conclude, a clearer understanding is emerging: Implementing the new development concept is the key to solving development problems and cultivating development advantages.
Innovation is the primary driving force. At the construction site of the Compact Fusion Energy Experimental Device (BEST) in Hefei (合肥), Anhui (安徽), the device has taken shape. Zheng Lei (郑磊), the person in charge of BEST device technology and on-site coordination, said that the device consists of approximately 5 million parts and more than 40 subsystems, and has entered the main engine assembly stage.
Based on promoting high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, Anhui (安徽) has currently built, is building, and is pre-researching 13 large scientific devices, and the ability to originate scientific and technological innovation is accelerating.
As thoughts arise, words form themselves. In the laboratory of China Electronics Cloud Brain (Tianjin) Technology Co., Ltd. (中电云脑（天津）科技有限公司) in Tianjin Binhai High-tech Zone (天津滨海高新区), a tester wearing an EEG cap achieved a high-speed "brain-controlled typing" with an online information transmission rate of 420 bits/minute, relying only on "thoughts."
"The channel for 'dialogue' between the brain and the machine must be in our own hands," said Cheng Longlong (程龙龙), the company's general manager. After years of hard work, they have achieved a key breakthrough in the development of high-precision acquisition chips, laying the foundation for the large-scale and industrial application of brain-computer interface technology.
Liu Tao (刘涛), Deputy Director of the Tianjin Municipal Development and Reform Commission, said that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Tianjin (天津) will rely on innovative platforms such as the Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration Haihe Laboratory to accelerate the formation of a complete ecological chain from core hardware, software algorithms to landing applications. The stroke rehabilitation training system developed based on this platform has been clinically verified in many tertiary hospitals in China.
The ecological background color is "greener," and the development path is towards "green."
In Xiaoting District (猇亭区), Yichang City (宜昌市), Hubei (湖北), the river water is clear and the scenery on both sides is picturesque. On the clean sidewalks, citizens stroll leisurely.
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Xiaoting District (猇亭区) promoted the "closure, transformation, relocation, and transfer" of chemical enterprises and built a 17.2-kilometer riverside greenway. "We have turned wharves and stockyards into parks and check-in locations, connecting them into an ecological corridor along the Yangtze River, while accelerating the construction of an electronic chemicals zone to cultivate green and low-carbon industries," said Liu Chang (刘昌), Director of the Development and Reform Bureau of Xiaoting District.
Expand opening up and smooth circulation.
Walking into the Fenggang Vehicle Inspection Yard (凤岗车检场) in Dongguan (东莞), Guangdong (广东), the lights are bright and vehicles come and go. Workers are gathered around automatic sorting machines, busy with their hands and feet. Customs officers are stationed on-site to work overtime to quickly inspect and release cross-border e-commerce goods. Batches of neatly packaged parcels are loaded onto vehicles and sent directly to Yantian Port (盐田港) in Shenzhen (深圳) for shipment, and it is expected that the goods can be delivered to consumers in Southeast Asia within 5 days.
Guangdong (广东) continues to exert efforts in new forms of cross-border e-commerce and emerging markets such as countries jointly building the "Belt and Road," injecting new momentum into high-level opening to the outside world.
Hundreds of kilometers north of Dongguan (东莞), at the Ganzhou International Land Port (赣州国际陆港) in Ganzhou (赣州), Jiangxi (江西), in late November, a China-Europe freight train loaded with imported Russian timber slowly came to a stop. This batch of imported timber will be sent to several solid wood furniture processing factories in Nankang District (南康区), Ganzhou City (赣州市) for processing.
Currently, Jiangxi (江西) has opened 12 China-Europe freight train transportation routes. Expanding channels and building platforms, Jiangxi (江西) is taking solid steps towards high-level opening to the outside world.
Focus on the urgent needs and concerns of the masses and respond to people's livelihood concerns.
"Working here is guaranteed, and it's close to home, making it convenient to take care of my family. Life is getting better and better!" said Zheng Hongxia (郑红霞), who is greeting customers at a commercial bank in Gongliu County (巩留县), Xinjiang (新疆).
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Xinjiang (新疆) added more than 2.3 million new urban jobs, and key groups such as college graduates, rural laborers, and people with employment difficulties have received effective assistance, and zero-employment families have been dynamically cleared.
"Now it's so convenient to get treatment for minor illnesses without leaving the village, and it doesn't delay farm work!" said Ye Longda (叶隆达), a villager in Songyang County (松阳县), Lishui (丽水), Zhejiang (浙江), who recently completed a treatment in the village.
Health is the foundation of people's livelihood, and safeguarding it is a responsibility. "Difficulty in seeing a doctor and getting medicine" used to be a problem that plagued people in remote mountainous areas of Songyang County (松阳县) for many years. Today, Songyang County (松阳县) has created a "comprehensive emergency rescue + mobile medical vehicle + small medicine box household action + smart village health room" health scenario to improve the health level of villagers.
Taking a glimpse of the overall situation from one area, China's economy is gradually transforming towards a higher quality, more balanced, and more sustainable growth model, and the new development concept is leading China's economy onto a broad road of high-quality development.
Plan Ahead and Lay a Good Foundation for the Start of the "15th Five-Year Plan"
The economic and social development during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period has achieved new and important achievements, laying a solid foundation and accumulating sufficient confidence for continuing to forge ahead in the "15th Five-Year Plan."
All regions are continuing to struggle and opening the prelude to forging ahead in the "15th Five-Year Plan."
——Plan ahead, conduct serious research, and do a good job in practical matters for the people's livelihood.
What the people desire is what the government is directed towards. "There is great pressure on home care for disabled and demented elderly people," "Communities lack sports venues," "Food safety for children needs to be strengthened"... Each message clearly outlines the most urgent livelihood expectations of the masses.
Ensuring people's livelihood is of paramount importance. In the second half of this year, the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Finance (江西省财政厅) planned ahead for the 2026 livelihood practical matters, widely solicited opinions through online columns and offline research, and jointly evaluated and demonstrated with multiple departments to form a batch of targeted and implementable measures.
——Develop their strengths and leverage their advantages in accordance with local conditions.
Gong Changlun (龚昌伦), the driver of Sichuan Junyi Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (四川骏谊机械制造有限公司), drove a truck loaded with goods to Chongqing Sanden (China) Automotive Air Conditioning Co., Ltd. (重庆三电（中国）汽车空调有限公司). "With the cross-provincial truck pass issued by the Sichuan-Chongqing Gaozhu New Area (川渝高竹新区), my truck and trucks with Chongqing license plates enjoy the same traffic rights, and I no longer need to drive 'at night'," said Gong Changlun (龚昌伦).
The economic aggregate of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle has increased from less than 6.4 trillion yuan in 2019 to 8.7 trillion yuan in 2024.
Looking forward to the "15th Five-Year Plan," Chongqing's (重庆) striving goal is clear and firm: focus on enhancing the development level of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, accelerate the construction of a world-class modern industrial cluster, build a Chengdu-Chongqing comprehensive science center at a high level, and strive to build an important growth pole and new source of power for national high-quality development.
——Work together in the same direction, and coordinated development is closer.
On November 19, two large-span gantry cranes worked together, and the track-laying of Beijing Rail Transit Line 22 (Pinggu Line) (北京轨道交通22号线（平谷线）) Hebei Section (河北段) was launched, accelerating the construction of the "Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei on the track." During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, Hebei (河北) will adhere to full-area connection and comprehensive undertaking, promote the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei to expand in depth and breadth, and accelerate its own development in connecting with and serving Beijing and Tianjin.
Expand space in coordination and enhance energy in integration. Facing the "15th Five-Year Plan," Zhejiang (浙江) benchmarks the higher-level goal of "high-quality balanced development," deeply implements the "Seven Advantages" project of public services, vigorously promotes the integration of basic public services, and improves the long-term mechanism for doing practical things for the people; Guangdong (广东) steadily expands institutional opening up, deeply implements the upgrading strategy of the free trade pilot zone, and deeply integrates into the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road"...
Concentrate on doing our own things well and firmly grasp the initiative of development. Decisively fight the "14th Five-Year Plan" and lay out the "15th Five-Year Plan," seize all favorable opportunities, transform all positive factors into development achievements, and work hard in practice, and we will surely succeed in practice.
(Reporters from this newspaper Men Jiewei (门杰伟), Wu Jun (吴君), Su Bin (苏滨), Xu Jing (徐靖), Li Jiading (李家鼎), He Linping (贺林平), Yang Yanfei (杨颜菲), Li Yanan (李亚楠), Liu Junguo (刘军国), Shen Jingran (沈靖然), and Shao Yuzi (邵玉姿) participated in writing)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 李祉瑶
Accelerate efforts to address shortcomings in rural modern living conditions and create high-quality living spaces in the countryside.
——Excerpt from the "15th Five-Year Plan" Recommendations
"With centralized heating, the house is very warm, and you can wear just a single layer of clothing!" Recently, herdsman Shan Chunyan (单春艳) said in Bayantala Daur Ethnic Township (巴彦塔拉达斡尔民族乡), Ewenki Autonomous Banner (鄂温克族自治旗), Hulunbuir (呼伦贝尔市), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (内蒙古自治区). The outdoor temperature was approaching minus 20 degrees Celsius, while the indoor thermometer showed more than 20 degrees Celsius.
In Shan Chunyan's (单春艳) memory, every household always had to burn its own boiler in winter, with the temperature fluctuating and prone to coal dust.
In October of this year, the first phase (Bayantala Daur Ethnic Township (巴彦塔拉达斡尔民族乡) section) of the Ewenki Autonomous Banner (鄂温克族自治旗) Rural Revitalization 155-kilometer heating pipeline and 150-kilometer water supply pipeline project was put into trial operation. Bayantala Daur Ethnic Township (巴彦塔拉达斡尔民族乡) became the first ethnic township in China to achieve long-distance centralized heating in a high-altitude region.
Speaking of the reason for choosing Bayantala Daur Ethnic Township (巴彦塔拉达斡尔民族乡) as the site for the first phase of the project, Tu Wenrui (涂文睿), director of the Development Research Center of Ewenki Autonomous Banner (鄂温克族自治旗), introduced: "This place is relatively close to the central urban area, and the tourism and animal husbandry industries are developing well, so the demand for centralized heating infrastructure is relatively urgent."
In 2021, the long-distance heating project from Huaneng Yimin Power Plant (华能伊敏电厂) to the central urban area of Hulunbuir (呼伦贝尔市) officially began operations, passing through five Sumu townships in the Ewenki Autonomous Banner (鄂温克族自治旗). On the other hand, the water transmission pipeline from the Heiyang Station Water Plant (黑羊站水厂), which supplies water to the central urban area of Hulunbuir (呼伦贝尔市), also passes through the Ewenki Autonomous Banner (鄂温克族自治旗). The two projects have made it possible to achieve centralized clean heating and centralized water supply in the areas along the route, and Bayantala Daur Ethnic Township (巴彦塔拉达斡尔民族乡) is one of the beneficiaries.
In terms of construction, the conditions in high-altitude areas are harsh, facing many difficulties. "The surface permafrost does not melt until the end of May, and the effective construction period each year is less than 4 months, and the herdsmen live relatively scattered, which poses challenges to the laying of heating pipelines," the relevant person in charge of the project said.
In addition, preventing the freezing of water supply pipelines in winter is also a difficult task. After in-depth research and scientific demonstration, everyone came up with a creative idea: since the heating pipeline will generate residual heat and the water supply pipeline is afraid of freezing, why not put them together? Based on this, the project innovatively applied the "laying heating and water supply pipelines in the same trench" technology, cleverly solving the problem.
After several years of efforts, Bayantala Daur Ethnic Township (巴彦塔拉达斡尔民族乡) has completed the laying of 64.2 kilometers of heating pipelines and 56.1 kilometers of water supply pipelines, and built a new centralized control center and heat exchange stations, water purification stations and other facilities, building a complete centralized heating and stable water supply system. As of now, the centralized heating project covers more than 900 households, with a heating area of 172,300 square meters, and the first batch of 264 households have been connected.
Shan Chunyan (单春艳) did the math: "My house is about 200 square meters. When burning coal for heating, including transportation costs, it costs more than 8,000 yuan per year; after centralized heating, it only costs more than 5,000 yuan per year."
"Stable and reliable heating facilities are conducive to the development of cultural tourism and health industries in pastoral areas. Centralized heating for agricultural and animal husbandry facilities also provides good conditions for building a 'suburban off-season vegetable base'," said Jin Junying (金俊英), the head of Bayantala Daur Ethnic Township (巴彦塔拉达斡尔民族乡). "We are also increasing our efforts to attract investment and develop picking gardens, etc., to further broaden income channels."
In terms of ecological protection, the results are equally impressive. According to calculations, compared with scattered heating, the centralized heating project can reduce emissions of smoke and dust by 112.3 tons, sulfur dioxide by 62.4 tons, and nitrogen oxides by 74.9 tons per year after it is put into operation in the whole township.
"After the first heating season, we will summarize the operating experience and gradually realize centralized heating in other Sumu townships along the long-distance heating pipeline of Huaneng Yimin Power Plant (华能伊敏电厂)," said Tu Wenrui (涂文睿).
Return to TopBy: 余 璇
Using the residual heat dissipated by heating pipe networks to prevent water supply pipe networks from freezing in high-altitude and cold regions through a "two-pronged approach"... Bayantala Daur Ethnic Township (巴彦塔拉达斡尔民族乡), Evenk Autonomous Banner (鄂温克族自治旗), Hulunbuir (呼伦贝尔市), Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), solved a series of technical problems and brought centralized heating warmth to herdsmen.
Doing practical things for the people often brings associated benefits. With the implementation and promotion of centralized heating facilities, the scattered heating methods that produced smoke and fire gradually disappeared, which benefited the ecological environment. This "warmth" not only enters homes, but also benefits industries such as vegetable planting, cultural tourism, and health and wellness, adding "confidence" to local development. A people's livelihood account strings together ecological and economic accounts, benefiting both the present and the future.
**一枝一叶总关情** (yī zhī yī yè zǒng guān qíng - "every branch and leaf shows concern," even the smallest things are of concern), there are always more solutions than difficulties. Recognizing that matters benefiting the masses "must be resolved no matter how difficult," adhering to systematic thinking, and being good at overall planning and consideration will help us mobilize positive factors, resolve negative factors, and do practical things for the people in a practical way, and do them to the hearts of the masses.
Return to TopBy: 讲述人：吉林省松原市前郭尔罗斯蒙古族自治县餐饮经营者 曲丽杰
I was born into a fisherman's family by Chagan Lake, and my parents were both employees of the fishery. Our family's livelihood depended on Chagan Lake.
Chagan Lake, known as "Chagan Nur" in Mongolian, means "white and sacred lake." Most of the lake is located in my hometown, Qian Gorlos Mongol Autonomous County (前郭尔罗斯蒙古族自治县), Songyuan City (松原市), Jilin Province (吉林省), where the winter fishing tradition that has continued for thousands of years is maintained: using horse-drawn capstans, netting under the ice, and harvesting fish from the frozen lake...
From the 1960s to the mid-1970s, due to drought and damming, the water area of Chagan Lake once shrank to more than 50 square kilometers. At the same time, there was also various predatory fishing practices. Fishermen's nets became increasingly dense, and the fish in the lake became fewer and fewer. My parents knew the hardships of fishermen's lives and wholeheartedly hoped that the three of us sisters could get out of Chagan Lake through studying and going to university.
