People's Daily - January 5, 2026

The Story of Lao Yang and Xiao Yang's "U-Turn" in Thinking

By: 本报记者 禹伟良 陆娅楠 唐露薇

"Promoting the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt requires solving the problem of ideological understanding first," "There must be a fundamental shift in ideological understanding and concrete actions."
　　——Xi Jinping (习近平)

　　"Burying your head in the task leads to stumbles, but looking up and seeing the road brings sweetness. Learning new ideas clarifies the direction, and Chuyuan Group recognizes high-quality development as the hard truth of this new era!"
　　As soon as you enter the Chuyuan factory area, Yang Peng (杨鹏), the Party Secretary and Chairman, takes the reporter straight to the digital monitoring center.
　　In the past 5 years, the reporter has visited Chuyuan five times, and the changes are both tangible and intangible.
　　The tangible changes include the demolition of old workshops, the "retirement" of old chimneys, the introduction of robots, the pilot testing of nanomaterials, and new quality productive forces illuminating the traditional chemical industry; the intangible changes are the changes in thinking from top to bottom within the enterprise.
　　Chuyuan High-Tech Group Co., Ltd., located on the Yangtze River (长江) in Shishou (石首), Jingzhou (荆州), Hubei (湖北), was once the world's largest manufacturer of active dye intermediates, and has always been "renowned" in Hubei Province and among its national peers. The two chairmen, Yang Zhicheng (杨志成) and Yang Peng (杨鹏), father and son, are called "Old Yang" and "Little Yang" by the locals.
　　The "stumble" that Little Yang mentioned happened 10 years ago. In early 2016, Chuyuan Group ranked among the top three on the Jingzhou tax list, and Old Yang and Little Yang ushered in a "highlight moment." Two months later, an environmental fine of more than 27 million yuan was imposed on Chuyuan Group, setting a "historical record" in the Yangtze River basin.
　　The "astronomical fine" shocked Hubei and the entire Yangtze River region. The company involved discharged pollutants in violation of regulations, which was actually due to Old Yang and Little Yang not keeping up with the changes of the times: "Their bodies entered the new era, but their minds were still stuck in the past."
　　On January 5, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) held a landmark symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in Chongqing (重庆), emphasizing that "for a considerable period of time to come, we must put the restoration of the Yangtze River's ecological environment in an overwhelming position, jointly grasp major protection, and not engage in large-scale development."
　　On April 25, 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) inspected the Yangtze River (长江) by boat and landed in Shishou (石首). The next day, the General Secretary presided over a symposium in Wuhan (武汉) to further promote the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, clearly pointing out that "promoting the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt requires solving the problem of ideological understanding first" and "there must be a fundamental shift in ideological understanding and concrete actions."
　　In his speech, the General Secretary mentioned "a riverside chemical enterprise located in the 'winding' Shishou section of the Yangtze River, whose industrial scale ranks among the top three in the world, is a major taxpayer in the local area, but also a major polluter, and the serious pollution problem has been difficult to solve for many years, causing the surrounding people to suffer unspeakably. In the past two years, the environmental protection departments have taken serious action to investigate and punish, and issued the 'largest environmental protection fine in history' in the Yangtze River basin of more than 27 million yuan, forcing the enterprise to close production lines with serious pollution that are difficult to transform."
　　This enterprise is Chuyuan Group. This passage is recorded in Volume II of "Selected Works of Xi Jinping" (《习近平著作选读》) and Volume I of "Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization" (《习近平生态文明文选》).
　　The "Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization" (《习近平生态文明文选》), to be published in 2025, is placed on Yang Peng's (杨鹏) desk. "To live up to the General Secretary's concern, Chuyuan has struggled to get up, and must firmly move forward!"
　　The power of thought is infinite.
　　From being full of resentment and "challenging," to being discouraged and "lying flat," to gathering courage to "rectify," and finally feeling proud and "upgrading," Old Yang and Little Yang have experienced a profound ideological turning point in the past 10 years.

"The transformation of thought is the most crucial and also the most difficult"
　　Of the ten thousand miles of the Yangtze River (长江), the Jingjiang (荆江) section is the most dangerous. The Shishou (石首) River Bay is winding.
　　At the big bend of the Yangtze River, Chuyuan Group, covering an area of 1,800 mu, had the world's largest production capacity of para-ester and H-acid at its peak.
　　The "juggernaut" of the world dye market started from 5 small houses, 5 large vats, and 5 coal stoves. In 1982, more than 30 farmers who had washed their feet off the fields devoted themselves to the tide of reform, and Yang Zhicheng (杨志成) was the leader.
　　"Every step is on the beat of the times." In the 1990s, the small workshop transformed into a large group with both production and sales exceeding 100 million yuan, and employee wages were twice as high as those of other factories.
　　"At that time, being able to work at Chuyuan was the envy of the neighbors!" said Su Furong (苏福荣), a veteran employee of Chuyuan's para-ester No. 2 workshop.
　　At the turn of the century, China knocked on the door of the World Trade Organization, and the chemical industry along the river rose rapidly. The production capacity of H-acid, para-ester, and reactive dyes jumped to the first place in Asia, and Chuyuan also became the largest private export enterprise in Hubei Province.
　　What about Old Yang? He was elected as a representative of the Hubei Provincial People's Congress and was successively named a provincial model worker and outstanding entrepreneur.
　　"In those years, GDP was the measure of success, polluting while being fined, rushing forward along inertia."
　　Yang Peng (杨鹏) graduated from university in 1999 and began to learn management from his father. A baton to watch the growth rate; a customs clearance card to compare tax revenue; a focus on projects; a network of relationships to reduce supervision.
　　On January 10, 2016, the Jingzhou (荆州) State Taxation Bureau announced the list of annual taxpayers exceeding 100 million yuan, and Chuyuan Group ranked third, retaining the title of Shishou (石首) City's tax "champion."
　　This year was also a watershed moment in the history of Yangtze River (长江) protection.
　　On January 5, 2016, a symposium was held to promote the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. "Promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt must be considered from the long-term interests of the Chinese nation, and take the road of ecological priority and green development," "so that the Mother River will always be full of vitality," the General Secretary's words were deafening.
　　A series of illegal discharge problems of Chuyuan Group once again attracted the attention of environmental protection departments, and a special team was stationed to investigate and collect evidence.
　　On March 13, Chuyuan Group was ordered to completely suspend production for rectification.
　　At the end of March, the Jingzhou Environmental Protection Bureau made a punishment decision on Chuyuan in accordance with the law. The administrative penalty of more than 27 million yuan became the "largest environmental protection fine in history" in the Yangtze River basin, and it was also rare in the history of environmental protection in China.
　　The "astronomical fine" hurt Old Yang and Little Yang.
　　The first reaction was to rely on old experience and make small calculations.
　　Chuyuan is one of the top 100 private enterprises in the province, with more than 4,000 employees. At that time, 11.99% of Shishou City's GDP and about 60% of its tax revenue came from Chuyuan.
　　"We contribute so much to the local area, can't anything be slowed down and accommodated?"
　　Yang Zhicheng (杨志成) couldn't figure it out for a while, and had a fluke mentality - the thunder is loud now, but if we find someone, "it will pass."
　　Once an ideological "piping" is formed, a behavioral "dam break" is inevitable.
　　Seeing that the road to finding someone to dredge was not working, Chuyuan filed a hearing application on March 30.
　　On April 26, the Jingzhou Environmental Protection Bureau held a public hearing. For two and a half hours, they argued tit-for-tat, and the company's statement and defense opinions were not adopted.
　　On June 6, the Jingzhou Environmental Protection Bureau issued an administrative penalty decision.
　　"The group is only one step away from listing! Acknowledging the penalty is tantamount to cutting off our own path?" Old Yang began to "cry out for injustice" online, publicly questioning the results of environmental law enforcement and the penalty decision.
　　On June 27, Chuyuan applied for administrative reconsideration.
　　On August 16, the Jingzhou Municipal Government issued an administrative reconsideration decision. Chuyuan still refused to accept the reconsideration result and filed an administrative lawsuit.
　　On September 26 and 28, the Jingzhou Intermediate People's Court served the Jingzhou Environmental Protection Bureau and the Jingzhou Municipal Government Legal Affairs Office with administrative litigation response notices, respectively.
　　"The transformation of thought is the most crucial and also the most difficult."
　　Liu Mingchun (刘明春), the then Director of the Jingzhou Environmental Protection Bureau, lamented, "In so many years of law enforcement, this is the first time I have encountered an environmental protection case that has gone from hearing to reconsideration and finally to court."
　　The fierce confrontation stirred up Shishou (石首).
　　Some people were surprised: That's Yang Zhicheng (杨志成), he has wide connections and knows a lot of people, are they really daring to manage him?
　　Some people applauded: Supervision should have been taken seriously long ago. Not to mention fining it to the bottom, just shut it down completely!
　　Some people were anxious: How many people in the city rely on Chuyuan for food, if it closes, what will we do?!
　　There were different opinions on the "astronomical fine" dispute, but the perception was consistent: the cadres' thinking has changed, they are really grasping the protection of the Yangtze River, and the overall situation is different.

"In the high-speed rail era, taking a green-skinned train is destined to be left behind"
　　This is not the first time Yang Zhicheng (杨志成) has faced environmental problems.
　　In 2006, Chuyuan was listed for supervision due to illegal discharge of pollutants.
　　In March 2007, the media exposed that Chuyuan Group discharged 7,000 tons of sewage directly into the Yangtze River (长江) every day. So shocking, the final fine was 100,000 yuan.
　　The regulations didn't have teeth and couldn't bite hard bones.
　　Not just Chuyuan, not just Shishou (石首). Chemical enterprises are born by the water, polluting while being fined, and producing while being treated. In 2010, China jumped to become the world's largest chemical country.
　　Accompanying the "chemical encirclement of the Yangtze River" is the pollution dilemma.
　　The Mother River is sick, the symptoms are in the water, and the root cause is in the old concept of "polluting first and then treating, destroying first and then restoring."
　　"Only by implementing the strictest system and the strictest rule of law can we provide reliable guarantees for the construction of ecological civilization."
　　"We must reverse the thinking of only focusing on economic growth and disregarding other undertakings, and reverse the practice of disregarding everything, regardless of consequences, and ultimately losing more than we gain for the sake of economic growth figures."
　　The new era, new ideas, go straight to the hearts of the people and point the way.
　　Coordinating the overall layout of the "five-sphere integrated plan" and coordinating the strategic layout of the "four comprehensives," ecological civilization construction has a higher position, a broader vision, and greater efforts.
　　In February 2016, the "Two Studies, One Action" learning education was launched throughout the Party, and ideological construction was placed in the primary position.
　　Transforming the concept of political achievements and development, party committees and governments at all levels took the lead in ideological "turns."
　　Bearing in mind the General Secretary's earnest instructions, "jointly grasp major protection and not engage in large-scale development." The Hubei Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government clearly stated that "the position is relative. In the entire Yangtze River basin, except for the source of the Yangtze River, there is no absolute upstream, nor is there an absolute downstream." Focusing on the entire Yangtze River basin, looking at the Yangtze River from outside Hubei, establishing an "upstream consciousness," shouldering "upstream responsibility," and preferring not to advance in position rather than "bringing polluting GDP."
　　The system "grows teeth," supervision "carries electricity," and comprehensively governing the country according to law, grassroots environmental law enforcement feels the great changes of the times.
　　Wang Yong (王勇), the then captain of the county and city brigade of the Jingzhou Environmental Supervision Detachment, led a team to conduct a comprehensive inspection of Chuyuan Group's Huali Dye Company in 2016.
　　"During the entire law enforcement and punishment process, no one interceded or greeted us," Wang Yong recalled.
　　"The General Secretary's important instructions gave us confidence, the new Environmental Protection Law gave us weapons, and grassroots environmental law enforcement was so tough for the first time!" Liu Quan (刘佺), the chief of the first section of the law enforcement team of the Shishou City Branch of the Jingzhou Ecological Environment Bureau, is still excited when he mentions that year.
　　The transformation is the trend of the times and the inevitable result of history. The blocked "sense of smell" of enterprises gradually revived.
　　Old Yang once asked the Director of the Provincial Environmental Protection Department to "accommodate." The Director readily sent a new version of the "Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" - "The solution is in the book."
　　Little Yang also tossed and turned at night.
　　He clearly paid attention to the news of the symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. He didn't put himself in it, and he didn't seriously study and understand the General Secretary's speech, so it was difficult to truly touch his soul. "I didn't expect the storm to come so quickly, and we were the first to be swept in!"
　　The Yangtze River (长江) meanders in the Shishou (石首) section, and has "changed its course" several times in history. After the change of course, the new river channel is more vital.
　　Liu Zhongcheng (刘忠诚), the then Secretary of the Shishou Municipal Party Committee, promised to the people of the city: enterprises that do not meet the standards for rectification will never resume production, and it is absolutely not allowed to "eat the ancestors' food and smash the descendants' bowls."
　　Turning around, Liu Zhongcheng knocked on the door of Chuyuan and had a heart-to-heart talk with Old Yang and Little Yang -
　　"Filing an administrative lawsuit is the legal right of the enterprise. At the same time, in my opinion, this lawsuit is difficult to win. Ecological priority and green development, using new ideas and new concepts to guide enterprise development, will be the norm in the future. This is like the high-speed rail era, taking a green-skinned train is destined to be left behind!"

"Only by understanding the sound of the new era can we step on the beat and keep up with the pace"
　　There is a Tiaoxian River (调弦河) in Tiaoguan Town (调关镇), Shishou (石首), and there is a Boyakou Village (伯牙口村) by the river. The story of "listening to the strings and knowing the sound" was born here.
　　The transformation of thought is difficult, and the difficulty lies in understanding the sound of the times and generating ideological resonance.
　　To know the sound, first tune the strings.
　　Old Yang and Little Yang are Party members and members of the Chuyuan Party Committee leadership team. Giving full play to the political core role of the Party organization in the enterprise, and using the Party's innovative theories to transform the subjective world, only when entrepreneurs tune the strings of thought can the enterprise grasp the pulse of the times.
　　When Chuyuan closed down for rectification, relevant leading comrades of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee paid "three visits to the thatched cottage." The first time, Yang Zhicheng (杨志成) did not show up; the second time, Old Yang only listened and did not speak; the third time, he opened his heart and had a sincere exchange.
　　The conversation started with the story of "listening to the strings and knowing the sound":
　　"Old Yang, you are an old model worker and have been a representative of the Provincial People's Congress for four terms. Why was Chuyuan able to take the lead in development in the past? Because Old Yang is particularly good at learning and stepping on the right spots! Why did you stumble this time? You relaxed your learning and relied too much on inertia. As the times move forward, only by understanding the sound of the new era can we step on the beat and keep up with the pace."
　　The Secretary and Mayor of the Shishou Municipal Party Committee listed Chuyuan as a contact point, and combined with the "Two Studies, One Action" learning education, helped the Chuyuan people to turn their concepts around and improve their state.
　　One heart-to-heart talk after another, one gentle rain after another. The hardened land began to loosen.
　　Little Yang took the lead in self-reflection: Environmental protection was nothing more than a "small matter" for the enterprise in the past, but now it is a "big deal."
　　Old Yang had a concern: If only my family acknowledges the penalty, and other peers use the "old methods," wouldn't we lose a lot?
　　Chen Liequan (陈烈权) came to the door.
　　Chen Liequan (陈烈权) is the chairman of Hubei Nengte Technology Co., Ltd. In 2007, when Chuyuan was exposed for pollution, Chen Liequan (陈烈权) was a senior executive of Chuyuan and appeared on behalf of the company. The embarrassing appearance prompted him to think deeply. In 2010, he left his job to start Nengte Technology, grasping environmental protection from scratch and innovating to develop the chemical industry.
　　Chen Liequan (陈烈权), who started as a technician at Chuyuan, is grateful for his roots, "In those years, except for me, a college student, everyone else put down their hoes and entered the factory. The family had only a few vats, so why could we grow so big? Listen to the Party and follow the Party!"
　　Also in Shishou (石首), in the Nengte Technology factory area, there are reclaimed water fish ponds and vegetable plots dyed green. With an annual output of 8,000 tons of isophytol, it is a recognized leader in the fine chemical industry.
　　Chen Liequan (陈烈权), who tasted the sweetness of transformation, further pointed out: "Now the chemical industry along the river is 'closing, transforming, relocating, and transferring.' General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has said that we must let a river of clear water flow eastward. This is the general trend. We can no longer step on a watermelon rind and slide wherever we go. We must wear new shoes and take a new path."
　　The transformation of the subjective world requires external causes to play a role through internal causes.
　　More than 9 months of suspension for rectification. Sincerity, truth, and experience, quenching thirst, dispelling doubts, and untying knots.
　　"It's not that we are too unlucky, and we don't blame anyone for finding fault. In the new era, we can't bypass or avoid the environmental protection hurdle. The key is to turn the corner ourselves."
　　"The 'astronomical fine' was a head-on blow. Now we understand that this blow is not to kill us, but to wake us up."
　　Old Yang and Little Yang, who had woken up from their confusion, invested 100 million yuan to rectify!
　　Yang Peng (杨鹏) led more than 10 enterprise executives to Jilin Chemical to learn from their experience. This state-owned enterprise is Chuyuan's long-term competitor.
　　"In the past, some of Chuyuan's products could defeat Jihua by relying on non-standard practices and playing on the edge. Today, we are most afraid of encountering ourselves yesterday..." Yang Peng (杨鹏) said with emotion.
　　Once the wall of the heart is broken, the chasm becomes a thoroughfare.
　　Permanently shutting down more than 10 production lines, building new rainwater collection ponds, starting the second phase of the sewage treatment plant... Shutting down, patching leaks, and upgrading, coordinating development and safety, Chuyuan is taking one step at a time.
　　Sending ideas, understanding ideas, and transforming ideas. The three-part song of tuning the strings has yielded true understanding.
　　In November 2016, Chuyuan took the initiative to withdraw the lawsuit and accept the penalty. On December 25, 2016, after assessment and acceptance by relevant departments, Chuyuan Group resumed production.
　　Yang Zhicheng (杨志成), who had lost 15 pounds, suddenly felt better.
　　"Believe in the Communist Party and follow the times. People who go out of Chuyuan must change their thinking, their wallets must be bulging, and their backs must be straight."

"Turning the mind is for the transformation of development"
　　Coilia ectenes, one of the four fresh delicacies of the Yangtze River (长江), is a specialty of Shishou (石首). Every spring, countless Coilia ectenes go upstream, and the greater the resistance, the stronger the survival ability.
　　The challenge of green development lies in front of the Chuyuan people.
The challenge of green development lies before the people of Chuyuan.

In 2017, after resuming production, Chuyuan Group's (楚源集团) tax payment was only about 70 million yuan. Xiao Yang (小杨) inevitably became confused, "Does the era no longer need us?"

It wasn't just the company that lacked confidence. In 2016, Chuyuan's rectification directly lowered the growth rate of the added value of industrial enterprises above the designated size in Jingzhou (荆州) by 2 percentage points, and Shishou's (石首) local fiscal revenue decreased by 67 million yuan.

Some people felt that the fines were "too harsh," **“一管就死”** (yī guǎn jiù sǐ - "once controlled, it dies," meaning excessive regulation stifles development), and that development and environmental protection were difficult to reconcile.

Another voice advocated that the chemical industry is high-risk, so "closing it down is worry-free."

How to think dialectically and turn crisis into opportunity?

"To promote the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, we must first solve the problem of ideological understanding, especially not to separate ecological environmental protection and economic development, let alone put them in opposition." On April 26, 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out at a symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Twenty-two days later, on May 18, 2018, the National Ecological Environmental Protection Conference was grandly held, and Xi Jinping's (习近平) thought on ecological civilization was officially established. Building a modern society where humans and nature coexist harmoniously has a fundamental guideline and action plan.

The power of thought lies in promoting practice.

Hearing that Lao Yang (老杨) and Xiao Yang (小杨) were burdened with ideological baggage, comrades from the provincial and municipal party committee organization departments came to the door again for a heart-to-heart talk: "Development is the top priority. Ideological change is for development transformation. Although the pressure is great, if you do well, won't you be one step ahead of others? The future of Chuyuan (楚源) depends on whether you can strengthen your confidence and make a good example!"

High-quality development has no bystanders, and private enterprises are the main force.

"Sky-high fines" cannot be the end of the matter. Chuyuan's (楚源) fall was the result of market regulation failure. "To help Chuyuan (楚源) stand up and become stronger, we need a proactive government to strictly supervise, guide in a timely manner, and provide front-line services," said Wang Min (王敏), Secretary of the Shishou (石首) Municipal Party Committee.

Adhere to both policy support and reform and innovation, closely integrate investment in things and investment in people, and be both "flexible" and "well-managed."

To build a new type of government-business relationship that is both cordial and clean, relevant departments in Shishou (石首) presented Chuyuan (楚源) with a "gift package." Policy publicity, technological transformation support, scientific and technological innovation bridging, timely relief... The "two unwaverings" are tangible and accessible, with more than 20 million yuan in rewards and subsidies for environmental protection and rectification, and 132 practical difficulties quietly resolved.

Looking at Chuyuan (楚源) again, from 2016 to 2022, it has invested a total of about 200 million yuan in environmental protection transformation, and the company's energy consumption has decreased by 59%, becoming one of the first national carbon trading pilot enterprises in Hubei Province (湖北省).

Ideologically sound, the heart is firm.

There was a pesticide intermediate project that came to discuss cooperation. The project's profit margin was about 100%. Once launched, it would be a dream to reappear as a "taxpayer of 100 million yuan."

Yang Peng (杨鹏) refused. "The project has environmental risks, and we won't do it no matter how high the profits are. For today's Chuyuan (楚源), it is more important to seek progress while maintaining stability."

Turning around, Chuyuan (楚源) invested more than 40 million yuan to transform the process, build a fire station, and monitor and warn major hazard sources online. In May 2025, the park was rated as having the highest standard of safety risk certification.

Strolling through the Chuyuan (楚源) factory area today, the reclaimed water pool has a clear stream, and the sewage discharge data is uploaded to the network 24 hours a day.

1.7 kilometers to the south is the Zhangchengyuan (张城垸) community, where 800 households have been relocated as a whole, and locals call it the "industrial garden community."

He Shanmei's (何善美) old house is 20 meters away from Chuyuan's (楚源) sulfuric acid workshop. "In the past, as soon as Chuyuan (楚源) started construction, yellow smoke would appear at my door. If he wanted to expand, I wanted health, and we couldn't be neighbors at all."

The government came forward to coordinate, and Chuyuan (楚源) invested 50 million yuan to establish a green sharing fund to pay for medical insurance, promote relocation, and focus on helping households in difficulty.

He Shanmei (何善美) pointed to the community green space, "Now when I open the window, the air is good, and there are flowers and birds when I go out. The green development that the General Secretary talked about can be smelled and seen clearly!"

About 1 kilometer north of the Chuyuan (楚源) factory area is Xinzhou Village (新洲村). The shared farm invested by Ma Shengxiang (马胜祥) from Shishou (石首), which combines rice and shrimp farming, has a booming business and is also a research and study paradise for local schoolchildren. "We are also beneficiaries of ecological priority and green development."

Along with the sense of gain in the green transformation, there is also a sense of responsibility.

Looking through the records of complaints and environmental complaints related to Chuyuan (楚源) at all levels in the Hubei (湖北) Smart Letter and Visit Information System: 7 in 2017; 3 in 2018; 3 in 2019; 2 in 2020; 1 in 2021; 0 from 2022 to the present.

The unity of cordiality and cleanliness, the unity of righteousness and profit, and the unity of high-level protection and high-quality development. This new green road has entered Xiao Yang's (小杨) heart.

"Developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions has a clear direction and effective methods."

Sailing through the Jiuqu Bay (九曲湾) in Shishou (石首), locals point out: the bends are sharp and the shoals are dangerous. If you turn smoothly, the tide will be calm and the shore will be wide; if you can't turn, the boat will capsize and people will be overturned.

Passing the bend tests the water skills; passing the hurdle challenges the mentality.

The chemical industry has been under great downward pressure in recent years, and the re-established Chuyuan (楚源) seems to be difficult to lead again.

Yang Peng (杨鹏) once thought of changing careers, "It's better to just quit and start over."

Wind power, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics, hot projects came to discuss cooperation; new energy, new materials, and biomedicine, Yang Peng (杨鹏) looked for tracks all over the country.

In the hot industries, people have been working hard for many years waiting to take advantage of the wind. If they enter rashly, can they only drink the wind? Is cross-border investment to open up new tracks in the real economy, or to abandon the real economy and seek quick profits?

Thought is the crystallization of the times and leads the times forward.

In 2023, the theme education on studying and implementing Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was launched in depth throughout the Party.

This time, without the urging of others, Yang Peng (杨鹏) led the Chuyuan (楚源) people to actively seek wisdom through learning to find a sense of direction.

In July 2023, the National Ecological Environmental Protection Conference was held again. "For traditional industries, we cannot simply treat them as 'low-end industries' and abandon them or shut them down. Instead, we must promote the upgrading of processes, technologies, and equipment to achieve green and low-carbon transformation."

In October of this year, the fourth symposium on the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt was held. The General Secretary once again pointed out the direction: "'No large-scale development' does not mean no random development, low-level development, extensive development, or destructive development, but rather taking a path of high-quality development and green and low-carbon development."

At the 2024 National People's Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) went "down to the delegations." "Developing new quality productive forces does not mean ignoring or abandoning traditional industries. We must prevent a rush and bubble, and we must not engage in a single model."

Guided by theory and personal experience, the fog of thought was completely dispelled.

"The General Secretary's words awakened me! Transformation is not equal to changing careers. A better life cannot be separated from the chemical industry. Traditional industries can develop new quality productive forces by upgrading and transforming them in accordance with local conditions." Xiao Yang's (小杨) heart was immediately settled.

Establish first and then break, with a higher "green content."

Focus on the main business to extend the chain. Invest 50 million yuan to "eat up and squeeze out" production waste and waste liquid, enter the circular economy, and turn burdens into wealth.

Optimize the main business and strengthen the chain. The former flagship product had difficulty treating exhaust gas, so it was resolutely shut down. Invest 60 million yuan to launch a new chlorosulfonic acid production line, achieving a "win-win-win" situation in environmental protection, safety, and economy.

Seek progress while maintaining stability, with a more sufficient "new value."

Make good use of the "two new" policies to promote upgrading. Install new biomass boilers, embrace intelligent manufacturing, and robots are put into operation to increase efficiency by 40%.

Integrate industry, academia, research, and application to promote innovation. Invite the "think tank" of Hubei (湖北) universities to build a platform for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. The Hubei Provincial (湖北省) Dye Intermediate Industry Technology Research Institute was officially inaugurated at Chuyuan Group (楚源集团).

Empowered by science and technology, the new synthesis process of two reactive dyes has filled the domestic gap. Xinhui Chemical (鑫慧化工) and Huali Dyes (华丽染料), two subsidiaries, have been upgraded to national and provincial-level specialized, refined, and new "little giant" enterprises.

In another factory area, in a dust-free pilot workshop, new high-performance nano-metal materials are being mass-produced. Once successful, it will supply new materials for emerging industries such as semiconductors.

The pilot test is still in the trial-and-error stage, and Xiao Yang (小杨) is not anxious. "The Central Economic Work Conference to be held at the end of 2025 proposed to fully tap economic potential and respond to external challenges by practicing internal skills. We have enough patience to strengthen the real economy."

Moving forward under pressure, towards the new and the excellent.

Chuyuan (楚源), which once started and stopped intermittently after resuming production, has been operating at full capacity since 2024. Its revenue in 2025 is expected to be about 2 billion yuan, and its tax payment is expected to exceed 80 million yuan, an increase of 55.4% and 53.5% respectively compared with 2022.

New quality productive forces are themselves green productive forces.

"Developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions has a clear direction and effective methods!"

Looking back on the past decade, Yang Peng (杨鹏) used a metaphor. New thought is a guiding light, the new environmental protection law is like a "golden hoop," and the private economy promotion law sends a "reassurance pill." "In the end, the rule of law is the best business environment, and high-quality development is the only way."

In the bookcase, "Excerpts from Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" is placed in a prominent place. On the desk, "Xi Jinping's (习近平) Anthology on Ecological Civilization" and "One Hundred Questions and Answers on Studying and Guiding the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee" are becoming more and more loved.

How will Chuyuan (楚源) do in the "15th Five-Year Plan" period?

It plans to invest 400 million yuan in 2026, aiming at the circular economy, and its future goal is to build a century-old green Chuyuan (楚源).

Shishou's (石首) Diaoguanji (调关矶). The Yangtze River (长江), surging from north to south, suddenly swirls here, creating the magnificent momentum of the great river heading east.

The great river has always been in the mountains, and the mountain势尽与江流东.

"With the whole country as a chessboard, Chuyuan (楚源) must also find its position in the overall situation of Chinese-style modernization and strive to be a key player in the private economy."

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Xi Jinping Sends Message of Condolence to Swiss Confederation President Viola Amherd Regarding Fire in Valais Canton, Switzerland

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 4th. On January 4th, Chinese President Xi Jinping (习近平) sent a message of condolence to Swiss Confederation President Viola Amherd regarding the fire in Valais, Switzerland.

Xi Jinping (习近平) stated that he was shocked to learn of the unfortunate and serious fire in Crans-Montana, Valais (瓦莱州), Switzerland, which caused significant casualties. On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, I would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and my sincere sympathy to the families of the victims. I wish the injured a speedy recovery.