Starting in 2013, Jilin Province (吉林省) launched the "River and Lake Connection" project, making great efforts to restore and improve the ecological environment of Chagan Lake. It was also in this year that I graduated from university and decided to return to my hometown to start a business, engaging in the catering and accommodation industries.
I caught up with a good time. The "River and Lake Connection" project injected a continuous stream of fresh water into Chagan Lake, the water area continued to increase, the water quality became better and better, and there were more and more fish. Many aquatic plants such as lotus and reeds were planted in the shallow water areas along the lake, the ecological environment continued to improve, and more and more rare birds such as red-crowned cranes, oriental white storks, and white-naped cranes also came to Chagan Lake to "settle down."
Now, we are polishing the "golden signboard" of Chagan Lake more and more brightly. In spring, we hold the Nabo grand gathering; in summer, we enjoy the lotus flowers reflecting the sun; in autumn, we watch flocks of birds gathering; and in winter, we savor the fishing and hunting culture. The charming natural scenery and unique cultural charm of Chagan Lake attract tourists from all directions, and the surrounding tourism industries such as catering and homestays are booming. Our lives are thriving, achieving "**年年有鱼**" (nián nián yǒu yú - "every year have fish," a play on words meaning abundance every year) and "**年年有余**" (nián nián yǒu yú - "every year have surplus," have a surplus every year).
As life gets better and better, we also deeply realize that a good ecological environment is the most valuable resource of Chagan Lake, and we must protect the ecological environment as we protect our own eyes. Picking up litter, dissuading uncivilized behavior, rescuing injured birds... Safeguarding the "golden signboard" of Chagan Lake has become a conscious action of the villagers.
Driving on the ring road around the lake and enjoying the beauty bestowed by Chagan Lake, such a life is satisfying and worth cherishing.
(Interview and compilation by Liu Yi (刘毅) and Zheng Zhiwei (郑智维), reporters from *Minsheng Weekly*)
Return to TopBy: 郑智维
Right now, the villagers are preparing for the upcoming 24th Chagan Lake (查干湖) Ice and Snow Fishing and Hunting Cultural Tourism Festival. The grand spectacle of fish leaping from the ice lake will once again be staged on this lake.
In the past, the ecological environment deteriorated, and the living conditions of fishermen were not ideal. Now, Chagan Lake (查干湖) has taken on a new look, nurturing opportunities for the masses to increase their income, become wealthy, and realize their dreams.
From "relying on the lake for a living but struggling to make ends meet" to "increasing income and becoming wealthy at the doorstep," the experiences of two generations of the Qu (曲) family have witnessed the transformation of Chagan Lake (查干湖). By prioritizing the protection of the ecological environment, adhering to green development, and following a path where ecological protection and tourism development complement each other, the sense of gain and happiness of the villagers around Chagan Lake (查干湖) is constantly increasing.
Return to TopThe 2025 China (Pu'er) International Coffee Expo and Pu'er Tea Expo and Trade Fair, lasting for three days, opened in Pu'er City (普洱市), Yunnan Province (云南省) on December 5th.
This expo innovatively created a "Coffee Expo + Tea Expo" dual exhibition linkage model, integrating product exhibitions, industry competitions, cultural experiences and other elements, attracting more than a hundred enterprises from home and abroad to participate in the exhibition.
The picture shows people viewing coffee products at the site on that day.
Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Guansen (王冠森) photographed it.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, December 5th) (Reporter Yi Shuran (易舒冉)) The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (全国总工会) recently issued a notice to launch the trade union's "Send Warmth" campaign during the 2026 New Year's Day and Spring Festival period.
The "Send Warmth" campaign focuses on workers in difficulty and key groups of workers. Among them, the group of workers in difficulty includes workers whose families have financial difficulties due to involuntary unemployment, significantly low family income levels, or excessive burden of children's education expenses; workers whose lives are difficult due to various disasters, serious illnesses, or sudden accidents suffered by themselves or their family members; workers in difficult enterprises that have been shut down, suspended, or merged, whose lives are difficult due to the suspension or reduction of wages; workers who are disabled due to work-related injuries or occupational diseases, and the families of workers who died on duty; and workers who have undergone major surgery or hospitalization for serious illnesses. Key groups of workers include new forms of employment laborers and flexible employment personnel; front-line workers and workers in difficult positions who stick to their posts during national key projects and major project construction and other key areas during the holidays; model workers, advanced workers, and advanced role models who have emerged in major events, important tasks, and key projects.
Since its launch in 1992, the "Send Warmth" campaign has been carried out for more than 30 consecutive years, forming a work pattern of demonstrations during major festivals, assistance to special groups, and condolences during major events. According to statistics, during the 2025 New Year's Day and Spring Festival, trade unions at all levels raised 6 billion yuan for the "Send Warmth" campaign, visited and comforted 167,000 enterprises, and comforted 18.5 million workers. The intensity and coverage of the "Send Warmth" work during the 2026 New Year's Day and Spring Festival will be further increased.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 董泽扬
In Sanya (三亚), Hainan (海南), Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City High-tech Zone (崖州湾科技城高新区), with its abundant light and heat and proximity to the deep sea, is focusing on two major themes: the breeding industry in the south and deep-sea technology.
Inside the Yazhou District Potianyang Southern Breeding Service Station (崖州区坡田洋南繁服务站), staff member Chen Yi (陈义) stands in front of a large screen operating a computer. After entering screening conditions, the Southern Breeding Shared Land Service Platform presents available plots.
"The platform provides land viewing, selection, and rental services, which can save researchers 80% of their land selection time and nearly half of their travel expenses, and also reduce land idle time," said Chen Yi (陈义).
In the past, "difficulty in finding land and trouble in using land" was a common problem for many involved in southern breeding. Finding suitable plots by going from village to village, farmers were not always willing to rent them out. With many breeding research units, they would even bid up the price against each other when they were in a hurry to rent land.
How to solve the problem? Economical and intensive use of land is key. Delineating 268,000 mu of southern breeding scientific research breeding protection zone and implementing relevant management measures have made scientific research land use more secure.
"First 'wholesale' and then 'retail,' first solve the demand for large areas of land, and then meet the personalized needs of small plots, which is conducive to achieving the best use of land," said Yang Yi (杨毅), a technical consultant at the Southern Breeding Service Station, using an analogy. "Wholesale" means first renting the land from farmers for a long period, and after evaluation, integration, and optimization of supporting facilities, renting it out in concentrated and contiguous areas to major breeding units; "retail" means that after researchers propose a need for small plots, finding and selecting land in a targeted manner, reducing the gap between land transfer and actual land use, and saving rental costs.
Chen Yi (陈义) introduced that the Southern Breeding Shared Land Service Platform has now collected information on a total of 435 plots of land in Sanya City (三亚市), Lingshui Li Autonomous County (陵水黎族自治县), Ledong Li Autonomous County (乐东黎族自治县), and other places, completing 2,600 mu of land transfer services.
In addition to economical and intensive use of land, scientific research equipment has also achieved shared use and management.
In the Hainan Provincial Seed Industry Laboratory (海南省种业实验室), the usage time of 58 shared instruments exceeds 80,000 hours. "We don't have to save up samples before sending them for testing, and there are discounts on testing fees for us students, which can save a lot of time and money," said Yao Haojie (姚豪杰), a student at Yazhou College (崖州书院) of Hainan University (海南大学).
Lai Ziying (赖子英), a staff member of the Asset Management Department of Sanya Yazhou Bay Innovation and Development Center Co., Ltd. (三亚崖州湾创新发展中心有限公司资产管理部), introduced that the Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Administration (崖州湾科技城管理局), in order to improve equipment utilization, guided the company to develop a scientific research instrument reservation and sharing platform, which was put into operation in 2021.
The Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Administration (崖州湾科技城管理局) also jointly conducts benefit assessments with various units, combining indicators such as the sharing rate of scientific research instruments and the average effective use of machine hours. At present, a total of 24 units, including the Hainan Provincial Seed Industry Laboratory (海南省种业实验室), have settled in the scientific research instrument reservation and sharing platform, with a total of more than 2,000 instruments.
Yazhou Bay (崖州湾) is close to the deep sea, and coupled with cost-saving measures such as shared voyages, it saves time and money for scientific research institutions conducting equipment sea trials.
Aboard the "Xiangyanghong 101" (向阳红101) scientific research vessel, Lan Yanjun (兰彦军), a senior engineer at the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院深海科学与工程研究所), once again set off from Yazhou Bay (崖州湾), preparing to carry out sea trials of unmanned submersibles with his colleagues. Under the organization and implementation of the Hainan Provincial Deep-sea Technology Innovation Center (海南省深海技术创新中心), 26 scientific expedition members from 6 units, including Lan Yanjun (兰彦军), participated in the voyage and trial together, verifying equipment functions on this shared voyage.
"We connect scientific research institutions with similar sea trial needs, allowing them to use the same vessel, which can save a lot of money," introduced Jiao Qianwen (焦倩雯), Deputy Director of the Science and Technology and Planning Department of the Hainan Provincial Deep-sea Technology Innovation Center (海南省深海技术创新中心科技与规划部).
"We will continue to optimize the allocation of scientific research resources, give full play to the radiation and leverage effect of the enterprises and scientific research institutes that have already settled in, cultivate scientific research experiments, achievement transformation and public service capabilities, so that resources are more economical and achievements are more fruitful," said Peng Guihua (彭桂华), head of the Science and Technology Research and Development Department of the Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Administration (崖州湾科技城管理局科技研发部).
Return to TopThis newspaper reported from Hong Kong on December 5th (Reporter Li Xia (李霞)) Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (香港特区) Chief Executive John Lee (李家超) visited Yau Ma Tei (油麻地) today to understand the operation of the 18111 "Emotional Support" hotline. John Lee (李家超) stated during a press conference with relevant heads of departments of the SAR government that the SAR government is very concerned about the mental health support work for the affected residents of the Tai Po (大埔) fire and the society, and will jointly provide mental health support to the affected residents and people with multiple departments. The work to support the affected residents will not stop, and the efforts will continue to increase.
The Hong Kong SAR (香港特区) Eighth Legislative Council election will be held on December 7. John Lee (李家超) stated that the SAR government will work closely with the Legislative Council to promote reforms, propose bills at the first meeting of the new Legislative Council, and discuss how to support the affected residents of the Tai Po (大埔) fire and reconstruction work.
Hong Kong Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau (卢宠茂) stated at the press conference that the Hospital Authority received a total of 79 injured people in the Tai Po (大埔) fire, and all the injured people are now out of danger. The Primary Healthcare Office, the Department of Health, and some voluntary organizations of the Health Bureau have provided 24-hour medical services to the victims in the temporary shelter after the disaster.
Hong Kong Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun (孙玉菡) stated that the "One Household, One Social Worker" service launched by the Bureau had registered more than 1,900 households as of 4 pm on December 5. Social workers will call the families every day and provide emotional support. If key cases are found, social workers will follow up with the Hospital Authority, and relevant organizations will work with social workers to help families in need.
Hong Kong Secretary for Education Christine Choi (蔡若莲) stated that the Education Bureau has sent psychologists, education officers, etc. to comfort students and assist teachers in carrying out relevant work.
Return to TopThis newspaper reported from Beijing on December 5th (Reporter Shen Tongrui (沈童睿)) Recently, the National Government Offices Administration (国管局) and the机关事务管理局 of the CPC Central Committee (中直管理局) jointly issued the "Opinions on Further Strengthening the Management of Public Property Warehouses in Central Administrative Institutions and Promoting the Revitalization and Sharing of State-owned Assets," promoting all departments and units to strengthen the concept and requirements of public property warehouses throughout the entire process from the "entry" to the "exit" of assets, and to strengthen revitalization and sharing.
The opinion proposes to do a good job in the daily inventory and inspection of assets, to ascertain the asset base, systematically sort out the usage of assets, understand and grasp the actual status of assets, establish a ledger of assets to be revitalized and dynamically update it, and lay a solid foundation for the revitalization and sharing of assets; to link asset allocation, clarify the newly added asset allocation needs, strictly review the necessity and method of allocation, and give priority to ensuring it through public property warehouse assets; to connect asset use, optimize the management of assets in use, actively carry out sharing and co-use of shareable assets through public property warehouses, and continue to use assets that still have use value when they expire, and truly achieve 物尽其用 (wù jìn qí yòng - "use things to their fullest," to make the best use of everything); to connect asset disposal, emphasizing that assets that need to be disposed of due to technical reasons, but still have use value, should be utilized through the overall coordination and adjustment of public property warehouses.
In recent years, the National Government Offices Administration (国管局), the机关事务管理局 of the CPC Central Committee (中直管理局), and the机关事务部门 at all levels across the country have adhered to a problem-oriented approach, using the work of public property warehouses as a starting point, breaking down information barriers, coordinating and adjusting utilization, and promoting asset revitalization. As of the end of October 2025, the public property warehouse platform has cumulatively revitalized 382,300 assets, saving 2.166 billion yuan.
Return to TopBy: 刘万涛
To promote deep integration of culture and tourism, vigorously develop the cultural tourism industry, and empower economic and social development with culture.
——Excerpt from the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal
My village is called Yuanqiao Village (袁桥村), in Dengfeng (登封), Henan (河南). Don't underestimate it because it's small; it has quite a "history." The village has an ancient opera stage, ancient locust trees, and the skills of flower basket weaving and farming techniques have been passed down from generation to generation. Some experts say our village is an "open-air history museum." In the past, tourists from other places would come, take a look around, and take a few photos, but they didn't bring much income. On weekdays, these old buildings were also deserted. How can we make good use of our cultural heritage and make the village "hot"? As the village party secretary, I and the members of the village committee have put a lot of thought into it.
The turning point came a bit by chance. The summer before last, a film crew came to the village to scout locations. The director walked around the village and said repeatedly, "This is a natural studio; it's a scene without setting up a stage." At that time, young people carrying cameras and wearing ancient costumes would come to the village every now and then, filming the old houses, old walls, and alleys for most of the day. Later, I learned that they were filming micro-dramas.
At first, the villagers all came to watch the excitement. Later, everyone changed from "onlookers" to "actors." I remember that a micro-drama crew couldn't find enough extras. Yuan Tiefang (袁铁芳), a 70-year-old from our village, heard about it and led a dozen old buddies to the director: "Do you think we'll do?" These villagers had never been on TV in their lives, but in their own village, standing in front of the ancient opera stage, they were not at all stage-frightened. Unexpectedly, this low-budget micro-drama became popular, with more than 30 million views across the internet. Since then, more and more film crews have come to our village to film.
Changes have also followed. The most obvious is that the villagers' pockets are fuller and the village's collective income is higher. During the busy farming season, everyone farms; during the slack season, they go to the film crew to work as extras or stagehands, earning a hundred or so yuan a day. Old crafts have also left the village with the short dramas. An Qing'e's (安青娥) flower baskets, made by a local artisan, are often filmed in the dramas, which not only attracts tourists to buy them but also receives many orders from other places.
So far, more than 40 micro-dramas have been filmed in our village. In the past, old courtyards that were idle were rented to film crews as dormitories and for storing props, which became a collective income. Tourism has also picked up, and farmhouses and homestays are doing very well. During the peak season, the dining capacity of more than 1,200 people and more than 200 beds are not enough. Last year, the village's collective income was more than 3 million yuan, and this year it is almost 4 million yuan, of which about 20% is brought by micro-dramas.