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Gathering Strength for National Rejuvenation, Painting a Magnificent Chapter of the Times

By: 新华社记者

In 2025, we will conclude the "14th Five-Year Plan" and strategize for the "15th Five-Year Plan." It also marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Charting a blueprint within the coordinates of the era and continuing glory amidst historical echoes, the ideological and cultural endeavors of this year are deeply integrated into the nation's development with their profound contemporary essence and distinct practical characteristics.

Over the past year, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the ideological and cultural front has held high the torch of thought to illuminate the path forward, used the bond of values to unite people's hearts, drawn on the cultural essence to nourish the soul, and built bridges of mutual learning to connect the world. With vigor and enterprise, they have written a brand-new chapter worthy of the times.

Raising the Banner of Thought
Deepening Theoretical Armament

On July 28, 2025, the New Thought Tracing Forum was held in Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang Province. Experts and scholars from all over the country gathered in this famous historical and cultural city to conduct in-depth exchanges on Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, explore the evolutionary logic of ideological development, and contemplate the practical issues of cultural construction.

The participating experts stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) reflections and practices on cultural work during his time in local positions deepened the understanding of cultural laws, reflected the historical context of theoretical innovation, and provided a theoretical foundation and practical materials for the formation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.

Placing the study and promotion of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture within the overall framework of comprehensively and systematically interpreting Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the ideological and cultural front has guided the vast number of Party members, cadres, and the masses to continuously exert efforts in learning, understanding, and implementing, promoting contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism to take root in people's hearts.

Deepening theoretical research and advancing systematization and scientization are the prerequisites and foundations for strengthening theoretical armament.

In the lobby on the first floor of the Beijing Book Building (北京图书大厦), the fifth volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" is placed in a prominent position, attracting many readers to stop and read.

Since its publication in July 2025, this authoritative work has sparked a wave of learning throughout society. The ideological and cultural front treats the fifth volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" and the first to fourth volumes as a whole, encouraging everyone to continuously deepen their ideological understanding and appreciate the power of truth through reading the original works, studying the original texts, and understanding the underlying principles.

Over the past year, important works such as the first volume of "Xi Jinping's Economic Anthology," the first volume of "Xi Jinping's Anthology on Ecological Civilization," the first and second volumes of Comrade Xi Jinping's "On Upholding Comprehensive and Deepening Reform," the first volume of "Xi Jinping's Anthology on the Rule of Law," "A Study Outline of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law (2025 Edition)," and "A Study Outline of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy (2025 Edition)" have been published one after another, making the systematic construction more complete.

At the same time, the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center (Institute), the Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project, and the achievements of national high-end think tanks have continued to emerge, national social science fund major projects have been steadily advanced, and scientized research has continued to deepen.

It is necessary to both consolidate the foundation through solid research and promote the Party's innovative theories to "fly into the homes of ordinary people" through popularization.

On November 5, 2025, members of the Central Lecturing Group for Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee came to Yongfeng Village (永丰村), Taihe Town (太和镇), Meishan City (眉山市), Sichuan Province, and sat around the courtyard with village representatives and grassroots cadres to discuss policies, talk about development, and listen to their voices.

Combining the plenary session's deployment of "promoting the deep integration of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas" with the actual work of Yongfeng Village's tourism development, the in-depth and simple explanations aroused strong resonance among the audience: "The lectures turn great principles into plain language, which is easy to understand, remember, and implement."

From the Central Lecturing Group rushing to various parts of the country to interact and exchange with cadres and the masses face-to-face, to various localities carefully organizing rich, diverse, and lively grassroots lectures, scientific theories are becoming more deeply rooted in the grassroots and in people's hearts.

Innovating methods of expression and catering to the needs of the masses, the ideological and cultural front has taken the initiative to build bridges between scientific theories and the people.

The popular theoretical reading material "Innovation and Practical Work Promote Development" is thorough in its reasoning and fresh in its writing style. The "Post-80s, 90s, and 00s" Guangxi Youth Lecturing Group tells theories to young people, and the Fudan University (复旦大学) "Spark" Party Member Volunteer Service Team sings "New Thought," constantly inspiring empathy with the power of faith.

The central mainstream media takes the lead in guiding the direction with the banner and establishing the dominance with the mainstream, innovatively creating integrated media columns such as "Face-to-Face with General Secretary" and "General Secretary's Concerns, Echoes on the Ground," and launching programs such as "Lecture Series on Xi Jinping's Economic Thought," continuously improving writing style, optimizing language, strengthening quality, and increasing effectiveness.

The theory for the masses has shifted from "one-way indoctrination" to "two-way engagement." The ideological and cultural front, while upholding the correct and innovating, promotes the entire Party and society to further enhance their political, ideological, theoretical, and emotional identification with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

The great power of thought stirs China, and the Party's good voice is transformed into the strongest voice of society, reaching the hearts of the people and echoing across the land of China.

Promoting the Spirit of the War of Resistance
Deepening Patriotic Feelings

Eighty salutes reverberated through the sky, and 80,000 peace doves fluttered their wings. The inspiring voice of "Justice will prevail! Peace will prevail! The people will prevail!" echoed for a long time.

On September 3, 2025, a grand gathering commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was solemnly held in Tiananmen Square (天安门广场), marking history, commemorating martyrs, cherishing peace, and creating the future with a national ceremony.

"Unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, inherit and promote the great spirit of the War of Resistance, strive forward with determination and courage, and unite and struggle to comprehensively promote the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization!" General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the commemorative meeting gathered a powerful spiritual force of unity.

At the scene, the central mainstream media comprehensively used cableway cameras, ground-level miniature cameras, and a large-scale domestic 8K ultra-high-definition broadcasting system to build nearly 200 shooting positions, presenting the grand scene in a panoramic view with film-level picture quality and lighting effects. The live broadcast was watched by 430 million people in real-time, and related videos reached a total of 33.94 billion people across all media platforms.

From the north and south of the Yangtze River, inside and outside the Great Wall, from the white mountains and black waters to the shores of the South China Sea, from the water towns of Jiangnan to the deserts of the Gobi, the magnificent live broadcast scenes spread the grand occasion to the land of China, and the patriotic enthusiasm of hundreds of millions of Chinese sons and daughters reached a climax, with resonance bursting from the bottom of their hearts.

The publicity and reporting of the commemorative meeting closely echoed and resonated with the publicity activities throughout the year.

Over the past year, the ideological and cultural front has closely focused on the theme and main line of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance, vigorously promoted the great spirit of the War of Resistance, and guided the Chinese sons and daughters to deeply cultivate patriotic feelings and strengthen their determination to serve the country.

This is the relay and inheritance of historical memory—

Beside the Lugou Bridge (卢沟桥), the morning light shines on the Wanping City (宛平城) wall. At the entrance of the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (中国人民抗日战争纪念馆), people lined up in long queues, waiting for a solemn tribute to history.

Inside the museum, the theme exhibition "For National Liberation and World Peace" records the unyielding struggle with 1,525 photos and 3,237 cultural relics, telling the tragic past of saving the nation from extinction.

"Wipe clean the mirror of history and take the road to the future," "May we learn from history and let the flowers of peace bloom forever," "The road to rejuvenation, we are responsible"... On the message board, every sentence is heartfelt and deeply moving. Since its opening on July 7, 2025, the memorial hall has received more than 1.63 million visitors.

Let the memory of the War of Resistance condense into an eternal monument, and let the spirit of the War of Resistance illuminate the journey forward.

From the announcement of the fourth batch of 34 national-level memorial facilities and sites of the War of Resistance to the announcement of the fourth batch of 41 famous anti-Japanese martyrs and 2 heroic groups, every specific place and name will be forever remembered.

From the ringing of the bell and sounding the alarm in Shenyang (沈阳) to commemorate the "September 18th Incident," to the 2025 Nanjing Massacre (南京大屠杀) National Memorial Ceremony held in Nanjing (南京), the collective memory of the nation is constantly deepening.

From the stories of the War of Resistance entering ideological and political classrooms to the launch of research and study routes with the theme of the War of Resistance in many places, young people are encouraged to continue the red bloodline and establish lofty aspirations.

This is the contemporary writing of literary and artistic creation—

On the night of the Victory Memorial Day, the Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂) was filled with inspiring songs. When the stage curtain opened, the biting snow of the birch forest in Northeast China, the desolate "sorrow" of Nanjing City, and the blood and tears of the north and south of the Yangtze River, turned into the earth-shattering roar like the Yellow River, singing out the unyielding spirit of the Chinese nation.

This literary and artistic gala "Justice Will Prevail," with young literary and artistic workers as the main force, reproduced the years of war with music, dance, and situational drama, and played the heroic song of the magnificent mountains and rivers, which was unanimously praised online and offline.

Over the past year, the vast number of literary and artistic workers have devoted themselves to creation, using art to remember the glorious years and engrave the immortal journey.

Movies such as "Nanjing Photo Studio" are both popular and well-received, TV series such as "Position" are popular on the screen, documentaries such as "Lugou Bridge: Our Memorial" delve into historical materials, and micro-short dramas such as "Wrathful Assassination" combine lightness and depth... In the interweaving of light and shadow, the great spirit of the War of Resistance is enduring.

"Secret Struggle: The Cultural War of a Scholar" outlines the group portrait of the cultural War of Resistance, "Cheqiao Cheqiao" presents a panoramic view of the prelude to the strategic counter-offensive of the War of Resistance in Central China, and "Children's Troupe" tells the story of the War of Resistance to young people... Through vivid words, patriotic feelings leap onto the paper.

These powerful literary and artistic works play a song of the times, a song of patriotism, and a song of the people that are soul-stirring.

This is the practical practice of the news front line—

Xinhua News Agency (新华社) took more than 3,000 photos of the commemorative meeting, and a large number of pictures became "explosive hits" on the Internet; the live broadcast of the commemorative meeting by China Media Group (中央广播电视总台) was rebroadcast by more than 2,000 overseas mainstream TV stations and new media platforms, setting a new historical high; People's Daily (人民日报) successively launched special editions, with rich content and beautiful visuals.

Various media at all levels have successively launched more than 1 million articles (pieces) of reports on a series of commemorative activities, with more than 76.6 billion online clicks and more than 1.05 billion discussions.

Only by going deep into history can we better tell old stories and discover new stories.

Since June 2025, theme publicity activities such as "Remember History, Commemorate Martyrs" and "Witness of Mountains and Rivers - Our Memories of the War of Resistance" have been launched successively.

Through solid interviews and in-depth research, the central and local mainstream media have entered the places where major battles and important meetings of the War of Resistance took place, and visited the sites of the War of Resistance and the base areas of the Anti-Japanese War, vividly telling the stories of the War of Resistance.

Over the past year, the vast number of reporters and editors have actively promoted the generals and soldiers who fought bloody battles, the intellectuals who used their pens as swords, the people from all walks of life who supported the front line, and the international friends who fought side by side in the practice of "four forces," deeply exposing the crimes of Japanese militarist aggression, vividly telling the great changes of the past 80 years, defending the truth of history, and spreading the correct view of history.

Through true and vivid reports, patriotic feelings and national integrity are fully demonstrated, and the heroic spirit and the belief in victory are widely promoted.

At the same time, taking this theme report as an opportunity, the news media promoted resource integration, innovative production and dissemination, and strengthened technological empowerment, not only launching a large number of news works with political height, ideological depth, historical span, and emotional temperature, but also providing useful reference for exploring and promoting the systematic transformation of mainstream media.

Strengthening Value Guidance and Gathering People's Hearts

On September 16, 2025, the Party Central Committee issued an important document - "Regulations on Ideological and Political Work of the Communist Party of China." This is the first overarching, comprehensive, and fundamental regulation on ideological and political work in the history of our Party, and it is the basic guideline for doing a good job in ideological and political work in the new era.

Ideological and political work is the work of doing people's work. Focusing on guiding people, inspiring people, uniting people, and shaping people, the regulations clarify the main contents of ideological and political work in nine aspects, promoting the entire people to unite closely around the Party and gather under the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Transforming the Party Central Committee's macro guidance into concrete practice, the ideological and cultural front keeps the big picture in mind, adheres to "people-centered," strengthens value guidance, and constantly gathers people's hearts and gathers strength.

Serving the overall situation and boosting confidence and morale—

On the morning of July 9, 2025, the press conference hall of the State Council Information Office (国新办) attracted many media outlets. The first press conference on "High-Quality Completion of the '14th Five-Year Plan'" was held here.

In the following three months, a total of 38 press conferences were held in this series, comprehensively introducing the vivid practices and great achievements in various fields over the past five years, demonstrating the broad prospects for high-quality development.

Over the past year, the ideological and cultural front has continued to strengthen public opinion guidance, unite and stabilize morale, do a good job in positive publicity, especially economic publicity, and constantly sing the main theme and promote positive energy.

Focusing on the conclusion of the "14th Five-Year Plan," the news media carried out theme interview activities such as "Vitality China Research Trip" and created key columns such as "Winning the '14th Five-Year Plan' and Fighting a Good Closing Battle," deeply exploring the vivid cases of various places in new quality productive forces, green transformation, urban-rural integration, and high-level opening up, and effectively strengthening confidence, encouraging hard work, activating vitality, and promoting development.

Around the Central Economic Work Conference, the Central Rural Work Conference, and other important meetings, a series of positive publicity accurately grasped the Party Central Committee's policy intentions, and while singing the economic bright theory, clearly explained the "problems in development" and "growing pains," guiding society to correctly understand the situation, eliminate ideological confusion, and improve psychological expectations.

Combined with the special action to boost consumption and further promote the development of private investment implemented by the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and major measures such as the closure and operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自由贸易港), the publicity and interpretation of economic policies were continuously and deeply carried out.

Targeting people's livelihood concerns such as employment, education, elderly care, childcare, and housing, the media focused on opening special columns such as "Observation on Promoting High-Quality and Full Employment" and actively reported on the innovative measures of various regions and departments.

Closely following the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治区) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (新疆维吾尔自治区), the white papers "Development and Progress of Human Rights in Tibet in the New Era" and "Successful Practice of the Party's Strategy for Governing Xinjiang in the New Era" were released, and the series of reports "60 Years of Glory, Charming New Tibet" and "70 Years of Hard Work, Chapters of Splendor in Tianshan North and South" were launched, singing the "concentric song" of national unity.

Transforming the wind and cultivating people, cultivating civilized customs—

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in his important instructions on the work of spiritual civilization construction that it is necessary to promote the integrated development of urban and rural spiritual civilization construction, strengthen the construction of civic morality, give play to the exemplary role of advanced models, and further form an upward and good social atmosphere.

Over the past year, the ideological and cultural front has given full play to the leading role of socialist core values and promoted the continuous improvement of social civilization.

In the northern Shaanxi (陕北) region, the red hot land is surging with a new trend of civilization. In October 2025, the China Rural Civilization Conference with the theme of "Civilization Makes the Countryside Better" was held in Yan'an (延安).

In the literary and artistic performances, programs such as the Huangmei Opera "Reducing the Burden for 'Sweetness'" and the chorus situational performance "Our Stories Our Songs" compiled and performed by the masses focused on themes such as high bride prices and human relations comparisons, interpreting new changes in changing customs and promoting civilized concepts to the hearts of the people.

Improving the level of social civilization requires both moral appeal and legal constraints, both exemplary demonstration and self-cultivation, so that people can improve their spiritual realm in daily use without realizing it.

Holding a symposium on the ideological and moral construction of minors, promoting moral education "starting from children"; implementing the spirit of the Central Urban Work Conference, focusing on building civilized cities that advocate morality and kindness, and better playing the role of moral cultivation.

Advanced models of mass spiritual civilization creation activities and moral models ascended the podium of the National Spiritual Civilization Construction Commendation Conference, and "Role Models of the Times," "Most Beautiful People," and "Good People of China" emerged one after another, and the power of role models guided the whole society to learn from the virtuous and strive to be pioneers.
The National Reading Conference has been held for the fourth consecutive year, the "Lighting Up Reading Micro-Wishes" book donation activity fulfills the reading wishes of rural children, and the promulgation of the "National Reading Promotion Regulations" consolidates the legal guarantee. The atmosphere of loving to read, reading good books, and being good at reading is becoming increasingly strong.

The National "Integrity and Business Promotion Month" promotes the culture of integrity, and the "Our Festival" brand activities bring traditional folk customs into people's lives. Actively advocating for simplified new customs for weddings and funerals, resolutely opposing "waste on the tip of the tongue," and calling for civilized spectating and civilized tourism, the civic literacy is continuously improving.

Today, civilization is increasingly becoming a habit, transforming into concrete and subtle ordinary practices in meticulous, small, and practical ways, demonstrating the extraordinary power in the ordinary.

Consolidate the position and build a concentric circle online and offline—

"It is necessary to strengthen the guidance of online platforms, self-media, and multi-channel network organizations, and promote them to assume social responsibility and consciously become disseminators of positive energy." On November 28, 2025, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out when presiding over the 23rd collective study of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee (中共中央政治局) that it is necessary to adhere to shaping the cyberspace with positive voices, mainstream values, and the new trends of the times.

Wherever people are, the focus of cohesion and strength lies there. At present, the number of Internet users in China exceeds 1.1 billion. Whoever controls the Internet controls the initiative of the times.

The publicity and ideological culture front actively builds exchange platforms, successfully holding the China Internet Civilization Conference, the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, the National Cyber Security Publicity Week and other activities to share practical results and deepen international cooperation.

Carrying out special actions to vigorously rectify the chaos of online live streaming rewards, the release of false information by "self-media," and the bad behavior of sports "fan circles," the governance of the online ecology continues to deepen.

Over the past year, the publicity and ideological culture front has focused on cultivating a positive and healthy online culture, making the cyberspace clearer and gathering the power for good.

Inherit the Chinese cultural heritage and stimulate creative vitality

The inheritance of culture has never been a simple replication and preservation, but an exploration, advancement, innovation, and development in the continuation of the national spiritual bloodline, so that the Chinese cultural heritage can be rejuvenated in the torrent of the times.

Inheriting the cultural heritage and stimulating creation, the publicity and ideological culture front has a firm mission and a heavy responsibility.

Guarding the roots, the protection of cultural heritage has achieved remarkable results—

South of Luoyang (洛阳), on the bank of the Yi River, the Longmen Grottoes (龙门石窟) are lined with thousands of niches. Between the cliffs, the chisels of the Northern Wei (北魏) and the carvings of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝) are engraved with lasting imprints of civilization.

On May 19, 2025, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) came here during his inspection in Henan (河南), gazing at history and sighing: "We must protect, inherit, and disseminate these treasures of Chinese culture."

Only by not forgetting the original can we open up the future, and only by being good at inheriting can we innovate better.

Cultural heritage contains great creations, records historical events, and maintains national emotions. It not only vividly tells the past, but also allows us to add confidence in facing the future when looking back at history.

Protecting cultural heritage, the publicity and ideological culture front has accumulated momentum for promoting the construction of a cultural power.

In the past year, the "Western Xia Mausoleums" (西夏陵) were successfully included in the World Heritage List, the oral narrative art "Hezhe Yimakan" (赫哲族伊玛堪) was transferred from the list of intangible cultural heritage in urgent need of protection to the representative list of human intangible cultural heritage, and the "'Hezhe Yimakan' Protection Plan" was selected into the list of excellent protection practices. China's cultural heritage protection and inheritance has won world applause.

The fourth national cultural relics census newly discovered more than 130,000 cultural relics, and the basic situation of cultural relics resources has been clarified; the newly revised Cultural Relics Protection Law has been implemented, and the institutionalized construction of cultural heritage protection is more complete; the national treasure that has been drifting overseas for 79 years—the Zidanku Silk Manuscript "Five Elements Order" (子弹库帛书《五行令》) and "Attack and Defense Divination" (《攻守占》) finally returned to its homeland, and China has taken a solid step on the road of recovering lost cultural relics.

Improving quality and empowering, culture activates new momentum for economic development—

Empowering economic and social development with culture is a major proposition put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) during the 2025 National People's Congress, revealing the deep driving force of culture.

In 2025, *Ne Zha* (哪吒之魔童闹海) came out! This film, based on Chinese classical mythology, became a blockbuster upon its release, topping the Chinese film history box office chart and the global animated film box office chart all the way.

The popularity of *Ne Zha* drove the hot sales of co-branded catering packages and the out-of-stock of cultural and creative products such as blind box figures. "Traveling with Ne Zha" became a new fashion, triggering a comprehensive consumption spillover effect.

What is driving economic benefits onto the "wheels of wind and fire" is more than just *Ne Zha*?

Taking cultural creativity as the "traffic" password, the market for two-dimensional peripheral products is broad; tickets for popular concerts are "sold out in seconds," and the performance economy has become a "walking GDP"; the "ticket stub economy" explores "cultural diversion + commercial realization" to stimulate new consumption potential.

Over the past year, culture has not only "added fuel to the fire" for consumption, but also continuously enriched new scenarios and new formats, achieving cross-border integration with various economic fields.

"Su Chao" (苏超) successfully broke the circle, deeply integrating the competitive attributes of sports, the cultural attributes of the city, and the economic attributes of cultural tourism, and embarked on a new path of cultural empowerment for economic and social development.

"Village Super League" (村超) and "Village BA" (村BA) continue to be popular, and "culture + countryside" has led villagers to enrich their pockets and minds; digital curators, research and study tourism instructors, and other professions have expanded new space for employment... Cultural "soft power" is constantly being transformed into "hard power" to promote economic and social development.

Extensive participation, people's cultural enthusiasm is increasing day by day—

Nearly 86.3 million visits! During the 2025 National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, museums across the country ushered in a wave of visits.

On the occasion of the centenary of the Palace Museum (故宫博物院), the exhibition "Centennial Guardianship - From the Forbidden City to the Palace Museum" attracted tourists to check in; in the Great Tang All Day Mall (大唐不夜城) in Xi'an (西安), tourists interacted with the "Li Bai" (李白) performer to recite poems and appreciate the charm of traditional culture; TV series such as *The Silent Honor*, *The Birth of All Things*, and *The Treasure Hunt* became popular, setting off a craze for chasing dramas...

Over the past year, from offline exhibitions to immersive experiences, from screen works to daily topics, people's cultural enthusiasm has become increasingly high.

With the continuous warming of cultural enthusiasm, the people are transforming from cultural appreciators to active participants.

Farmer poets chant life in the fields, amateur contestants step onto the open mic stage of stand-up comedy, and people of different ages, occupations, and regions use the Internet to share self-created songs, dances, novels, and essays, or use the camera to record the most ordinary life.

Today, the tentacles of literary and artistic creation extend to every corner of social life. Hundreds of millions of ordinary people, empowered by technology, illuminated by knowledge, and summoned by the times, gather the most vigorous creative power of the new mass literature and art with the most vivid life experiences and the most abundant life emotions.

Tell the Chinese story and play the sound of harmony

On December 5, 2025, in Dujiangyan (都江堰), Chengdu (成都), General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) had friendly exchanges with French President Emmanuel Macron. Under Mount Y垒 (玉垒山) and on the bank of the Min River (岷江), the story of "High Mountain and Flowing Water" (高山流水) continued.

During the conversation, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) introduced the history and significance of Dujiangyan (都江堰), frankly saying that "every time I come to Dujiangyan (都江堰), I can feel the greatness of the ancestors who adapted to local conditions, followed the trend, combined nature and man, and managed water for the benefit of the people, and draw wisdom from it for governing the country."

"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." Macron was deeply moved.

Head-of-state diplomacy subtly showed the international community a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China. Under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), the publicity and ideological culture front adheres to carrying the Tao with culture, spreading the voice with culture, and influencing people with culture, contributing more vibrant cultural achievements to the world.

The inspiring Chinese concept provides ideological guidance for countries to work together to overcome challenges.

"I would like to propose a global governance initiative and work with all countries to promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system and jointly move towards a community with a shared future for mankind."

On September 1, 2025, at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization +" meeting held in Tianjin (天津), General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) solemnly proposed the Global Governance Initiative, which triggered a positive response from the international community.

Taking this as an opportunity, the publicity and ideological culture front actively promoted the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, the Global Governance Initiative and other important propositions, conveying "Chinese experience" and sharing "Chinese solutions" to the world in an all-round and multi-angle manner.

From expounding the concepts and policies of good-neighborliness, security, prosperity, affinity, sincerity, inclusiveness, and a community with a shared future, to promoting the BRICS spirit, the "Shanghai Spirit," and the "China-Central Asia Spirit," these concepts and visions containing Chinese wisdom cross mountains and seas through media platforms, injecting confidence and strength into the turbulent world.

It is necessary to spread Chinese concepts and fully reason, but also to dare to show the sword and clearly express the Chinese voice.

Over the past year, regarding the attacks and smears against China by the United States and the West in the fields of Xinjiang (涉疆), Tibet (涉藏), Hong Kong (涉港), economy and trade (涉经贸), and human rights (涉人权), the publicity and ideological culture front has handled the relationship between "attack" and "defense," "struggle" and "harmony," and continuously improved the ability and level of external voice.

In particular, in response to the erroneous remarks of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗) regarding Taiwan (台湾), we focused on criticizing her egregious actions of blatantly advocating for "Taiwan independence" forces in disregard of historical and legal facts, actively conveying the firm determination of the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and effectively guiding the international community to recognize the essence of the truth.

The Chinese voice resounds throughout the world, and Chinese culture amazes the world.

In 2025, La Bu Bu (拉布布)—a Chinese doll with small fangs, a pair of pointed ears, and a bit "ugly and cute"—became popular all over the world. Foreign media commented that the "soft power" of Chinese culture is gaining the love of overseas consumers.

The success of phenomenon-level cultural IPs demonstrates the continuous improvement of China's cultural influence overseas.

The TV series *Zang Hai Zhuan* (藏海传) is a global hit, the English version of the online novel *Shang Yuan Huan* (上元欢) is published and distributed overseas, and the global downloads of micro-short drama APPs continue to grow... Over the past year, more and more colorful cultures that inherit excellent traditional culture and promote the spirit of the times, are based on the country and face the world, have set sail overseas and won the favor of the world.

Going out, but also inviting in. The new era of China embraces all rivers with a broad mind, telling the story of harmony and commonality with the world:

At the Global Women's Summit, the Chinese famous song *Jasmine Flower* (茉莉花), the Ghanaian song *Yearning for Peace*, and the Icelandic song *Star of May* were played melodiously, and the beauty of art, the charm of culture, and the voice of friendship resonated in harmony;

At the 2025 International Youth Poetry Festival, the rhythm of Tang poetry met the passion of magical realism. Chinese poets and Latin American poets used poetry as a medium to express the common emotions of human civilization;

At the Second World Conference on Sinology, the *Euclid's Elements of Geometry* published in Cologne in 1591 and the *Geometric Originals* published in Shanghai (上海) in 1858 were displayed together, as if telling the historical past of East-West exchanges;

At the Global South Modernization Forum, the ideal of "Datong" (天下大同 - tiān xià dà tóng - "the world as a community," a utopian vision of universal harmony and equality) and the "Ubuntu spirit" echoed each other, jointly outlining the vision and pursuit of building a better world;

…………

Exchanging and learning from each other, and drawing on the strengths of others, in 2025, different cultural memories and civilizational landscapes gathered on the land of China, writing a splendid and colorful chapter.

Let's set sail on a long journey to meet the distant waves.

The curtain of 2026 is slowly opening. Along with the start of the "15th Five-Year Plan," a magnificent picture of the times is waiting for us to write.

Facing the future, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) as the core, and under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping's (习近平) thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, shouldering the major mission of stimulating the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation, the publicity and ideological culture front will be pragmatic, responsible, and persevering, and embark on a new journey with a more high-spirited attitude.

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京), January 4 (王子铭、王思北、邢拓、杨湛菲))

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Ding Xuexiang Meets with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 4th. Ding Xuexiang (丁薛祥), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar (达尔) in Beijing (北京) on the 4th.

Ding Xuexiang (丁薛祥) stated that the ironclad friendship between China and Pakistan has 历久弥坚 (lì jiǔ mí jiān - "the longer it lasts, the stronger it becomes," describes a friendship or relationship that becomes stronger over time). President Xi Jinping (习近平) met with President Zardari (扎尔达里) and Prime Minister Sharif (夏巴兹) last year, respectively, reaching new important consensus on further developing bilateral relations. China is willing to work with Pakistan (巴基斯坦), in accordance with the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, to strengthen political mutual trust and mutual support, deepen the alignment of development plans, promote the quality and efficiency of pragmatic cooperation, strengthen communication and coordination on major international and regional affairs, accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era, and continuously enhance the well-being of the two peoples.

Dar (达尔) said that friendship with China is the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy. Pakistan (巴基斯坦) adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to take the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity to promote the continuous development of the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

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State Council Issues "Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Action Plan"

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京) January 4th - Recently, the State Council (国务院) issued the "Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Action Plan" (《固体废物综合治理行动计划》) (hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan").

The "Action Plan" is guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想), thoroughly implements the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (党的二十大) and the Plenary Sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee, fully and accurately implements the new development concept, adheres to the principles of reduction, resource utilization, and harmlessness, insists on systematic advancement and key breakthroughs, accelerates the completion of shortcomings and weaknesses, focuses on key areas, key regions, and key issues, carries out in-depth special rectification, strictly implements closed-loop management, constructs a comprehensive solid waste management system of source reduction, process control, end utilization, and full-chain harmless management, prioritizes the management of solid waste closely related to people's lives and safe production, accelerates the improvement of a long-term comprehensive management mechanism, and resolutely curbs the growth trend of solid waste.

The "Action Plan" proposes that by 2030, special management of solid waste in key areas will achieve significant results, the historical stockpiles of solid waste will be effectively controlled, the high incidence of illegal dumping and disposal will be curbed, the annual comprehensive utilization of bulk solid waste will reach 4.5 billion tons, the annual recycling of major renewable resources will reach 510 million tons, and the comprehensive solid waste management capacity and level will be significantly improved.