Yuanqiao Village (袁桥村) can embark on this path thanks to the support of the government. "Shudian (竖店)" is another name for the micro-drama industry base, echoing Hengdian World Studios (横店影视城) in Zhejiang (浙江). In recent years, Zhengzhou (郑州) has been building the "Shudian (竖店)" brand, and Dengfeng (登封) has also issued support policies to allow micro-dramas to drive the development of culture and tourism. Now, when film crews come to the village, they can get one-stop services for scene coordination, extra recruitment, and equipment support. The city also runs training courses in the village to help us train local talent in editing, stage management, and other fields.
The village also has concrete plans for the future. We want to upgrade the ancient village scene, repair and transform a number of Ming and Qing dynasty courtyards, and create 18 types of characteristic shooting scenes such as war dramas, folk dramas, and costume dramas. We plan to apply for a provincial-level online audio-visual industry park. In terms of talent cultivation, we plan to cooperate with universities to establish a micro-drama incubation base and offer courses in screenwriting, editing, and other fields. In addition, in order to better integrate micro-dramas and cultural tourism, we will create an immersive shooting experience area, so that tourists can not only watch short drama shooting on the spot, but also experience role-playing and traditional crafts.
Everyone's life is getting better, and they are full of energy. Looking at our ancient opera stage again: in the past, it sang old operas; now, it shoots new dramas. Villagers have gone from listening to operas to joining in filming, and various industries are constantly developing. Our rural "Shudian (竖店)" is becoming more and more vibrant.
(The author is the Party Branch Secretary of Yuanqiao Village (袁桥村), Dengfeng City (登封市), Henan Province (河南省). This report was compiled by Zhang Wenhao (张文豪), a reporter from this newspaper.)
(Related new media reports can be found on the People's Daily National Party Media Information Public Platform's "Big Country, Small Village" Communication Cloud Platform, the official WeChat account of the Farmers' Daily, and the "Xuexi Qiangguo (学习强国)" learning platform under the same name.)
Return to TopBy: 汪振军
Old houses, old streets, ancient opera stages... From "open-air history museums" that carry memories to rural "vertical studios" for micro-drama filming, Yuanqiao Village (袁桥村) in Dengfeng (登封), Henan (河南) has embarked on a new path of cultural industry empowering rural areas.
The changes in Yuanqiao Village (袁桥村) are inseparable from policy support. With the vigorous development of the Zhengzhou (郑州) micro-drama industry, Yuanqiao Village (袁桥村) seized the opportunity to revitalize "old resources" and develop new business formats, which not only promoted the aggregation of talents, funds, services and other factors, but also drove rural environmental improvement, service support and internal and external linkage, realizing a win-win situation between the cultural industry and characteristic villages.
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the rural revitalization strategy was implemented in depth, and a series of policies supporting rural cultural development have been implemented and achieved results. As a major agricultural province and a major cultural province, Henan (河南) has witnessed a number of distinctive practices in cultural empowerment for rural revitalization. The national musical instruments of Xuchang Village (徐场村) in Lankao (兰考), the bronze craftsmanship of Yanjian Village (烟涧村) in Yichuan (伊川), the tri-color pottery of Qianhe Village (前河村) in Luoning (洛宁), the Jun porcelain firing of Huaishuwan Village (槐树湾村) in Yuzhou (禹州)... These villages and towns rely on traditional intangible cultural heritage, cultural relics and other characteristic endowments to create "one village, one product," which not only drives farmers' income increase, but also reshapes the rural landscape. A number of products with cultural attributes, such as Gushi (固始) willow weaving and Nanzhao (南召) silk carpets, have also gone abroad.
Looking forward to the "15th Five-Year Plan," the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside will enter a new stage. Cultural industry empowerment should activate rural human and natural resources and promote the integrated development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries under the premise of prioritizing protection and rational utilization. It is recommended to further cultivate a number of influential and competitive cultural industry brands and characteristic villages through creative design, film and television production, intangible cultural heritage research and study, and other forms; encourage more villages to promote cultural prosperity like Yuanqiao Village (袁桥村), so that the vast countryside can truly become a hot land for inheriting culture, carrying nostalgia, and creating a better life.
(The author is a professor and director of the Cultural Industry Research Center of Zhengzhou University (郑州大学), interviewed and compiled by Zhang Wenhao (张文豪), reporter of this newspaper)
Return to TopThe current overall trend of acute respiratory infectious diseases in China is on the rise. The National Health Commission (国家卫生健康委) held a thematic press conference on "Seasonal Solar Terms and Health" on the 5th, inviting relevant experts to respond to public concerns on issues such as influenza prevention and control.
Wang Dayan (王大燕), a researcher at the Institute of Viral Disease Prevention and Control of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (中国疾病预防控制中心病毒病所), introduced that influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. People are generally susceptible to influenza viruses, and in severe cases, it can lead to complications such as pneumonia, heart damage, and shock. Some people may develop severe or critical illness, or even die, after contracting influenza.
Currently, 17 provinces across the country have high levels of influenza activity, while the remaining provinces have moderate levels. The positive rate of influenza virus detection among influenza-like illness (ILI) patients visiting outpatient and emergency departments has reached 51%, which has not exceeded the highest level in the past three years. The detection positive rate in the 5-14 age group is significantly higher than in other age groups. According to the latest monitoring, it is expected that the national peak will likely be reached in the first and middle of December. The influenza A (H3N2) subtype virus still dominates the epidemic, accounting for more than 95%, with a small amount of influenza A (H1N1) and influenza B viruses co-circulating.
Wang Dayan (王大燕) said that influenza viruses spread rapidly, and clustered outbreaks are prone to occur in densely populated places such as schools, childcare institutions, and elderly care institutions. The number of clustered influenza outbreaks in this epidemic season is significantly higher than in the previous epidemic season. Combining the influenza epidemic situation and the prevention and control strategy of preventing multiple diseases together, it is a priority to recommend influenza vaccination for key and high-risk populations. Key and high-risk populations include: elderly people aged 60 and above; patients with one or more chronic diseases; residents and employees of gathering places such as elderly care institutions, long-term care facilities, and welfare homes; pregnant women; children aged 6 months to 5 years; family members and caregivers of infants under 6 months; and people in key places such as childcare institutions, primary and secondary schools, medical institutions, and regulatory places. It is recommended that the public go to medical and health institutions with immunization clinics to get vaccinated against influenza as soon as possible, which can not only prevent infection but also reduce the risk of severe illness.
Influenza patients and asymptomatic infected individuals are the main sources of influenza infection and are infectious from the end of the incubation period to the acute phase. Influenza mainly starts with symptoms such as fever, headache, and muscle and joint pain. The fever can reach 39-40 degrees Celsius, accompanied by sore throat, dry cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, chills, shivering, fatigue, loss of appetite and other systemic symptoms. Some patients have mild or no symptoms. In the absence of complications, the fever usually subsides gradually 3-5 days after the onset of the disease, and the systemic symptoms improve, but it often takes longer for the cough to improve and physical strength to recover.
After contracting influenza, those with mild symptoms can rest at home, but if they experience high fever above 39 degrees Celsius, poor response to antipyretic drugs, or severe symptoms such as severe cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, or wheezing, or severe headache, frequent vomiting, or confusion, they need to seek medical attention in time. Elderly people, infants, children, patients with chronic diseases, and pregnant women are more likely to develop severe or critical illness after contracting influenza and should pay close attention and receive drug treatment as early as possible according to the doctor's advice.
Return to TopBeijing, December 5th (People's Daily reporter Yu Jingxian (郁静娴)) - The reporter learned from the 2025 China International Tropical Crops Industry Conference held on December 4th that the tropical crops industry contributes more than 30% to the income increase of farmers in major tropical regions, accounting for 5% of the country's land area, about 480,000 square kilometers of tropical regions, producing about 70% of the country's winter melons and vegetables and tropical fruits. The tropical crops industry has become an important force in promoting the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside.
With the theme of "Good Development of Tropical Crops, Better World", the conference was co-sponsored by the South Asian Tropical Crops Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (农业农村部) and Hainan Provincial Farm Reclamation Group (海南省农垦集团). In recent years, China has adhered to the concept of large-scale agriculture and large-scale food, promoting the development of the entire chain of the tropical crops industry. In 2024, the planting area of major tropical crops in the country exceeded 72 million mu, with a total output of about 40 million tons. The industrial scale of lychee, longan, mango, nuts and other crops ranks among the top in the world. The total output value of the primary industry of major tropical crops nationwide was 283.99 billion yuan, an increase of 15.1% year-on-year.
The conference proposed that it is necessary to focus on key bottleneck problems such as the selection and breeding of drought-resistant, waterlogging-resistant, and high-temperature-resistant varieties, the prevention and control of major diseases and insect pests, and the mechanized harvesting of crops, strengthen the tackling of key core technologies, develop new business formats such as tropical agricultural tourism, picking experiences, and leisure vacations, and promote the formulation of internationally recognized sustainable tropical agricultural standards and certification systems, and promote the high-quality development of the tropical crops industry.
During the conference, the High-Quality Development Sub-Forum of the Natural Rubber Industry, the Coffee Industry Chain and the High-Quality Development Path of Tropical Agriculture Sub-Forum, and the International Agricultural Product Processing and Trade Sub-Forum were also held, focusing on the development of the rubber industry and the coffee industry, interpreting the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港) policy, and promoting the international trade development of agricultural reclamation agricultural products. In-depth exchanges and discussions were conducted on topics such as the development of agricultural products.
Return to TopOn December 5th, the first generating unit of the Minjiang Pengshan Jianzishan Navigation and Hydropower Hub Project (岷江彭山尖子山航电枢纽工程), located in Pengshan District (彭山区), Meishan City (眉山市), Sichuan Province (四川省), is about to generate electricity.
As the first stage of the Sichuan Minjiang shipping ladder, the project focuses on shipping and combines shipping with hydropower. It is a key project in the "14th Five-Year Plan" for comprehensive transportation in Sichuan Province (四川省). It has a total installed capacity of 69 megawatts and is expected to generate an average annual power output of over 285 million kilowatt-hours. After the project is fully completed, it will open up the "golden waterway" from Chengdu (成都) to Meishan (眉山) to Shanghai (上海), driving local economic development.
Photo by Yao Yongliang (姚永亮) (Image China)
Return to TopThis newspaper reported from Beijing on December 5th: With the approval of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央), the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission (中央纪委国家监委) conducted a case review and investigation into the serious violations of discipline and law by Fei Dongbin (费东斌), an alternate member of the 20th Central Committee, former member of the Party Group of the Ministry of Transport, and former Party Secretary and Director of the National Railway Administration (国家铁路局).
The investigation found that Fei Dongbin had lost his ideals and beliefs, abandoned his original aspiration and mission, had a weak political awareness, engaged in speculation and opportunism, associated with political swindlers, and resisted organizational review. He violated the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulation of the Central Committee (中央八项规定精神) by arranging for others to provide long-term vehicle pick-up and drop-off services for his family. He lacked organizational principles, failed to report personal matters as required, and sought benefits for others in cadre selection and appointment. He lost his bottom line of integrity and illegally accepted gifts. He was excessively greedy, treating public power as a tool for personal gain, engaged in power-money transactions, used his position to seek benefits for others in business operations, project contracting, and job adjustments, and illegally accepted huge amounts of property.
Fei Dongbin seriously violated the Party's political discipline, organizational discipline, integrity discipline, and life discipline, constituted serious violations of duty and was suspected of bribery crimes. Furthermore, he did not restrain himself or stop his actions after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which was serious in nature and had a bad impact, and should be dealt with seriously. In accordance with the "Regulations on Disciplinary Sanctions of the Communist Party of China" (《中国共产党纪律处分条例》), the "Supervision Law of the People's Republic of China" (《中华人民共和国监察法》), the "Law on Administrative Disciplinary Actions for Public Officials of the People's Republic of China" (《中华人民共和国公职人员政务处分法》) and other relevant regulations, after research by the Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and reported to the Political Bureau of the Central Committee for deliberation, it was decided to give Fei Dongbin a punishment of expulsion from the Party; the National Supervisory Commission (国家监委) gave him a punishment of dismissal from public office; terminated his qualifications as a representative to the 20th National Congress of the Party; confiscated his gains from violations of discipline and law; and transferred his suspected criminal issues to the procuratorial organs for review and prosecution in accordance with the law, and the property involved was transferred together. The punishment of expulsion from the Party will be confirmed when the plenary session of the Central Committee is convened.
Return to TopShenzhen, as one of the important competition zones for the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (referred to as the "Games for the Disabled"), fully leverages its technological innovation and technical advantages to provide high-quality technological support for the Games. During the Games for the Disabled, high-tech products manufactured in Shenzhen (深圳) have been widely used inside and outside the venues, making "technology-driven Games and technology-assisted disability" a tangible, touchable, and interactive real experience.
Intelligent assistive devices serve the daily lives of people with disabilities.
In the Shenzhen (深圳) competition zone of the Games for the Disabled, a series of high-tech assistive devices have attracted widespread attention. The exoskeleton robot developed by a Shenzhen (深圳) company, equipped with AI flexible algorithms and multi-sensor fusion technology, has the characteristics of lightweight and family-friendly design. It can help people with disabilities with home rehabilitation training and has served more than 10,000 people. The AI glasses independently developed by a Shenzhen (深圳) company convert the scenes captured by the camera into real-time voice information, helping visually impaired people travel.
Technology-driven Games, building a smart security and event support system.
Version 2.0 of the Shenzhen (深圳) Event Command System uses digital twin technology to create an "all-in-one" all-time and space command system. On the large screen of the Smart Command Center of the Shenzhen (深圳) Sports Center, the venue operation information is clear at a glance. 166 intelligent patrol cameras and 43 high-risk point cameras are deployed in and around the venue, with functions such as facial recognition and abnormal behavior analysis, and data linkage with relevant departments to achieve rapid response to emergencies. The quadruped robot dog and the wheeled unmanned patrol vehicle form an "air-ground integrated" patrol team to conduct 24-hour patrols.
The Shenzhen (深圳) competition zone promotes barrier-free renovation with "millimeter-level accuracy." The Longgang International Cycling Venue (龙岗国际自行车赛场) has added barrier-free toilets, wheelchair ramps, and other facilities, and hung eye-catching barrier-free signs, becoming the first event venue in the province to meet the standards in one go. The Yinshu-Government Affairs Barrier-Free System (手语翻译器) (sign language translator) is introduced to achieve smooth communication between hearing-impaired people and volunteers. In anti-doping inspections and other links, professional sign language teachers can be connected with one click through real-time video calls to ensure that rigorous procedures and humanistic care are given equal consideration.
Technology assists the disabled, creating a closed-loop service for the entire assistive device industry chain.
Since being identified as a key contact area for national science and technology assistance for the disabled, Shenzhen (深圳) has strengthened policy guarantees and issued the "Shenzhen Science and Technology Assistance for the Disabled Implementation Plan (2025-2030)" (《深圳市科技助残实施方案（2025—2030年）》), which includes the assistive device industry in the strategic emerging industry cluster. Relying on carriers such as the Shenzhen (深圳) Barrier-Free Incubation Space, it has incubated a total of 62 companies and won 687 patents, injecting strong momentum into industrial development. In 2025, the Shenzhen "Bank of Communications Cup" Assistive Device Creative Design Competition (深圳市“交通银行杯”辅助器具创意设计大赛) was held, and 38 typical annual science and technology assistance for the disabled cases were released. At the 2025 China International Rehabilitation Expo, Shenzhen (深圳) participated in the exhibition as a group under the name of "Greater Bay Area Assistive Device Innovation Center" (大湾区辅助器具创新中心), receiving 465 intended orders, including more than 20 overseas orders, with a total amount of more than 18 million yuan, demonstrating the industrial strength and humanistic temperature of the "City of Technology."