The "Action Plan" focuses on major waste-producing areas such as industry, urban areas, and agriculture and forestry. Following the idea of comprehensive management of the entire chain, it further clarifies the management tasks of each link, promotes source control and reduction, standardizes collection, transportation, and storage, improves the level of resource utilization, enhances the capacity for harmless management, and deploys special management in key areas such as illegal dumping and disposal of solid waste, environmental pollution hazards in domestic waste landfills, construction waste, historical legacy solid waste storage sites, and phosphogypsum. It also strictly supervises the entire process and conducts law enforcement inspections, improves laws, regulations, standards, and technical systems, and strengthens policy guarantees.

The "Action Plan" requires that all regions and relevant departments, under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee (党中央), combine with their actual situations to implement the plan. Local governments at all levels should earnestly fulfill their main responsibilities, improve working systems, refine goals and tasks, and ensure effective implementation. Relevant departments should implement key tasks according to their respective responsibilities and form a joint working force. Adhering to the principle of "whoever pollutes, governs," the prevention and control responsibilities of the main bodies of solid waste pollution should be consolidated.

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Bite down on the target, work hard and diligently.

By: 本报记者 胡安琪 钱一彬 马 原

2026 is the opening year of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan."

On January 4th, the first working day of the new year, reporters went deep into the front lines to investigate. The vast number of cadres and the masses are determined to achieve their goals, work hard and practically, strive for their dreams, and work hard for happiness. One after another, bustling scenes reflect the thriving China.

Innovation vitality in product images

In Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang (浙江), Yushu Technology Co., Ltd. Inside the conference room, engineers and the technical team are discussing details; in the exhibition hall, humanoid robots and other products are lined up. At about 11 o'clock, Chen Jiaxin (陈嘉欣), the market manager, finished receiving the visiting team and rushed back to the test area. The G1 humanoid robot performed martial arts, modern dance, and obstacle crossing with smooth movements. However, Chen Jiaxin's task is to "nitpick" and give feedback to the technical team: "The backflip landing could be more stable..."

At the beginning of the new year, Chen Jiaxin's mobile phone has been filled with to-do items: the planned cross-border cooperation of robots is progressing one after another, and the recently launched robot application store needs to collect user feedback... "Closely monitor technology iteration, embrace global partners, and improve user experience - making these 'iron fools' integrate into everyone's life is what I look forward to most," Chen Jiaxin said.

Open attraction in the route map

The whistle sounded long, and a freighter full of containers slowly sailed into Yangpu Port (洋浦港), Hainan (海南). Before berthing, the information of the ship and cargo has "taken the first step" and completed the review in advance.

In the morning, Li Wen (黎文), director of the Yangpu Customs (洋浦海关) Supervision Department affiliated to Haikou Customs (海口海关), and his colleagues were busy - a batch of duty-free cosmetics was scheduled for on-site inspection. Passing through the loading and unloading area of Yangpu International Container Terminal (洋浦国际集装箱码头), you can see the shore bridge rising and falling and trucks shuttling back and forth.

Since the full island closure operation of Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港), the inbound and outbound customs clearance route map has become clearer. The comprehensive use of a variety of inspection methods allows the opening of foreign ports, but also can be managed.

About half an hour later, the batch of goods was released and sent to Haikou International Duty Free City (海口国际免税城). During the New Year's Day holiday, Haikou Customs (海口海关) supervised the sales of 442,000 pieces of offshore duty-free goods, an increase of 52.4% year-on-year; the shopping amount was 712 million yuan, an increase of 128.9% year-on-year. "The 'circle of friends' of the Free Trade Port is getting bigger and bigger, and we must provide efficient guarantees and considerate services," Li Wen (黎文) said.

Growth potential in the pattern map

"The cutting line and the stitching line must not be wrong..." In Qianhui Clothing Co., Ltd. in the Gongfu Workshop Industrial Park (共富工坊产业园) in Wuqiang Town (坞墙镇), Suiyang District (睢阳区), Shangqiu (商丘), Henan (河南), Song Sihua (宋四化), the person in charge, stared at the computer screen to confirm the sample drawing, "This batch of fabric is waterproof and breathable, and the made-up storm jacket is very popular among hiking enthusiasts."

"The more diverse the demand and the more segmented the market, the more development potential there is. For example, storm jackets, some are customized work clothes for companies, some are deeply involved in hiking, cycling and other scenarios, and some use 'trendy' designs to attract young people." The local person in charge introduced that the industrial park has gathered the entire industrial chain of storm jackets.

"This year, we plan to put new fabrics into use, upgrade new technologies and new equipment, and 'charge' into the high-end market," Song Sihua (宋四化) said.

Service synergy in the guide map

On the first floor, the aroma of home-cooked dishes from the community canteen is overflowing; on the third floor, in the "Baby Room," professional caregivers are leading children to play games; on the fourth floor, in the dance activity room, everyone is stepping on the beat and dancing lightly.

Yue Meng (岳萌), 56, brought her granddaughter Hengheng (哼哼) to the Party and Mass Service Center (党群服务中心) on Gonghexin Road Subdistrict (共和新路街道), Jing'an District (静安区), Shanghai (上海). "Hengheng (哼哼) enjoys playing in the 'Baby Room'. After I finish dancing and exercising, I pick up the little baby and go downstairs to eat, which is worry-free and convenient," Yue Meng (岳萌) said, "Hengheng (哼哼) also likes to read picture books and listen to stories in the library on the second floor!"

This place brings together functions such as childcare, culture, meal assistance, and fitness, and a guide map indicates the distribution. "Focusing on the 'young and old' that residents care about, we are exploring providing one-stop services." In the new year, listening to the needs of the masses and connecting with relevant resources, Ge Jie (葛捷), director of the Party and Mass Service Center (党群服务中心), is constantly on the move, "Next, we must strive to allow residents to enjoy higher-quality public services."

Motivation for doing things in the tree diagram

"Zhuoma (卓玛), how are the fish?" As soon as he arrived at Lamu Village (拉毛村), Angla Township (昂拉乡), Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (黄南藏族自治州), Qinghai Province (青海省), You Hongzheng (尤宏争), a Tianjin (天津) aid cadre working in the State Bureau of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, went straight to the cage - the automatic bait feeder rotated and threw bait, and triploid rainbow trout jumped out of the water from time to time. Breathing white air, You Hongzheng (尤宏争) picked up a thin one to check carefully.

"Strong, 攒劲 (zǎn jìn - "vigorous," energetic)!" The villager Zhuoma (卓玛) answered crisply.

Behind the word "Zanjin (攒劲)", You Hongzheng (尤宏争) has not worried less: he went to many places to investigate, and asked experts to "diagnose," "Based on natural endowments, dare to break through and try."

You Hongzheng (尤宏争) sorted out this year's work into a "tree diagram". Next to the "trunk" of "product quality improvement", "branches" such as "improving the mechanism for linking farmers and benefiting farmers" and "improving fish feed" are listed one by one. "Refine standards, improve feed structure, protect the ecology and raise fish well, make the fish more 'Zanjin (攒劲)' and the benefits more 'Zhizheng (支棱)!" You Hongzheng (尤宏争) is full of confidence.

The road ahead is long, stride forward. On the land of China, hundreds of millions of people are striving to make progress and constantly create a new situation in the construction of Chinese-style modernization.

(Comprehensive reports by reporters Huang Xiaohui (黄晓慧), Qiao Dong (乔栋), Zhu Peixian (朱佩娴), Dou Hao (窦皓), and Dong Zeyang (董泽扬) of this newspaper)

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Nationwide, over 5,500 "Happy Rivers and Lakes" have been built cumulatively.

The Beijing (北京) January 4th (People's Daily) (Reporter Wang Hao (王浩) and Li Kaixuan (李凯旋)) The reporter learned on the 4th: The Ministry of Water Resources (水利部) released the list of outstanding cases of happy rivers and lakes in 2025, and 28 rivers and lakes including the Liangma River (亮马河) in Beijing (北京) were selected. Up to now, more than 5,500 happy rivers and lakes have been built nationwide.

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Strive for dreams and work hard for happiness together.

By: 本报评论员

"Searching for dreams in mountains and seas, one does not feel the distance; the road ahead is long, stride forward." In his New Year's message for 2026, President Xi Jinping (习近平) earnestly expressed his hopes: "Let us strive together for our dreams and work hard for happiness, turning grand visions into beautiful realities."

The road beneath our feet has never been smooth.

Science and technology workers are immersed in tackling key problems, helping China become one of the economies with the fastest-growing innovation capabilities; the vast number of farmers are diligently cultivating the land, consolidating the foundation for China's annual bumper harvests; entrepreneurs dare to venture and try, and foreign trade merchants are not afraid of wind and rain, enhancing the strong resilience of China's economy...

The miracle of China's development is the result of countless hands striving and fighting, countless shoulders carrying difficulties and working hard, and countless hearts thinking and working together to create it.

Having traversed thousands of mountains and rivers, we must continue to cross mountains and rivers. As the "15th Five-Year Plan" blueprint begins and the "two-step" strategy is steadily advanced, we cannot have the idea of taking a breather or resting our feet. Only by striving together for our dreams and working hard for happiness can we open up a bright future and paint a magnificent picture.

Looking to the future, let us "muster the courage to spur on our horses."

Faced with increasingly complex and fierce great power competition, how can we ensure that our legs do not tremble and our backs do not bend? Faced with old problems and new challenges that "cannot be avoided or bypassed," how can we open roads through mountains and build bridges across rivers? Faced with the difficulties and risks of advancing into deep water and exploring uncharted territory, how can we overcome obstacles and move forward without hesitation?

The pioneering cause, unprecedented in history, has no ready-made templates to copy and no easy paths to follow. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) once said: "Whenever we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, we always think of the noble spirit passed down by the Chinese nation for thousands of years, which doubles our confidence in moving forward."

In the past 5 years of hard work, we have further enhanced our ambition, backbone, and confidence in forging ahead, demonstrating the hard-core strength of the Chinese people who are not afraid of any difficulties and risks. To make a good start to the "15th Five-Year Plan," we must fight bravely and rise to the challenge with rock-solid confidence.

Looking to the future, let us "stimulate the vitality of ten thousand horses galloping."

Vitality is condensed in the focused figures of scientific researchers who are determined to overcome difficulties on the front lines, and it also surges in the national enthusiasm ignited by "City Super" and "Village Super"; it is deeply rooted in the cultural confidence manifested by the popularity of museums and intangible cultural heritage, and it also blossoms in the ordinary positions of millions of craftsmen, new farmers, and new employment groups... The efforts of everyone running hard have contributed to a vibrant and prosperous China.

Today's China, the vitality of innovation and creation is continuously transforming into economic momentum, becoming a "promotion field" and "application field" for new technologies around the world. Let the source of all innovation and creation fully flow, and let the driving force for all new development burst forth, we will surely form a vivid situation of a hundred rivers flowing and a thousand sails racing.

Looking to the future, let us "maintain the momentum of never stopping."

The non-stop lights of those tackling key problems, the figures of builders braving wind and snow, the footprints of those who dedicate themselves all over the countryside... Every worker's persistent dedication in their ordinary positions vividly interprets the truth that "socialism is achieved through hard work, and the new era is created through struggle."

Pragmatism is the most basic methodology and the golden key to overcoming difficulties.

From developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions, to continuously consolidating and strengthening the foundation of the real economy, to accelerating the efforts to address shortcomings in the field of people's livelihood, with the spirit of "grasping firmly what we have identified" and the tenacity of "working year after year," creatively implementing the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee (党中央), we will surely use hard work to build a solid foundation for development.

Cutting through thorns and brambles, persevering and never slacking. In the historical long-distance race to achieve modernization, we must engrave struggle and hard work in the historical coordinates and write glory and dreams on the vast land of China.

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New Year Address Reflects the Glory of Hard Work

By: 本报记者 李昌禹 亓玉昆

The "14th Five-Year Plan" concludes, and the "15th Five-Year Plan" begins. What remains constant in the passage of time is the power to move upward and forward.

"I pay tribute to every hard-working striver!" In his New Year's message for 2026, President Xi Jinping (习近平) affectionately looked back on the resounding footsteps of Chinese-style modernization and warmly praised the striving figures on the journey of building a strong country and national rejuvenation.

In fields and plots, factory workshops, the forefront of science and technology, and the front lines of border defense, the vast number of strivers are using innovation and creation to write a new era of glory.

"Let us bring out the courage to spur on our horses, stimulate the vitality of ten thousand horses galloping, maintain the momentum of never stopping, and work together for our dreams and strive for happiness, turning grand visions into beautiful realities." Reviewing these years of New Year's messages, we find the power to forge ahead.

Shouldering the Responsibility of Striving: Building a Thriving China

In the vast universe, pursuing dreams in space. The Shenzhou-21 (神舟二十一号) astronaut crew successfully entered the "Tiangong" ("天宫") space station and successfully completed their first extravehicular activity.

On the coast of the South China Sea, the sound of the tide is surging. In the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港), at a one-stop aircraft maintenance industrial base, engineers are debugging and repairing aircraft from many countries and regions around the world.

From witnessing China's height in the vast expanse of space to witnessing the extent of openness through global business, everyone is working hard, converging into a torrent of vigorous progress in the new era of China.

President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out in his New Year's message for 2026: "Everyone is striving for progress, working hard and dedicating themselves, building a thriving China."

Chang'e-6 (嫦娥六号) makes its first lunar back sampling, Dream (梦想号) explores the ocean, Tianwen-2 (天问二号) begins its "star-chasing" journey... Today's China is a China where dreams are realized one after another. We dare to take roads that others have not taken, writing one legend after another in the sea of stars.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) said with emotion: "All of this embodies the hard work and sweat of countless people. Sparks of light gather into a torch, and this is the power of China!"

Since the "14th Five-Year Plan," China's economic strength, scientific and technological strength, national defense strength, and comprehensive national strength have reached new levels, green mountains and clear waters have become a beautiful backdrop, and the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security have been continuously enhanced.

Humanoid robots, a concrete expression of new quality productive forces.

Appearing on the Spring Festival Gala stage performing Yangko dance, appearing at robot sports meets, and entering automobile factories "in formation" to "work"... 2025 is regarded as China's "year of mass production" for humanoid robots. As the world's largest robot producer, China holds more than 190,000 valid robot-related patents, accounting for about 2/3 of the global total.

Artificial intelligence, a young undertaking, is also an undertaking for young people.

In Shanghai's "Model Speed Space" ("模速空间"), General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) encouraged the young innovative talents on the scene, "We must cherish the heart of loving the country, establish the ambition of serving the country, enhance the ability to strengthen the country, closely link personal struggle with the destiny of the country, and run the relay race of history well."

The strivers of the new era are using wisdom and creativity to make more and more technological innovations run out of "acceleration," run into the "final circle," and run onto the "podium."

"Here, I would like to pay tribute to every scientist, every engineer, every 'master craftsman of a great power' ('大国工匠'), every builder, and every participant!" In his New Year's message, President Xi Jinping (习近平) praised innovation and encouraged struggle.

A strong country must first have a strong military, and a strong military can ensure national security.

"Mine-clearing hero" Du Fuguo (杜富国), Chen Xiangrong (陈祥榕), who wrote "Pure love, only for China"... "The people's soldiers are always the steel Great Wall defending the motherland, let us pay tribute to the loyal guards who protect our homeland!"

The September 3rd military parade, with flags flying high; the Fujian ship (福建舰) joining the fleet, splitting waves and riding the wind. In the past year, the People's Army has made vigorous strides in strengthening the military.

"Only by being loyal to our mission and unremittingly striving can we live up to the trust and expectations of the commander." The officers and soldiers of the Fujian ship (福建舰) are full of pride, "We are confident that we can master the new domestically-produced aircraft carrier, advance into the deep blue, and fight in the sea and sky."

Time flies forward, and the strivers never stop.

"We must move forward bravely and work hard to make China's tomorrow even better," "Tomorrow's China, struggle creates miracles"... Reviewing these years of New Year's messages, the earnest words are warm and powerful.

The more beautiful the scenery and the brighter the journey, the more we need to continue to struggle and move forward courageously.

Our blueprint is magnificent, and the task of national rejuvenation is arduous. One running dreamer after another, striving forward and persevering, is holding up a self-reliant and self-strengthening China.

Sharpening the Ambition of Struggle: Creating and Sharing a Better Life

Zhang Fuqing (张富清), who hid his merits and fame for a lifetime and never changed his original intention, Wang Jicai (王继才), who guarded the island and defended the country for decades, Huang Wenxiu (黄文秀), who dedicated her youth and life to the cause of poverty alleviation... Reviewing the New Year's messages, one name after another is familiar, they **咬定青山不放松** (yǎo dìng qīng shān bù fàng sōng - "bite the green hills and not relax," to remain steadfast and determined), using struggle to write a life without regrets.

Whether it is the recipients of national medals and national honorary titles, or the express delivery workers, sanitation workers, and taxi drivers, President Xi Jinping (习近平) keeps them in mind. Warm greetings, meticulous care, convey the people's leader's love and high expectations for the strivers.

"Dreaming of mountains and seas, not feeling the distance; the road ahead is long, stride forward," "Happiness is achieved through struggle," "Pie will not fall from the sky, hard work is the only way to make dreams come true"... Earnest words, surging powerful spiritual motivation, make struggle the most beautiful background color of the new era.

"After 8 years, nearly 100 million rural poor people under the current standards have all been lifted out of poverty, and all 832 poverty-stricken counties have been removed from the list." President Xi Jinping's (习近平) solemn announcement in his New Year's message for 2021 inspired the people of the whole country.

Winning the battle against poverty and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects cannot be achieved without the joint efforts of the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups across the country.

"More than 2.8 million village-based cadres and first secretaries are working very hard and are very effective, we must take care of their health," "We must listen to the voices of grassroots cadres, so that cadres who dare to take responsibility and make achievements have motivation and prospects"... These words in the New Year's message are heartwarming and uplifting.

Li Baoguo (李保国), who has been rooted in the Taihang Mountains for decades, using technology to throw barren mountains and bald ridges into history; Huang Dafa (黄大发), who led the people to carve out a "life canal" on the cliffs, fulfilling the promise of "if the water can't get through, we'll pave it with our lives"; Huang Shiyan (黄诗燕), who was rooted in the front line of poverty alleviation, serving as the secretary of the Yanling County (炎陵县) Party Committee in Hunan Province for 9 years and traveled to all 120 villages in the county... Behind the happy life is the continuous struggle and dedication of thousands of dream chasers.

"From the snowy plateau to the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, people of all ethnic groups are connected heart to heart, embracing each other tightly like pomegranate seeds, and everyone uses white hada and enthusiastic songs and dances to express their love for the motherland and their praise for happiness," President Xi Jinping (习近平) said in his New Year's message for 2026.

2025 is the last year of the 5-year transition period after the completion of the poverty alleviation task. The vast number of cadres and the masses in the poverty-stricken areas are working together with one heart and one mind, doing well and achieving success, and the lives of the masses are getting better and better.

The country will prosper if the youth prosper, and China's development depends on the vast number of young people standing up and taking responsibility.

In his New Year's message, President Xi Jinping (习近平) encouraged young people to "inspire youth with a fighting attitude, live up to the times, and live up to their youth."

Good sons and daughters aspire to all directions. In recent years, more and more ambitious young people have chosen to go to the west, to the countryside, to the grassroots, and to the places where the motherland and the people need them most to make contributions.

Today's China is a China that continues the national spirit.

The great spirit of struggle is the most valuable spiritual wealth and the most abundant spiritual power of the Chinese nation.

Daring to step forward in the face of difficulties and being able to stand up at critical moments. In the face of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, and mountain fires, "scenes of self-sacrifice and mutual assistance are deeply moving, and the heroic deeds will always be remembered in our hearts."

Ordinary people build greatness, and heroes come from the people. "Many selfless and dedicated unsung heroes have written extraordinary lives with the ordinary of ordinary people."

The road is as smooth as a whetstone, and struggle is like a song.

President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out in his New Year's message for 2026, "We rely on innovation to empower high-quality development," "We nourish the spiritual homeland with culture," "We create and share a better life together," "We continue to open our hearts to embrace the world."

The new era is the era of strivers. With the strong support of the spirit of struggle, there is the development achievement of "shocking the world," the calm and confidence of "looking at the world equally," and the strategic determination that "no force can stop us."

Gathering the Power of Struggle: Continuing to Write a New Chapter of Chinese Miracles

On the new journey of Chinese-style modernization, everyone is the protagonist, every effort is precious, and every ray of light shines brightly.

"Firewood, rice, oil, salt, three meals a day, four seasons, every 'small family' is bustling with activity, and China, this 'big family,' is thriving," President Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized in his New Year's message for 2026.

As the cold intensifies, multiple standardized vegetable bases and farmers' fields in Luodian County (罗甸县), Guizhou Province, are still in full swing. Farmers are working hard, either skillfully preparing the land and ridges, covering the ground film, or carefully transplanting and planting vegetable seedlings, creating a vibrant "winter farming production picture."

At the end of the year and the beginning of the year, at a construction site in an industrial park in Nanning City (南宁市), Guangxi Province, large machinery such as aerial vehicles and tower cranes are running at full power, and dozens of operators are sticking to their posts to seize the construction period, playing a "winter symphony" of hard work and progress.

Hard-working farmers, hard-working workers, daring and enterprising entrepreneurs... Everyone is busy throughout the year, paying, dedicating, and harvesting.

Glory belongs to every hard-working striver.

"At this time, express delivery workers, sanitation workers, taxi drivers, and thousands of laborers are still working hard. We must thank these creators and guardians of a better life. Thank you for your hard work." In the New Year's message, there is the deep affection of putting the people first.

"The greatness of a great country also carries the weight of a great country. The myriad things are, in the final analysis, the things of thousands of households."

"Our goal is very grand, but also very simple. In the final analysis, it is to let the people live a better life."

"Family affairs, national affairs, and world affairs, making the people live a happy life is the top priority."

…………

Where the country is headed is what the family hopes for. What the people are most concerned about are education, employment, income, social security, medical care, elderly care, housing, environment, and other aspects. Everyone has many gains, but also many worries and troubles.

In his New Year's message for 2018, President Xi Jinping (习近平) asked Party committees, governments, and cadres at all levels to "always keep the safety and warmth of the people in mind, take benefiting the people as the greatest political achievement, think what the masses think, worry about what the masses worry about, and make the people's lives happier and more fulfilling."

All great achievements are the result of continuous struggle, and all great undertakings need to be promoted in the process of building on the past and opening up the future.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Party proposed that "realizing socialist modernization is a historical process of step-by-step progress and continuous development, which requires unremitting efforts and continuous struggle."

The journey is long, and only struggle can lead to success.

As General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) said, "If more than 1.4 billion Chinese people think in one direction and work together, helping each other in the same boat and uniting as one, there is nothing that cannot be done and no obstacle that cannot be overcome."

2026 is the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out in his New Year's message for 2026: "Those who start sharply must plan for the end, and those who succeed must first plan for the beginning. We must anchor our goals and tasks, strengthen our confidence, take advantage of the momentum, and steadily promote high-quality development, further comprehensively deepen reform and opening up, promote common prosperity for all the people, and continue to write a new chapter of Chinese miracles."

Time belongs to the strivers, and history belongs to the strivers. Through struggle, we have overcome obstacles and traveled through mountains and rivers. We must continue to struggle, move forward bravely, and create even more brilliant glory!

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The Story of Old Yang and Young Yang's "U-Turn" in Thinking

By: 本报记者 禹伟良 陆娅楠 唐露薇

"Promoting the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt requires first solving the problem of ideological understanding," "We must make a fundamental change in ideological understanding and concrete actions."
-- Xi Jinping (习近平)

"Burying your head in the task leads to stumbles, looking up and seeing the road leads to sweetness. Learning new ideas clarifies the direction, and Chuyuan Group recognizes high-quality development as the hard truth of this new era!"
As soon as you enter the Chuyuan factory area, Yang Peng (杨鹏), the Party Secretary and Chairman, takes the reporter straight to the digital monitoring center.
The reporter has visited Chuyuan five times in the past 5 years, and the changes are both tangible and intangible.
Tangible changes include the demolition of old workshops, the "retirement" of old chimneys, the introduction of robots, the pilot testing of nanomaterials, and the illumination of traditional chemical industries with new quality productive forces; intangible changes include the transformation of thinking from top to bottom within the enterprise.
Chuyuan Hi-Tech Group Co., Ltd., located on the Yangtze River (长江) in Shishou (石首), Jingzhou (荆州), Hubei (湖北), was once the world's largest manufacturer of active dye intermediates, and has always been "renowned" in Hubei Province and among its national peers. The two chairmen, Yang Zhicheng (杨志成) and Yang Peng (杨鹏), father and son, are called "Old Yang" and "Little Yang" by the locals.
The "stumble" in Little Yang's words happened 10 years ago. In early 2016, Chuyuan Group ranked among the top three on the Jingzhou tax list, and Old Yang and Little Yang ushered in a "highlight moment." Two months later, an environmental penalty of more than 27 million yuan was imposed on Chuyuan Group, setting a "historical record" in the Yangtze River basin.
The "astronomical fine" shocked Hubei and the entire Yangtze River region. The company involved discharged pollutants in violation of regulations, which was actually due to Old Yang and Little Yang not keeping up with the changes of the times: "Their bodies entered the new era, but their minds were still stuck in the past."
On January 5, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) held a landmark symposium in Chongqing (重庆) on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, emphasizing that "for a considerable period of time to come, we must put the restoration of the Yangtze River's ecological environment in an overwhelming position, jointly grasp major protection, and not engage in large-scale development."
On April 25, 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) inspected the Yangtze River (长江) by boat and landed in Shishou (石首). The next day, the General Secretary presided over a symposium in Wuhan (武汉) to further promote the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, clearly pointing out that "promoting the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt requires first solving the problem of ideological understanding" and "We must make a fundamental change in ideological understanding and concrete actions."
In his speech, the General Secretary mentioned "a riverside chemical enterprise located in the 'winding' Shishou section of the Yangtze River (长江), whose industrial scale ranks among the top three in the world, is a major taxpayer in the local area, but also a major polluter, and the serious pollution problem has been difficult to solve for many years, causing great suffering to the surrounding people. In the past two years, the environmental protection departments have taken serious action to investigate and punish, issuing the 'largest environmental protection fine in history' of more than 27 million yuan in the Yangtze River basin, forcing the enterprise to close production lines with serious pollution that are difficult to transform."
This company is Chuyuan Group (楚源集团). This passage is recorded in Volume II of "Selected Works of Xi Jinping (习近平)" and Volume I of "Selected Readings on Xi Jinping's (习近平) Ecological Civilization."
The "Selected Readings on Xi Jinping's (习近平) Ecological Civilization," to be published in 2025, is placed on Yang Peng's (杨鹏) desk. "To live up to the General Secretary's concern, Chuyuan has struggled to get up, and must firmly move forward!"
The power of thought is infinite.
From being full of resentment and "challenging," being discouraged and "lying flat," to gathering courage to "rectify" and raising eyebrows to "upgrade," Old Yang and Little Yang have experienced a profound ideological turning point in the past 10 years.