Technology empowers and promotes the construction of a barrier-free environment.
Taking the opportunity of becoming a competition zone for the Games for the Disabled, Shenzhen (深圳) has extended barrier-free construction from competition venues to every corner of the city. The "Barrier-Free City Walk" city roaming campaign was launched, marking the locations of barrier-free facilities and providing Braille explanations and voice navigation for visually impaired people.
From "manufacturing" to "intelligent manufacturing," Shenzhen (深圳) takes technological innovation as the engine, systematically promotes the construction of a barrier-free environment, conveys urban warmth with warm services, and continues to strengthen the creation of a barrier-free city.
Data source: Shenzhen Disabled Persons Federation (深圳市残疾人联合会)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 吴月辉
For the vast starry sky above, humanity's curiosity has never stopped: Where did the universe come from? In the vast Milky Way, is there another "Earth"?
On November 24th, the National Space Science Center (国家空间科学中心) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) held a press conference on the latest highlights of the Space Science Strategic Priority Program. A series of answers to questions about cosmic transient objects, cosmic ray propagation, and solar flares are being revealed step by step by space science satellites.
-- Editor
The press conference on the latest highlights of the Space Science Strategic Priority Program held on November 24th has attracted much attention. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the National Space Science Center (国家空间科学中心) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) will focus on major frontier issues such as the origin of the universe, the origin of space weather, and the origin of life, and organize the implementation of the Space Exploration Science Satellite Program, including the "Hongmeng Program (鸿蒙计划)," "Kuafu-2 (夸父二号)," the Exoplanetary Earth Survey Satellite, and the Enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarization Space Observatory, striving to achieve new breakthroughs in areas such as the dark ages of the universe, the solar magnetic activity cycle, and the detection of exoplanetary Earth-like planets.
"Wukong (悟空)," "Insight-HXMT (慧眼)," and other 8 satellite missions have created multiple firsts.
Since the launch of the Space Science Strategic Priority Program in January 2011, it has completed 8 scientific satellite missions, namely "Wukong (悟空)," "Shijian-10 (实践十号)," "Mozi (墨子号)," "Insight-HXMT (慧眼)," "Taiji-1 (太极一号)," "Huairou-1 (怀柔一号)," "Kuafu-1 (夸父一号)," and "Tianguan (天关)." They have achieved "China's first" and even "world's first" breakthroughs in different fields.
"Wukong (悟空)" – China's first dark matter particle detection satellite, launched on December 17, 2015, with a designed lifespan of 3 years.
In May of this year, based on the first 8 years of data, it obtained the most accurate energy spectrum of secondary cosmic ray boron nuclei in the TeV/n (tera-electron volt per nucleon) energy region internationally. What are cosmic rays? They are high-energy particles "flying" from the depths of the universe. The data captured by "Wukong (悟空)" is like deciphering the "fingerprints" of cosmic rays, helping scientists reveal their propagation mechanisms in galaxies.
"Insight-HXMT (慧眼)" – China's first X-ray astronomical satellite, launched on June 15, 2017, with a designed lifespan of 4 years.
Zhang Shuangnan (张双南), chief scientist of "Insight-HXMT (慧眼)" and researcher at the Institute of High Energy Physics (高能物理研究所) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), said that since its operation, the satellite has achieved a series of results, including the flare mechanism of black hole accretion bursts in the Milky Way, the radiation mechanism and surface magnetic field of accreting millisecond pulsars, the ignition location of nuclear burning on the surface of neutron stars, and the minimum light variation timescale of the brightest gamma-ray bursts.
"Huairou-1 (怀柔一号)" was launched on December 10, 2020, with a designed lifespan of no less than 3 years.
It was particularly outstanding in 2025 – Xiong Shaolin (熊少林), chief scientist of "Huairou-1 (怀柔一号)" and researcher at the Institute of High Energy Physics (高能物理研究所) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), introduced that the satellite discovered a new subtype in the gamma-ray bursts produced by the merger of compact stars, expanding people's understanding of gravitational wave electromagnetic counterparts; revealed a completely new magnetar eruption mode, which is of great significance for understanding its eruption mechanism; and discovered a unique set of periodic particle precipitation events, deepening the understanding of the space radiation environment in near-Earth orbit.
"Kuafu-1 (夸父一号)" was launched on October 9, 2022, and is China's first dedicated comprehensive solar exploration satellite.
"Kuafu-1 (夸父一号)" brought new discoveries in 2025: The association rate between high-energy C-class flares and coronal mass ejections is much lower than expected based on previous results and traditional models. This discovery changes previous understanding and provides a new breakthrough for understanding solar flares, providing new clues for scientists to unravel the mechanism of solar flares and the origin of high-energy particles.
The "Tianguan (天关)" satellite is China's first large-field-of-view X-ray astronomical satellite, launched on January 9, 2024, and has currently detected 165 high-significance X-ray transient sources.
Yuan Weimin (袁为民), chief scientist of the "Tianguan (天关)" satellite and researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories (国家天文台) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), introduced that, relying on its internationally leading detection capabilities, the satellite discovered a new type of cosmic X-ray "slow-motion" burst transient source, providing key clues for understanding this type of mysterious transient object; and detected faint X-ray bursts in the Milky Way, opening up new avenues for discovering new stellar-mass black holes.
4 missions will explore the origin of the universe and search for "Earth 2.0."
During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the Space Exploration Science Satellite Program will continue to expand the boundaries of human knowledge.
The "Hongmeng Program (鸿蒙计划)" aims to listen to the "cries" of the universe in its infancy. It consists of a low-frequency radio telescope array of 10 satellites, which will collectively fly to the far side of the moon to capture faint signals from the depths of the universe and reveal the mysteries of the chaotic time lasting hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang and before the appearance of the first star.
"Kuafu-2 (夸父二号)" will orbit above the polar regions of the sun, staring at the sun's "North Pole" and "South Pole," exploring solar magnetic field activity, predicting solar storms, and understanding the relationship between the Earth and the sun.
The Exoplanetary Earth Survey Satellite will survey the Milky Way, searching for "Earth 2.0" that is about the same size as Earth and located in the habitable zone.
The mission of the Enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarization Space Observatory is to observe the "extreme forbidden zones" in the universe, such as the event horizon of black holes and the hot surfaces of neutron stars, and study the laws of physics under extreme conditions.
Wang Chi (王赤), academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) and director of the National Space Science Center (国家空间科学中心), said: "Through the solid advancement of these space science satellite missions, China's space science will achieve a leap from 'running alongside' to 'leading' in more directions, and continue to produce more key, original, and leading major scientific and technological achievements, strongly supporting high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, realizing the comprehensive development of China's space science, space technology, and space applications, and making landmark contributions to the construction of a strong aerospace power and a strong science and technology power."
Developing towards the "four extremes," China's space science achieves multi-point breakthroughs and cluster-like emergence.
"Since the implementation of the program, China's space science has shown a strong development trend of multi-point breakthroughs and cluster-like emergence," said Wang Chi (王赤).
Over the past 15 years, the program has focused on embodying the continuous expansion and deepening of scientific research towards the "four extremes." In terms of the extremely macroscopic, the first X-ray all-sky map observed by Chinese-developed equipment was drawn; in terms of the extremely microscopic, the most accurate fine structure of the energy spectra of cosmic ray electrons, protons, helium nuclei, and boron nuclei in the world to date was obtained; in terms of extreme conditions, the strongest magnetic field in the universe was directly measured for the first time, and the fastest jet closest to a black hole was detected; in terms of extremely comprehensive and interdisciplinary aspects, the high integration and development of science, technology, and engineering was realized.
The program has driven the leapfrog development of cutting-edge effective payloads and satellite platform technologies. China has broken through key technologies such as star-ground optical path alignment, built the first international-standard X-ray calibration beamline in China, developed a large-field-of-view, high-sensitivity lobster-eye X-ray telescope that is 1-2 orders of magnitude ahead of the international level, and realized the integrated design of satellite platforms and payloads.
The program also actively carries out all-round and multi-level international cooperation. The "SMILE (微笑)" satellite is the first all-round and full-cycle in-depth cooperation project at the mission level between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) and the European Space Agency. The "Tianguan (天关)" satellite is led by China, with the participation of the European Space Agency, the Max Planck Institute (马普研究所) in Germany, and the French Space Agency. By forming international scientific teams and promoting data sharing, China is continuously enhancing the international influence and benefits of scientific satellites.
From "following" to "running alongside," and then to moving towards "leading" in some fields, China's space science satellite cluster is becoming an important force for humanity to explore the unknown universe.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 李红梅
In the past, when people mentioned the weather, they often said it was "unpredictable." But now, with the help of artificial intelligence, the weather is gradually becoming "predictable."
Artificial intelligence technology, numerical models, and supercomputing power are working together, coupled with the professional experience of forecasters, to "calculate" the signals of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning in advance. Faster and more efficient weather forecasts will accelerate the empowerment of various industries and promote high-quality economic and social development.
"Artificial Intelligence + Meteorology" New Applications and Scenarios Emerge
Every May, the outbreak of the South China Sea summer monsoon kicks off the main flood season in China, driving the progress of the main rain belt. Predicting the outbreak time of the South China Sea summer monsoon is one of the important tasks of China's meteorological departments.
"In this year's flood season meteorological service, Fengshun (风顺) showed good prediction capabilities, capturing the key signal that 'the outbreak of the South China Sea summer monsoon will be later than usual' in advance, providing scientific guidance for flood season prediction," said Lu Bo (陆波), Director of the Climate Change Impact Adaptation Office of the National Climate Center (国家气候中心) and Deputy Dean of the Xiong'an Meteorological Artificial Intelligence Innovation Research Institute (雄安气象人工智能创新研究院).
Fengshun (风顺) is the first artificial intelligence global sub-seasonal to seasonal prediction system of the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), jointly developed by the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), Fudan University (复旦大学), and the Shanghai Institute for Scientific Intelligence (上海科学智能研究院). Currently, Fengshun (风顺) has been in stable operational use for more than a year, and its performance has reached the international advanced level.
On October 28, the Fenghe (风和) artificial intelligence meteorological service system, led by the Public Meteorological Service Center of the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局公共气象服务中心), was officially released. The public can ask it: "I want to travel to Sanqing Mountain (三清山) during the 'May Day' holiday, what will the weather be like along the way?" Staff at wind power plants can also ask it: "How strong will the wind be at the wind farm tomorrow?"
"Fenghe (风和) is a trillion-parameter language model for the meteorological service field, and also an important 'intelligent interaction window' connecting massive meteorological data and users, which can be applied to disaster early warning, transportation, tourism and other scenarios," said Wang Muhua (王慕华), a senior engineer at the Public Meteorological Service Center of the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局公共气象服务中心).
The Fenglei (风雷) model is jointly developed by the National Meteorological Center (国家气象中心) and Tsinghua University (清华大学), and is mainly used in the pre-disaster warning period of severe convective weather. The prediction object is the upcoming thunderstorms and heavy rainfall weather. Sheng Jie (盛杰), a senior engineer at the National Meteorological Center (国家气象中心), introduced that Fenglei (风雷) can achieve a 1-kilometer resolution grid forecast of echo precipitation every 10 minutes for the next 3 hours nationwide.
"At present, the advancement and operational application level of Fenglei (风雷) technology indicate that China's short-term and imminent forecasting business is at the world's advanced level in terms of artificial intelligence," Sheng Jie (盛杰) introduced.
The Fengqing (风清) model is an artificial intelligence global short-to-medium-term forecasting system with fully independent intellectual property rights. Cao Yong (曹勇), Director of the Weather Forecasting Technology Research and Development Office of the National Meteorological Center (国家气象中心) and Deputy Dean of the Xiong'an Meteorological Artificial Intelligence Innovation Research Institute (雄安气象人工智能创新研究院), introduced that the Fengqing (风清) model can accurately capture disastrous weather such as typhoons and rainstorms, and output forecasts of 13 layers of high-altitude elements and 11 types of ground elements. Currently, Fengqing (风清) has been deployed operationally and promoted nationwide, and is widely used in disaster prevention and mitigation, photovoltaic and wind power scheduling, aviation support and other scenarios.
In addition to Fenglei (风雷), Fengqing (风清), Fengshun (风顺), and Fenghe (风和), the National Satellite Meteorological Center (国家卫星气象中心) (National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center (国家空间天气监测预警中心)) has also led the development of the artificial intelligence Fengyu (风宇) model, which is a chain-type artificial intelligence forecasting model for space weather. Currently, the model has been applied to satellite communication and navigation, spacecraft orbit management, power facility protection, and aviation safety.
Meteorological Services Shift from "People Looking for Information" to "Information Finding People"
How to issue disaster weather warnings faster, earlier, and more accurately is a common problem faced by meteorological services. Forecasting severe convective weather, especially local severe convective weather, is even more difficult.
"Fenglei (风雷) can forecast the generation, development, and dissipation of convective systems in a few minutes, and even shows advantages in forecasting local extreme severe convective weather, which is the most difficult to forecast. The forecast quality of Fenglei (风雷) strong echoes is more than 25% higher than traditional methods," said Sheng Jie (盛杰).
Fenglei (风雷), Fengqing (风清), Fengshun (风顺) and other models are showing their skills in business practice, continuously improving the accuracy and efficiency of forecasts.
For example, in operational operation, Fengshun (风顺) shows three prominent features: it has global forecasting capabilities, and can provide 60-day forecast products containing 100 ensemble members every day; its prediction performance on key climate modes reaches the international advanced level, and its effective prediction capability for atmospheric intra-seasonal oscillation can reach 32 days; it performs well in extreme weather prediction, and can provide forward-looking risk warnings for China's energy dispatch and other aspects.
For another example, the effective forecast time of the Fengqing (风清) model globally exceeds 10.5 days, and the forecast accuracy of extreme weather and key elements is comparable to the international leading level. "The Fengqing (风清) model provides hard-core meteorological technical support for people's livelihood protection and industry services with efficient computing power adaptation and stable operation performance," said Cao Yong (曹勇).
"Artificial intelligence is profoundly changing the way meteorological services are provided, and is promoting it to enter a new stage of intelligence," said Yu Tingzhao (于廷照), a senior engineer at the Public Meteorological Service Center of the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局公共气象服务中心). In the past, people mainly relied on watching TV and browsing their mobile phones to obtain weather information, which belonged to "actively searching"; nowadays, with the help of artificial intelligence technology, meteorological services are shifting from "people looking for information" to "information finding people."
Integration and Interconnection with Existing Technologies Will Not Replace Forecasters
In addition to forecasting, many artificial intelligence models have also emerged in the fields of extreme precipitation prediction, severe convective weather warning, meteorological data assimilation and analysis, meteorological observation and data processing, and meteorological service and decision support, which have powerfully promoted the digitalization, informatization, and intelligentization of meteorological services.
In July of this year, the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局) launched the "MAZU" China Plan for early warning for all, in which the urban multi-hazard early warning intelligent body has been implemented in 35 countries and regions, contributing Chinese wisdom to global disaster prevention and mitigation.
However, experts point out that artificial intelligence tools still need to be complementary to and integrated with existing technical means, and the final decision-making and task completion still require the judgment of forecasters.