"The transformation of thought is the most crucial and also the most difficult"
The Yangtze River (长江) for ten thousand miles, the danger lies in the Jingjiang (荆江) section. The Shishou (石首) River Bay, is winding.
At the great bend of the Yangtze River (长江), Chuyuan Group (楚源集团), covering an area of 1,800 mu, had the world's largest production capacity of para-position ester and H-acid at its peak.
The "giant" in the world dye market started with 5 small houses, 5 large vats, and 5 coal stoves. In 1982, more than 30 farmers who washed their feet on the fields threw themselves into the tide of reform, and Yang Zhicheng (杨志成) was the leader.
"Every step is on the beat of the times." In the 1990s, the small workshop was transformed into a large group with both production and sales exceeding 100 million yuan, and employees' wages were twice as high as those of other factories.
"At that time, being able to work at Chuyuan was the envy of neighbors!" said Su Furong (苏福荣), an old employee of Chuyuan's para-position ester No. 2 workshop.
At the turn of the century, China knocked on the door of the World Trade Organization, and the chemical industry along the river rose rapidly. The production capacity of H-acid, para-position ester, and active dyes jumped to the first in Asia, and Chuyuan also became the largest private export enterprise in Hubei Province.
What about Old Yang? He was elected as a representative to the Hubei Provincial People's Congress and was successively named Provincial Model Worker and Outstanding Entrepreneur.
"In those years, GDP was the measure of success, polluting while being fined, rushing forward along inertia."
Yang Peng (杨鹏) graduated from university in 1999 and began to learn management with his father. A baton to watch the growth rate; a customs clearance card to compare tax revenue; a focus on projects; a network of relationships to reduce supervision.
On January 10, 2016, the Jingzhou (荆州) State Taxation Bureau announced the list of annual taxpayers exceeding 100 million yuan, and Chuyuan Group (楚源集团) ranked third, retaining the title of Shishou (石首) tax "champion."
This year was also a watershed in the history of Yangtze River (长江) protection.
On January 5, 2016, the symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt was held. "Promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt must be considered from the long-term interests of the Chinese nation, and take the path of ecological priority and green development," "so that the Mother River will always be full of vitality," the General Secretary's words were deafening.
A series of illegal discharge problems of Chuyuan Group (楚源集团) once again attracted the attention of environmental protection departments, and a special team was stationed to investigate and collect evidence.
On March 13, Chuyuan Group (楚源集团) was ordered to completely suspend production for rectification.
At the end of March, the Jingzhou (荆州) Environmental Protection Bureau made a penalty decision on Chuyuan in accordance with the law. The administrative penalty of more than 27 million yuan became the "largest environmental protection fine in history" in the Yangtze River (长江) basin, and was also rare in the history of environmental protection in China.
The "astronomical fine" hurt Old Yang and Little Yang.
The first reaction was to rely on old experience and calculate the costs.
Chuyuan is one of the top 100 private enterprises in the province, with more than 4,000 employees. At that time, 11.99% of Shishou's (石首) GDP and about 60% of its tax revenue came from Chuyuan.
"We contribute so much to the local area, can't anything be slowed down and accommodated?"
Yang Zhicheng (杨志成) couldn't figure it out for a while, and had a fluke mentality - the thunder is loud now, but if we find someone, "it will pass."
Once an ideological "piping" is formed, a behavioral "dam break" is inevitable.
Seeing that the road to finding someone to dredge was not working, Chuyuan (楚源) filed a hearing application on March 30.
On April 26, the Jingzhou (荆州) Environmental Protection Bureau held a public hearing. For two and a half hours, the two sides argued tit-for-tat, and the company's statements and defenses were not adopted.
On June 6, the Jingzhou (荆州) Environmental Protection Bureau issued an administrative penalty decision.
"The group is only one step away from listing! Acknowledging the penalty is equivalent to cutting off our own path?" Old Yang began to "cry out for injustice" online, publicly questioning the results of environmental law enforcement and the penalty decision.
On June 27, Chuyuan (楚源) applied for administrative reconsideration.
On August 16, the Jingzhou (荆州) Municipal Government issued an administrative reconsideration decision. Chuyuan still refused to accept the reconsideration result and filed an administrative lawsuit.
On September 26 and 28, the Jingzhou (荆州) Intermediate People's Court served the Jingzhou (荆州) Environmental Protection Bureau and the Jingzhou (荆州) Municipal Government Legal Affairs Office with notices of response to the administrative lawsuit.
"The transformation of thought is the most crucial and also the most difficult."
Liu Mingchun (刘明春), the then Director of the Jingzhou (荆州) Environmental Protection Bureau, lamented, "This is the first time in so many years of law enforcement that I have encountered an environmental protection case that went from hearing to reconsideration and finally to court."
The fierce confrontation stirred up Shishou (石首).
Some people were surprised: That's Yang Zhicheng (杨志成), he has wide connections and knows a lot of people, are they really daring to manage him?
Some people applauded: Supervision should have been taken seriously long ago. Not to mention fining it to the bottom, just shut it down completely!
Some people were anxious: How many people in the city rely on Chuyuan for food, if it closes, what will we do?!
There were different opinions on the "astronomical fine" dispute, but the perception was consistent: the thinking of cadres has changed, they are really grasping the protection of the Yangtze River (长江), and the general situation is different.

"In the high-speed rail era, taking the green-skinned train is destined to be left behind"
This is not the first time Yang Zhicheng (杨志成) has faced environmental problems.
In 2006, Chuyuan (楚源) was listed for supervision due to illegal discharge of pollutants.
In March 2007, the media exposed that Chuyuan Group (楚源集团) discharged 7,000 tons of sewage directly into the Yangtze River (长江) every day. So shocking, the final fine was 100,000 yuan.
The regulations didn't have teeth and couldn't bite hard bones.
Not only Chuyuan (楚源), not only Shishou (石首). Chemical enterprises are born by the water, polluting while being fined, treating while producing. In 2010, China jumped to become the world's largest chemical country.
Accompanying the "chemical encirclement of the Yangtze River (长江)" is the pollution dilemma.
The Mother River is sick, the symptoms are in the water, and the root cause is in the old concept of "polluting first and then treating, destroying first and then restoring."
"Only by implementing the strictest system and the strictest rule of law can we provide a reliable guarantee for the construction of ecological civilization."
"We must reverse the thinking of only pursuing economic growth regardless of other undertakings, and reverse the practice of disregarding everything, not counting the consequences, and ultimately losing more than we gain for the sake of economic growth figures."
The new era, new ideas, reach the hearts of the people and guide the direction.
Coordinating the overall layout of the "five-in-one" and coordinating the strategic layout of the "four comprehensives," ecological civilization construction has a higher position, a wider vision, and greater efforts.
In February 2016, the "Two Studies, One Action" learning education was launched throughout the Party, and ideological construction was placed in the primary position.
Transforming the concept of political achievements and development, party committees and governments at all levels took the lead in making an ideological "turn."
Bearing in mind the General Secretary's earnest entrustment, "jointly grasp major protection, and not engage in large-scale development." The Hubei (湖北) Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government clearly stated that "the position is relative. In the entire Yangtze River (长江) basin, except for the source of the Yangtze River (长江), there is no absolute upstream, nor is there an absolute downstream." Focusing on the entire Yangtze River (长江) basin, looking at the Yangtze River (长江) from outside Hubei (湖北), establishing an "upstream consciousness," shouldering "upstream responsibility," and preferring not to advance in position rather than "bringing polluting GDP."
The system "grows teeth," supervision "carries electricity," and comprehensively governing the country according to law, grassroots environmental protection law enforcement feels the great changes of the times.
Wang Yong (王勇), the then captain of the county and city brigade of the Jingzhou (荆州) Environmental Supervision Detachment, led a team to conduct a comprehensive inspection of Chuyuan Group's (楚源集团) Huali Dye Company in 2016.
"During the entire law enforcement and punishment process, no one interceded or greeted us," Wang Yong (王勇) recalled.
"The General Secretary's important instructions gave us confidence, the new Environmental Protection Law gave us weapons, and grassroots environmental protection law enforcement was so tough for the first time!" Liu Quan (刘佺), the chief of the first section of the law enforcement team of the Shishou (石首) Branch of the Jingzhou (荆州) Ecological Environment Bureau, is still excited when he mentions that year.
The transformation is the result of the situation and the inevitable result of history. The blocked "sense of smell" of enterprises gradually revived.
Old Yang once sought "accommodation" from the Director of the Provincial Environmental Protection Department. The Director readily sent a new version of the "Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" - "The solution is in the book."
Little Yang also tossed and turned at night.
He clearly paid attention to the news of the symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. He didn't put himself in it, and he didn't seriously study and understand the General Secretary's speech, so it was difficult to truly touch his soul. "I didn't expect the storm to come so quickly, and we were the first to be swept in!"
The Yangtze River (长江) meanders in the Shishou (石首) section, and has "changed its course" several times in history. After the change of course, the new river channel is more vibrant.
Liu Zhongcheng (刘忠诚), the then Secretary of the Shishou (石首) Municipal Party Committee, promised to the people of the city: Enterprises will never resume production if rectification is not compliant, and it is absolutely not allowed to "eat the food of our ancestors and smash the bowls of our descendants."
Turning around, Liu Zhongcheng (刘忠诚) knocked on the door of Chuyuan (楚源) and had a heart-to-heart talk with Old Yang and Little Yang -
"Filing an administrative lawsuit is the legitimate right of the enterprise. At the same time, in my opinion, it is difficult to win this lawsuit. Ecological priority and green development, using new ideas and new concepts to guide the development of enterprises, will be the norm in the future. This is like the high-speed rail era, taking the green-skinned train is destined to be left behind!"

"Only by understanding the sound of the new era can we step on the beat and keep up with the pace"
There is a Tiaoxian River (调弦河) in Tiaoguan Town (调关镇), Shishou (石首), and there is Boyakou Village (伯牙口村) by the river. The story of "listening to the strings and knowing the sound" was born here.
The transformation of thought is difficult, and the difficulty lies in understanding the sound of the times and generating ideological resonance.
To know the sound, first tune the strings.
Old Yang and Little Yang are Party members and members of the Chuyuan (楚源) Party Committee leadership team. Giving full play to the political core role of the Party organization in the enterprise, and using the Party's innovative theories to transform the subjective world, only when entrepreneurs tune the strings of thought can the enterprise grasp the pulse of the times.
When Chuyuan (楚源) closed down for rectification, relevant leading comrades of the Hubei (湖北) Provincial Party Committee made "three visits to the thatched cottage." The first time, Yang Zhicheng (杨志成) did not show up; the second time, Old Yang only listened and did not speak; the third time, he opened his heart and had a frank exchange.
The conversation started with the story of "listening to the strings and knowing the sound":
"Old Yang, you are an old model worker and have been a representative of the Provincial People's Congress for four terms. Why was Chuyuan (楚源) able to take the lead in development in the past? Because Old Yang is particularly good at learning and stepping on the right spots! Why did you stumble this time? You relaxed your learning and relied too much on inertia. As the times move forward, only by understanding the sound of the new era can we step on the beat and keep up with the pace."
The Secretary and Mayor of the Shishou (石首) Municipal Party Committee listed Chuyuan (楚源) as a contact point, and combined with the "Two Studies, One Action" learning education, helped the people of Chuyuan (楚源) to turn their concepts around and improve their state.
Heart-to-heart talks, one after another, like a drizzle. The hardened land began to loosen.
Little Yang took the lead in self-examination: Environmental protection for enterprises was just "a small matter" in the past, but now it is a "big deal."
Old Yang had a concern: If only my family acknowledges the penalty, and other peers continue to use the "old methods," wouldn't we suffer a big loss?
Chen Liequan (陈烈权) came to the door.
Chen Liequan (陈烈权) is the Chairman of Hubei (湖北) Nengte Technology Co., Ltd. In 2007, when Chuyuan (楚源) was exposed for pollution, Chen Liequan (陈烈权) was a senior executive of Chuyuan (楚源) and appeared on camera on behalf of the enterprise. The embarrassing appearance prompted him to think deeply. In 2010, he left to found Nengte Technology, starting from scratch to grasp environmental protection, and innovating to drive the chemical industry.
Chen Liequan (陈烈权), who started as a technician at Chuyuan (楚源), is grateful for his roots, "In those years, except for me, a college student, everyone else put down their hoes and entered the factory. The family had only a few vats. Why could we grow so big? Listen to the Party and follow the Party!"
Also in Shishou (石首), in the Nengte Technology factory area, there are reclaimed water fish ponds and vegetable plots dyed green. With an annual output of 8,000 tons of isophytol, it is a recognized leader in fine chemicals.
Chen Liequan (陈烈权), who tasted the sweetness of transformation, further pointed out: "Now the chemical industry along the river is in the process of 'closing, reforming, relocating, and transforming.' General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has said that we must let a river of clear water flow eastward. This is the general trend, and we can no longer step on a watermelon rind and slide wherever we go. We must wear new shoes and take a new path."
The transformation of the subjective world requires external causes to play a role through internal causes.
More than 9 months of suspension for rectification. Sincerity, truth, and experience, quench thirst, dispel doubts, and untie knots.
"It's not that we are unlucky, and it's not that someone is deliberately finding fault. In the new era, we can't bypass or avoid the environmental protection hurdle. The key is to turn the corner ourselves."
"'The astronomical fine' was a head-on blow. Now we understand that this blow is not to kill us, but to wake us up."
Old Yang and Little Yang, who had woken up, invested 100 million yuan to rectify!
Yang Peng (杨鹏) led more than 10 enterprise executives straight to Jilin (吉林) Chemical to learn from their experience. This state-owned enterprise is a long-time competitor of Chuyuan (楚源).
"In the past, some of Chuyuan's (楚源) products could defeat Jihua (吉化) by being non-standard and playing on the edge. Today, we are most afraid of encountering ourselves from yesterday..." Yang Peng (杨鹏) said with emotion.
Once the wall of the heart is broken, the chasm becomes a thoroughfare.
Permanently shutting down more than 10 production lines, building new rainwater collection ponds, starting the second phase of the sewage treatment plant... Shutting down, patching leaks, and upgrading, coordinating development and safety, Chuyuan (楚源) is taking one step at a time.
Sending ideas, understanding ideas, and transforming ideas. The three movements of tuning the strings, harvest true confidants.
In November 2016, Chuyuan (楚源) took the initiative to withdraw the lawsuit and accept the penalty. On December 25, 2016, after assessment and acceptance by relevant departments, Chuyuan Group (楚源集团) resumed production.
Yang Zhicheng (杨志成), who had lost 15 pounds, felt much better.
"Believe in the Communist Party and follow the times. The people who go out of Chuyuan (楚源) must change their thinking, their wallets must be bulging, and their backs can be straight."

"Ideological turning is for development transformation"
(Fish back) Fish, the four fresh of the Yangtze River (长江), a specialty of Shishou (石首). Every spring, countless (fish back) fish swim upstream, the greater the resistance, the stronger the survival ability.
The challenge of green development lies in front of the people of Chuyuan (楚源).
The challenge of green development lies before the people of Chuyuan.

In 2017, after resuming production, Chuyuan Group's (楚源集团) tax payment was only about 70 million yuan. Xiao Yang (小杨) inevitably felt confused, "Does the era no longer need us?"

It wasn't just the company that lacked confidence. In 2016, Chuyuan's rectification directly lowered the growth rate of the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size in Jingzhou (荆州) by 2 percentage points, and Shishou's (石首) local fiscal revenue decreased by 67 million yuan.

Some people felt that the fines were "too harsh," that "strict control leads to death," and that development and environmental protection were difficult to reconcile.

Another voice advocated that the chemical industry is high-risk, and "closing it down is worry-free."

How to think dialectically and turn crisis into opportunity?

"To promote the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, we must first solve the problem of ideological understanding, especially we must not separate ecological environmental protection from economic development, let alone put them in opposition to each other." On April 26, 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out at a symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Twenty-two days later, on May 18, 2018, the National Ecological and Environmental Protection Conference was grandly held, and Xi Jinping's (习近平) thought on ecological civilization was officially established. Building a modern society where humans and nature coexist harmoniously has a fundamental guideline and action plan.

The power of thought lies in promoting practice.

Hearing that Lao Yang (老杨) and Xiao Yang (小杨) were burdened with ideological baggage, comrades from the provincial and municipal party committees' organization departments came to the door again for a heart-to-heart talk: "Development is the top priority. Ideological transformation is for development transformation. Although the pressure is great, if you do it well, won't you be one step ahead of others? The future of Chuyuan (楚源) depends on whether you can strengthen your confidence and make a good example!"

There are no bystanders in high-quality development, and private enterprises are the main force.

"Sky-high fines" cannot be the end of the matter. Chuyuan's (楚源) fall was the result of market regulation failure. "To help Chuyuan (楚源) stand up and become strong, we need a proactive government to strictly supervise, guide in a timely manner, and provide front-line services," said Wang Min (王敏), Secretary of the Shishou (石首) Municipal Party Committee.

Adhere to both policy support and reform and innovation, and closely integrate investment in things and investment in people, so that it is both "flexible" and "well-managed."

To build a new type of government-business relationship that is both cordial and clean, relevant departments in Shishou (石首) presented Chuyuan (楚源) with a "gift package." Policy publicity, technological transformation support, science and technology innovation bridging, timely assistance... "Two unwavering commitments" are tangible and accessible, more than 20 million yuan in awards and subsidies for environmental protection rectification, and 132 practical difficulties are quietly resolved.

Looking at Chuyuan (楚源) again, from 2016 to 2022, it has invested a total of about 200 million yuan in environmental protection transformation, and the company's energy consumption has decreased by 59%, becoming one of the first national carbon trading pilot enterprises in Hubei Province (湖北省).

With solid thinking and firm heart.

A pesticide intermediate project once came to discuss cooperation. The project's profit margin was about 100%. Once launched, it would be a dream to reappear as a "taxpayer of 100 million yuan."

Yang Peng (杨鹏) refused. "The project has environmental risks, and we won't do it no matter how high the profit is. For today's Chuyuan (楚源), it is more important to seek progress while maintaining stability."

Turning around, Chuyuan (楚源) invested more than 40 million yuan to transform the process, build a fire station, and monitor and early warn major hazard sources online. In May 2025, the park was rated as the highest standard of safety risk certification.

Strolling through the Chuyuan (楚源) factory area today, the reclaimed water pool is gurgling with clear water, and the sewage discharge data is uploaded to the network 24 hours a day.

1.7 kilometers to the south is the Zhangchengyuan (张城垸) community, where 800 households have been relocated as a whole, and locals call it the "Industrial Garden Community."

He Shanmei's (何善美) old house is 20 meters away from Chuyuan's (楚源) sulfuric acid workshop. "In the past, as soon as Chuyuan (楚源) started work, yellow smoke would come out of my door. If he wants to expand and I want health, we can't be neighbors at all."

The government came forward to coordinate, and Chuyuan (楚源) invested 50 million yuan to build a green sharing fund, pay medical insurance, promote relocation, and focus on helping households in difficulty.

He Shanmei (何善美) pointed to the green space in the community, "Now when I open the window, the air is good, and there are flowers and birds when I go out. The green development that the General Secretary (总书记) talked about can be smelled and seen clearly!"

About 1 kilometer north of the Chuyuan (楚源) factory area is Xinzhou Village (新洲村). The shared farm invested by Ma Shengxiang (马胜祥) from Shishou (石首) raises rice and shrimp together, and the business is booming. It is also a research and study paradise for local students. "We are also beneficiaries of ecological priority and green development."

Along with the sense of gain in the green transformation, there is also a sense of responsibility.

Looking through the Hubei (湖北) Smart Letters and Visits Information System, the records of letters and visits and environmental complaints related to Chuyuan (楚源) at all levels: 7 in 2017; 3 in 2018; 3 in 2019; 2 in 2020; 1 in 2021; 0 to date in 2022.

The unity of cordiality and cleanliness, the unity of righteousness and benefit, and the unity of high-level protection and high-quality development. This new green road has entered Xiao Yang's (小杨) heart.

"Developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions has a clear direction and flexible methods."

Sailing through Jiuqu Bay (九曲湾) in Shishou (石首), the locals point out: the bends are sharp and the shoals are dangerous. If you turn smoothly, the tide will be calm and the shore will be wide; if you can't turn, the boat will capsize and people will be overturned.

Passing the bend tests your swimming skills; overcoming obstacles challenges your mentality.

In recent years, the chemical industry has been under great downward pressure, and the re-produced Chuyuan (楚源) seems to be difficult to lead again.

Yang Peng (杨鹏) once had the idea of changing careers, "It's better to withdraw completely and start a new business."

Wind power, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics, hot projects came to discuss cooperation; new energy, new materials, and biomedicine, Yang Peng (杨鹏) looked for tracks all over the country.

In the hot industry, people have been working hard for many years waiting to take advantage of the wind. Can they only drink the wind if they enter rashly? Is cross-border investment to open up new tracks for the real economy, or to abandon the real economy and seek quick money?

Thought is the crystallization of the times and leads the times forward.

In 2023, the theme education of studying and implementing Xi Jinping's (习近平) thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era was launched in depth throughout the party.

This time, without the urging of others, Yang Peng (杨鹏) led the people of Chuyuan (楚源) to actively seek wisdom through learning to find a sense of direction.

In July 2023, the National Ecological and Environmental Protection Conference was held again. "For traditional industries, we cannot simply treat them as 'low-end industries' and withdraw or close them down. Instead, we must promote the upgrading of technology, technology, and equipment to achieve green and low-carbon transformation."

In October of this year, the fourth symposium on the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt was held. The General Secretary (总书记) once again pointed out the direction: "'No large-scale development' does not mean no random development, low-level development, extensive development, or destructive development, but rather taking a path of high-quality development and green and low-carbon development."

At the 2024 National Two Sessions, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) went "down to the delegation." "Developing new quality productive forces does not mean ignoring or abandoning traditional industries. We must prevent a rush and bubbles, and we must not engage in a single model."

Theoretical guidance, personal insights, and the fog of thought were completely dispelled.

"The General Secretary's (总书记) words awakened me! Transformation is not equal to changing careers. A better life cannot be separated from the chemical industry. Traditional industries can develop new quality productive forces by upgrading and transforming in accordance with local conditions." Xiao Yang's (小杨) heart suddenly settled down.

Establish first and then break, and the "green content" is higher.

Focus on the main business to extend the chain. Invest 50 million yuan to "eat, dry, and squeeze" production waste and waste liquid, enter the circular economy, and turn burdens into wealth.

Do a better job of strengthening the main business chain. The former star product had difficulty treating exhaust gas, so it was decisively shut down. Invest 60 million yuan to launch a new chlorosulfonic acid production line, achieving a "triple win" of environmental protection, safety, and economy.

Seek progress while maintaining stability, and the "new value" is more sufficient.

Make good use of the "two new" policies to promote upgrading. Install new biomass boilers, embrace intelligent manufacturing, and robots are put on the job to increase efficiency by 40%.

Integrate industry, academia, research, and application to promote innovation. Invite the "think tank" of Hubei (湖北) universities to build a platform for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. The Hubei Provincial (湖北省) Dye Intermediate Industry Technology Research Institute was officially inaugurated at Chuyuan Group (楚源集团).

Technology empowers the synthesis of two new reactive dyes, filling the domestic gap. Xinhui Chemical (鑫慧化工) and Huali Dyes (华丽染料), two subsidiaries, have been upgraded to national and provincial-level specialized, refined, and new "little giant" enterprises.

In another factory area, in a dust-free pilot workshop, new high-performance nano-metal materials are being mass-produced. Once successful, it will supply new materials for emerging industries such as semiconductors.

The pilot test is still in trial and error, and Xiao Yang (小杨) is not anxious. "The Central Economic Work Conference to be held at the end of 2025 proposed to fully tap economic potential and respond to external challenges by practicing internal skills. We have enough patience to strengthen the real economy."

Move forward under pressure, towards new and better.

Chuyuan (楚源), which was once opened and stopped after resuming production, has been operating at full capacity since 2024. Its revenue in 2025 is expected to be about 2 billion yuan, and its tax payment is expected to exceed 80 million yuan, an increase of 55.4% and 53.5% respectively compared with 2022.

New quality productive forces are themselves green productive forces.

"Developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions has a clear direction and flexible methods!"

Looking back on the past decade, Yang Peng (杨鹏) used an analogy. New thought is a guiding light, the new Environmental Protection Law is like a "tightening spell," and the Private Economy Promotion Law sends a "reassurance pill." "In the end, the rule of law is the best business environment, and high-quality development is the only way."

In the bookcase, "Excerpts from Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" is placed in a prominent place. On the desk, "Xi Jinping's (习近平) Anthology on Ecological Civilization" and "One Hundred Questions and Answers on Studying and Guiding the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee" are becoming more and more loved.

How will Chuyuan (楚源) do in the "15th Five-Year Plan" period?

It plans to invest 400 million yuan in 2026, aiming at the circular economy, and the future goal is to build a century-old green Chuyuan (楚源).

Shishou (石首) Diaoguanji (调关矶). The Yangtze River (长江), surging from north to south, suddenly swirls here, creating a magnificent momentum for the river to flow eastward.

The great river has always been in the mountains, and the mountains are all in the east with the river.

"The whole country is a chessboard, and Chuyuan (楚源) must also find its position in the overall situation of Chinese-style modernization and strive to be a key player in the private economy."

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An Open China Will Continue to Offer the World Significant Opportunities

By: 本报记者 李欣怡

In 2025, the "stability" of China's economy continued to consolidate, the "progress" momentum continued to increase, and the "resilience" characteristics became increasingly prominent, adding valuable confidence to the world economy. Many foreign-funded enterprises continue to increase investment in the Chinese market, and "optimism about China" has become a consensus. Heads of foreign-funded enterprises in China who were interviewed by reporters from this newspaper stated that the 2025 Central Economic Work Conference and the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposals released positive signals such as China's further expansion of opening up and attracting foreign investment. Foreign companies are determined to continue investing in China, look forward to more win-win cooperation opportunities, and inject more impetus into world economic development.

"The Chinese economy has shown significant resilience and has become an anchor of stability for the global economy."

In the first 11 months of 2025, 61,207 new foreign-invested enterprises were established nationwide in China, an increase of 16.9% year-on-year; in November alone, 7,425 new foreign-invested enterprises were established, an increase of 35.3% year-on-year.

The "2025 Multinational Corporation China Outlook" released by KPMG recently shows that multinational corporations in most industries are more optimistic about the prospects for revenue growth in China in the next 3 to 5 years, and 94% of the surveyed companies said they will continue to invest in the Chinese market. "Despite various challenges, the Chinese economy has shown significant resilience and has become an anchor of stability for the global economy," said Jiang Liqin, Head of Clients and Business Development at KPMG China. "According to the survey, multinational corporations are more optimistic about the prospects of the Chinese economy compared to the global economy."

The German Bosch Group signed an agreement with Suzhou Industrial Park (苏州工业园区) to invest 10 billion yuan to build a smart driving control industry innovation project and export technological achievements to the global market; Danish industrial giant Danfoss added an investment of 2.7 billion yuan in Jiaxing (嘉兴), Zhejiang (浙江), to build a future factory and zero-carbon industrial park integrating R&D, testing, production, and display; Wanait, a global benchmark enterprise for peritoneal dialysis therapy, signed an agreement with Guangzhou Development Zone (广州开发区) and Huangpu District (黄埔区) in Guangdong (广东) to establish an automated peritoneal dialysis equipment production base project and lay out the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (粤港澳大湾区) biomedical industry...

Increased foreign investment is closely related to China's advantages in having a complete industrial system. The British "Financial Times" published a report recently stating that China has a complete industrial system, continuously improving manufacturing capabilities, and strong market potential, which is attracting more and more European manufacturing companies to increase their investment in China.

In 2025, the world economy struggled to move forward against headwinds. The fluctuating and tortuous process fully demonstrates that only openness and cooperation can create greater incremental space and promote win-win results for all parties. China has steadily expanded institutional opening-up, improved the level of opening-up to the outside world, and opened up a broad stage for foreign investment to share the dividends of the Chinese market. On December 18, 2025, the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港) officially launched full island customs closure operations. In the Hainan Zhengda Xinglong Coffee Cultural Park (海南正大兴隆咖啡文化园), a batch of green beans from Colombia are precisely blended with other selected coffee beans, achieving a processing value-added rate of over 30% and becoming the first batch of processed value-added tariff-free goods at the Qionghai Boao International Airport (琼海博鳌国际机场) "second-line port."

As the first foreign-funded enterprise to invest in Hainan (海南) after the reform and opening up, the Chia Tai Group (正大集团) now has a total investment of 2 billion yuan in the local area. Xue Zengyi (薛增一), Senior Vice Chairman of Chia Tai Group's Agri-Food Enterprise China Region, said: "The full island customs closure operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port brings a more open trade environment and more efficient allocation of factors, which is a major development opportunity for us and provides strong support for enterprises to enhance their international competitiveness and explore the Chinese market."

"The source of global innovation and the core engine driving growth"

In the first 11 months of 2025, actual use of foreign capital in the e-commerce service industry, the manufacturing of medical instruments and equipment, and the manufacturing of aerospace vehicles and equipment increased by 127%, 46.5%, and 41.9% year-on-year, respectively. The accelerated flow of foreign investment to high-tech industries demonstrates the surging momentum of China's new quality productive forces and technological innovation ecosystem.

In the Schneider Electric (施耐德电气) Shanghai Putuo Factory (上海普陀工厂), machine learning-supported digital rapid prototyping, intelligent planning and scheduling, and generative AI operation and maintenance have shortened the order production delivery time by 67%, and the per capita production efficiency has increased by 82%. Yin Zheng (尹正), Executive Vice President of Schneider Electric and President of China and East Asia, said: "In China, the 'Artificial Intelligence+' policy, combined with a solid industrial base, diverse application scenarios, and abundant innovation resources, has spawned a rapidly rising artificial intelligence industry cluster, making China a global highland for the development of the artificial intelligence industry and a key link in Schneider Electric's global artificial intelligence innovation strategy."

Currently, China is the only country in the world where Schneider Electric has full business line R&D capabilities. According to reports, the expansion project of Schneider Electric's Beijing Yizhuang Industrial Park (北京亦庄工业园) and the construction of the Wuxi New Industrial Park (无锡新工业园) are about to be completed, and the Xiamen New Industrial Park (厦门新工业园) will also be completed in 2026. Schneider will further strengthen its overall layout in China.

In September 2025, Qualcomm's (高通公司) annual technology summit - the Snapdragon Summit (骁龙峰会) - set up a branch venue in Beijing (北京), which was the first time the summit was held in China. "Qualcomm is working with partners to launch the 'AI Acceleration Program' to introduce intelligent experiences into mobile phones and artificial intelligence glasses and other terminals, helping the industry move towards a new stage of intelligence," said Meng Pu (孟樸), Chairman of Qualcomm China. Artificial intelligence and connectivity are becoming the core drivers of a new generation of technological change. Qualcomm is constantly deepening technological innovation and industrial cooperation with Chinese partners to promote the integrated development of the real economy and the digital economy.

Walking into the factory of Philips Healthcare (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (飞利浦医疗（苏州）有限公司), rows of large CT assembly lines are operating busily, and new products are constantly being assembled and rolled off the production line. The company is Philips' only global manufacturing base covering the entire line of imaging products such as CT, magnetic resonance, vascular machines, and ultrasound, and its products are shipped to more than 150 countries and regions around the world.

"China has become a key hub in our global innovation and manufacturing network," said Liu Ling (刘令), member of Philips' Global Executive Committee and President of Greater China. "China is not only a crucial market, but also the source of global innovation and the core engine driving growth." Philips will continue to deepen its localization strategy in China, relying on the complete local value chain it has built to deepen collaborative innovation with local hospitals, research institutions, and industrial partners to develop smarter, more accurate, more efficient, and more personalized health solutions.

"Creating a more transparent, stable, and predictable business environment"

In recent years, new consumer formats, new models, and new scenarios have continued to emerge in China, promoting continuous innovation and expanded layout of foreign-funded enterprises in China. The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposals have made arrangements around "vigorously boosting consumption," and the 2025 Central Economic Work Conference placed "adhering to domestic demand dominance and building a strong domestic market" at the top of the eight key tasks for economic work in 2026. China's consumption potential will be further released, bringing new benefits to foreign-funded enterprises.

In November 2025, L'Oréal Group (欧莱雅集团) announced an investment in a local Chinese skin care brand. "We have always firmly believed that investing in China is investing in the future. This investment further demonstrates the core position of the Chinese market in L'Oréal's global strategy," said Fabrice Megarbane (博万尚), President of L'Oréal North Asia and CEO of China. "China's measures to boost consumption bring us great confidence. We will adhere to long-termism, continue to cultivate the Chinese market, and work with more Chinese brands to meet the expectations of Chinese consumers."

China has a population of more than 1.4 billion, with more than 400 million middle-income people, and ranks steadily as the world's second largest consumer market, the largest online retail market, and the second largest import market. In 2025, China's consumer market showed strong resilience and potential, and the total retail sales of consumer goods are expected to exceed 50 trillion yuan. With the continuous release of potential from emerging demands such as service consumption and digital consumption, domestic demand has continuously become a key force supporting stable economic growth, which has also allowed foreign companies to see room for growth.

Reuters reported that China will formulate and implement an income increase plan for urban and rural residents and implement special actions to boost consumption. The report said that service consumption has great development potential in China, and related measures will effectively activate this potential. The report quoted economic analyst Christopher Beddor as saying that the Chinese government will take more measures to support household consumption, thereby continuously enhancing the vitality of the domestic market.

Tetsuro Homma (本间哲朗), Global Vice President of Panasonic Holdings Corporation (松下控股株式会社), said that China's steady expansion of institutional opening-up, reduction of the negative list for foreign investment access, and expansion of domestic demand and other policies and measures "will create a more transparent, stable, and predictable business environment for foreign-funded enterprises." "An open China will continue to provide important opportunities for the world. We are optimistic about the long-term trend of the Chinese economy and are willing to work with Chinese partners to jointly contribute to high-quality development."

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Inbound Tourism Heats Up, Reflecting China's Blend of Tradition and Modernity (Harmony Voice)

The booming inbound tourism market reflects a China where tradition and modernity blend, and is an epitome of the brilliant blossoming of Chinese culture.

Professional institutions' data shows that during the New Year holiday, China's inbound tourism market maintained strong growth, with ticket bookings increasing by 110% year-on-year, and bookings for inbound experience-based entertainment products increasing by more than 30 times. The booming inbound tourism market reflects a China where tradition and modernity blend, and is an epitome of the brilliant blossoming of Chinese culture.

New business formats and new products bring new experiences and provide new impetus for development. After the Hainan (海南) Free Trade Port begins operations, the "duty-free shopping + seaside vacation" model is highly sought after; taking the "Panda Express" (熊猫专列) to tour the Great Southwest Ring Line of Sichuan (四川), Chongqing (重庆), and Guizhou (贵州) provinces, enjoying cultural landscapes such as Sanxingdui (三星堆) and the Qiandongnan Miao Village (千户苗寨); following Fujian's (福建) "Secrets of World Heritage Tour" and "Silk Road Tea Fragrance Tour" routes to appreciate the charm of the Maritime Silk Road and appreciate the Minnan (闽南) culture... As "China Tours" deeply integrate with culture, sports, agriculture, and other fields, diverse choices allow overseas tourists to shift from "checking in" China to "experiencing" China. Theme tours such as road trips, rural tours, and ancient building tours have become highlights attracting international tourists. Online travel platform data shows that in inbound consumption in 2025, bookings for immersive tourism projects such as intangible cultural heritage workshops, folk performances, and street life exploration have soared by 300% year-on-year. Rich cultural and tourism resources drive deeper and broader cultural exchanges, allowing overseas tourists to experience a more vivid and colorful China.

The "just go" China tour has become a reality, inseparable from policy support. China has introduced a series of inbound tourism facilitation measures, and has now implemented unilateral visa-free or comprehensive mutual visa-free policies for 76 countries around the world. The 240-hour transit visa-free policy applies to 55 countries, and the number of applicable entry ports has increased to 65. Continuously optimized visa-free policies, combined with convenient measures such as "buy and refund immediately" for departure tax refunds and "foreign card binding" for payment institutions, have created a superimposed effect, making "shopping" in China and "eating" in China a new fashion. In the first three quarters of 2025, 20.89 million foreigners entered China visa-free, an increase of more than 50% year-on-year. More than a year since the implementation of the 240-hour transit visa-free policy, 40.6 million foreigners have entered China through various ports across the country, an increase of 27.2% year-on-year. The World Travel & Tourism Council predicts that in the next 10 years, China's tourism industry will maintain an average annual growth rate of 7%, and China is expected to become the world's largest tourism market in 2031. The American "Around the World" magazine website believes that with its sound infrastructure, supportive policies, and its growing reputation as a top global tourist destination, China's tourism industry is expected to reach new heights in the coming years.

Overseas tourists' deep-seated recognition of China's image has promoted the continued rise in the popularity of "China Tours." The British "Tourism Review" magazine website pointed out that foreign tourists' experiences of friendly, convenient, and efficient services in China have quietly broken international stereotypes of China. A safe and harmonious environment, a warm and friendly atmosphere, a cool and trendy culture, and a smart and efficient life... Overseas tourists have praised today's China as "more modern, more convenient, and easier to integrate into." In the "World Tourism City Development Report (2024-2025)" released by the World Tourism Cities Federation, a total of 5 Chinese cities entered the world's top 20 in terms of tourism safety, and 5 Chinese cities entered the top 10 in terms of intelligence. A good tourism experience and a vibrant Chinese image directly translate into the continuous improvement of the overall attractiveness of "China Tours."

A more open, higher-quality, and warmer China inbound tourism market is a bridge for the world to perceive China's pulse. The continued release of the potential of "China Tours" will inevitably promote the continuous warming of cultural exchanges, allowing people from all countries to personally experience a real, three-dimensional, and comprehensive China.

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Providing a path of action for improving global governance.

By: 本报记者 章念生

"The Global Governance Initiative emphasizes promoting a more just and reasonable global governance system, clarifying a new path for the world to emerge from turmoil." Kin Phea (金平), Director of the International Relations Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said in an exclusive interview with this reporter a few days ago that the Global Governance Initiative takes upholding the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and practicing the global governance concept of consultation, joint construction, and shared benefits as its basic guidelines. It advocates adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating people-centeredness, and focusing on action-orientation, providing a systematic plan for reforming and improving global governance.

Kin Phea (金平) stated that the world today is witnessing increased economic fragmentation, escalating geopolitical confrontation, and unilateralism and abuse of sanctions weakening mutual trust among countries. "The Global Governance Initiative emphasizes upholding the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, committing to coordinating global actions, using pragmatic cooperation to avoid governance stagnation and fragmentation, providing an action path for improving global governance, and helping to enhance the representation and voice of developing countries."

Kin Phea (金平) believes that the Global Governance Initiative firmly supports the United Nations as the main platform for countries to coordinate actions and jointly address challenges, and supports giving developing countries more say, which helps to revitalize multilateralism. "A just international system should give all countries equal representation, respect the development rights of all countries, and ensure that the global governance system reflects the reasonable demands of all countries." Kin Phea (金平) said that from a development perspective, the Global Governance Initiative helps to solve the systemic marginalization problems faced by developing countries. For example, through capacity building, technology transfer, etc., developing countries can further become active advocates of global policies, rather than passive recipients.

Kin Phea (金平) said that the Global Development Initiative proposed by China advocates promoting international development cooperation, the Global Security Initiative advocates achieving security through dialogue rather than confrontation, the Global Civilization Initiative advocates respecting differences and mutual learning, and the Global Governance Initiative advocates reforming and improving the global governance system and mechanism. The four major global initiatives form an organic whole that promotes prosperity through development, ensures stability through security, increases mutual trust through civilization, and seeks justice through governance.

"China has always been a firm supporter of economic globalization." Kin Phea (金平) emphasized that the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" Initiative has significantly improved the infrastructure and trade conditions of co-building countries, helping developing countries better integrate into the global industrial chain and supply chain; through active participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and other agreements, China firmly supports a rules-based international trade system; through practical measures such as actively reducing tariffs, expanding market access, and improving the business environment, China has not only achieved its own economic development, but also created development opportunities for its trading partners. Kin Phea (金平) said: "China's continuous expansion of high-level opening-up to the outside world and its consistent adherence to multilateralism will help achieve more inclusive and resilient economic globalization, creating conditions for countries to work together to achieve development and prosperity."

In Kin Phea's (金平) view, the Global Governance Initiative is in line with ASEAN's common vision of sovereign equality, multilateralism, and inclusive development, and helps ASEAN and China continue to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership. "I believe that strengthening cooperation between ASEAN and China will not only benefit regional prosperity and stability, but will also become a model for implementing the Global Governance Initiative and deepening South-South cooperation," said Kin Phea (金平).

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Japan Should Deeply Learn from Historical Lessons (International Forum)

By: 奥列格·季莫费耶夫

Japan should deeply learn from historical lessons, reflect on, correct, and apologize with practical actions, and avoid going further and further down the wrong path, thereby causing serious consequences that are difficult to reverse.

There is only one China in the world, and the one-China principle has long become a recognized basic norm of international relations and a universal consensus of the international community. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Taiwan issue is purely China's internal affair, and no external forces have the right to interfere. Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗), the Japanese Prime Minister, openly made extremely provocative fallacies on the Taiwan issue, implying the possibility of military intervention in the Taiwan issue. This has aroused the indignation of countries and people of insight in the world who uphold justice.

The remarks made by Japanese politicians seriously deviate from the one-China principle and grossly interfere in China's internal affairs, which not only infringe upon China's core interests, but also seriously threaten regional and international peace and stability. Japan should deeply learn from historical lessons, reflect on, correct, and apologize with practical actions, and avoid going further and further down the wrong path, thereby causing serious consequences that are difficult to reverse.

2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. A series of commemorative activities have been held around the world to alert the world to learn from history and create the future. Taiwan's return to China is a victory of World War II and an important part of the post-war international order. During World War II, Japan launched a war of aggression, bringing great pain and disaster to China, Asia, and even the world. However, Japan has not yet fully reflected on its war crimes, and its domestic right-wing forces are still trying to evade responsibility for the war, distorting, denying, and beautifying the history of aggression and colonialism.

The one-China principle is an important prerequisite for the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations and the smooth development of bilateral relations. The "Sino-Japanese Joint Statement" (《中日联合声明》), the "Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship" (《中日和平友好条约》), and other four Sino-Japanese political documents have made clear provisions on major principled issues such as Taiwan, which have become the political and legal basis of bilateral relations. Today, the provocative words and deeds of Japanese politicians involving the Taiwan issue clearly deviate from the political commitments made by Japan, seriously undermine Sino-Japanese relations, and exacerbate regional tensions. This is not only a serious violation of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also a serious challenge to the victory of World War II and the post-war international order.

In recent years, right-wing forces in Japan have continued to rise, and the countercurrent of militarism has been revived. Japan has continuously tried to break through the constraints of the "Peace Constitution" (和平宪法), significantly increased defense spending, insisted on taking the road of military expansion, and also tried to win over extraterritorial countries such as the United States to provoke regional confrontation. In addition, Japan, as the only country that has suffered nuclear strikes, has not learned from historical lessons, but has instead tried to revise the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" (无核三原则), which will bring incalculable risks to the region and the world. In response to a series of dangerous trends in Japan, neighboring countries and the international community should remain highly vigilant and work together to make a strong response.

As comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, Russia and China have always firmly supported each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. Russia's principled position on the Taiwan issue has always been consistent. The Russian side has always adhered to the one-China principle, resolutely opposed any form of "Taiwan independence" (台独), and firmly supported China's measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieve national reunification.

The basic pattern of the international community adhering to the one-China principle cannot be shaken. If Japan ventures to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait situation, China has the right to exercise the rights conferred by the "Charter of the United Nations" (《联合国宪章》) and international law to firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is believed that China will surely achieve national reunification, and no force can stop this historical trend.

(The author is an associate professor at the Russian People's Friendship University and an expert on international issues)

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Wang Yi Holds China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 4th. Wang Yi (王毅), member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held the seventh China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (达尔) in Beijing (北京) on the 4th.

Wang Yi (王毅) stated that President Xi Jinping (习近平) maintains high-level exchanges with Pakistani leaders, providing strategic guidance for bilateral relations. China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, consolidate strategic mutual trust, expand pragmatic cooperation, deepen security cooperation, strengthen multilateral coordination, and accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future.

Wang Yi (王毅) said that the current international situation is becoming increasingly turbulent and complex, and unilateral hegemonic practices are intensifying. The sudden change in the situation in Venezuela has aroused great concern from the international community. We have never believed that any country can act as an international police force, nor do we agree that any country can claim to be an international judge. The sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected by international law. We have always opposed the use or threat of force in international relations, and opposed imposing one country's will on another. China is willing to work with the international community, including Pakistan, to firmly defend the Charter of the United Nations.

Dar (达尔) conveyed the cordial greetings of Pakistani leaders to Chinese leaders, emphasizing that China's path to modernization is an important force for maintaining world peace and development. Pakistan reiterated its adherence to the one-China principle and will continue to firmly support China on all issues involving China's core interests. Pakistan highly appreciates China's adherence to multilateralism and supports the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平).

The two sides agreed to deepen strategic communication and coordination of actions, implement the action plan for building a China-Pakistan community with a shared future, promote the construction of the "2.0 upgraded version" of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and jointly commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Adhere to the purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and oppose hegemonic acts that infringe upon the sovereignty of other countries.

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Guangxi-Vietnam freight train departures from Guangxi in 2025 increased by 86% year-on-year

According to information obtained by reporters Pang Geping (庞革平) and Mo Yujie (莫育杰) from the China Railway Nanning Group (国铁南宁局): In 2025, China-Vietnam freight trains originating from Guangxi (广西) cumulatively transported 37,000 TEUs of export goods, an increase of 86% year-on-year, reaching a new historical high. The number of transported goods increased from 262 to 455. The volume of goods dispatched accounted for 73% and 86% of the national railway's export to Vietnam (越南) cargo trains and container cargo, respectively, an increase of 5 percentage points and 2 percentage points compared to 2024.

In order to meet the rapidly growing transportation demand of China-Vietnam cross-border trade, starting in 2025, China Railway Nanning Group (国铁南宁局) increased the traction weight of trains from Pingxiang (凭祥), Guangxi (广西) to Dong Dang (同登), Vietnam (越南) from 1,000 tons to 1,300 tons, increasing the customs clearance capacity of Pingxiang Railway Port (凭祥铁路口岸) by 30%. In addition, the operating plan of China-Vietnam freight trains was continuously optimized, and the number of scheduled China-Vietnam freight trains per week increased from the initial 3 to 14, realizing same-day departure and same-day arrival of goods.

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Liu Haixing Meets with Pakistan Muslim League (N) Leader, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 4th (Xinhua) – On January 4th, Minister Liu Haixing (刘海星) of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China met with Ishaq Dar (达尔), leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif Group) and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the government, in Beijing (北京). The two sides exchanged views on jointly implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthening inter-party exchanges, and promoting the development of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan.

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China-BRICS New Productive Forces Research Center Launched

According to Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京), January 4th (Reporter Wen Jinghua (温竞华)): The reporter learned from the Ministry of Science and Technology (科技部) on the 4th that the China-BRICS New Productive Forces Research Center was recently launched in Beijing (北京). The research center will adopt an "entity + network" organizational structure to build an international research exchange and cooperation platform under the BRICS cooperation mechanism framework.

According to reports, the research center is established relying on the New Productive Forces Promotion Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology (科技部). Its key tasks include: carrying out cooperative research on the theory and practice of new productive forces; promoting scientific and technological innovation cooperation through policy dialogues and academic exchanges; carrying out personnel exchanges and professional training to cultivate international and interdisciplinary talents; and establishing a cooperative research network to provide intellectual and decision-making support for policy formulation and common prosperity of BRICS member states and partner countries.

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Leveraging "LHAASO" to Uncover the Mysteries of Cosmic Ray Origins (Striving for the "15th Five-Year Plan" - First-line Observations)

By: 尹丽巧

Strengthening original innovation and tackling key core technologies.

——Excerpt from the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal

The universe is filled with high-energy particle streams, known as cosmic rays. These "messengers" from the depths of the universe carry mysterious information about their birthplace and the extreme environments of the cosmos. Among them, the number of cosmic rays in the energy range of tens of trillions of electron volts (Peta-electron volts) drops sharply, and this structure is called the "knee" region because it resembles a human knee. However, cosmic rays in the "knee" region are scarce, and the area of satellite detectors is limited, making detection like searching for a needle in a haystack. "LHAASO" is like a pair of discerning eyes, capable of clearly filtering out protons from complex particles and performing precise measurements.

On November 16, 2025, when the scientific achievement "'LHAASO' Cracks the Mystery of the Formation of the Cosmic Ray 'Knee'" was released to the whole society, the weight in my heart finally lifted.

After the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO, 中文简称“拉索”) was built on Haizi Mountain (海子山) in Daocheng County (稻城县), Sichuan (四川), we devoted ourselves to data analysis. After years of observation and operation, and continuous verification, we finally discovered that microquasars driven by black hole accretion are powerful particle accelerators in the Milky Way, capable of accelerating protons to the Peta-electron volt energy range; the "knee" region of the cosmic ray proton energy spectrum shows a higher-than-expected high-energy component, and black holes are the most likely candidate source objects. This discovery not only reveals the key mechanism of cosmic ray origin but also opens up a new way to understand the extreme physical processes of black hole systems.

Initially, we were not sure how to conduct the research. The three sub-detector arrays of "LHAASO" each had their own coordinate system, and the coordinate systems of the simulated data and experimental data were not unified at the beginning, involving the conversion between multiple coordinate systems. In the laboratory, everyone simulated repeatedly and finally completed the coordinate settings.

When we saw the basic shape of the cosmic ray proton energy spectrum at the beginning of 2023, the result was unexpected. Although it showed the structure of the "knee," the "knee" region was not the simple turning point we had expected, but rather "a bulge." This "bulge" means that there is a new type of source that can produce extremely high-energy cosmic rays. Next, it is necessary to fully verify the energy spectrum error until it is finally determined.

The new results of "LHAASO" observations, together with other past studies, show that there are various types of acceleration sources in the Milky Way, each with its own unique acceleration capacity and energy range, and the "knee" is the manifestation of the acceleration limit of the source that produces high-energy components.

Next, we plan to measure the proton energy spectrum in a wider energy range, eventually covering 4 orders of magnitude of energy intervals. Looking forward to the "15th Five-Year Plan," the team will further deepen scientific data, promote technological upgrades, and continuously explore and answer scientific questions in the field of cosmic ray research, facing major cutting-edge issues in international basic research.

(The author is an associate 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). The interview and compilation were done by You Yi (游仪), a reporter from this newspaper.)

■Extended Reading
How "LHAASO" Detects High-Energy Particle Signals in the Universe

"LHAASO" is a large-scale cosmic ray observation device independently built by China, located on Haizi Mountain (海子山) at an altitude of 4410 meters in Daocheng County (稻城县), Sichuan (四川). As the world's most sensitive ultra-high-energy gamma-ray detection device, "LHAASO" can help humans "decode" high-energy particle signals from the depths of the universe and reveal the physical mechanisms of extreme celestial activities.

Cosmic rays are high-energy particle streams from outer space, carrying important information about the evolution of celestial bodies in the universe. However, the higher the energy of cosmic rays, the scarcer they are, making detection extremely difficult.

Since 2019, "LHAASO" has adopted a "construction and operation simultaneously" model, and the detector arrays have been gradually put into scientific operation in batches. Through the ground-based shower particle detector array, the water Cherenkov detector array, and 18 wide-angle atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, high-precision, all-weather observations of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays and gamma rays have been achieved.

(Compiled by You Yi (游仪), a reporter from this newspaper)

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Opening New Paths, Solving Difficult Problems (Editor's Note)

By: 张智琪

How do cosmic rays originate? What are the acceleration mechanisms of ultra-high-energy particles? There are too many mysteries to be solved in the exploration of the universe.

The Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) is precisely the discerning eye for humanity to explore the mysteries of the universe. In fact, humanity's ability to see a broader expanse of the universe and observe more subtle material structures relies on the construction of large-scale scientific facilities. However, behind scientific research, the discerning eye of researchers in perceiving scientific problems is also indispensable. Facing massive and complex observational data, the LHAASO team repeatedly simulated and painstakingly analyzed the data for years, unraveling the mystery of the formation of the "knee" in cosmic rays.

To pioneer new paths and solve problems in scientific research requires not only the assistance of advanced scientific facilities but also researchers' keen observation skills, meticulous scientific thinking, and superb data processing capabilities. Looking to the future, it is expected that with the combination of researchers' insightful analysis and scientific facilities, more breakthroughs can be achieved in basic research and original, leading-edge technological innovations, injecting stronger momentum into achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening.

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Finding Wisdom in "Borrowing Scenery" (People's Forum)

By: 龚 利

In winter, coming to the Summer Palace (颐和园) in Beijing (北京), strolling through the gardens, one can see the ingenuity of the ancients in "borrowing scenery" everywhere.

The Suzhou Street (苏州街) waterway borrows ancient trees on both banks, forming a view of the forest covering the water street, which is "borrowing nearby"; Kunming Lake (昆明湖) borrows the Jade Peak Pagoda (玉峰塔) on Yuquan Mountain (玉泉山), forming a view of the Jade Peak Pagoda shadow, which is "borrowing from afar"; the Seventeen-Arch Bridge (十七孔桥) borrows the trajectory of the winter solstice slanting sun, forming the image of golden light piercing through the holes, which is "borrowing according to the season"... As an important design technique of Chinese gardens, "borrowing scenery" emphasizes both learning from nature and integrating into the overall situation. The thinking and wisdom contained in it are quite inspiring for local areas to promote high-quality development.

Clearly distinguish between "having" and "being able to," and take advantage of the situation to rise.

"Borrowing scenery" is not a random introduction, but is based on a deep understanding of one's own characteristics and the external environment, following the shape and relying on the trend, to achieve the effect of "although made by man, it seems to be created by nature." The same is true for local development. According to the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation trends, clarifying "what do I have" and "what can I do" can achieve overtaking development in dislocation.

Taking Guizhou (贵州) as an example, being able to attract Apple's iCloud China data center to settle down is precisely by virtue of its unique natural endowments and energy advantages, seizing the wave of digital economy development and striving forward. From aiming at data center construction to seize the first opportunity, to focusing on computing power to empower industries to seize new opportunities, Guizhou (贵州) has now become one of the regions with the most and strongest intelligent computing resources in the country. In a sense, Guizhou's (贵州) development has broken the traditional industrial transfer theory.

Instead of waiting for the wind to come, it is better to chase the wind. Insight into the "windfall" of development, so that one's own endowments resonate with national needs and market opportunities, "borrowing" has a direction, and "strength" can be used on the cutting edge.

Grasp "integration" and "communication," and share the beauty.

Borrowing the scenery of other places to create the environment of this place, the most taboo is hard patchwork, and the most valuable thing is the harmony of rhythm and the integration of style. By the same token, local integration into regional coordinated development also requires organic integration and smooth mechanisms to form a joint force moving in the same direction.

How long does it take to collect the parts of a new energy vehicle? The Yangtze River Delta (长三角) gives the answer: 4 hours. Shanghai (上海) provides chips, software and other components to form the "brain" of the car, Jiangsu (江苏) provides power batteries, Zhejiang (浙江) provides integrated die-casting machines... Anhui (安徽) breaks down barriers with reform, and links the resources of Shanghai (沪), Jiangsu (苏) and Zhejiang (浙) with its advantages in complete vehicle manufacturing, and ascends to the "largest province" of new energy vehicles in China.

How to find a distinctive path in regional coordinated development? Anhui's (安徽) "counterattack" inspires us to find the right position, take the initiative to advance, make good use of advantages, adapt to local conditions, and participate in collaboration with an integrated posture, so as to integrate resources for my use, which not only adds luster to one region but also adds color to the overall situation.

Promote "borrowing scenery" to create "new scenery," and keep growing.

The higher realm of "borrowing scenery" is "creating scenery." For example, garden flower windows are never just for lighting and ventilation, but each window has a view, and each season has its own characteristics. This kind of "one window, one world" creation enables tourists to constantly appreciate new scenery while walking. The same is true for local development. Whether it is borrowing from assistance or borrowing from collaboration, it is all for cultivating new opportunities and opening up new situations.

With the strong support of the counterpart aid to Xinjiang (新疆) policy, Xinjiang (新疆) has "borrowed" resources such as technology, talents, industries, and funds, and "created" unlimited "scenery" in the desert Gobi, and the cultural tourism industry has opened up a trillion-dollar track, and also allowed Tianshan (天山) salmon to "leap" onto the dining tables of Fujian (八闽), and the cumulative external transmission of Xinjiang (疆) electricity has exceeded 1 trillion kilowatt-hours... The former remote areas and inland hinterland are now hub areas and open frontiers, and one-way assistance has yielded fruitful results of two-way empowerment.

Creating new advantages in collaboration, expanding new spaces in linkage, and constantly deriving new industries, new formats, and new models, moving towards new and better can become an inexhaustible driving force for development.

Chinese gardens, one mountain and one stone, one step and one scene, are thought-provoking and enlightening. Striving forward in the "15th Five-Year Plan," drawing nourishment from the outstanding traditional Chinese culture, we will take our own path, and we will have an incomparably profound foundation, an incomparably broad stage, and an incomparably abundant driving force.

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Gathering Strength for National Rejuvenation, Painting a Magnificent Chapter of the Times

By: 新华社记者

In 2025, we will conclude the "14th Five-Year Plan" and lay the groundwork for the "15th Five-Year Plan." It also marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Charting the blueprint from the perspective of the times and continuing the glory in the echoes of history, the ideological and cultural work in this year is deeply integrated into the national development with its profound contemporary background and distinct practical characteristics.

Over the past year, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the ideological and cultural front has held high the torch of thought to illuminate the path forward, used the bond of values to unite people's hearts, drawn on the cultural charm to nourish the soul, and built bridges of mutual learning to connect the world, striving for progress and forging ahead, writing a new chapter worthy of the times.

Raising the banner of thought
Deepening theoretical arming

On July 28, 2025, the Tracing the Source of New Thought Forum was held in Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang (浙江). Experts and scholars from all over the country gathered in this historical and cultural city to conduct in-depth exchanges on Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Culture, explore the evolutionary logic of ideological development, and consider the practical issues of cultural construction.

The participating experts stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) thinking and practice on cultural work during his time in local positions deepened the understanding of cultural laws, reflected the historical context of theoretical innovation, and provided a theoretical foundation and practical material for the formation of Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Culture.

Placing the study and promotion of Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Culture within the overall framework of comprehensively and systematically interpreting Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, over the past year, the ideological and cultural front has guided the vast number of Party members, cadres, and the masses to continue to exert efforts in studying, understanding, and implementing, promoting the contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism to take root in people's hearts.

Deepening theoretical research and promoting systematization and scientization are the prerequisites and foundations for strengthening theoretical arming.

In the lobby on the first floor of the Beijing Book Building (北京图书大厦), the fifth volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" is placed in a prominent position, attracting many readers to stop and read.

Since its publication in July 2025, this authoritative work has sparked a wave of learning throughout society. The ideological and cultural front treats the fifth volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" and the first to fourth volumes as a whole, encouraging everyone to continuously deepen their ideological understanding and appreciate the power of truth by reading the original works, learning the original texts, and understanding the underlying principles.

Over the past year, important works such as the first volume of "Xi Jinping's (习近平) Economic Anthology," the first volume of "Xi Jinping's (习近平) Anthology on Ecological Civilization," the first and second volumes of Xi Jinping's (习近平) "On Upholding Comprehensive and Deepening Reform," the first volume of "Xi Jinping's (习近平) Anthology on the Rule of Law," "The Outline for Studying Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on the Rule of Law (2025 Edition)," and "The Outline for Studying Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Diplomacy (2025 Edition)" have been published one after another, making the systematic construction more complete.

At the same time, the Xi Jinping (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center (Institute), the Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project, and the achievements of national high-end think tanks have continued to emerge, and major projects of the National Social Science Fund have been steadily advanced, with in-depth scientization research continuing.

It is necessary not only to build a solid foundation through solid research but also to promote the Party's innovative theories to "fly into the homes of ordinary people" through popularization and dissemination.

On November 5, 2025, members of the Central Lecture Group for Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee came to Yongfeng Village (永丰村), Taihe Town (太和镇), Meishan City (眉山市), Sichuan (四川), and sat around the courtyard with village representatives and grassroots cadres to discuss policies, talk about development, and listen to their voices.

Combining the plenary session's deployment of "promoting the deep integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas" with the actual work of Yongfeng Village (永丰村) in tourism development, the in-depth and simple explanations aroused strong resonance among the audience: "The lectures turn great principles into plain language, which is easy to understand, remember, and implement."

From the Central Lecture Group rushing to all parts of the country to interact and exchange face-to-face with cadres and the masses, to various localities carefully organizing grassroots lectures with rich forms and lively content, scientific theories are becoming more and more deeply rooted in the grassroots and in people's hearts.

Innovating expression methods and meeting the needs of the masses, the ideological and cultural front has taken the initiative to build bridges between scientific theories and the people.