"The advantage of artificial intelligence models such as Fenglei (风雷) lies in big data mining, but because it does not consider physical mechanisms, it has not completely solved the problem of forecast accuracy, so it will not replace forecasters and numerical forecasting," said Sheng Jie (盛杰). The three will integrate and interconnect, complement each other's advantages, and form a collaborative forecasting system with forecasters as the focus and numerical models and artificial intelligence as the left and right arms.
Artificial intelligence technology is entering a stage of rapid development, which not only shows the great potential to empower the transformation and development of meteorology, but also brings multiple risk governance challenges such as data abuse bias, model defects, and uncontrollable forecast results.
In April of this year, the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局) and the Cyberspace Administration of China (国家网信办) jointly issued the "Measures for Artificial Intelligence Meteorological Application Services," which clearly stated that it is necessary to strengthen the deep integration and application of artificial intelligence with meteorological monitoring and early warning, forecasting and prediction, numerical forecasting and other fields, and at the same time regulate artificial intelligence meteorological application services in accordance with the law.
"The introduction of a series of policy documents puts forward requirements for scientifically responding to the potential risks of artificial intelligence meteorological application services and regulating and guiding the development of artificial intelligence meteorological application services, which will add 'safety fences' to artificial intelligence meteorological application services and promote the benign interaction between high-quality development and high-level security of meteorological applications," said Pan Jinjun (潘进军), Chief Engineer of the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局).
Return to TopAccording to Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京), (Reporter Zhang Manzi (张漫子)) A quantum superconducting diode with a thickness of only 100 nanometers can achieve efficient operation with no energy loss in the liquid nitrogen temperature range, with a rectification efficiency of up to 100% and quantum noise resistance. This achievement, published in "Nature Physics" on November 28, lays an important foundation for the development of a new generation of superconducting electronic devices.
The reporter saw the quantum superconducting diode, which is being prepared with a length and width of tens of micrometers and a thickness of only 100 nanometers, in the high-temperature superconducting laboratory of the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences (北京量子信息科学研究院).
A diode is a common electronic component that rectifies alternating current in a circuit into unidirectional direct current. However, because diodes made of conventional semiconductor materials have resistance, they lose energy due to heat generation during operation. Superconducting materials have zero resistance. Diodes made of superconducting materials, under the action of a specific current intensity and external magnetic field, have "0" and "1" states corresponding to zero-dissipation and dissipative states, respectively. Therefore, the device still has energy consumption in half of the states.
Now, a quantum superconducting diode with stronger performance and lower energy consumption has been successfully developed by Chinese scientists. "It has a brand-new current transmission method: when electrons move inside the quantum superconducting diode, whether in the '0' state or the '1' state, they 'hold hands' in pairs, thereby achieving complete zero dissipation of energy." Zhang Ding (张定), a part-time researcher at the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences (北京量子信息科学研究院) and associate professor in the Department of Physics at Tsinghua University (清华大学), introduced that this feature overcomes the problem of heat generation caused by collisions due to the disordered movement of individual electrons in ordinary superconducting diodes, and improves the device's noise resistance, realizing high-quality signal conversion.
Zhu Yuying (朱玉莹), associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences (北京量子信息科学研究院), said that the team's newly developed low-temperature device preparation technology can also greatly improve the stability and yield of superconducting diodes.
"In quantum computers, superconducting diodes can be used as important components of quantum logic circuits. Completing the filtering of signal noise in a zero-power state can make the input signal 'cleaner'." Zhang Ding (张定) said that previous superconducting diodes needed to work in the liquid helium temperature range (minus 269 degrees Celsius) and required the application of a certain magnetic field; while this new device can function in the liquid nitrogen temperature range (minus 196 degrees Celsius).
Relevant experts believe that this achievement is an important step for superconducting electronic devices to move from the laboratory to industrialization, and provides a new path for developing microwave-band energy-free logic circuits.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 程远州
Not long ago, at the China Spallation Neutron Source (中国散裂中子源) located in Dongguan (东莞), Guangdong (广东), China's first high-energy direct geometry inelastic neutron scattering time-of-flight spectrometer officially completed acceptance and was delivered for use. This large-scale scientific research instrument, jointly developed and constructed by Sun Yat-sen University (中山大学) and the Spallation Neutron Source Science Center (散裂中子源科学中心), is used to observe the structure and dynamics of the microscopic world of matter, filling the gap in China's inelastic neutron scattering above 100 milli-electron volts.
"If we compare conventional scientific instruments to the human eye, then this spectrometer is a 'super camera' that can accurately capture the dynamics of atoms and molecules inside matter on a picosecond (one trillionth of a second) time scale, recording the microscopic processes of atomic and molecular vibration, rotation, and energy transfer," said Liu Xinzhi (刘新智), a member of the construction team and associate professor at the School of Physics, Sun Yat-sen University (中山大学物理学院). "It's like shooting a high-definition 'documentary' of the microscopic world of matter."
How does the "super camera" make the microscopic world appear in such detail? Liu Xinzhi (刘新智) explained that the working principle of this "super camera" is to study the microscopic interactions between atoms that make up matter by measuring the dynamic properties of matter such as spin waves and phonon spectra. Therefore, scientists do not directly observe and image using the instrument, but use the characteristics of neutrons being uncharged and highly penetrating to detect the microscopic movements inside matter—when neutrons undergo "inelastic collisions" with the nuclei or electrons of atoms in matter, the neutrons will change their speed and direction, and these changes can be used to deduce the dynamic information inside matter.
Wang Meng (王猛), Deputy Dean of the School of Physics, Sun Yat-sen University (中山大学物理学院), introduced that this spectrometer can obtain the spatial distribution information and energy changes of neutrons after scattering, measure the dynamic behavior of the microscopic structure of matter in momentum and energy space, determine the correlation strength of magnetic atoms inside materials, and provide a support platform for cutting-edge basic research in physics, chemistry, biology, materials and other disciplines.
"With its unique insight, scientists will further see the previously unseen microscopic world," Wang Meng (王猛) introduced. In the field of high-temperature superconductivity research, this spectrometer can accurately measure spin fluctuations in superconductors and measure the phonon spectral density of superconducting materials, providing key experimental evidence for revealing the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity; in the field of energy materials, this spectrometer can measure the spatial distribution of phonon spectra of thermoelectric materials, providing guidance for designing higher-performance thermoelectric materials; in the field of biomedicine, through neutron scattering technology, scientists can study the movement of biomolecules under conditions closer to the physiological environment, opening up new avenues for new drug development.
The construction process of this major national instrument was particularly difficult. Zheng Yue (郑跃), Vice President of Sun Yat-sen University (中山大学), introduced that in 2017, Sun Yat-sen University (中山大学) and the Institute of High Energy Physics (中国科学院高能物理研究所) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) signed a strategic cooperation agreement. After two years of demonstration and pre-research, it was decided to build China's first high-energy inelastic neutron scattering spectrometer, and construction began in 2019; multiple professional technical teams worked together to independently develop and overcome key components such as neutron choppers and ultra-large vacuum scattering chambers; in January 2023, neutrons were successfully output on the spectrometer, and then the spectrometer entered the beam commissioning stage, and in the same year, the phonon spectrum of the standard sample vanadium was measured, and the first inelastic scattering signal was collected.
Wang Meng (王猛) introduced that after more than two years of debugging, all indicators of this "super camera" have reached the international leading level. The collaborative work of the Fermi chopper and the bandwidth chopper can realize the rapid switching between multi-wavelength mode and single-wavelength mode; the high and low temperature environment and magnetic field environment provided by the spectrometer can cover most of the inelastic neutron scattering experimental scenarios.
This "super camera" will be open to domestic and foreign researchers, serving national strategic needs and cultivating first-class professional talents. Currently, the construction team has launched the development of a multi-field coupling loading analysis module for spectrometer samples, and the project has received support from the National Major Scientific Instrument Development Program.
Return to TopLayout Design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)
Return to TopBy: 李 越
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Palace Museum (故宫博物院), the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园) has been reopened to the public.
This garden was built by the Qianlong Emperor (乾隆皇帝) as an ideal residence for his later years, and is therefore known as the "Qianlong Garden." Although the garden is small, it is ingeniously designed. It is divided into four courtyards from south to north, with 27 buildings of different styles, integrating the essence of northern and southern garden art, and combining literati elegance with royal grandeur. It has an important position in the history of classical gardens in China and even the world.
In 2000, the Palace Museum (故宫博物院) and the World Monuments Fund jointly launched the restoration project of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园), which has lasted for 25 years. Seventeen years ago, I was fortunate enough to join this project and forge a deep relationship with this special garden. In my opinion, the preciousness of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园) lies mainly in its authenticity—it completely preserves the architecture and interior decoration craftsmanship of the mid-Qing Dynasty.
Precious materials, rare craftsmanship, and complex environment bring great challenges to the protection work, but also bring us many surprises. A large amount of precious historical information gradually surfaced during the investigation, protection, and restoration process. It can be said that the process of protection and restoration is the process of us re-understanding the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园).
Interior decoration is a major highlight of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园), and also the focus and difficulty of protection and restoration. Dotting shells, cloisonné enamel, lacquered gauze, bamboo filament inlay, bamboo veneer carving, double-sided embroidery... the crafts widely used in utensils and furniture at that time were creatively introduced into the field of architecture, and supplemented with precious materials such as gold, silver, jade, and rosewood.
The Guhua Xuan (古华轩) is the main building in the first courtyard of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园). It is transparent inside and outside, and has no doors or windows on all sides. The floor-to-ceiling screens installed between the golden pillars are fully decorated with black lacquer and gold tracing. This expensive and complicated craft is usually used indoors. The complex open environment makes the preservation of the black lacquer and gold-traced floor-to-ceiling screens of Guhua Xuan (古华轩) very poor, and about 90% have already "lost their original form." The traces on the cultural relics also show that these floor-to-ceiling screens have undergone many repairs since they were built. Therefore, we chose to reinforce the original floor-to-ceiling screens and send them to the warehouse for protection, and installed replicas made of original materials, original craftsmanship, and original methods in Guhua Xuan (古华轩) to show the audience its exquisite appearance in those years.
The bamboo filament inlay technique comes from southern China. It is to inlay complex patterns on the surface of wooden or bamboo tires with bamboo filaments. On the hanging eaves, kang edge panels, and floor-to-ceiling screens of Juanqin Zhai (倦勤斋), Fuwang Pavilion (符望阁), and Yanqu Tower (延趣楼), bamboo filaments with a diameter of only half a millimeter are dyed into different colors such as black, brown, and red, and various geometric patterns are pieced together. It is a rare example of the application of bamboo filament inlay technology in northern architecture.
The most memorable thing is the lacquered gauze of Fuwang Pavilion (符望阁). Lacquered gauze is a fabric made by applying lacquer on gauze, which was often used to make crowns and hats in ancient times. However, in Fuwang Pavilion (符望阁), lacquered gauze is used on the floor-to-ceiling screens, forming an effect similar to today's screens. The lacquered gauze of Fuwang Pavilion (符望阁) is double-sided, and gorgeous patterns of gold and silver are painted on the surface of the gold gauze. This practice is the only known example in the world, and its process is not documented in literature.
After more than 200 years, the silk protein has become brittle and easily breaks when touched, making restoration extremely difficult. What to do? The staff tried to restore the lacquered gauze technique. Through scientific testing and analysis, we found that the structure of the lacquered gauze of Fuwang Pavilion (符望阁) should be to apply lacquer on the gauze, then cover it with gold foil, and then pile up patterns with paper, lacquer, gold powder, and pigments. The materials are superimposed layer by layer, and the process has as many as 23 layers, but the overall thickness is only 2-3 mm. The development of handicrafts at that time can be seen.
The Qianlong Emperor (乾隆皇帝) went to Jiangnan six times in his life. When the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园) was first built, he had already gone to Jiangnan four times, and court painters and the Yangshi Lei (样式雷) family accompanied him each time. He asked the painters to record the fragments of gardens, buildings, and interior decorations that he liked, and finally gathered them little by little into the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园). According to archives, the interior decoration components of 4 buildings in the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园) were completed in Jiangnan. Because the climate in the north is dry, some components cracked when they were transported to the palace, and repairs were carried out immediately.
More than 200 years later, in order to restore these cultural relics, the project team also went to Jiangnan many times to find masters. The backing paper used for the through-view painting mounting in Juanqin Zhai (倦勤斋) is a kind of mulberry paper, which is no longer produced in the market, and the technology has been lost. After a long search, we finally found a craftsman in Anhui who could make mulberry paper, and after repeated experiments and comparisons, we finally produced repair paper that met the requirements in terms of fiber ratio, compactness, and folding resistance. For projects such as bamboo filament inlay and double-sided embroidery, we found skilled inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, and jointly researched and discussed with them, and conducted relevant training on cultural relic restoration for them. It can be said that behind almost every cultural relic, there are many experts from different fields working together. After conducting a comprehensive investigation and in-depth research on the historical information, disease status, and uses of the cultural relics, a protection plan is carefully formulated and restoration work is carried out.
25 years have passed, and the renovation of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园) is still in progress. Only the first two courtyards are open to the public this time.
In fact, the protection and restoration of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园) is more than just 25 years? Since the establishment of the Palace Museum (故宫博物院), professionals have been organized in different eras to conduct multiple systematic surveys of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园); as early as 1949 to 1950, a restoration was carried out on the south and north sides of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园) in two sections.
In the theme exhibition "The Ingenuity of Heaven - The History and Protection of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity" in Suichu Hall (遂初堂) and the east and west side halls, colored survey drawings of the interior decoration of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园) drawn by color painting masters He Wenkui (何文奎) and Zhang Decai (张德才) in the 1950s are exhibited. The shape and size of each building and interior decoration are faithfully recorded, becoming an important reference for the research and restoration of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园).
A set of exquisite hot samples is also displayed in the exhibition hall, allowing the audience to feel the overall spatial structure of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园). This is what we organized more than 40 volunteers to complete in a year and a half. In 2019, staff members accidentally discovered several hot sample fragments inside the wall paper on the second floor of Cuishang Tower (萃赏楼) in the third courtyard. In those days, they should have been brought to the Cuishang Tower (萃赏楼) site to guide the construction. After the construction was completed, they were discarded and filled into the wall paper. These fragments are the earliest known surviving hot samples, and also the only Qianlong (乾隆) period hot samples preserved to this day. After comparing with the actual buildings, we determined that the scale of the hot samples was 1:66, which is what was called "one inch five points sample" in the Qing Dynasty. The Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园) hot sample on display today is restored and made according to this ratio. This is a tribute from us, as ancient building practitioners, to the world's "earliest hot sample."
The story of the protection and restoration of the Garden of the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity (宁寿宫花园) continues. We will awaken the sleeping brilliance with the piety for cultural relics and restoration techniques.
(The author is a senior engineer in the Ancient Architecture Department of the Palace Museum (故宫博物院). This report was compiled and edited by Zhou Feiya (周飞亚), a reporter from this newspaper.)
Return to TopBy: 郑子良
The predecessor of the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (中国文化遗产研究院) was the Old Capital Antiquities Sorting Committee (旧都文物整理委员会) and the Beiping Antiquities Sorting Implementation Office (北平文物整理实施事务处), established in 1935. This was also China's first official institution engaged in the protection and research of ancient architecture and historical sites.
For 90 years, through trials and hardships, along with the development of China's social economy, the research field of the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (中国文化遗产研究院) has expanded from the initial protection and restoration of ancient architecture to all aspects of cultural relic protection. The dedication and commitment, wisdom and sentiment of generations of cultural relic workers reflect the thriving development of China's cultural relic protection cause.