The popular theoretical reading material "Innovation and Hard Work to Promote Development" is thorough in reasoning and fresh in writing style. The "Post-80s, 90s, and 00s" Guangxi (广西) Youth Lecturer Group tells theories to young people, and the Fudan University (复旦大学) "Spark" Party Member Volunteer Service Team sings "New Thought," and the power of faith continuously inspires empathy.

The central mainstream media take the lead in guiding the direction and establishing the mainstream, innovatively creating integrated media columns such as "Face-to-Face with General Secretary" and "General Secretary's Concerns: Echoes of Implementation," and launching programs such as "Lecture Series on Xi Jinping's (习近平) Economic Thought," continuously improving writing style, optimizing language, strengthening quality, and increasing effectiveness.

The theory for the masses has shifted from "one-way indoctrination" to "two-way engagement." In upholding integrity and innovation, the ideological and cultural front has promoted the further enhancement of the political, ideological, theoretical, and emotional recognition of Xi Jinping's (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era by the entire Party and society.

The power of thought inspires China, and the Party's good voice has become the strongest voice in society, reaching the hearts of the people and echoing across the land of China.

Promoting the Spirit of the War of Resistance
Deepening Patriotic Feelings

Eighty gun salutes shook the sky, and 80,000 peace doves fluttered their wings. The inspiring voice of "Justice will prevail! Peace will prevail! The people will prevail!" echoed for a long time.

On September 3, 2025, the grand gathering to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was solemnly held in Tiananmen Square (天安门广场), using a national ceremony to remember history, cherish the memory of martyrs, cherish peace, and create the future.

"Unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, inherit and promote the great spirit of the War of Resistance, forge ahead with determination and courage, and unite and struggle to comprehensively promote the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization!" General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech at the commemorative meeting gathered a powerful spiritual force of unity.

At the scene, the central mainstream media comprehensively used cableway cameras, ground-level miniature cameras, and large-scale domestic 8K ultra-high-definition broadcasting systems to build nearly 200 shooting positions, presenting the grand scene in a panoramic view with film-level picture quality and lighting effects. The live broadcast was watched by 430 million people in real-time, and related videos reached a total of 33.94 billion people across all media.

From the north and south of the Yangtze River (长江) to inside and outside the Great Wall (长城), from the white mountains and black waters to the shores of the South China Sea (南海), from the water towns of Jiangnan (江南) to the deserts of the Gobi, the magnificent live broadcast scenes spread the grand occasion to the land of China, and the patriotic enthusiasm of hundreds of millions of Chinese sons and daughters reached a climax, with resonances erupting from the bottom of their hearts.

The publicity and reporting of the commemorative meeting closely echoed and resonated with the publicity activities throughout the year.

Over the past year, the ideological and cultural front has closely focused on the theme and main line of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance, vigorously promoted the great spirit of the War of Resistance, and guided the Chinese sons and daughters to deepen their love for the country and strengthen their determination to serve the country.

This is the relay inheritance of historical memory—

Beside the Lugou Bridge (卢沟桥), the morning light shines on the Wanping City (宛平城) wall. At the entrance of the Museum of the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (中国人民抗日战争纪念馆), people lined up in long queues, waiting for a solemn tribute to history.

Inside the museum, the theme exhibition "For National Liberation and World Peace" records the unyielding struggle with 1,525 photos and 3,237 cultural relics, telling the tragic past of saving the nation and preserving its existence.

"Wipe clean the mirror of history and take the road to the future," "May we learn from history and let the flowers of peace bloom forever," "The road to rejuvenation, we are responsible"... On the message board, every sentence is heartfelt and deeply moving. Since its opening on July 7, 2025, the memorial hall has received more than 1.63 million visitors.

Let the memory of the War of Resistance be condensed into an eternal monument, and let the spirit of the War of Resistance illuminate the journey forward.

From the announcement of the fourth batch of 34 national-level memorial facilities and sites of the War of Resistance to the announcement of the fourth batch of 41 famous anti-Japanese martyrs and 2 heroic groups, specific places and names will be remembered forever.

From the ringing of the bell and sounding the alarm ceremony in Shenyang (沈阳) to commemorate the "September 18th Incident" (九一八事变), to the national memorial ceremony for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre (南京大屠杀) in Nanjing (南京) in 2025, the collective memory of the nation is constantly deepening.

From the stories of the War of Resistance entering ideological and political classrooms to the launch of research and study routes with the theme of the War of Resistance in many places, young people are encouraged to continue the red bloodline and establish lofty aspirations.

This is the contemporary writing of literary and artistic creation—

On the night of the Victory Memorial Day, the Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂) was filled with passionate songs. When the stage curtain opened, the biting snow of the birch forest in Northeast China, the desolate "sorrow" of Nanjing (南京), and the blood and tears of the north and south of the Yangtze River (长江) turned into the earth-shattering roar of the Yellow River (黄河), singing the unyielding spirit of the Chinese nation.

This literary and artistic evening party "Justice Will Prevail," led by young literary and artistic workers, reproduced the years of war with music, dance, and situational drama, playing the heroic ode of magnificent mountains and rivers, and received unanimous praise online and offline.

Over the past year, the vast number of literary and artistic workers have devoted themselves to creation, using art to remember the glorious years and engrave the immortal journey.

Movies such as "Nanjing (南京) Photo Studio" are both popular and well-received, TV series such as "Position" are popular on the screen, documentaries such as "Lugou Bridge (卢沟桥): Our Memorial" delve into historical materials, and micro-short dramas such as "Assassination" combine lightness and depth... In the interweaving of light and shadow, the great spirit of the War of Resistance is enduring.

"Secret Struggle: The Cultural War of Resistance of a Scholar" outlines the group portrait of the cultural War of Resistance, "Cheqiao Cheqiao" presents a panoramic view of the prelude to the strategic counter-offensive of the War of Resistance in Central China, and "Children's Troupe" tells the story of the War of Resistance to young people... Through vivid words, patriotic feelings jump on the paper.

These powerful literary and artistic works play a series of magnificent voices of the times, voices of patriotism, and voices of the people.

This is the practical practice of the news front line—

Xinhua News Agency (新华社) took more than 3,000 photos of the commemorative meeting, and a large number of pictures became "explosive models" on the Internet; the live broadcast of the commemorative meeting by China Media Group (中央广播电视总台) was rebroadcast by more than 2,000 overseas mainstream TV stations and new media platforms, setting a new historical high; People's Daily (人民日报) successively launched special editions, with rich content and beautiful visuals.

Various media at all levels have successively launched more than 1 million articles (pieces) of reports on a series of commemorative activities, with more than 76.6 billion online clicks and more than 1.05 billion discussions.

Only by going deep into history can we better tell old stories and dig out new stories.

Since June 2025, theme publicity activities such as "Remember History and Cherish the Memory of Martyrs" and "Witness of Mountains and Rivers - Our Memory of the War of Resistance" have been launched successively.

Through solid interviews and in-depth research, central and local mainstream media have entered the places where major battles and important meetings of the War of Resistance took place, and visited the sites of the War of Resistance and the base areas of the Anti-Japanese War, vividly telling the stories of the War of Resistance.

Over the past year, the vast number of reporters and editors have actively promoted the generals and soldiers who fought bloody battles, the intellectuals who used pens as swords, the people from all walks of life who supported the front line, and the international friends who fought side by side in the practice of "four forces," deeply exposing the crimes of Japanese militarist aggression, vividly telling the great changes in the past 80 years, defending the truth of history, and disseminating the correct view of history.

Through true and vivid reports, patriotic feelings and national integrity are fully demonstrated, and heroic spirit and the belief in victory are widely promoted.

At the same time, taking this theme report as an opportunity, news media have promoted resource integration, innovative production and dissemination, and strengthened technological empowerment, not only launching a large number of news works with political height, ideological depth, historical span, and emotional temperature, but also providing useful reference for exploring and promoting the systematic reform of mainstream media.

Strengthening Value Guidance and Gathering People's Hearts

On September 16, 2025, the Party Central Committee issued an important document - "Regulations on Ideological and Political Work of the Communist Party of China" (中国共产党思想政治工作条例). This is the first overarching, comprehensive, and fundamental regulation on ideological and political work in the history of our Party, and it is the basic guideline for doing a good job in ideological and political work in the new era.

Ideological and political work is the work of doing things for people. Focusing on guiding people, inspiring people, uniting people, and shaping people, the regulations clarify the main contents of ideological and political work in nine aspects, promoting all the people to unite closely around the Party and gather under the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Turning the Party Central Committee's macro guidance into concrete practice, the ideological and cultural front keeps the overall interests of the country in mind, adheres to "having people in mind," strengthens value guidance, and constantly gathers people's hearts and gathers strength.

Serving the overall situation and boosting confidence and morale—

On the morning of July 9, 2025, the press conference hall of the State Council Information Office (国新办) attracted many media to come. The first press conference on "Completing the '14th Five-Year Plan' with High Quality" was held here.

In the following three months, a total of 38 press conferences were held in this series, comprehensively introducing the vivid practices and great achievements in various fields over the past five years, showing the broad prospects for high-quality development.

Over the past year, the ideological and cultural front has continued to strengthen public opinion guidance, unite and stabilize morale, do a good job in positive publicity, especially economic publicity, and constantly sing the main theme and promote positive energy.

Focusing on the conclusion of the "14th Five-Year Plan," news media carried out theme interview activities such as "Vitality China Research Trip" and created key columns such as "Winning the '14th Five-Year Plan' and Fighting a Good Closing Battle," deeply exploring vivid cases in various places in new quality productivity, green transformation, urban-rural integration, and high-level opening up, and effectively strengthening confidence, boosting energy, activating vitality, and promoting development.

Around the Central Economic Work Conference, the Central Rural Work Conference, and other important meetings, a series of positive publicity accurately grasped the Party Central Committee's policy intentions, and while singing the economic bright theory, clearly explained the "problems in development" and "growing pains," guiding society to correctly understand the situation, eliminate ideological confusion, and improve psychological expectations.

Combined with the special action to boost consumption implemented by the Party Central Committee and the State Council, further promote the development of private investment and other important tasks, and major measures such as the closure and operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port, continue to do a good job in publicizing and interpreting economic policies in depth.

Focusing on people's livelihood concerns such as employment, education, elderly care, childcare, and housing, the media focused on opening special columns such as "Observation on Promoting High-Quality and Full Employment" and actively reported on innovative measures in various regions and departments.

Closely following the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治区) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (新疆维吾尔自治区), the white papers "Development and Progress of Human Rights in Tibet in the New Era" and "Successful Practice of the Party's Strategy for Governing Xinjiang in the New Era" were released, and the series of reports "60 Years of Glory, Charming New Tibet" and "70 Years of Hard Work, Chapters of Splendor in Tianshan (天山) North and South" were launched, singing the "concentric song" of national unity.

Transforming customs and cultivating people, cultivating civilized customs—

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized in his important instructions on spiritual civilization construction work that it is necessary to promote the integrated development of urban and rural spiritual civilization construction, strengthen the construction of civic morality, give play to the exemplary role of advanced models, and further form an upward and good social atmosphere.

Over the past year, the ideological and cultural front has given full play to the leading role of socialist core values and promoted the continuous improvement of social civilization.

In the northern Shaanxi (陕西) land, the red hot land is surging with a new style of civilization. In October 2025, the China Rural Civilization Conference with the theme of "Civilization Makes the Countryside Better" was held in Yan'an (延安).

In the literary and artistic performances, programs such as the Huangmei (黄梅) Opera "Reducing the Burden for 'Sweetness'" and the chorus scene performance "Our Stories, Our Songs" focused on themes such as high bride prices and human relations comparisons, interpreting new changes in changing customs and customs, and promoting civilized concepts to the hearts of the people.

Improving the level of social civilization requires not only moral appeal but also legal constraints, not only exemplary demonstration but also self-cultivation, so that people can improve their spiritual realm in daily use without realizing it.

Hold a symposium on ideological and moral construction for minors to promote moral education "starting from children"; implement the spirit of the Central Urban Work Conference, focus on building civilized cities that advocate morality and goodness, and better play the role of moral cultivation.

Advanced models of mass spiritual civilization creation activities and moral models have ascended the podium of the National Spiritual Civilization Construction Commendation Conference, and "Role Models of the Times," "Most Beautiful People," and "Good People of China" have emerged one after another, and the power of role models guides the whole society to see the virtuous and think about the same, and strive to be pioneers.
The National Reading Conference has been held for the fourth consecutive year, the "Lighting Up Reading Micro-Wishes" book donation activity has fulfilled the reading wishes of rural children, and the "National Reading Promotion Regulations" have been introduced to consolidate legal safeguards, creating an increasingly strong atmosphere of loving to read, reading good books, and being good at reading.

The National "Integrity-Based Business Promotion Month" promotes a culture of integrity, and the "Our Festivals" brand activities bring traditional folk customs into people's lives. Actively advocating for simplified new customs for weddings and funerals, resolutely opposing "waste on the tip of the tongue," and calling for civilized spectating and civilized tourism, the civic literacy of citizens continues to improve.

Today, civilization is increasingly becoming a habit, transforming into concrete and subtle ordinary practices in meticulous, small, and practical ways, demonstrating the extraordinary power in the ordinary.

Consolidating positions and building a concentric circle online and offline—

"It is necessary to strengthen the guidance of online platforms, self-media, and multi-channel network organizations, promote them to assume social responsibility, and consciously become disseminators of positive energy." On November 28, 2025, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out when chairing the 23rd collective study of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee (中共中央政治局) that it is necessary to adhere to shaping the cyberspace with positive voices, mainstream values, and the new trends of the times.

Wherever people are, the focus of cohesion and strength lies there. Currently, the scale of Internet users in China exceeds 1.1 billion. Whoever controls the Internet controls the initiative of the times.

The publicity and ideological culture front actively builds exchange platforms, successfully holding events such as the China Internet Civilization Conference, the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit (世界互联网大会乌镇峰会), and the National Cyber Security Publicity Week, sharing practical achievements and deepening international cooperation.

Carrying out special actions to vigorously rectify the chaos of online live streaming rewards, the publication of false information by "self-media," and the bad behavior of sports "fan circles," the governance of the online ecology continues to deepen.

Over the past year, the publicity and ideological culture front has focused on cultivating a positive and healthy online culture, making the cyberspace increasingly clear and gathering the power to move upward and toward goodness.

Inheriting the Chinese Cultural Heritage and Stimulating Creative Vitality

The inheritance of culture has never been a simple replication and preservation, but rather an exploration, advancement, and innovative development in the continuation of the national spiritual bloodline, so that the Chinese cultural heritage can be rejuvenated in the torrent of the times.

Inheriting the cultural heritage and stimulating creation, the publicity and ideological culture front has a firm mission and a heavy responsibility.

Guarding the roots, the protection of cultural heritage has achieved remarkable results—

South of Luoyang (洛阳), on the bank of the Yi River (伊水), the Longmen Grottoes (龙门石窟) are lined with thousands of niches. Between the cliffs, the chisels of the Northern Wei (北魏) and the carvings of the prosperous Tang Dynasty (盛唐) are engraved with lasting imprints of civilization.

On May 19, 2025, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) came here during his inspection in Henan (河南), gazing at history and sighing with emotion: "We must protect, inherit, and disseminate these treasures of Chinese culture."

Only by not forgetting the original can we create the future, and only by being good at inheritance can we innovate better.

Cultural heritage contains great creations, records historical events, and maintains national emotions. It not only vividly tells the past, but also allows us to add confidence in facing the future when looking back at history.

Protecting cultural heritage, the publicity and ideological culture front is accumulating momentum for promoting the construction of a strong cultural country.

In the past year, the "Western Xia Mausoleums" (西夏陵) were successfully included in the "World Heritage List," the oral narrative art "Hezhe Yimakan" (赫哲族伊玛堪) was transferred from the list of intangible cultural heritage in urgent need of protection to the representative list of human intangible cultural heritage, and the "'Hezhe Yimakan' Protection Plan" was selected into the list of excellent protection practices, winning world applause for China's cultural heritage protection and inheritance.

The fourth national cultural relics census newly discovered more than 130,000 cultural relics, and the basic situation of cultural relics resources has been clarified; the newly revised Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics has been implemented, and the institutionalized construction of cultural heritage protection is more complete; the national treasure that had been drifting overseas for 79 years—the Zidanku Silk Manuscript (子弹库帛书) "Five Elements Order" (五行令) and "Attack and Defense Divination" (攻守占)—finally returned to its homeland, and China has taken a solid step on the road of recovering lost cultural relics.

Improving quality and empowering, culture activates new momentum for economic development—

Using culture to empower economic and social development is a major proposition put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) during the 2025 National People's Congress, revealing the deep driving force of culture.

In 2025, "Ne Zha" (哪吒之魔童闹海) came out! This film, based on Chinese classical mythology, became a hit upon release, topping the Chinese film history box office chart and the global animated film box office chart all the way.

The popularity of "Ne Zha" drove the hot sales of co-branded catering packages and the out-of-stock of cultural and creative products such as blind boxes of figures. "Traveling with Ne Zha" has become a new fashion, triggering a comprehensive spillover effect of consumption.

What is driving economic benefits onto the "wheels of wind and fire" is more than just "Ne Zha"?

Taking cultural creativity as the "traffic" password, the market for ACG peripheral products is broad; tickets for popular concerts are "sold out in seconds," and the performance economy has become a "walking GDP"; the "ticket stub economy" explores "cultural diversion + commercial realization," stimulating new potential for consumption.

Over the past year, culture has not only "added fuel to the fire" for consumption, but also continuously enriched new scenarios and new business forms, achieving cross-border integration with various economic fields.

"Su Chao" (苏超) successfully broke the circle, deeply integrating the competitive attributes of sports, the cultural attributes of the city, and the economic attributes of cultural tourism, and embarked on a new path of cultural empowerment for economic and social development.

"Village Super League" (村超) and "Village BA" (村BA) continue to be popular, and "culture + countryside" has led villagers to enrich their pockets and minds; digital curators, research and study tourism instructors, and other professions have expanded new space for employment... Cultural "soft power" is constantly being transformed into "hard power" to promote economic and social development.

Wide participation, people's cultural enthusiasm is increasing—

Nearly 86.3 million visits! During the 2025 National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, museums across the country ushered in a wave of visits.

On the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the Palace Museum (故宫博物院), the exhibition "Centennial Guardianship - From the Forbidden City to the Palace Museum" attracted tourists to check in; in the Great Tang All Day Mall (西安大唐不夜城) in Xi'an (西安), tourists interacted with the "Li Bai" (李白) performer by reciting poems, appreciating the charm of traditional culture; TV series such as "The Silent Honor," "The Birth of All Things," and "The Treasure Hunt" became popular, setting off a wave of drama chasing...

Over the past year, from offline exhibitions to immersive experiences, from screen works to daily topics, people's cultural enthusiasm has become increasingly high.

With the continuous warming of cultural enthusiasm, the people are transforming from cultural appreciators to active participants.

Farmer poets chant about life in the fields, amateur contestants take to the open mic stage of stand-up comedy, and people of different ages, occupations, and regions use the Internet to share self-created songs, dances, novels, and essays, or use the camera to record the most ordinary life.

Today, the tentacles of literary and artistic creation extend to every corner of social life. Hundreds of millions of ordinary people empowered by technology, illuminated by knowledge, and summoned by the times, with the most vivid life experiences and the most abundant life emotions, converge into the most magnificent creative power of new mass literature and art.

Telling Chinese Stories and Playing the Sound of Harmony

On December 5, 2025, in Dujiangyan (都江堰), Chengdu (成都), General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) had friendly exchanges with French President Emmanuel Macron (马克龙). Under Yulei Mountain (玉垒山) and on the bank of the Min River (岷江), the story of "High Mountain and Flowing Water" continued.

During the conversation, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) introduced the history and significance of Dujiangyan (都江堰), frankly saying that "every time I come to Dujiangyan (都江堰), I can feel the greatness of the ancestors in adapting to local conditions, following the trend, uniting nature and man, and managing water for the benefit of the people, and draw wisdom from it for governing the country."

"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." Macron (马克龙) said with deep feeling.

Head of state diplomacy subtly demonstrated a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China to the international community. Under the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), the publicity and ideological culture front adheres to carrying the Tao with culture, spreading the voice with culture, and influencing people with culture, contributing more vibrant cultural achievements to the world.

Enlightening Chinese concepts provide ideological guidance for countries to work together to overcome challenges.

"I would like to propose a global governance initiative and work with all countries to promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system and jointly move towards a community with a shared future for mankind."

On September 1, 2025, at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization +" meeting held in Tianjin (天津), General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) solemnly proposed the global governance initiative, which triggered a positive response from the international community.

Taking this as an opportunity, the publicity and ideological culture front actively promoted important propositions such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, conveying "Chinese experience" and sharing "Chinese solutions" to the world in an all-round and multi-angle manner.

From expounding the concepts and policies of good-neighborliness, security, prosperity, amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, inclusiveness, and a community with a shared future, to promoting the BRICS spirit, the "Shanghai Spirit," and the "China-Central Asia Spirit," these concepts and visions containing Chinese wisdom cross mountains and seas through media platforms, injecting confidence and strength into the turbulent world.

It is necessary to spread Chinese concepts and fully reason, but also to dare to show the sword and clearly express the Chinese voice.

Over the past year, in response to the attacks and smears against China by the United States and the West in areas involving Xinjiang (涉疆), Tibet (涉藏), Hong Kong (涉港), economy and trade (涉经贸), and human rights (涉人权), the publicity and ideological culture front has handled the relationship between "attack" and "defense," "struggle" and "harmony," and continuously improved the ability and level of external voice.

In particular, in response to the erroneous remarks of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗) regarding Taiwan (涉台), efforts were made to criticize her egregious acts of ignoring historical and legal facts and openly advocating for "Taiwan independence" forces, actively conveying the firm determination of the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and effectively guiding the international community to recognize the essence of the truth.

The Chinese voice resounds throughout the world, and Chinese culture amazes the world.

In 2025, Labubu (拉布布)—a Chinese doll with small fangs, a pair of pointed ears, and a bit "ugly and cute"—swept the world. Foreign media commented that the "soft power" of Chinese culture is gaining the love of overseas consumers.

The success of the phenomenal cultural IP demonstrates the continuous improvement of China's cultural influence overseas.

The TV series "Tibet Code" (藏海传) is a global hit, the English version of the online novel "Shangyuan Huan" (上元欢) has been published and distributed overseas, and the global downloads of the micro-drama APP continue to grow... Over the past year, more and more colorful cultures that inherit excellent traditional culture and promote the spirit of the times, are based on the country and face the world, have set sail overseas and won the favor of the world.

Going out, but also inviting in. The new era of China is inclusive with a broad mind, telling the story of harmony and commonality with the world:

At the Global Women's Summit, the Chinese famous song "Jasmine Flower" (茉莉花), the Ghanaian song "Yearning for Peace," and the Icelandic song "Star of May" were played melodiously, resonating with the beauty of art, the charm of culture, and the voice of friendship;

At the 2025 International Youth Poetry Festival, the rhythm of Tang poetry encountered the passion of magical realism, and Chinese and Latin American poets used poetry as a medium to express the common emotions of human civilization;

At the Second World Sinology Conference, the "Elements of Geometry" published in Cologne in 1591 and the "Geometry Originals" published in Shanghai (上海) in 1858 were displayed together, as if telling the historical past of East-West exchanges;

At the Global South Modernization Forum, the ideal of "Datong" (天下大同) (tiān xià dà tóng - "the world as one community," a utopian vision of universal harmony and equality) and the "Ubuntu spirit" echoed each other, jointly outlining the vision and pursuit of building a better world;

…………

Exchanging and learning from each other, drawing on the strengths of others, in 2025, different cultural memories and civilizational landscapes gathered on the land of China, writing a brilliant and colorful chapter.

Let's embark on the journey and welcome the distant waves, set sail and move forward.

The curtain of 2026 is slowly opening. With the start of the "15th Five-Year Plan," a magnificent era picture is waiting for us to write and paint.

Facing the future, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee (党中央) with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) as the core, under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping's (习近平) thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, shouldering the major mission of stimulating the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation, the publicity and ideological culture front will be pragmatic and responsible, and will embark on a new journey with a more high-spirited attitude.

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京), January 4 (王子铭, 王思北, 邢拓, 杨湛菲))

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Adhere to Domestic Demand Leadership, Build a Strong Domestic Market (Seeking Progress While Maintaining Stability, Improving Quality and Enhancing Efficiency to Achieve a Good Start to the "15th Five-Year Plan")

By: 本报记者 王 珂 齐志明 韩 鑫

The Central Economic Work Conference, focusing on ensuring a good start and a good step for the "15th Five-Year Plan," identified eight key tasks for economic work in 2026, with "adhering to domestic demand as the mainstay and building a strong domestic market" ranking first.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China continued to expand domestic demand and unblock supply and demand cycles, achieving remarkable results. In the new year, the optimization and implementation of "two new" policies and "two major" projects, the 2026 first batch of 62.5 billion yuan ultra-long-term special treasury bonds to support consumer goods trade-in funding plan, the 2026 advance batch of "two major" construction project list and the central budget investment plan have been issued. To do a good job in economic work in 2026, it is necessary to accelerate the construction of a complete domestic demand system, lead new supply with new demand, create new demand with new supply, promote the virtuous interaction between consumption and investment, supply and demand, and enhance the endogenous power and reliability of the domestic cycle.

Domestic demand has become the main driving force and stabilizing anchor for economic growth.

The 27th Harbin Ice and Snow World (哈尔滨冰雪大世界) opened on December 17, 2025, welcoming guests from all directions. From northern cities to all parts of the country, from winter to all seasons, the popularity of the ice and snow economy continues to rise, becoming a strong engine for driving consumption and expanding domestic demand. Meituan Travel (美团旅行) data shows that since December 2025, the search volume for "outdoor ski resorts" has increased by more than 3 times year-on-year.

The popularity of the ice and snow economy is a microcosm. China adheres to basing itself on the domestic market, relying on the advantages of the large domestic market, and precisely implementing policies to better release the potential of domestic demand.

Policies such as trade-in of consumer goods work together to drive continuous and steady market growth.

"Taking advantage of the national subsidy to place an order saves more than 1,000 yuan." Not long ago, Ms. Wang (汪女士) from Pudong New Area (浦东新区), Shanghai (上海) ordered a new dishwasher. After placing the order, the service personnel quickly came to the door, not only carried out a partial renovation of the cabinet, embedded the dishwasher into the cabinet, but also solved the problem of household appliance recycling. "In the first three quarters of 2025, driven by the trade-in policy, the sales of Haier's (海尔) household appliances increased by 20%, of which the increase in household air conditioners exceeded 50%." The relevant person in charge of Haier Smart Home (海尔智家) said.

In 2025, the trade-in policy for consumer goods took effect, with sales of trade-in related commodities exceeding 2.6 trillion yuan throughout the year, benefiting more than 360 million people and supporting the continuous expansion of consumption. From January to November 2025, the total retail sales of social consumer goods increased by 4.0% year-on-year, accelerating by 0.5 percentage points compared with the same period of the previous year.

The policy effect of large-scale equipment renewal continues to appear, and investment in equipment and tooling purchases has grown rapidly.

Recently, Yichang City (宜昌市), Hubei (湖北) concluded the 2025 annual scrapping and renewal of 75 old operating ships, with subsidy funds reaching 220 million yuan. "Two asphalt ships, a total of 8 million yuan in subsidies." Yang Yue (杨悦), the relevant person in charge of Yichang Santong Shipping Co., Ltd. (宜昌三通航运有限公司), said. Hubei related cities and prefectures jointly declared 14 first batch of old operating ship scrapping and renewal projects in 2025, and the list approved and issued involved the dismantling of 369 ships, with subsidies of 609 million yuan.

In 2025, equipment purchase investment continued to play a pulling role: from January to November, investment in equipment and tooling purchases increased by 12.2% year-on-year, driving the growth of total investment by 1.8 percentage points; accounting for 17.4% of total investment.

The construction of "two major" projects continues to advance, and related investment in key areas continues to expand. From January to November 2025, investment in the power and heat production and supply industry increased by 12.5% year-on-year, and investment in the Internet and related services industry and water transportation industry increased by 20.7% and 8.9% year-on-year, respectively.

Zhang Linshan (张林山), a researcher at the Macroeconomic Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委), believes that China's domestic demand scale continues to expand, the quality continues to improve, and the international influence continues to increase. The supporting role of domestic demand in economic development has been significantly enhanced, becoming the main driving force and stabilizing anchor for economic growth.

There is still huge potential and space for expanding domestic demand.

Experts analyze that in the coming period, although China's expansion of domestic demand faces some constraints and difficulties and challenges, the overall favorable factors outweigh the unfavorable factors, and opportunities outweigh challenges.

Consumption upgrades contain huge potential—

In Xinping Village (新坪村), Nankeng Town (南坑镇), Luxi County (芦溪县), Jiangxi (江西), online anchors introduce freshly caught fish and issue coupons. In 2025, Luxi County linked with e-commerce platforms to organize more than 40 agricultural and special enterprises and merchants in the digital economy industrial park to participate in 10 "Gan Products Online" (赣品网上行) and other activities; from January to October, the county's online retail sales reached 543.9784 million yuan.

Zhang Linshan believes that digital technology, artificial intelligence, and other technologies continue to spawn new formats, new models, and new scenarios, immersive and experiential consumption scenarios are innovatively cultivated, and the live broadcast economy and online entertainment are booming, and huge consumption potential will continue to be released.

The space for effective investment is still broad—

Tianjin Feixuan Technology Co., Ltd. (天津飞旋科技股份有限公司), the new production line is roaring with machines. "Technology-based enterprises have large R&D investment and long cycles, and capital turnover is a pain point." Li Donghui (李东晖), the company's financial director, said that the 10 million yuan credit loan provided by Postal Savings Bank of China Tianjin Branch (邮储银行天津分行) took only 15 working days from docking and research to loan landing. "This fund has been used for new technology research and development and old production line upgrades."