After the founding of New China, the Beiping Antiquities Sorting Committee (北平文物整理委员会) was reorganized and placed under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture (文化部). Prior to this, they continuously carried out the sorting and restoration of Beijing's cultural relics and historical sites, completing nearly a hundred projects, covering major palaces, altars and temples, monasteries, gardens, city walls and towers, and memorial archways, accumulating rich experience. After becoming a national specialized institution engaged in the research of ancient architecture restoration and protection, the staff closely cooperated with national economic construction and carried out research on key cultural relics and historical sites throughout the country. In 1951, Zhao Zhengzhi (赵正之), Mo Zongjiang (莫宗江), Su Bai (宿白), Yu Mingqian (余鸣谦) and others went to Dunhuang (敦煌) to carry out exploration work, marking the beginning of China's scientific protection of grottoes. The restoration and protection projects of dozens of important ancient buildings, such as the Puning Temple (普宁寺) of the Chengde Outer Eight Temples (承德外八庙) and the relocation of the Yongle Palace (永乐宫), are inseparable from the meticulous efforts of the predecessors. In particular, the four national ancient architecture training courses held since 1952 have trained more than 120 students, injecting lasting vitality into the protection of ancient architecture in New China.
In 1962, the Institute of Cultural Relics and Museology (文物博物馆研究所) of the Ministry of Culture (文化部) was established, and specialized laboratories for polymer materials, metal cultural relics, paper, and unearthed textiles were successively built, becoming an important base for national cultural relic science and technology protection. In 1974, in order to sort out important unearthed documents such as the Shuihudi Qin bamboo slips (睡虎地秦简) and the Mawangdui silk manuscripts (马王堆帛书), scholars such as Tang Lan (唐兰), Zhang Zhenglang (张政烺), Gu Tiefu (顾铁符), Rong Geng (容庚), and Shang Chengzuo (商承祚) gathered at Peking University Red Building (北大红楼), pioneering the systematic sorting and research of unearthed documents. In 1978, the Ancient Literature Research Office (古文献研究室) of the Ministry of Culture (文化部) was established, presiding over the sorting and research projects of Qin and Han bamboo slips from Yinqueshan (银雀山), Zhangjiashan (张家山), and Shuihudi (睡虎地), as well as Turpan documents (吐鲁番文书).
After the reform and opening up, major archaeological discoveries emerged one after another, and the protection of cultural relics became more important, and interdisciplinary cooperation developed rapidly. In August 1990, the Institute of Scientific and Technological Research for the Protection of Cultural Relics (文物保护科学技术研究所) and the Ancient Literature Research Office (古文献研究室) were merged into the China Institute of Cultural Relics (中国文物研究所) (renamed the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (中国文化遗产研究院) in August 2007), and successively completed the protection projects of the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves (克孜尔千佛洞) in Xinjiang (新疆), ancient buildings and murals in Ali (阿里), Tibet (西藏), and the Dule Temple (独乐寺) in Jixian County (蓟县) (now Jizhou District (蓟州区)), Tianjin (天津).
Over the years, the institute participated in and presided over the planning of cultural relic protection in the Three Gorges Dam (三峡) inundation area and relocation area, archaeological surveys, surveying and mapping of ground cultural relics and historical sites, and design of stone cultural relic protection plans, successfully completing various tasks and making outstanding contributions to the smooth advancement of the Three Gorges Project (三峡工程).
During the Wenchuan earthquake (汶川地震) and Yushu earthquake (玉树地震), the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (中国文化遗产研究院) rushed to the front line of earthquake relief at the first time, completing a number of emergency repair projects such as the Qiqushan Great Temple (七曲山大庙), protecting the continuous flow of thousands of years of cultural heritage.
Protection and research of the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (应县木塔), protection and restoration of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin statue (千手观音造像) in Dazu Rock Carvings (大足石刻), protection and restoration of murals in Kumutula Grottoes (库木吐喇石窟) in Xinjiang (新疆), compilation of the overall plan for the protection and management of the Grand Canal (大运河) heritage, protection and restoration of cultural relics (ancient books and documents) in the Potala Palace (布达拉宫) in Tibet (西藏), rescue excavation of the "Nanao No. 1" (南澳Ⅰ号) Ming Dynasty shipwreck... Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (中国文化遗产研究院) has adapted to the new requirements of the new era for cultural relic protection, adhered to integrity and innovation, and undertaken and completed a large number of important projects. The implementation of national key research and development projects such as "Research on Natural Disaster Risk Assessment and Emergency Response of Immovable Cultural Relics," "Research on Stability Prediction and Reinforcement Technology of Grotto Temple Rock Mass," and "Key Technologies and Application Demonstration of Palm-leaf Manuscript Protection and Restoration" has promoted scientific and technological cooperation and exchange.
As the main force of the Chinese government's foreign aid cultural relic protection work, the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (中国文化遗产研究院) has successively implemented projects such as the protection and restoration of the Angkor monuments (吴哥古迹) in Cambodia (柬埔寨), the restoration of historical and cultural sites in Khorezm Region (花剌子模州) of Uzbekistan (乌兹别克斯坦), and the restoration of the Nine-Story Temple (九层神庙) in Kathmandu Durbar Square (加德满都杜巴广场) in Nepal (尼泊尔), demonstrating the image of a major country in cultural relic protection and promoting the international academic community's understanding of China's cultural relic protection concepts and methods.
The new journey urgently needs new responsibilities. The Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (中国文化遗产研究院) will adhere to the new era's requirements for cultural relic work of "protection first, strengthening management, exploring value, effective utilization, and bringing cultural relics to life," inherit the spirit of the older generation of "choosing one career and dedicating one's life to it" 择一业，终一生 (zé yī yè, zhōng yī shēng - "choose one profession, end one's life," to dedicate oneself to a chosen career for life), and take the opportunity of promoting the construction of the National Cultural Heritage Science and Technology Innovation Center to make new contributions to the high-quality development of the cultural relic protection cause.
(Author's unit: Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage (中国文化遗产研究院))
Return to TopBy: 丁一峰
"A little clarity is worth a fortune," in the long river of Chinese civilization, lamps are not only objects for illumination, but also carry the sentiments and poetic feelings of the ancients. From the bustling scenes of the Lantern Festival to the faint, flowing light of a solitary boat's fishing fire; from the lonely lamp in a cold night's inn to the flickering candlelight deep within the palace walls—the light and darkness of lamps fully contain the myriad aspects of human life. The sheep horn lantern (羊角灯), also known as "Mingjiao Lantern" (明角灯), stands out with its use of sheep horn as material, its lampshade being thin, transparent, and bright, fully displaying the ingenuity of the craftsman. The *欽定大清會典* (Qinding Daqing Huidian - Imperially Endorsed Collected Statutes of the Qing Dynasty) and *Dream of the Red Chamber* (红楼梦) and other ancient books contain detailed records of its production process, uses, and wonderful features. Due to the complex process and high cost, sheep horn lanterns in the old days were mostly kept in royal palaces and noble residences, and ordinary people could only see their elegance during the dragon lantern dance on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
In August 2017, in order to restore a pair of Qing Dynasty "glazed lanterns," staff from a certain museum searched and found Zhang Fangquan (张方权), the fourth-generation inheritor of the sheep horn lantern making technique, in Jianlu Village (箭路村), Datang Street (大唐街道), Zhuji City (诸暨市), Zhejiang Province (浙江).
When this special "test question" was placed before Zhang Fangquan (张方权), who knew the characteristics of sheep horns like the back of his hand, he smiled calmly and replied with certainty: "This is not a glazed lantern, it is a sheep horn lantern!" After examining the photos of the damaged lanterns, he pointed out the key point in one sentence: "The damage is at the bottom of the lamp, the area is not large, and it can be repaired."
Seeing is believing. Zhang Fangquan (张方权) demonstrated the entire process of repairing the damaged lantern on the spot. He took a damaged lantern, cut off the inner edge of the lamp holder, took a piece of planed and flattened sheep horn sheet and attached it to the hole, then used heated fire tongs to tightly bond the sheet to the lamp wall, scraped the overlapping parts inside and out, then ironed it flat with a soldering iron, and finally carefully polished it until the lamp body was crystal clear and the seams were seamless. The staff then took out calipers and measured the thickness of the newly repaired lampshade and the original lampshade in the display cabinet, and the results were both 0.5 mm. Everyone gave a thumbs up in unison.
Born in August 1966, Zhang Fangquan (张方权) began learning sheep horn lantern making from his father at the age of 13. All seven brothers in the family had learned the technique, but in the end, he was the only one who mastered the complete set of skills. Making a sheep horn lantern requires more than 30 precise steps: selecting high-quality large white pure goat horns, soaking them to remove the bones and sawing them in half, placing them between heated iron plates to press them flat and straight, and then planing them until they are as thin as cicada wings; then, lifting heavy fire tongs weighing more than 10 kilograms, piecing together the sheep horn pieces one by one, shaping them, and finely grinding them, and then going through steps such as bonding, shaping, and coloring, before a delicate and exquisite treasure can be created. The heavy fire tongs that ordinary people can hardly lift are as free and easy as holding a paintbrush in the hands of Zhang Fangquan (张方权), who has extraordinary arm strength. Even in the hot summer, he can wave them continuously for several hours, which is a hard skill honed over decades. He once mentioned to the author: "In ancient times, it took three people working together to make a sheep horn lantern." This shows how labor-intensive it is.
"I can't let the ancestral craftsmanship be cut off in my hands," this belief has supported Zhang Fangquan's (张方权) decades of perseverance. Today, the sheep horn lantern making technique has been selected into the intangible cultural heritage lists of Zhuji (诸暨) and Shaoxing (绍兴) cities. Students often come to his studio to experience the charm of traditional craftsmanship in a day of practice and cultivate a sense of cultural inheritance.
According to ancient literature records, sheep horn lanterns were popular in Kunming (昆明), Nanjing (南京) and other places with different production techniques: Kunming (昆明) used sheep horn sheets to be molded, and Nanjing (南京) used the cooking and stretching method. Zhang Fangquan's (张方权) technique is unique, with "purely handmade splicing without molds" and "seamless bonding with hot melting" as the core. Standing at 1.9 meters tall, his hands are covered with calluses, but he can use his sense of touch and experience to master millimeter-level precision work.
Zhang Fangquan (张方权) frankly said, "Now as long as someone is willing to learn, I am willing to teach." From a teenager to nearly sixty years old, from learning the craft to make a living to guarding the craft for inheritance, this lamp carrying ancient charm illuminates the road to the future.
Return to TopBy: 刘 影 郭 嘉
For a long time, knowledge of oracle bone script was limited to academic research in ivory towers, and oracle bones were merely silent exhibits in museum showcases. Those inscribed characters bearing the historical and civilizational lineage were ancient and unfamiliar symbols in the eyes of the public. As China's earliest systematic writing system, oracle bone script is the root of outstanding Chinese traditional culture. Its dissemination and popularization need to be deeply integrated with daily life, making it a vivid "living entity" that the public can touch and feel.
Looking back at the development history of Chinese characters, oracle bone script is regarded as the "childhood" of writing. Therefore, the creative communication of oracle bone script for preschool children is vividly called "childhood meets childhood." Relying on the "Ancient Characters and Chinese Civilization Inheritance and Development Project," Capital Normal University (首都师范大学) held the "Childhood Meets Childhood" Oracle Bone Script Creative Communication Competition. Contestants came from Tsinghua University (清华大学), Communication University of China (中国传媒大学), Shandong University (山东大学), Henan Normal University (河南师范大学), and other universities. The competition has opened up a new way for the public communication and popularization of oracle bone script. For the popularization of oracle bone script knowledge among preschool children, we adhere to "teaching without words," hoping that oracle bone script, as a kind of "picture," will naturally integrate into children's daily life, become a beautiful memory accompanying their growth, and quietly plant a seed in their hearts.
The continuous iteration and updating of artificial intelligence technology has become the key to achieving new breakthroughs in the public communication of oracle bone script. The theme of the 4th "Childhood Meets Childhood" Oracle Bone Script Creative Communication Competition was "Using AIGC (Artificial Intelligence Generated Content) Technology to Assist in the Creation of Oracle Bone Script Cultural Film and Animation Works." The works vividly reproduced historical stories, social life scenes, and oracle bone divination culture of the Shang Dynasty, allowing oracle bone characters and the historical culture they carry to approach children in a more vivid way.
The winning work "Bone Language" is based on "Fu Hao" (妇好), the consort of King Wu Ding (武丁) of the Shang Dynasty, vividly recreating her life of military service, her love story with Wu Ding, and her passing away. "Sacrifice and Disaster" was inspired by the inscription on the "Zai Feng" (宰丰) bone spatula, depicting the scene of the Shang king hunting rhinoceros and slaughtering them for sacrifice, showcasing the social life and cultural customs of the time. "Oracle Bone Script Breeze" focuses on the famous "Four Directions Wind Names" oracle bones, using the "pantheon" inscriptions in oracle bone script to reproduce the Shang people's understanding of astronomy and meteorology and their worship of the gods of the four directions. "White Horse Divination" highlights the Shang people's aesthetic concept of "respecting white" through the story of Shang people divining whether a mare would give birth to a white foal... These works prove that using modern digital means to popularize oracle bone script can convey richer connotations and is more efficient.
In addition, taking advantage of the competition, we also used cutting-edge technologies such as AIGC, VR (Virtual Reality), and AR (Augmented Reality) to incubate stage plays for children such as "The Rubbing" (拓), "Xuan Bird" (玄鸟), and "The Adventures of Oracle Bones" (甲骨奇遇记). The actors include both "big friends" from institutions such as the Central Academy of Drama (中央戏剧学院) and Beijing Dance Academy (北京舞蹈学院), as well as "little friends" from schools such as the Kindergarten of Capital Normal University (首都师范大学幼儿园) and Haidian Experimental Primary School (海淀实验小学). These performances have been staged many times at venues such as the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center (北京天桥艺术中心), Meihousishi Jingshan Community Cultural Center (美后肆时景山市民文化中心), and "Langyuan Park" ("郎园Park"), and have been selected for projects such as the "Gulou West Theater University Troupe Public Welfare Performance" and the "Zhongguancun Children's Performance Season."
After each performance, you can see parents and children surrounding the stage, reluctant to leave. Children hold props of oracle bone characters such as "mountain" (山), "fire" (火), "water" (水), and "wood" (木), piecing together mazes, and constantly asking: "What character is that in oracle bone script?" "What character is that one behind?" "Why is that oracle bone character 'difficult' (艰)?"... It can be seen that these performances have greatly narrowed the distance between oracle bone script and ordinary citizens, especially children. This is precisely the embodiment of the vitality of oracle bone script.
Of course, academic research is the solid foundation of the public communication of oracle bone script. With accurate knowledge of oracle bone script and constantly deepening academic research, we can continuously deliver high-quality popularization content and promote the public's understanding of oracle bone script from the surface to the deep. Since the discovery of oracle bone script in 1899, the academic community has conducted more than a hundred years of in-depth research and achieved fruitful results. Older generations of scholars have already set a good example in effectively conveying these academic achievements to the public. In recent years, there have been more popular works. Mr. Huang Dekuan's (黄德宽) "The Amazing Chinese Characters" (了不起的汉字), Mr. Li Shoukui's (李守奎) "Why Chinese Characters Are So Beautiful" (汉字为什么这么美), and Mr. Ge Liang's (葛亮) "Rediscovering Chinese Characters: From Old Knowledge to New Knowledge" (汉字再发现：从旧识到新知) are all excellent works that combine academic rigor and entertainment. The book "Essence Annotation and Translation of Yin Ruins Oracle Bones" translates oracle bone script into modern vernacular Chinese while presenting the latest research progress in oracle bone studies, striving to promote oracle bone script to penetrate deeply into people's hearts.
Today, oracle bone script is no longer a cold and obscure academic symbol, but a vivid cultural symbol active in the public eye. Outstanding Chinese traditional culture is quietly nourishing generations with a 润物细无声 (rùn wù xì wú shēng - "moistening things silently," to influence subtly without being noticed) approach.
(Author's Affiliation: School of Literature, Capital Normal University (首都师范大学文学院))
Return to TopBy: 司志文 赵芮禾
The archaeological excavation of the Haihunhou Tomb (海昏侯墓) began in 2015 with the main burial chamber. Due to factors such as early looting, underground burial conditions, and the natural degradation of textiles, the vast majority of textile artifacts were not suitable for further unveiling. After preliminary on-site cleaning and protection, we discovered that the funerary textile artifacts can be roughly divided into five categories, including lacquered gauze (漆纚纱), silk-ground colored embroidery (绢地彩绣), warp-knitted bands (经编组带), square-hole gauze (方孔纱), and plain-weave silk (平纹绢). After being wrapped in tomb silt for thousands of years, they have long lost their original colors, leaving only the silk luster in the silt, silently telling the story of their past splendor.
Like most organic artifacts, the extraction of silk fabrics is a race against time. Xinjian District (新建区) of Nanchang (南昌) is located on the west bank of the lower reaches of the Gan River (赣江), south of Poyang Lake (鄱阳湖), with an average altitude of only 50 meters and a network of waterways. Although the construction of the Haihunhou Tomb (海昏侯墓) was chosen on a small hill, the entire tomb is in a state of extreme water saturation all year round due to the abundant groundwater reserves. The inner coffin chamber itself accumulated a large amount of silt, and new sediment was brought in from early盗洞 (dào dòng - "robber's holes"), mixed with the continuous soaking of water. The archaeological team built a temporary emergency protection studio at the entrance of the tomb chamber, providing the necessary hardware facilities for the extraction of all artifacts. As it was the height of summer at that time, in order to ensure the smooth extraction of textile artifacts, all staff involved in the cleaning worked together to clean up the surrounding artifacts of the discovered textiles as much as possible according to their relative stratigraphic relationship, and then took the textile artifacts together as quickly as possible to avoid the high-temperature, high-humidity, and oxygen-rich environment accelerating the deterioration of the fabrics.
Before extraction, we first used a high-polymer sponge to absorb excess moisture from the surface of the fabric, and used the smooth side of cotton paper facing down to protect the weak areas of the fabric. Then, we used a rounded, flat, and slightly curved thin bamboo stick to insert obliquely into the silt along the bottom edge of the fabric to separate the artifact. After several bamboo sticks were inserted, and the fabric and mud stains had a rare "breathing" space, a pre-cut polyvinyl chloride backing board was inserted along the bottom of the bamboo sticks, spraying water on the surface of the backing board as a separation layer while inserting. In this way, the insertion of each layer of backing board caused the bottom of the fabric to be stressed by overlapping, and finally, a whole backing board of suitable size was inserted, so that the fabric could be completely transferred to the backing board.
After being extracted to the cultural relics conservation studio, decay, silt, microorganisms... all diseases still tightly wrapped the textile artifacts. Emergency cleaning is to remove the pollutants that are most likely to aggravate the diseases of the artifacts, so that they can wait for subsequent restoration research in a relatively stable environment.
Taking the lacquered gauze (漆纱) unearthed from the tomb as an example, when it appeared on the studio table, it looked like a pile of mud lumps mixed with various colors, and it was even impossible to judge the thickness of the silt layer with the naked eye. We had to constantly re-moisten the artifact with an atomizing sprayer, and then use a brush to dab the mud on the surface of the artifact little by little. This simple process alone required a long and repetitive process day after day, until the silt was gone, and each piece of broken lacquered gauze reflected the luster of the lacquer from 2,000 years ago under the laboratory lights.
China is one of the first countries in the world to use lacquer. The base used in raw lacquer is mainly wood and bamboo. Lacquered gauze (漆纱), on the other hand, uses silk as the base, and was also known as lacquered silk gauze (漆纚纱) during the Han Dynasty. The original meaning of "纚 (lǐ)" is a silk fabric for tying hair. This silk fabric is coated with highly fluid lacquer, forming a hard shell, which turns the soft silk fabric into a shaped and stiff hair crown. Because it had to be placed outside the hair bun, the lacquered gauze (漆纱) had to be breathable. Therefore, people controlled the reed teeth on the loom during the weaving process to form holes of different densities, so as to achieve the effect of breathability.
Through super-depth-of-field microscopy, we found that the batch of lacquered gauze (漆纱) unearthed from the Haihunhou Tomb (海昏侯墓) has three different specifications, with fabric densities of 5×6 meshes/square centimeter, 10×12 meshes/square centimeter, and 18×29 meshes/square centimeter, respectively. Among them, the highest density far exceeds other lacquered gauze (漆纱) unearthed from other Han tombs of the same period, and is currently the Han Dynasty lacquered gauze (漆纱) artifact with the highest density unearthed archaeologically. The thickness of the lacquer layer on the surface of the lacquered gauze (漆纱) is about 0.1 mm. Under the strong light of the microscope, it is even possible to observe the remaining internal fabric fibers through the lacquer layer. It can be said that the lacquered gauze (漆纱) from the Haihunhou Tomb (海昏侯墓) is the crown of unearthed lacquered gauze (漆纱) with its woven fabric density and the fineness of a single silk thread, combined with mature lacquer modulation technology and lacquer application skills.
The archaeological cleaning and protection of the Haihunhou Tomb (海昏侯墓) site has received great attention. The National Cultural Heritage Administration (国家文物局) organized a team of six experts to guide every specific excavation work on site, including the late textile archaeologist Wang Yarong (王亚蓉) who guided the excavation and protection of textiles. In the complex tomb environment, the fabrics, which were already decayed and difficult to distinguish, were mixed with other artifacts, pulling, squeezing, twisting, and tearing each other... Those fragments are like pieces of forgotten letters in history, the handwriting is blurred, and the paper is brittle, waiting for us, who are engaged in textile archaeology, to become its last cross-temporal recipients.
Ten years have passed, and the textile artifacts unearthed from the Haihunhou Tomb (海昏侯墓) are still in the stage of restoration and protection, and our research work will continue. The culture conveyed between these warp and weft threads is being revitalized.
Return to TopThis edition's email: ysbjs@peopledaily.cn
Layout design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)
By: 叶兆言
Although my "Place of Origin" column has always been filled in as Suzhou (苏州), I didn't truly understand it until quite late. My first visit to Suzhou (苏州) was because my girlfriend was there; I was already in university at that time, in 1979. My impression of Suzhou (苏州) was of a small city with bridges and flowing water. There were few buildings, not many people in the parks, and the alleys were paved with cobblestones, ancient, dilapidated, and very quiet.
Becoming a son-in-law of Suzhou (苏州), with my grandfather buried in Luzhi (甪直), and with transportation becoming so convenient, I had many opportunities to visit Suzhou (苏州). Some Suzhou (苏州) people have a kind of inappropriate arrogance in their speech. Listening to native Suzhou (苏州) city dwellers chatting, when they talked about the Industrial Park, they said it was just "country folk" and "outsiders" from Wuxian (吴县) doing a big business. In fact, historically, Suzhou (苏州) and Wuxian (吴县) were basically the same thing. When my grandfather filled in his place of origin, he usually wrote Wuxian (吴县). The distinction between urban and rural areas came after 1949 and before the reform and opening up. City dwellers had urban household registrations, and rural people had rural household registrations, so city dwellers inevitably looked down on rural people. But the farmers of Wuxian (吴县) were particularly capable. The township enterprises of the Southern Jiangsu Model created a dazzling economic miracle in just a few years. This economic miracle laid a very solid foundation for the start of the Industrial Park.
Historically, Suzhou (苏州) has always been good at seizing opportunities. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the city of Suzhou (苏州) was almost completely destroyed by war, and then rebuilt. Later, the prefect Li Shoupeng (李寿朋) presided over the engraving of a map called "Pingjiang Map" (《平江图》), which showed the orderly and effective urban planning of the repaired city of Suzhou (苏州). Since then, Suzhou (苏州) has been characterized by streets in front and rivers in the back, with bridges and flowing water everywhere, becoming a beautiful city that people talk about with great interest. Today, to truly understand Suzhou (苏州), in addition to seeing the ancient city and experiencing the large and small private gardens, you must also step out of the ancient city and go to Jinji Lake (金鸡湖) in the east to experience the Industrial Park.
The best place to experience the new Suzhou (苏州) is undoubtedly the "Right Bank Living Room" on the shore of Jinji Lake (金鸡湖). The Right Bank Living Room is an art space located in the Suzhou Industrial Park (苏州工业园区). Standing here, facing the picturesque scenery, any precise words seem pale and powerless. The Right Bank Living Room has a bit of a foreign flavor, but it is absolutely Chinese in character. It reminds one of the Seine in Paris, where the right bank has many boutique shops and luxury hotels, and the left bank is the aspiration of artists. The right bank of Jinji Lake (金鸡湖) has both the advantages of the two banks of the Seine. However, the four characters "Right Bank Living Room" (右岸客厅) are almost impossible to pronounce in Suzhou dialect. Its pronunciation is clearly difficult for the Wu language. Yet it is the "most Suzhou" city name card, reflecting both the modern urban landscape of this ancient city and the most fashionable artistic atmosphere.
The Right Bank Living Room of Jinji Lake (金鸡湖) faces the new Suzhou (苏州), which is an excellent model of urbanization. The simplest and most effective way to protect the ancient city is to build a new city outside the ancient city. Like all ancient cities, Suzhou's (苏州) urban transformation has had its lessons. For example, "renovating" the tops of buildings by adding disproportionate residential eaves. Another example is filling in many rivers, blocking the flow of water. In fact, without the grand vision of the Industrial Park, and by simply relying on its past glory, staying within the confines of private gardens, 螺蛳壳里做道场 (luó sī ké lǐ zuò dào cháng - "performing rituals in a snail shell," to do something grand in a limited space), it would not be possible to have such a powerful Suzhou (苏州) today.
The development model of rebuilding a new city and establishing new economic development zones can be said to be blooming everywhere in China. But there are probably not many that are as brilliant as the Suzhou Industrial Park (苏州工业园区). In the Right Bank Living Room of Jinji Lake (金鸡湖), looking back on the past and remembering the present, it is easy to feel a bright future. As an observer, an outsider who often has the opportunity to wander along the Jinji Lake (金鸡湖), I no longer see any traditional industry here, but rather the continuous upgrading of industries, green and low-carbon development, high-rise buildings, and prosperity.
Being able to seize opportunities and withstand storms is all related to Suzhou's (苏州) profound cultural accumulation. Where there is culture, there is often a good economy, and a good economy makes the place even more cultured. Economic and cultural development go hand in hand, helping each other, and this is the secret to the success of the new Suzhou (苏州).
In the process of development, the Industrial Park has not encountered difficulties; every difficulty is real, but the Suzhou Industrial Park (苏州工业园区) has stubbornly survived.
In my opinion, no matter how the world changes, Suzhou's (苏州) culture is always the greatest confidence for Suzhou's (苏州) development.
Return to TopBy: 李建永
This year, during the peak blooming season of peonies, I went to Heze (菏泽), Shandong (山东) to admire the flowers. Passing through Chengwu County (成武县), a local friend told me many stories about Chengwu's traditional customs, famous scenic spots, and historical figures. My friend said that Chengwu is the "hometown of Bo Le (伯乐)." I said, wasn't Bo Le (伯乐) in the Qin state? My friend smiled and said that Bo Le's (伯乐) real name was Sun Yang (孙阳), courtesy name Ziliang (子良), and he was a native of the ancient Gao state (郜国) during the Spring and Autumn period, which is today's Chengwu (成武), Shandong (山东). Although Sun Yang's (孙阳) hometown was here, he yearned for "poetry and distant places," and like Han Fei (韩非), the prince of Han, and Li Si (李斯) from Chu, he went to the Qin state to become a "Qin drifter."
My friend said that because Han Yu's (韩愈), a great writer of the Tang Dynasty, essay "On Horses" praised "Thousand-li horses are common, but Bo Le (伯乐) is not," Bo Le's (伯乐) name has been praised for thousands of years and is a household name. I said that Han Ying's (韩婴) "Han Shi Wai Zhuan" of the Han Dynasty before Han Yu (韩愈) also said, "If a Ji horse does not have Bo Le (伯乐), how can it have the feet to travel a thousand li?" Today, talking about Bo Le (伯乐) and the thousand-li horse is mostly a metaphor for talent. As "On Horses" says, even if a thousand-li horse "has the ability to travel a thousand li, it is not fed enough, its strength is insufficient, its talents and beauty are not revealed, and it cannot even be compared with ordinary horses, how can it be expected to travel a thousand li?" It is precisely because of Bo Le (伯乐) that the thousand-li horse is discovered, appreciated, cared for, and cultivated, that the thousand-li horse will "reveal its talents and beauty," gallop and make outstanding contributions to society. Bo Le (伯乐) is the converter of the thousand-li horse from initial potential to the realization of talent, which is precisely the value of Bo Le (伯乐) in the long history and even in today's society.
A thousand-li horse is "run" out of practice. Whether it is a thousand-li horse or not can be known by pulling it out for a walk and a run. Those who shout "there are no horses in the world" may be truly ignorant of horses, but sometimes it cannot be ruled out that they deliberately "manipulate" and create obstacles, forcing the thousand-li horse to "jump ship" and choose another Bo Le (伯乐). But a true thousand-li horse is hard to be buried forever. The Analects of Confucius·Zi Lu (论语·子路) says: "Zhong Gong (仲弓) was the steward of the Ji family (季氏), and asked about government. Confucius said: 'First, appoint officials, pardon small faults, and promote virtuous talents.' He said: 'How can we know virtuous talents and promote them?' Confucius said: 'Promote those you know. If you don't know them, will others abandon them?'" A true thousand-li horse, if you don't recognize and use it, others will never "miss" it. It can be seen that thousand-li horses are common, and Bo Le (伯乐) is also always present. You and I have the opportunity to become Bo Le (伯乐), and the key is to maintain a pair of discerning eyes.
Of course, the Bo Le (伯乐) I said is "always present" not only refers to those who can promote thousand-li horses that can "travel a thousand li a day and eight hundred li at night," but also includes those who can discover and cultivate good horses that can travel six or seven hundred li a day. I once heard a friend from a newspaper say that there was a young reporter in their newspaper who had been in a certain department for several years and could never write good articles, and he was a little discouraged. Later, by chance, he was transferred to another department. The leader of this department was very good at guiding people and found that the reporter just hadn't found the right direction for writing, had strength but didn't use it in the right place, so he carefully guided him and let him gradually find the feeling of writing. Later, this reporter not only wrote good articles but also became the backbone of the department.