Guizhou Taijiang Miaomiao Sour Soup Food Co., Ltd. (贵州台江县苗苗酸汤食品有限公司), 6 sets of stainless steel fermentation tanks are particularly dazzling under the lights. This company is jointly invested and constructed by the Institute of Agricultural Products Processing of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (中国农业科学院农产品加工研究所) and Guoquan Food (锅圈食品). The modern production line shortens the sour soup fermentation time from 3 to 6 months to 7 days, and the entire process is controllable.

At a ZTO Express (中通快递) outlet in Hainan (海南), after each package is scanned by laser, the system automatically identifies the destination information and slides into the corresponding grid from the conveyor belt. In August 2025, the outlet invested more than 500,000 yuan to launch this set of automated sorting system, which significantly improved operating efficiency and processing capacity. In 2025, ZTO Express deployed more than 690 sets of automated sorting equipment.

China's economy is in a critical period of transforming its development mode, optimizing its economic structure, and transforming its growth drivers. The transformation and upgrading of traditional industries has a great demand for investment in equipment renewal, process renewal, and digital and intelligent transformation; filling the shortcomings in key core technology fields, and the development of emerging industries and future industries will also form a continuous new driving force for investment and development.

Firmly implement the strategy of expanding domestic demand.

Zhang Linshan believes that it is necessary to accurately grasp the development law of the domestic market, coordinate and stabilize employment, stabilize enterprises, stabilize the market, and stabilize expectations, further strengthen the domestic cycle, effectively respond to external shocks and challenges, and promote the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of the economy.

To build a strong domestic market, we must put vigorously boosting consumption in a more prominent position.

At lunchtime, in Xiannongyuan Yiliang Roast Duck City (鲜农园宜良烤鸭城), Yiliang County (宜良县), Yunnan (云南), the staff is busy sorting dishes and packing orders, and Meituan (美团) riders are waiting to pick up orders. The development of new business models such as instant retail brings a convenient shopping experience.

Consumption is the ultimate demand and a lasting driving force for economic growth. We must not only base ourselves on the present, combine the expansion of consumption with the development of new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions, conform to the trend of consumption upgrading, expand the supply of high-quality consumer goods and services, and abolish unreasonable or "**一刀切**" (yī dāo qiē - "one knife cut," a one-size-fits-all approach) restrictive measures in the consumption field, so as to meet new demands and stimulate new momentum with new supply; but also focus on the long term, formulate and implement income increase plans for urban and rural residents, effectively enhance residents' consumption capacity, improve the social security system, and expand consumption in ensuring and improving people's livelihoods.

To build a strong domestic market, we must actively expand effective investment.

The Yuxiang Re-line Expressway (渝湘复线高速公路) is fully connected, and the south main tower of the south channel bridge of the Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge (张靖皋长江大桥) is successfully capped... China's transportation fixed asset investment continues to operate at a high level, and is expected to exceed 3.6 trillion yuan in 2025.

Support urban underground pipe networks, high-standard farmland, the "Three-North" (三北) project, and effectively reduce the logistics costs of the whole society... The advance batch of "two major" construction projects in 2026 highlights the requirements of national major strategy implementation and the construction of security capabilities in key areas.

Support urban renewal, water conservancy, ecological protection and restoration... The advance batch of central budget investment plan in 2026 focuses on public areas that need to concentrate efforts, continuous investment, make up for shortcomings, adjust the structure, and benefit people's livelihoods, and give full play to the guiding and driving role of government investment.

"Investment is the current demand and determines the future supply." Du Yue (杜月), a researcher at the Macroeconomic Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委), said that it is necessary to maintain a reasonable level of government investment, coordinate and use all kinds of government investment funds, strengthen the whole process management of projects, and ensure that funds are used on the "**刀刃**" (dāo rèn - "blade," the most crucial part); continue to stimulate the vitality of private investment, deeply implement a number of measures to promote the development of private investment, improve the long-term mechanism for private enterprises to participate in the construction of major projects, strengthen the element guarantee and financing support for private investment projects, and strive to create a more stable, transparent, and predictable institutional environment.

We must firmly implement the strategy of expanding domestic demand, adhere to domestic demand as the mainstay, build a strong domestic market, and constantly transform China's super-large-scale market advantages into competitive advantages and development advantages, so as to lay a solid foundation for comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization.

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Great potential, concrete measures, new momentum (Editor's Notes)

By: 郭雪岩

The alpine ski resorts are full of tourists, the commercial districts are bustling with people, and new infrastructure is being built at an accelerated pace... The vibrant domestic demand market is becoming a powerful engine for China's high-quality economic development.

Domestic demand is the basic driving force of China's economic development; a strong domestic market is the strategic support for Chinese-style modernization. The Central Economic Work Conference identified "adhering to domestic demand dominance and building a strong domestic market" as the top of the eight key tasks for economic work in 2026.

To build a strong domestic market, we have sufficient potential. A complete industrial system consolidates the foundation of supply, a population of more than 1.4 billion and the world's largest middle-income group cultivate fertile ground for demand, and there is broad investment space in areas such as technological innovation, industrial upgrading, and improvement of people's livelihoods.

To build a strong domestic market, our measures are practical. The policy of replacing old products with new ones is showing its effectiveness, boosting sales of products such as home appliances and new energy vehicles; equipment upgrades help industrial upgrading, guiding enterprises towards green, new, and intelligent development; the "two major" constructions are being steadily promoted, and ultra-long-term special treasury bond projects benefit people's livelihoods and benefit long-term development.

To build a strong domestic market, we have new momentum. Special actions to boost consumption are being implemented in depth, and new highlights such as instant retail and live-streaming e-commerce are constantly emerging; new business forms and models are growing vigorously, and green consumption and service consumption are becoming new growth points; investment is focusing on new and high-quality development, and new technologies and new scenarios are accelerating their implementation.

In the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," firmly grasp the strategic base point of expanding domestic demand, adhere to the dual-wheel drive of consumption and investment, the two-way effort of supply and demand, and the close combination of investment in things and investment in people. A stronger domestic market will inject surging power into China's economic development.

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Major Projects Attract Private Sector Participation

By: 本报记者 李 蕊

On December 29, 2025, in the Jining section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (京杭运河) in Shandong (山东) province, the first batch of five pure electric cargo ships built in cooperation between CATL Electric Marine Technology Co., Ltd. (宁德时代电船科技有限公司) and Jining Energy Development Group Co., Ltd. (济宁能源发展集团有限公司) were successfully delivered, and a contract for 50 electric cargo ships was signed simultaneously.

Su Yiyi (苏怡怡), General Manager of CATL Electric Marine Technology Co., Ltd. (宁德时代电船科技有限公司), said, "In 2025, deeply participating in the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (京杭运河) green and intelligent shipping demonstration project has given me a deeper understanding of the participation of private enterprises in major national projects and serving the expansion of domestic demand."

"At the beginning, we also faced multiple challenges in technology, cost, and business models," Su Yiyi (苏怡怡) admitted frankly that the inland waterway freight industry is highly sensitive to costs, and promoting green transformation is not easy. A series of targeted measures introduced by Shandong Province (山东省) and Jining City (济宁市) provided support to enterprises, "From construction subsidies and purchase subsidies to upcoming supporting facility subsidies, as well as priority passage through locks and fee reductions, the practical measures significantly reduced upfront investment and operating costs."

Relying on policy support, the company's "ship-shore-cloud" integrated full-scenario technology solution, from the ship's power system and shore-based energy replenishment network to cloud-based intelligent management, achieves full-chain integration, systematically solving the bottlenecks of electric cargo ships in initial investment, energy replenishment efficiency, operational economics, and full-cycle responsibility definition, and exploring a replicable business model for large-scale promotion.

"We are confident in making good and full use of policy dividends, transforming the experience of participating in major projects into investment and practice in more fields, and contributing the strength of private enterprises to stimulating private investment vitality and serving the strategy of expanding domestic demand," said Su Yiyi (苏怡怡).

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Trade-in program sparks enthusiasm for car purchases.

By: 本报记者 王欣悦

"It adds up to a total savings of 36,000 yuan!" Some time ago, Mr. Xie (谢先生), a citizen of Chongqing (重庆), purchased a new energy vehicle priced at 219,900 yuan. With multiple subsidies, the final price was 183,900 yuan.

What made Mr. Xie (谢先生) decide to buy the car this time was the intensive introduction of pro-consumption policies. In 2025, Chongqing (重庆) promoted the trade-in of consumer goods, giving individual consumers a fixed subsidy of up to 15,000 yuan for replacing their old cars with new ones. Banan District (巴南区) launched a district-level superimposed car purchase subsidy on this basis.

"The manufacturer offers a discount of 10,000 yuan, an insurance subsidy of 6,000 yuan, and a store discount of 3,000 yuan, which are directly reduced at the time of payment." Mr. Xie (谢先生) calculated the costs, "I can also apply for a 15,000 yuan replacement subsidy and a 2,000 yuan special district-level subsidy."

After picking up the car, he uploaded the old car transaction certificate, new car purchase invoice and other materials through the designated platform, and the government subsidy of 17,000 yuan was directly transferred to his personal account. "The application process is very convenient."

Song Liwei (宋丽伟), general manager of Avatr Center (Chongqing Yunan Avenue Store) (阿维塔中心（重庆渝南大道店）), introduced that the store has explored renewal demands through various activities. In 2025, it has sold a total of 1,311 vehicles, with sales exceeding 300 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of approximately 40%.

Sales consultant Chen Rui (陈瑞) said: "Pro-consumption policies have injected more vitality into the market. In 2026, the 'Two New' policies were optimized and implemented. Our service focus is on helping customers 'calculate the costs clearly' and 'run the process', to ensure that every consumer can clearly and smoothly receive all the discounts, making the major event of buying a car more worry-free and cost-effective."

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Equipment upgrades make production better and faster

By: 本报记者 姜晓丹

Walking into Guangdong Guangzhou Cable Co., Ltd., brand-new high-speed extruders evenly "spit" out cable sheaths at a rate of 400 meters per minute; advanced multi-head drawing machines synchronously pull copper wires, with the thinnest part having a diameter of only 0.08 millimeters...

"Many of the equipment have been updated in the past two years, which has greatly improved production efficiency," said Lu Rilin (陆日林), General Manager of the company. "Especially in the wire drawing process, in the past, an old equipment could only draw one copper wire at a time, while the new generation of equipment can draw 16 or even 24 copper wires simultaneously, which improves product quality and significantly reduces unit energy consumption."

"With the new equipment, products are produced better and faster." Lu Rilin (陆日林) said that in the face of the rising demand for special cables from emerging industries such as new energy vehicles and photovoltaics, the company is undergoing transformation and upgrading, and equipment renewal is a key part of it. Now, the company can stably produce ultra-fine, high-conductivity wires that meet the requirements of the high-end market, opening up space for performance growth.

Lu Rilin (陆日林) introduced that the company's current round of equipment renewal started in September 2023 and has completed an investment of 107 million yuan. With the support of the equipment renewal policy launched by the government in 2024, the company has now received more than 10 million yuan in subsidies.

In 2026, the "Two News" policy further optimized the project application mechanism and review process, greatly reducing the investment threshold. Lu Rilin (陆日林) said that this enhances the company's confidence in continuous innovation and hopes to increase support for equipment renewal with high technical content and high intelligence, so as to help companies achieve better development.

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Editors of this page: Qi Jiarun, Zhang Anyu, Han Wenrong

This edition coordinated by: Yin Xinyu (殷新宇), Jiang Xuejie (蒋雪婕)
　　Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Sensing the Future of Development (Commentator's Observation)

By: 李洪兴

The firm determination full of goals and the rhythm full of strategic sense continuously strengthen people's confidence in anchoring future development, and also inject strong certainty and positive energy into the uncertain world.

Combining lofty goals with pragmatic work, possessing both the character of an old ox and the spirit of a thoroughbred horse, we can not only stand at the forefront of the times but also stand at the source of creating the future.

The details of life often hide the logic of development.
Accompanying elderly family members to see a doctor. The doctor issued a test list, and the cost of more than a thousand yuan for a special examination startled her. When paying the fee, because she had previously registered for cross-provincial medical treatment, the medical insurance was directly settled, and after paying with her personal account, the amount she needed to pay was not much. Looking at the bill, the old woman's worries turned to joy. She repeatedly exclaimed, "Unexpected" and "Good policy."

Good policies bring a sense of gain, which is a real temperature of people's livelihood. The reason why pro-people policies are implemented effectively and benefit the people is also due to technological empowerment. Relying on information technology, medical insurance, medical care, and pharmaceutical data resources have been effectively integrated, and medical treatment has moved from the "card era" to the "code era." The technological dividend has turned "a life that I dare not even think about" into "an everyday life within reach." Policies support life, technology changes life, and the sense of happiness is full.

China's development is worthy of "amazement." Not long ago, an American journalist, after experiencing a battery-swapping robot, an autonomous driving delivery truck, and a drone delivery, believed that it was "both full of a sense of the future and a bit incredible." Why does this so-called "life under the vision of the future" appear in China? Why is China's development full of a sense of the future?

Supporting the future is the only way to see the future. Some people say that the best way to predict the future is to create it. China vividly interprets this truth with practical actions, pragmatic actions, and effective results.

Opening the development picture, the light of science and technology is a bright color. Between cities, the speed of high-speed rail reaches 350 kilometers per hour; mobile payment is all over the country, and scanning code transactions are safe and convenient; drone delivery, unmanned vehicles, and smart city construction have changed from concept to reality; 5G signals cover rural areas, and digital express trains "drive" to the fields, and agricultural and sideline specialty products are sold throughout the country through live broadcast rooms. Technology is not an isolated existence, but forms an efficient and collaborative ecosystem, weaving a modern picture full of vitality.

Drawing the future is the only way to see through the future. The farther the vision, the more practical the action, the more beautiful the future will be. Many people regard China as a country with super planning and execution capabilities. Foresight is full of governance wisdom, and hard work accumulates the power to move forward.

A strong country and a prosperous people have always been the pursuit of development planning. Intelligent manufacturing, biomedicine, energy conservation and environmental protection, consumption upgrading, e-commerce economy... From the "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五规划) proposal, entrepreneurs gain opportunity lists, and ordinary people see life and well-being. For decades, each plan has accurately focused on national strategies, business opportunities, and people's livelihood concerns. Just as seedlings grow strong because of careful cultivation by gardeners, China's development is also moving forward steadily under the guidance of scientific planning, and investment decisions or personal growth can find coordinates in the blueprint.

China's development is changing with each passing day, and the world is in sync with it. Some foreign friends said that China is the only country in the world that announces the government's priorities, goals, and implementation paths to the whole society and the world at least 5 years in advance, and has persisted in doing so for decades. Understanding China means being optimistic about China. The firm determination full of goals and the rhythm full of strategic sense continuously strengthen people's confidence in anchoring future development, and also inject strong certainty and positive energy into the uncertain world.

Continuing tradition is the only way to nurture the future. Chinese-style modernization is building skyscrapers on the foundation of more than 5,000 years of civilization. There is no disruptive "overthrow and restart," but rather a "reviewing the old and knowing the new" (温故而知新 (wēn gù ér zhī xīn - "gain new insights through restudying old material," learning from the past)) innovation, which makes the road to modernization more civilized.

In fact, we are not only creating the future, but also defining what kind of future is worth pursuing. Today's Beautiful China (美丽中国) and Digital China (数字中国) construction are innovative practices under the traditional philosophical perspectives of "harmony between man and nature" (天人合一 (tiān rén hé yī - "harmony between man and nature," the belief that humans should live in harmony with nature)) and "pragmatism" (经世致用 (jīng shì zhì yòng - "managing the world practically," a focus on practical application of knowledge)). The fusion of Hanfu and cyberpunk elements leads the trend, blockchain technology is used to protect the copyright of intangible cultural heritage, and the metaverse is used to restore the Old Summer Palace (圆明园) (Yuánmíngyuán), the "Garden of Gardens"... By deeply embedding development in Chinese culture, the spiritual atmosphere interwoven with traditional echoes and the pulse of the times is a civilization consciousness that comes from the depths of history and rushes towards a bright future.

The Chinese Communists have such a demeanor, "The past, present, and future are all planned and considered." The future of China is not only "China's future," but also "China's future for the world." On the new journey, combining lofty goals with pragmatic work, possessing both the character of an old ox and the spirit of a thoroughbred horse, we can not only stand at the forefront of the times but also stand at the source of creating the future.

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Strengthening Procedural Safeguards for Effective Defense (People's Daily Commentary)

By: 倪 弋

In the interconnected judicial practice, procedures are adhered to, principles are clarified, and rights are respected, continuously enhancing people's trust in the judiciary and strengthening their belief in the rule of law.

Safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of parties involved and protecting the practice rights of lawyers in accordance with the law is an important prerequisite. From access to information and meetings to reviewing case files, investigating and collecting evidence, and expressing defense opinions, any deficiency in the protection of any link will make it difficult to implement the principle of equality between prosecution and defense, and judicial fairness will also be affected.

In order to further improve the practice environment for lawyers, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (最高人民检察院) and the Ministry of Justice (司法部) jointly issued the "Work Regulations on Protecting Lawyers' Right to Review Case Files in Accordance with the Law" not long ago, promoting the construction of a full-scenario guarantee mechanism for on-site file review, off-site file review, and online file review. Fully guaranteeing the right to review case files helps improve the quality of defense, build a more balanced relationship between prosecution and defense, and better consolidate the procedural defense line of fairness and justice.

Guaranteeing lawyers' right to review case files is by no means a simple matter of professional convenience, but an important link concerning whether the parties involved can obtain effective defense. The right to review case files, as an important part of the right to defense, is the cornerstone of effective defense. Only by fully reviewing and sorting out the case files can lawyers accurately verify the facts, grasp the overall picture of the case, find the right entry point for defense, and provide strong legal assistance to the parties involved.

Allowing lawyers to fully grasp the case materials is an indispensable and important defense line for reducing unjust, false, and wrongly decided cases and safeguarding judicial credibility. In judicial trials, many key issues concerning the nature of the case need to be professionally examined. For example, whether the evidence chain is solid, whether the case-handling procedures are standardized, and whether the means of obtaining evidence are legal. The more strict and standardized the examination of these issues, the more guaranteed the accurate determination of facts and the correct application of the law.

Striving to ensure that the people feel fairness and justice in every judicial case is not only reflected in the final judgment result, but also in the entire process of handling the case. Every page of case files that has been fully cross-examined, every inquiry conducted in accordance with laws and regulations, every objective and meticulous survey, and every reasoned and well-founded court defense are all contributions to the promotion of fairness and justice. In the interconnected judicial practice, procedures are adhered to, principles are clarified, and rights are respected, continuously enhancing people's trust in the judiciary and strengthening their belief in the rule of law.

In recent years, from promoting full coverage of lawyers' defense in criminal cases to the Supreme People's Court (最高法) establishing a special liaison agency for lawyer work for the first time, to the promulgation of these "Regulations," the continuous improvement of the practice rights protection mechanism aims to better leverage the role of the lawyer community and help ensure the fair trial of every case through effective defense.

The life of a system lies in strict implementation and also in keeping pace with the times. In the digital age, promoting off-site file review and online file review is a vivid practice of empowering rights protection with technology and an inherent requirement for judicial work to adapt to the development of the times. This not only improves the efficiency of lawyers' work, but also helps reduce the economic burden on the parties involved.

In addition to providing diverse and convenient channels, it is equally important to provide timely, fair, and smooth remedies when lawyers encounter obstacles in exercising their rights such as the right to review case files. In addition to carrying out effective activities such as special supervision and case return visits, judicial administrative organs, bar associations, and others should jointly establish a rapid linkage and disposal mechanism to eliminate interference with lawyers' practice rights through strict accountability. Accelerating the formulation of supporting detailed rules, clearing the blockages in the connection of systems, and creating a healthier and more orderly lawyer practice environment will surely promote the legal professional community to move in the same direction and resonate at the same frequency, and gather a powerful force to safeguard judicial justice.

Fairness and justice are the lifeline of the rule of law and a yardstick for the people to perceive the construction of the rule of law. Unblocking the channels for exercising rights, building a strong dam for rights relief, allowing lawyers to fulfill their duties with confidence, allowing the legitimate rights and interests of the parties involved to be professionally defended, and allowing every case to demonstrate fairness and justice, the foundation of the rule of law in China will surely be as solid as a rock.

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May the Ripples of Kindness Spread Further (Warm News & Hot Takes)

By: 刘晓宇

[Event] Not long ago, Zhang Jianwu (张建武), a pancake vendor on the snack street next to the Qishan Campus (旗山校区) of Fujian Normal University (福建师范大学), launched a public appeal for help after being diagnosed with cancer. Upon hearing this news, his "competitors" on the same snack street extended helping hands. Some vendors changed their payment QR codes to Zhang Jianwu's (张建武); others held charity sales and donated their revenue. Students lined up at the charity stalls, contributing their share, and some even quietly paid extra to convey their support. This spontaneous relay of love filled the snack street with warmth in the cold winter in a simple way.

[Commentary]
From the vendors jointly contributing their love to the students rushing to support, and then to the hospital proactively coordinating consultations and the civil affairs department initiating cross-city assistance mechanisms, individual acts of kindness and institutional guarantees resonate at the same frequency at this moment. "Fuzhou (福州) is a warm city. I was once held up by an umbrella by others, and now I want to shield others from the rain." Hu Weiguang (胡伟光), the "Guokui Uncle" who received city-wide help when his wife was seriously ill, expressed the driving force behind this transmission of goodwill. In this relay of love, Hu Weiguang (胡伟光) contributed a share of his heart at the first moment. These actions, like the warm sun in winter, solved the urgent needs of the "Pancake Uncle's" family and outlined the civilized background of a city.

Mutual assistance among ordinary people is no less than a healing "prescription." Today, similar relays of goodwill are often staged around us: In Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang (浙江), charity shops are integrated into the fabric of the community, helping the disabled and the poor through public welfare points, second-hand recycling charity sales, and the integration of the disabled and able-bodied into inclusive employment; in Tieling (铁岭), Liaoning (辽宁), villager Yu Yanlong (于艳龙) broke the ice twice in the cold winter to rescue several teenagers who fell into the ice cave; a noodle restaurant in Handan (邯郸), Hebei (河北) posted a love slogan, allowing people in difficulty to "eat and leave directly"... These mutual assistance behaviors that occur around us together constitute a vivid picture of "everyone for me, me for everyone," reflecting the Chinese nation's moral tradition of "neighbors helping each other and sharing weal and woe."

This tradition is now being integrated with the increasingly完善 (wán shàn - "perfect," complete) social security system,凝聚 (níng jù - "coagulate," gather) into a more solid and sustainable warm force. From the national level's promotion of major illness insurance and medical assistance systems to the "dynamic monitoring of people in difficulty" and "advance assistance" mechanisms explored and established in various places; from the community mutual assistance service network covering urban and rural areas to the "Internet + public welfare" platform promoting micro-public welfare and fingertip donations, the goodness of the system and the light of humanity are intertwined and complementary. Policies provide a bottom line for people's livelihoods, while social goodwill adds warmth to life. The two form a joint force, which not only helps more people resist risks, but also comforts people's hearts.

Of course, we must also soberly realize that the fate of individuals should not only be pinned on spontaneous relays of love. Therefore, while praising folk good deeds, we need to continue to promote the social security network to be woven more densely and扎得更牢 (zhā dé gèng láo - "tie more firmly," to strengthen). This includes further expanding the coverage and protection level of medical, critical illness and other insurance, and also needs to explore the establishment of a mutual assistance and security mechanism for flexible employment personnel. Community-based and industry-based public welfare mutual assistance projects can also provide useful supplements. Continuously improving institutionalized and normalized guarantees, so that涓涓 (juān juān - "trickling," small) goodwill converges into a river, can form a force to promote social harmony and social progress.

The crowds in front of the pancake stall may dissipate with time, but the ripples of kindness it stirs up have a far-reaching impact. When individual good deeds, social co-assistance, and institutional guarantees form a lasting synergy, we can build such a society: when storms strike, everyone can have something to rely on; in ordinary life, people always keep warm with each other. Such a society is inseparable from the cultivation of social civilization soil, and inseparable from every helping hand extended by you and me. In dedication, friendship, mutual assistance, and progress, everyone will walk more steadily and further.

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Photo Story

Not long ago, the "National Reading Promotion Regulations" were promulgated, providing legal guarantees for national reading. The regulations clearly propose strengthening the guarantee of national reading, expanding the coverage of national reading, and making special arrangements for reading for minors, people with disabilities, and the elderly. This series of measures will help better protect people's right to read, help build a culturally strong country and a society filled with the fragrance of books, and stimulate the cultural creativity of the entire nation.

This is precisely:

Thousands of homes are lit, the night is not yet deep,
Before the screen and on paper, each seeks treasures.
How many things have happened throughout history,
Let the fragrance of books accompany you into a deep dream.

Xu Zhi (徐之)

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If Miracles Have an "Algorithm" (Across the Board)

By: 陈培浩

Looking back at the past year, the once-in-a-century changes have accelerated, and the world is intertwined with turmoil. Facing major tests of high winds and waves, and even stormy seas, China has been "deeply exploring" amidst risks and challenges, and growing resiliently under extreme pressure, laying a solid foundation for long-term development.

This year, China has many things that the world "did not expect."

Unexpectedly, China's economy has developed towards new and better directions while moving forward under pressure, new quality productive forces are accelerating, and the innovation index ranking has entered the top ten globally for the first time. Unexpectedly, China's door to opening up is opening wider and wider, and the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港) is operating with full island closure. Unexpectedly, China has entered an "innovation explosion period," and a series of major national instruments for going to the sky, entering the earth, and going to the sea are emerging one after another...

Seemingly unexpected, but actually reasonable. Why can China do it? The core "algorithm" lies in doing difficult and correct things with long-termism. Only because it is difficult, it cannot be accomplished overnight, and it requires adhering to long-termism; only because it is correct, it must be done, and it requires practicing long-termism.

Lengthening the timeline allows for a better understanding of its meaning. In 1949, New China (新中国) was born on a foundation that could be described as "ruins." Reborn from despair and reversing the situation all the way, one of the secrets of China's continuous creation of miracles is adhering to long-termism.

Today's China is also a fertile ground for the development of long-termists.

Huawei (华为) invests 20% to 30% of its research and development expenses in basic scientific research every year. It is this long-term investment that has enabled the company to withstand multiple sanctions and survive several "winters." Hangzhou (杭州) cultivates "thousands of koi" with the long-term patience of "tolerating ten years of silence, waiting for a surprising success," and the "Six Little Dragons" have emerged.

Looking at the cultural field again, whether it is *The Wandering Earth*, *Black Myth: Wukong*, or *Ne Zha*, they all repeatedly prove that the old saying "**慢工出细活**" (màn gōng chū xì huó - "slow work yields fine products," good work takes time and effort) is not outdated.

To do difficult and correct things with long-termism requires moving forward courageously, even if "**乱花渐欲迷人眼**" (luàn huā jiàn yù mí rén yǎn - "the dazzling flowers are gradually becoming a blur," to be confused by superficial attractions), still believing that you are on the "optimal route"; even if you feel "it is difficult to survive," still "**咬牙扛**" (yǎo yá káng - "grit your teeth and bear it," to persevere through hardship) day after day, year after year; even if you step into a risky "no man's land," still daring to venture and try to set up road signs for those who come later.

Admittedly, in the current era of precise algorithm recommendations, we are in a "fast era" of information surges and rapid changes. Life seems to be wound up, the short, flat, and fast pace drives our steps, and the expectation of immediate gratification pulls our nerves. Many people pursue immediate results, eager for a single move to win and a single battle to succeed. But time is both a flowing river and a sea of sedimentation. If miracles have an "algorithm," its code must be filled with "difficult and correct" entries, and the operating environment is "long-termism."

2026 is already here, let us find the "algorithm" that suits us, and continue to run and strive to climb with perseverance!