Compared with selecting thousand-li horses, the criteria for selecting talents are often more diverse and complex. As the saying goes, "a great craftsman wastes no material." The secret to recommending talents lies in making the best use of people's talents. If you abandon strengths and seek weaknesses, demand perfection, there will be almost no one available in the world. Ancient sayings: "Sui and Lu had no martial arts, Jiang and Guan had no literary talent." Sui He (随何) and Lu Jia (陆贾) of the early Han Dynasty were eloquent but "had no martial arts"; Marquis Jiang Zhou Bo (绛侯周勃) and Marquis Yi Guan Ying (懿侯灌婴) were good at fighting but "had no literary talent." If you ask Sui and Lu for "martial arts" and Jiang and Guan for "literary talent," these four would instantly become "waste materials"! What's more, one flower blooming alone does not make spring, and one horse running a thousand li does not make an array. Only when a hundred flowers bloom together and ten thousand horses gallop can a good overall pattern be formed.
After listening, my friend also sighed, yes, as the ancient proverb says, 相马失之瘦，相士失之贫 (xiàng mǎ shī zhī shòu, xiàng shì shī zhī pín - "judging horses fail by leanness, judging scholars fail by poverty," judging by appearance can lead to misjudgment). In real life, thousands of ordinary people need more in-depth exploration, careful cultivation, and more support—especially at the grassroots level, there is an urgent need for such Bo Les (伯乐).
Return to TopBy: 许俊文
The city noise is separated by the lake on the other side.
The original intention of leaving the urban area was to find a relatively quiet place to live, like a bird finding a place suitable for nesting. The current residence overlooks Pingtian Lake (平天湖) from afar, with many trees and birds.
At night, I fall asleep soundly listening to the rustling of summer insects hitting the screen window, the lapping of fish in the drizzle, and the rustling of falling snow. These sounds are no longer obscured and enveloped by man-made noise, and each sound carries a simple emotion.
Gradually, I can distinguish the subtle differences between "sheng (声)" and "yin (音)". Previously, I was accustomed to equating "sheng (声)" and "yin (音)" and using "shengyin (声音)" to describe the physical vibration phenomena that can cause hearing. In fact, in my opinion, they can be subdivided. "Sheng (声)" is the result of external force acting on an object, while "yin (音)" is more abstract. My definition of it is the "lingering sound" of "sheng (声)". I believe that all life in nature, in addition to making sounds, also has the need to express inner emotions. A cricket chirps softly on the lakeside in late autumn, against the backdrop of the vast and desolate world. Although it is the chirping of an insect, I feel that it is like the trembling sound of the entire earth. Listening and listening, the world becomes quiet, all the disturbances settle down, and the heart is as quiet and clear as a lake. This is an experience I have never had before: downward, downward, and finally integrated with the earth.
The silence of Pingtian Lake (平天湖) has given me the possibility of rebuilding my relationship with the earth. My daily homework is to listen to the earth constantly speaking. No! It is the earth entrusting plants, trees, flowing water, insects, birds, dewdrops, dust, wind, frost, rain and snow, and even a stone, to speak to me. They are the messengers of the earth, and the low-frequency sounds are like microwaves kissing the shore, fish fins paddling water, and flower shadows playing with the moon. I lower my posture and become one of them, like a grass returning to the midst of plants and trees. Yes, besides listening, I don't have to do anything, but nature injects energy into my life.
Many times, like grass, trees, and stones, I sit or lie by the lake, letting the silence completely engulf me. I have a vague feeling that whenever my body and mind relax, many aerial roots will grow in my body like trees in a tropical rainforest, and sensitive antennae will touch those subtle things.
The silent lake sound is a huge magnetic field, deeply attracting me. In the morning, its timbre is dark blue, like the chords of a violin, melodious and soothing; at noon, it is silver, bright, and cheerful, mixed with the sparkle of sunlight and the faint fragrance of aquatic plants; turning to dusk, the lake sound is close to the sound of a cello, and the purple melody is melancholic and low. Such a large lake, how could it not have its own voice?
I like to go deep into the islands in the lake when it snows, to experience the listening experience that is difficult to express in words - serenity. White snow, green bamboo, and clear water complement each other. Where the lake and mountains meet, there is a small stream. I came here in the summer, the stream was dry, and the cicadas were anxiously chirping. Now everything has changed, and the melted snow has converged into a gurgling stream, singing and flowing through the gravelly streambed, winding into the lake. I suddenly realized that those stones are individual notes. The American writer Mark Twain once had the whimsical idea of collecting mountain stones and placing them in a stream near his residence to play them. I think he is also a listener of silence.
Of course, it's not just the stream playing strings into the lake. Insects, aquatic plants, fish, shrimps, and stars sinking to the bottom of the water that inhabit the lakeside and water are all creators of silent lake sounds. If I could record their voices, I would never tire of listening to them.
Silence nourishes us, making each other's voices clearer. If the mind becomes more willing to accept things, we will not only listen to the sounds of nature, but also be more likely to listen to each other's needs.
The Chinese painting "Flowers and Trees in Cold Weather (岁寒花木)," by the artist Huang Binhong (黄宾虹), is housed in the National Art Museum of China (中国美术馆).
Return to TopBy: 欧阳国
Every Monday morning, I take the earliest bus to the high-speed rail station to commute to another city for work.
At 6:00 AM, the first bus departs from the terminal on time. At 6:30 AM, the bus arrives at the entrance of the residential area. If it's winter, the sky isn't fully bright yet, and I quietly get up. My wife and child are still sound asleep. The streetlights are still on, sanitation workers have already started their work, and breakfast shops are gradually opening for business. I stand at the bus stop, gazing at the bus slowly approaching from afar, its headlights surging like a tide, breaking through the lingering darkness.
Sitting on the bus, I gain a brief moment of peace. I can relax myself, either falling into contemplation, or gazing at the world outside the window, or carefully observing the passengers around me. The bus moves forward, and the sky gradually brightens. Golden sunlight spreads across the city like a river, and the vehicles and pedestrians on the streets gradually become dense. There are children rushing to school, adults hurrying to work, and elderly people leisurely doing their morning exercises... Watching their figures flash past the window, it's as if I see my own shadow. I like this kind of morning, embracing the first ray of sunlight on the bus, welcoming the scorching days.
The bus stops and starts, and I shift my gaze from outside the window to inside the bus. Passengers get on and off, mostly elderly people and students. Most of the elderly people are going to the hospital, the vegetable market, or taking their children to school. The driver always has enough patience, constantly reminding passengers to pay attention to safety and be careful getting on and off the bus. Only after all the passengers getting off have left, and the passengers getting on are seated and holding on tight, will the bus slowly start moving. Bright sunlight shines through the windows, illuminating the interior of the bus, scattering on the passengers. The faces of the elderly are covered with wrinkles, but their spirits are very good. They exchange pleasantries, talking and laughing, indicating that they are regular passengers on the bus. I can always recognize a few familiar figures among them, and this kind of reunion fills the ordinary life with anticipation.
On the bus, I noticed an elderly man who frequently goes to the hospital. One day, we sat in the same row. In a casual conversation, I learned that the elderly man was over seventy years old, his wife had passed away from illness many years ago, and he had just undergone cancer surgery and was recovering. He was open-minded, talkative, and full of smiles, with not a trace of gloom between his eyebrows. I was deeply infected by him, like a close friend, quietly listening to his story. He spoke of birth, aging, illness, and death so lightly, as if he were telling someone else's story. The elderly man said that medical expenses are now reimbursed, and he receives a monthly pension, which is enough to satisfy him. The bus arrived at the hospital stop, and the elderly man got off, walking somewhat unsteadily in the sunlight. At that moment, I seemed to see the tenacity and hope of life.
In the blink of an eye, I am the only passenger left on the bus, along with a bus full of light.
Return to TopBy: 郑小琼
We drive on the Shanghai-Kunming Expressway (沪昆高速) in the deep night.
Turning my head, I see a full moon, hanging high above the valley.
The silence of this autumn night solidifies into an original flawlessness,
Fairly scattering the clear night onto the earth.
At this moment, only a few cars are driving in the darkness.
The navigation system and steering wheel deliver the journey home.
In Huaihua (怀化), we speed up to catch up with the slow-moving truck.
Fully loaded, it is heavy and swaying as it drives into the distance.
The wheels crush the empty night—
The slow and even rhythm of heavy pressure tells the truth of life.
Our car drives into a several-kilometer-long tunnel.
I imagine that truck crawling alone on the Shanghai-Kunming Expressway (沪昆道)—
A full moon follows.
Things on earth: trucks, the Shanghai-Kunming Expressway (沪昆高速), and us.
The bright moon watches over the land, cattle, and sheep in the dark night.
Our wheels turn eagerly and hurriedly.
The moon in Huaihua (怀化), moves slowly and calmly.
In the silent valley, serious and kind.
By: 葛小明
Spring brings life and growth, autumn brings harvest and winter brings storage. The arrival of winter does not occur on the Beginning of Winter (立冬), but rather some time after Minor Snow (小雪) and even Major Snow (大雪). At this time, people are no longer busy in the mountains and fields, but flock to their own vegetable gardens.
Cauliflower, garland chrysanthemum, coriander, and peppers are returned to the hands of farmers one by one. Just like when the seeds were sown, they are given heavy importance and care – to avoid the winter. First, they jump into various colored bags, and then into courtyards and houses. There, it is warm and filled with the atmosphere of daily life.
Only Chinese cabbage is unconventional. After all the vegetables have retreated, Chinese cabbage can still stand on the earth for a long time. They stand in the wind, enduring frost and dew, and also enjoying the cold.
When the winter in my hometown is relatively warm, the Chinese cabbage has more time to stand on the earth. Slightly frozen Chinese cabbage has a special sweetness. The cabbages, spaced ten to twenty centimeters apart, seem a bit distant from each other.
My family's vegetable garden is next to the village, surrounded by peach trees. In spring, peach blossoms often fall, pink and dotted, which is very beautiful. In late autumn and early winter, withered leaves rustle down, falling on the cabbage leaves. This often annoys me because I have to clean them out one by one to prevent them from rotting in the heart of the cabbage. It wasn't until winter had completely arrived that I realized that these fallen leaves could keep the garlic sprouts and spinach in the ground warm. Isn't this a kind of protection of crops by the season?
Around the time of heavy snow, the Chinese cabbage is prepared to be stored in the cellar. Like a solemn ceremony, the first step is to clear the site, to thoroughly clean up the attachments on the ground. Overlooked small stones, withered pepper stalks, shallowly buried vegetable roots and leaves, and some cold-resistant weeds must be treated seriously. In short, the soil must be clean.
Next is shoveling soil and digging pits. The rectangular deep pit should be deep enough to submerge the Chinese cabbage. Whether the pit is dug well directly affects the storage quality and also affects one's image in the hearts of the neighbors. A person who takes the fruits of labor seriously is considered a qualified farmer. After the outline of the pit is dug, it is carefully repaired to ensure that the four corners are square and the bottom is compacted with feet.
The Chinese cabbages are handed over and stacked up one by one. Whether it is a lover and child, or friends and colleagues, important moments in the year always bring people to help, which is such a happy thing. In this way, the Chinese cabbages are rearranged and combined, no longer estranged from each other, but embracing each other for warmth.
After the Chinese cabbage is placed, there is no rush to cover it with soil, because the real cold has not yet arrived. Around the winter solstice (冬至), a newspaper will be laid first, and then the soil will be filled in to "put the beam and seal the top" for the Chinese cabbage. If possible, another layer of corn stalks can be laid, which would be perfect.
When everything is properly arranged, looking up at the neighbors, I realize that they are showing the same smiles. On the winter land, those smiles, like the Chinese cabbage in the cellar, are steadfast and reassuring.
Return to TopBy: 王富祥
Strips of pure cotton handkerchiefs and pieces of white casual cloth, after being colored and fixed with strong tea stalk soup, fully display a refined and elegant natural texture.
When the cloth enters the Isatis root tea soup, it is immediately dyed with a light print of cloisonné blue. If you want to dye it a tender pink color, you need to use black tea simmered over low heat to soak the cloth in the red soup. Each piece of cloth taken out of the dyeing vat has a unique color and watermark—some are like clouds blown away in the air, some seem like flowing water, some are shaped like aged Xuan paper, and some are like blooming flowers, with varying shades, highlighting the layers of overlapping petals.
This is "Qingcheng Tea Dyeing."
I have a photo album with a two-inch old photo inside. In the photo, I am only 8 years old, wearing a dyed pure cotton sweater. This is also my first sweater and my first solo color photo. This gray-brown pure cotton sweater was knitted and dyed by my mother using cotton thread from white thread gloves.
At that time, my father worked as a carpenter in the commune construction team and received two pairs of white pure cotton work gloves every month. Over time, the family accumulated more than 20 pairs of mostly new gloves. One day, my mother decided to take these gloves apart and knit a sweater for me. My mother used my father's leather tape measure to measure from my back to my arm, and then measured my waist size, and carefully recorded a string of numbers in the blank space of a calendar.
After that, my mother started knitting a sweater for the first time in her life.
My mother first took apart the pure cotton thread gloves one by one, and tied every three or four pairs into a bundle of thread, tying a total of seven or eight bundles. After disassembling them, she put all the threads into hot water that had been soaked with soap beans, and rubbed and washed them clean. In the sun, the washed glove threads had been straightened, without the curliness they had just been taken apart. The stains on the thread also disappeared completely, restoring the whiteness of the cotton thread.
My father, who worked as a carpenter, only spent the time of a meal to saw an old Cizhu bamboo into a foot-long piece, then split it into small bamboo strips with a woodworking axe, and then slowly shaved them into several bamboo sticks of uniform thickness, and finally slowly polished them on sandpaper until both ends of the bamboo sticks became round and smooth. My mother took these self-made knitting needles from my father's hand, repeatedly stroked and checked them with both hands, and nodded in satisfaction.
The seemingly simple stitch, using three strands of thread combined into one strand for knitting, still requires great patience. After knitting the waist, feet, and body, it took a lot of trouble to knit the collar, and it was repeatedly removed. My mother re-knitted it several times.
Many nights, when I got up at night, I saw my mother burying her head in knitting under the light of a 15-watt incandescent lamp. Between the up and down movement of the knitting needles, the white cotton thread slipped through her fingertips, and the light melted the night, accompanying my mother. After enduring many such nights, a white pure cotton sweater was finally completed.
One morning, my mother took my hand and said, "Come and try it on, see if it fits?" I quickly put on the sweater. "Walk a few steps, let me see—" A satisfied smile appeared on my mother's face, and she nodded, "It can be worn after dyeing it once."
At that time, I didn't know the meaning of "dyeing it once" in my mother's mouth. When I came home from school, I found that the white pure cotton sweater had turned gray-brown, which was much better-looking than the pure white when it was first knitted. The sweater was hung on the wire in the yard with a hanger, and it squeaked and slid around in the wind. I was so happy that I ran to my mother and asked curiously, "What did you use to dye it this color?" My mother turned sideways and dropped a sentence: "It's dyed with soup made from red and white tea and cork tree bark." After speaking, she went back to work.
"So tea can also be used to dye clothes." I seemed to understand.
On New Year's Eve, my mother took out the dyed sweater and asked me to try it on again. On the morning of the first day of the new year, my father, mother, and I, wearing the new sweater, went to the only photo studio in the town to take a family photo and that two-inch solo photo.
Many years have passed. Every time I touch this photo, a warm current echoes in my chest. The intangible cultural heritage skill of tea dyeing has added a touch of elegance to my childhood memories.
Return to TopThis edition's email: dadi@peopledaily.cn
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