(Excerpted and compiled from *Zhejiang Daily* (《浙江日报》))

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Transforming "Bonus Points" into "Basic Requirements" (Micro View)

By: 吴 月

"In 10 seconds, make the little person you drew move on the screen!" At Chunhui Elementary School (春晖小学) in Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), in the newly opened artificial intelligence general education course in the fall of 2025, the children aimed their newly drawn works at the camera. Before long, on the large screen in the classroom, the hand-drawn cartoon characters danced to the rhythm of the music.
This scene is a vivid microcosm of digital empowerment in education and teaching. For some time, primary and secondary schools in many places have successively added artificial intelligence courses, while promoting the deep integration of artificial intelligence technology with subjects such as Chinese, mathematics, and geography, resulting in profound changes in classroom forms.
The accelerated integration of artificial intelligence and education not only speeds up the pace of technological iteration, but also allows students to adapt faster than expected, bringing unprecedented challenges to teachers. A survey covering 31 provinces, 322,000 students, 284,000 teachers, and 52,000 parents showed that 99% of students have been exposed to artificial intelligence, and 85.6% of students have tried using artificial intelligence to assist with homework. For teachers, this challenge is not as simple as applying digital technology, but is equivalent to changing an "operating system." From the presentation of course content to the integration of teaching methods, and the way teachers and students interact, all need to be updated simultaneously.
The entry of artificial intelligence courses into schools is a "catfish" that accelerates educational digitization. It changes not only the curriculum, but also the role of teachers. With the help of artificial intelligence, teachers can not only teach knowledge, but also carry out personalized teaching analysis, generate exclusive knowledge graphs for each student, and develop specialized learning plans. In the future, teachers will be able to better play the role of guides and facilitators, cultivating students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
In recent years, teachers' digital literacy has improved to a certain extent. The "Digital Literacy Report of Primary and Secondary School Teachers" released at the 2025 World Digital Education Conference showed that more than 70% of teachers in China can obtain digital education resources through multiple channels, and more than 50% of teachers can use digital technology to conduct individualized guidance. However, there is still a significant gap between teachers' digital literacy and the needs of educational innovation and social expectations.
To comprehensively improve teachers' digital literacy, it is necessary to strengthen capacity building while making good use of evaluation as a guiding tool. In July 2025, the General Office of the Ministry of Education (教育部办公厅) issued a notice deciding to implement the Digital Empowerment Teacher Development Action, and incorporating digital literacy into the important aspects of the teacher qualification examination for primary and secondary schools and the teaching ability of university teachers. The transformation of digital literacy from a "bonus item" to a "basic item" will undoubtedly enhance teachers' motivation for self-improvement.
It should also be noted that educational resources are uneven across regions, and teachers have different basic abilities. When promoting this, we must not only be firm in our direction, but also scientifically grasp the pace, and avoid simple "**齐步走**" (qí bù zǒu - "marching in step," acting uniformly).
On the one hand, it is necessary to enhance the systematic nature of empowerment actions, simultaneously strengthen the supply of resources such as textbooks, teaching tools, and platforms, and improve the long-term training system to achieve full coverage of teachers. On the other hand, differentiated evaluation should be promoted, and a scientific and detailed grading scale should be established to conduct assessments by region and category. While universally empowering, we should focus on bridging the gap, ensuring that teachers in different regions and with different starting points are not left behind, in order to continuously enhance the quality of the educational digitization strategy.
Educators must first be educated; empowering teachers is empowering the future. In the digital wave, teachers are the objects of change, but also the key forces driving change. How they learn and how they transform will directly affect the future of education. Equipping them with powerful digital toolboxes to better serve the growth and all-round development of people will be a moving educational picture in the digital age.

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Editors of this page: Chen Ling, Sheng Yulei, Yin Shuanghong

This edition's email: rmbpl@peopledaily.cn (Please indicate the column name when submitting articles)

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Focus on real problems and earnestly solve people's concerns.

As the seasons change, new chapters are written every day. To follow the mass line in the new era and conduct public opinion supervision reports effectively, giving full play to the role of the Party Central Committee's organ, serving as a bridge and link that "connects with the Party's heart above and the people's heart below," the Political and Cultural Department of the People's Daily (人民日报) recently held a reader symposium for the "Letters from Readers" section. Readers, scholars, representatives from various departments, and other individuals gathered to review 2025, look forward to 2026, and offer suggestions for further improving the "Letters from Readers" section. Excerpts from some of the speeches are published today.
　　——Editor

　　Walking with the People, Speaking for the Masses
　　Xie Qinghua (谢清华), Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the State Bureau of Letters and Calls (国家信访局)
　　Attaching importance to letters from the masses is a vivid practice of the Marxist view of the masses and a fine tradition deeply rooted in our Party's governing philosophy and running through our Party's struggle.
　　In recent years, the "Letters from Readers" section of the People's Daily (人民日报) has continuously innovated its format, setting up columns such as "Letter Investigation," "Exposure," and "Things Around Us," directly addressing social contradictions, adhering to objectivity and impartiality, and launching a series of weighty reports. It fully demonstrates a clear people's stance, a solid investigative style, and powerful supervisory effectiveness, effectively playing the role of the Party Central Committee's organ, serving as a bridge and link that "connects with the Party's heart above and the people's heart below." These reports not only respond promptly to the urgent needs and concerns of the masses but are also a vivid practice of whole-process people's democracy, which is conducive to Party committees and governments at all levels discovering difficulties, blockages, and blind spots in policy implementation, and truly transforming the opinions and suggestions of the masses into the driving force for promoting work, further enhancing the effectiveness of social governance.
　　The work of letters and calls and the People's Daily (人民日报) answer the same question and resonate at the same frequency in promoting democratic supervision. Although the State Bureau of Letters and Calls (国家信访局) and the People's Daily (人民日报) have different work natures, they are intrinsically related and highly consistent in reflecting public opinion and promoting democratic supervision. Letters and calls supervision is an important form of mass supervision, and the "Letters from Readers" section of the People's Daily (人民日报) is an important way of media supervision. Both adhere to the fundamental position of putting the people first, are important channels for the Party and the government to maintain close contact with the people, and are important ways to supervise organs, units, leading cadres, and staff at all levels to improve their work style. Therefore, the State Bureau of Letters and Calls (国家信访局) hopes to work with the People's Daily (人民日报) to study new situations and new problems more, cooperate with each other, and work together to play a better role.
　　The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal reviewed and approved by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed to "improve the working mechanism for uniting and serving the masses and consolidate the mass foundation of social governance." Under the new situation, how to do a good job in the Party's mass work in the new era, respond to the concerns of the masses in a timely manner, effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the masses, and better unite and serve the masses are common issues we face. It is recommended that the "Letters from Readers" section of the People's Daily (人民日报) continue to closely focus on the hot and difficult issues of concern to the Party Central Committee, society, and the people, focus more on the urgent needs and concerns of the masses in the fields of employment, education, medical care, and elderly care, adhere to walking with the people, speak for the masses, and truly solve problems for the people and share worries for the Party.
　　(Organized by Jin Xin (金歆), reporter of this newspaper)

　　Seemingly Small Problems, Actually Major Livelihood Issues
　　Xia Jun (夏俊), Director of the Publicity and Education Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources (自然资源部)
　　Public opinion supervision is an important part of strengthening Party building and democratic political construction, and it is also an important function of socialist journalism. The "Letters from Readers" section is an important position for public opinion supervision of the People's Daily (人民日报), playing an important role in "connecting the Party's heart above and the people's heart below." It is of great significance to run the "Letters from Readers" section well.
　　Natural resource work involves a wide range of issues, concerning economic and social development and the production and life of the people. There are many problems and shortcomings in actual work. In 2025, the "Letters from Readers" section published articles related to the Ministry of Natural Resources (自然资源部) on issues such as insufficient protection of cultivated land, ineffective protection of ancient trees in some rural areas, illegal hunting and sale of wild birds in some places, illegal mining of sand and gravel, and dumping of mineral slag and garbage, which effectively promoted problem rectification and work development.
　　Some problems reflected by readers seem small, but they are actually major livelihood issues. Currently, the Ministry of Natural Resources (自然资源部) is deeply studying and implementing the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee to make greater contributions to promoting high-quality economic and social development and building Chinese-style modernization in which humans and nature coexist harmoniously. It is hoped that we can cooperate closely with the "Letters from Readers" section, communicate in a timely manner, and promote work.
　　It is expected that the "Letters from Readers" section will actively embrace media convergence, and the content of the column will not only be published in newspapers but also form a strong dissemination through new media matrices such as clients, People's Daily Online (人民网), official Weibo, and WeChat official accounts. In the future, for some typical letters, reporter investigation and return visit videos can be added, and multimedia forms can be used to show the changes "before and after the letter," showing the determination and efficiency of the Party and the government in solving problems, and making the public opinion supervision work of the People's Daily (人民日报) more three-dimensional and in-depth.
　　(Organized by Shi Yiqi (史一棋), reporter of this newspaper)

　　Party Newspaper Connects People's Hearts, Getting Warmer and Warmer
　　Zhao Zhengrong (赵正荣), Reader from Banan District, Chongqing (重庆巴南区)
　　I am a loyal reader of the "Letters from Readers" section of the People's Daily (人民日报). I am delighted with the new changes in the 2025 edition. The newspaper's "Exposure" column and the client's "Exposure Platform" are linked across platforms, and the supervision is stronger; the supervision cases are closely related to the lives of the people, the "Things Around Us" column sees the big from the small, and the "Letter Investigation" column dissects sparrows, which are down-to-earth to read; follow-up reports are no longer "one-off," and the "Feedback" column has clear and perceptible results.
　　I hope that in the new year, the "Letters from Readers" section will: expand the reporting field, focus on people's livelihood concerns, and plan a series of reports. For example, pay attention to the demands of groups such as takeaway riders and online car-hailing drivers for social security payment and labor protection; respond to the demands of county medical sinking, teacher loss, and rural elderly care; and keep a close eye on easily overlooked situations such as old community renovation and agricultural non-point source pollution.
　　Optimize public opinion supervision, and achieve a pragmatic writing style and profound content. Use more of the original voices of the masses and on-site details, and homely words are more approachable and persuasive; invite experts, grassroots cadres, and readers to comment on typical reports, see through governance logic, discuss solutions, and go from "dissecting a problem" to "solving a class of problems"; clarify the time limit for rectification and the responsible unit, and publish the progress of rectification for problems that are difficult to solve in the short term.
　　The Party newspaper connects the hearts of the people, and it is getting warmer and warmer. I sincerely hope that the "Letters from Readers" section will continue to innovate and get better and better!
　　(Organized by He Zhaoyu (何昭宇), reporter of this newspaper)

　　Speaking for the Villagers, Warm and Touching
　　Huang Jinfeng (黄锦峰), Reader from Taikang County, Henan (河南太康县)
　　I am a farmer from Taikang County, Henan (河南太康县). In December 2024, some people in the village used large machinery to clear the river and dig ditches to take soil. Without the villagers' knowledge, they dug away the farmland by the river and destroyed the crops. We reported to the relevant departments many times, but did not receive an effective response. We reported this problem to the "Letters from Readers" section of the People's Daily (人民日报). We received a reply on the same day, and reporters soon came to the village to investigate and interview.
　　On April 21, 2025, the "Letters from Readers" section of the People's Daily (人民日报) published an article entitled "Destroyed Cultivated Land Needs to Be Restored Urgently," exposing the affairs of our village. This article aroused great attention from local leaders, and the act of destroying cultivated land in the name of river dredging was immediately stopped.
　　Now, the problem of our destroyed cultivated land has been completely solved, and the villagers have also received compensation. Thank you to the People's Daily (人民日报) for speaking out for our farmers. We feel very warm and touched.
　　I am very honored to be invited to Beijing to participate in the reader symposium. I donated the 778 yuan for the reimbursed train ticket to the social welfare fund, hoping to pass this warmth on to more groups in need of help.
　　(Organized by Hu Xiaoyuan (胡笑源), reporter of this newspaper)

　　Writing to the Party Newspaper, Hoping to Solve Difficulties
　　Gong Jiayi (宫佳依), Reader from Ganjingzi District, Dalian City, Liaoning (辽宁大连市甘井子区)
　　In 2011, the Houge Village section of Dalian Metro Line 2 (大连地铁2号线) began construction. According to the plan, the village above the subway line should be demolished and roads should be built. However, while the villagers' houses were still on the ground, the subway began blasting construction.
　　The houses of more than 100 villagers were cracked, and many villagers' houses had horizontal and vertical cracks. The noise of the blasting construction made us suffer even more. In 2022, the subway was completed and opened to traffic, and we were plagued by the noise of the subway operation, unable to eat or sleep. Almost every family in the village had a "patient." The villagers had repeatedly requested relocation, but their hopes had repeatedly failed. The people really had no choice but to report the situation to the "Letters from Readers" section of the People's Daily (人民日报), hoping to get attention. After receiving our letter, the reporter quickly came to Houge Village (后革村) to understand the situation from house to house. A few days later, the "Letters from Readers" section published a report entitled "Subway Noise Has Been Disturbing People for Many Years, Because a Road Has Not Been Built."
　　Now, the government has arranged to restart the construction of municipal roads, and resettlement has been put on the agenda. Thank you to the People's Daily (人民日报) for paying attention to and reporting our difficulties, bringing us new hope.
　　(Organized by Hu Xiaoyuan (胡笑源), reporter of this newspaper)

　　The Value of Supervision Lies in Change
　　Tian Li (田丽), Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University (北京大学)
　　Reading the "Letters from Readers" section of the People's Daily (人民日报) in recent years, I feel that this is not only a page, but also a kind of news concept; not only a kind of news practice, but also a set of Chinese narrative methods and national governance communication mechanisms that are being generated.
　　The "Letters from Readers" section is closely anchored to the key points of the Party's cause in topic selection, and adheres to the original intention of serving the people in its position. It not only pays attention to the explicit public opinion that the masses "can see, touch, and urgently need to solve," but also discovers the implicit problems that "the masses may not express, but must be solved."
　　The constructive supervision practiced by the "Letters from Readers" section is not to create opposition, but to promote solutions. The value of public opinion supervision lies in change. In an era when emotional expression and algorithmic amplification of impulsive information are easy, the "Letters from Readers" section explains the value of mainstream media with facts, rationality, and a sense of responsibility—guiding public opinion, promoting governance, and building consensus.
　　Reporters go deep into the grassroots, interview all parties, compare data, and continuously track. This research method turns public opinion supervision from "criticism" into "verification." This makes me reconfirm a commonly overlooked truth: responsible supervision does not rely on shouting, but on clarifying things. This is the root of the spirit of journalism, and it is also the beginning of news providing support for governance.
　　I hope that the "Letters from Readers" section will continue to go downward—let information settle down, build a "mass problem database," systematically settle the letters, feedback, rectification, and governance paths, and form a map of public opinion problems, a structural analysis of mass demands, and a reusable governance case library through technical means; continue to go upward—promote the theoretical transformation of practical experience, for example, how the media integrates supervision into governance, what is the theoretical basis of constructive supervision, and how public opinion supervision is transformed from news behavior into governance ability; continue to go inward—let the cases become the spiritual nourishment of the next generation of journalists. These stories of sinking into the grassroots, solving problems, and serving the people allow students of journalism schools to see that being a reporter is worth looking forward to; being a Party journalist is worth being proud of.
　　(Organized by Shi Yiqi (史一棋), reporter of this newspaper)

　　Helping to Open Up the "Last Mile" of Policy
　　Zhong Wei (钟玮), Deputy Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University (清华大学)
　　From the perspective of public governance, the Party newspaper public opinion supervision represented by the "Letters from Readers" section of the People's Daily (人民日报) transcends the scope of news reporting and becomes a component of the national governance system.
　　First, a virtuous governance cycle begins with the effective identification and input of problems. China has a vast territory and complex situation. How to accurately, timely, and comprehensively perceive the pulse of society and capture the voice of the people is the primary prerequisite for scientific decision-making. The "Letters from Readers" section promotes the supply of topics from the bottom up; on the other hand, it bypasses the information filtering that may exist in the bureaucratic system and presents the voices from the grassroots directly to governments at all levels.
　　Second, in the policy implementation stage, it plays the role of supervisor and feedback provider, especially for smoothing the "last mile" of policy implementation. The page captures and diagnoses the "friction" and "breakpoints" that occur in the final implementation of the policy and exposes them accurately. The reason why Party newspaper supervision is powerful lies in its unique openness and directness. Once a problem is publicly reported here, it will form a dual pressure of public opinion supervision and superior attention, prompting relevant departments to investigate and rectify, forming a "exposure-response-rectification" closed loop.
　　Finally, it is also a "sensor" for policy effect evaluation and dynamic adjustment. The real effect of a policy should not only look at macro data and summary reports, but also look at the actual sense of gain of micro individuals. Letters from readers present the differentiated and even "unexpected" effects of policies on different groups and regions. This kind of first-line, diversified feedback is crucial for scientifically evaluating the universality and fairness of policies.
　　It is hoped that the evaluation of Party newspaper public opinion supervision will be deepened from "individual case response" to "diffusion tracking." The reported problems should not stop at "solved," but need to continuously track whether they have formed a long-term mechanism. Promote the mechanism from "single-point breakthrough" to "system optimization," and encourage localities and departments to not only announce the results of rectification, but also publicly analyze the institutional roots of the problems, and effectively transform the results of individual case supervision into replicable and scalable governance experience.
　　(Organized by Shi Yiqi (史一棋), reporter of this newspaper)

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Continue to Leverage the "Outpost" Role of Public Opinion Supervision

By: 读者来信编辑室

"2026, be down-to-earth, continue to work hard"

"Thank you to the People's Daily ('Reader's Letters' section) for the supervisory report. We finally got the property ownership certificate after more than 20 years of delays." "'Reader's Letters' section exposed the issue, and this road, which had been delayed for many years, was finally repaired." "After the report was published, the local authorities organized land reclamation on the same day, giving a thumbs up to the 'Reader's Letters' section"... At the reader symposium held by this newspaper, readers expressed their gratitude and blessings online and offline, which is an affirmation of our work and also an encouragement to us.

A newspaper "connects the Party's heart above and the people's heart below." As the organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the two characters "People" in the name of the People's Daily (人民日报) carry immense weight. The name of the "Reader's Letters" section is also well-deserved. It is a platform for readers to express their opinions and suggestions, a window for readers to reflect their difficulties and demands, and also a bridge connecting the Party and the masses.

Over the past year, the "Reader's Letters" section has helped the masses solve a number of urgent and difficult problems through public opinion supervision reports, winning the praise of the masses.

After the publication of "Property Ownership Certificate Cannot Be Obtained After 22 Years of Occupancy," the local authorities tried every means to solve the historical legacy issues, and the residents of the community received the property ownership certificates they had been looking forward to for many years. After the publication of the report "Passenger Station Built with 36 Million Yuan, Not Put into Use for 10 Years," the local government established a special team to promote the work. Currently, the passenger station has been put into operation and opened 30 bus routes. After the publication of the report "Coal Slag Dumped on Farmland, Difficult to Restore for Many Years," the local authorities immediately organized the treatment of the dumped coal gangue, carried out soil covering and reclamation work on the land involved, investigated and dealt with the illegal land occupation according to law, and provided corresponding compensation to the villagers...

The problems have been solved, the contradictions and disputes have been resolved, the people's morale has been boosted, and the blockages in grassroots governance have also been cleared. The masses have felt the power of the Party newspaper's public opinion supervision, and they have also seen the efforts made by the grassroots Party committees and governments to promote the solution of problems, deepening the relationship between the cadres and the masses.

A grassroots cadre said, "The public opinion supervision of the Party newspaper is like a sharp blade, piercing the abscess, eliminating potential risks, and keeping the body healthy." The cadre's voice speaks to the functional positioning of the Party newspaper's public opinion supervision. The public opinion supervision of the Party newspaper is not for the sake of attracting attention, not for the sake of earning traffic, and even less for "picking bones and finding fault" with grassroots work.

The public opinion supervision of the Party newspaper plays a "vanguard" role. Public opinion supervision is an important part of the Party's news and public opinion work, and the "vanguard" role is reflected in safeguarding the interests of the masses and safeguarding the authority of the Party Central Committee.

In the practice of supervisory reporting, the "Reader's Letters" section focuses on major national issues, focusing on the prominent problems in the following aspects: ineffective implementation of the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, prohibitions by the Party Central Committee, infringement of the interests of the people, high public attention, large opinions, many reflections, obvious violations of laws and regulations, inaction or arbitrary action by cadres, formalism and bureaucracy, and violations of socialist core values, especially some common and typical problems, so as to realize a virtuous cycle of public opinion supervision analyzing problems, departments and localities responding positively, and taking measures to solve problems.

Deeply implement Xi Jinping's (习近平) ecological civilization thought, and expose the problem of ineffective ecological protection in relevant places with the report "Wild Birds Are Sold Publicly Here," and promote multiple ministries and commissions to carry out joint bird protection actions across the country;

Focusing on the problem of ineffective implementation of the Party Central Committee's efforts to rectify formalism and reduce burdens for the grassroots in relevant places, the report "A 'Red-Letter Document' That Should Not Have Been Formulated and Issued" reveals that the local area illegally issued "red-letter documents" to apportion tasks, bringing additional workload to the grassroots;

Focusing on the major national issue of firmly holding the rice bowl of food production security, the report "Damaged Farmland Needs to Be Restored Urgently" reveals the problem of destroying farmland in relevant places...

After the reports were published, the relevant localities immediately carried out rectification, and the relevant ministries and commissions also took immediate action to systematically investigate and manage the problems in the relevant fields, promote the solution of problems, promote social progress, demonstrate the role of public opinion supervision in grassroots governance, and contribute to promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity.

In the new year, we will continue to work hard to run the "Reader's Letters" section well. We will deeply implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speeches, important instructions, and instructions, shoulder the responsibilities and missions of the Party Central Committee's organ newspaper, enhance the "four consciousnesses," strengthen the "four confidences," achieve the "two safeguards," and continue to build a bridge connecting the Party and the government with the people.

In individual case supervision, we will always adhere to the principle of putting the people first, take a clear stand, be down-to-earth, go deep into the grassroots, turn individual case supervision into typical cases, promote the extension from solving one problem to solving a class of problems, resolve contradictions, eliminate risks, consolidate the Party's mass base, and give full play to the "vanguard" role of public opinion supervision.

Media convergence is the general trend and the trend of the times. Public opinion supervision cannot achieve better supervision results without the development of media convergence. In the systemic transformation, we will continue to deepen the integration of relevant resources and forces, coordinate the efforts of newspapers, websites, terminals, WeChat, and screens, expand the sources of clues, enhance communication capabilities, enhance the quality and effectiveness of supervision, and polish the "golden signboard" of the "Reader's Letters" section.

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Editor in charge of this edition: Xiang Zifeng

Layout Design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)

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Five Stories on the Extraordinary Achievements of the Yangtze River Economic Belt Over the Past Decade

The Yangtze River, the mother river of the Chinese nation, flows through 11 provinces, contributing nearly half of the country's total economic output. It is an important support belt for China's economic development and a demonstration area for implementing the new development concept and promoting high-quality development.

In January 2016, at the symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt held in Chongqing (重庆), General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) delivered an important speech, emphasizing that "for a considerable period now and in the future, restoring the ecological environment of the Yangtze River should be placed in an overwhelming position, jointly grasping major protection and refraining from large-scale development." Over the past 10 years, the 11 provinces along the river have always been guided by the new development concept, solving development problems, enhancing development momentum, and accumulating development advantages, promoting the Yangtze River Economic Belt from "ideological consensus" to "high-quality integration." Today's Yangtze River is slowly unfolding an ecological picture of clear waters and green banks, continuously releasing the surging momentum of coordinated development, and writing an era answer sheet of ecological beauty, industrial prosperity, and people's affluence.

This edition selects five cases from provinces along the river that are anchored in green development, reflecting the achievements made in the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt over the past 10 years, and showcasing the beautiful new picture of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in the new era.

——Editor

Liu Hong (刘鸿), patrolman of Youxi Town (油溪镇), Jiangjin District (江津区), Chongqing (重庆):

The Water is Clearer, the Banks are More Beautiful, and There are More Fish

Our reporter Liu Xinwu (刘新吾)

Schools of fish migrate, migratory birds spread their wings, and under the warm winter sun, the waters of Youxi Town (油溪镇), Jiangjin District (江津区), Chongqing (重庆), are full of vitality.

With a splash, a fish leaps out of the river. "Now there are more fish, just like when I was a child," patrolman Liu Hong (刘鸿) said with a smile to the reporter. Jiangjin District (江津区) guards 115.2 kilometers of the Yangtze River section of the National Nature Reserve for Rare and Endemic Fish in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, witnessing the historical transformation of the Yangtze River from "fatigue overdraft" to renewed vitality.

Liu Hong (刘鸿), 53, grew up by the Yangtze River and made a living by fishing. With economic development, there were more and more electric fishing boats and catering boats, and sewage was discharged directly into the river. There were fewer and fewer fish, and the lives of fishermen were not as good as before. Liu Hong (刘鸿) also felt uneasy.

Jointly grasp major protection and refrain from large-scale development. In recent years, Jiangjin District (江津区) has changed its thinking, protected the Yangtze River coastline, and made every effort to build a vital ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

Restore the coastline. In response to the illegal planting and breeding and sand and gravel storage yards in the Yangtze River fluctuating zone, Jiangjin (江津) has taken ecological restoration measures and innovated slope protection technology, which not only stabilizes the coastline but also provides habitat space for aquatic organisms. More than 20 kilometers of riverbank have been renewed.

Smart guarding. Relying on the smart monitoring system, Jiangjin (江津) has woven a three-dimensional "human defense + technical defense" ecological protection network. 67 artificial intelligence early warning monitoring points stand along the river, drones patrol regularly, law enforcement boats are on standby at any time, and monitoring of key waters is basically fully covered, allowing the port's busyness and the river's tranquility to coexist harmoniously.

Release fish fry. Jiangjin District (江津区) has built 83,000 square meters of artificial fish nests and 400 square meters of artificial fish reefs to create a "housing project" for fish, providing fish with a stable and nutrient-rich environment, and increasing the release of more than 10 million fish fry of various types. It also relies on a special survey by Southwest University (西南大学) to draw a map of the "three fields and one channel" for fish in the district, so that protection and restoration actions are targeted.

After many efforts, the beautiful scenery of the Yangtze River has reappeared, the river water is clear, the coastline is beautiful, and the fish population is gradually abundant. When Liu Hong (刘鸿) patrols the river by boat, fish occasionally jump into the boat, and Chinese sturgeon and Chinese mergansers also reappear in the "rivers and lakes."

The ecology is gradually improving, and the green foundation is being strengthened.

Recently, a batch of Thai imported pulp worth 237,500 US dollars was successfully transported to Luohuang Port (珞璜港), Jiangjin District (江津区), Chongqing (重庆), through the Western Land-Sea New Channel Jiangjin (江津) train. Under the supervision of the customs, this batch of goods was transshipped at Luohuang Port (珞璜港) and transported to Yongchuan Port (永川港) via the Golden Waterway to complete unloading and inspection procedures, marking the successful opening of a new "sea-rail-river" foreign trade route transiting through Luohuang Port (珞璜港) in Jiangjin (江津).

The efficient sea-rail-river intermodal transport is another attempt by Luohuang Port (珞璜港) to expand its opening-up path, realizing the seamless connection of international goods entering the country by sea, transiting by rail, and directly reaching inland ports along the river, truly realizing "single declaration, full passage."

Ecological priority, green development. While protecting the coastline, in recent years, Jiangjin (江津) has actively built a "high-quality route" for the Western Land-Sea New Channel Jiang-Rail-Sea intermodal transport, promoted the high-quality opening and development of ports, and allowed ecological beauty and industrial prosperity to intertwine into a beautiful picture on the banks of the Yangtze River.

Xu Bin (徐斌), Party Branch Secretary of the Water Affairs Operation Department of Jiujiang Petrochemical (九江石化):

Not a Drop of Oil Pollution Enters the Yangtze River

Our reporter Zhou Huan (周欢)

In winter, the Jiujiang (九江) section of the Yangtze River is sparkling, and cargo ships come and go.

Not far from China Petrochemical Jiujiang Branch (中国石化九江分公司), a group of finless porpoises sometimes chase the waves and play, and sometimes dive to hunt for food. In the past 6 years, the number of finless porpoises has grown from a few to dozens, and the population has gradually grown.

The frequent appearance of the "water giant panda" finless porpoise reflects the transformation of the development mode.

In the past, chemical enterprises were densely distributed along the Yangtze River, and pollution problems were prominent. In order to protect a river of clear water, Jiujiang City (九江市), Jiangxi Province (江西省), takes "carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth" as its path, and strives to promote the green transformation and development of industries.

Located on the banks of the Yangtze River and the mouth of Poyang Lake (鄱阳湖), Jiujiang Petrochemical (九江石化) controls from the source, adheres to the whole process of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, and does not allow a drop of oil pollution to enter the Yangtze River.

"Ammonia nitrogen is 0.08 mg/L, and the national standard is 8 mg/L." Xu Bin (徐斌), Party Branch Secretary of the Water Affairs Operation Department of Jiujiang Petrochemical (九江石化), introduced that the various pollutant indicators of the company's external wastewater are far better than the national emission standards.

"The secret is hidden in this 4-story building." Walking into the company's sewage treatment plant area, huge sewage pipes extend in all directions. In the pool at the bottom of the building, the sewage undergoing pretreatment foams in layers, and then "goes upstairs" for more than 20 hours of layer-by-layer purification, turning into clear reclaimed water. "Reclaimed water replaces fresh water as a supplement to the circulating water field, saving about 3.5 million tons of fresh water every year," Xu Bin (徐斌) said.

Outside the sewage treatment plant area, there is a water ecological scenic spot called "Banjiu Garden" (斑鸠园), with clear water and beautiful scenery, and koi swimming... "This pool of water is the reclaimed water after sewage treatment," Xu Bin (徐斌) said. Not long ago, "Banjiu Garden" (斑鸠园) also had a rare visitor - the white pheasant, a national second-class protected animal. "They are the best 'environmental monitors'."

Oil pollution does not enter the river, and waste gas does not go into the sky.

Walking in the factory area, towering chimneys and cooling towers occasionally emit wisps of white smoke. "It's not smoke, it's water vapor. After desulfurization and denitrification treatment, it is pollution-free and odorless," Tang Anzhong (唐安中), a senior expert in environmental management of the Safety and Environmental Protection Department of Jiujiang Petrochemical (九江石化), explained.

In order to achieve ultra-clean emissions of waste gas, Jiujiang Petrochemical (九江石化) has made a lot of hard work: developing ultra-low sulfur emission technology for refining and chemical sulfur-containing waste gas, and the sulfur dioxide emission has decreased by 53.81% compared with 5 years ago; applying efficient low-nitrogen combustion new technology, and completing the upgrading and transformation of 38 heating furnace burners... "During the '14th Five-Year Plan' period, the total greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 7.66% year-on-year, and waste gas treatment reached the leading level in the industry," Tang Anzhong (唐安中) said.

"Compared with 10 years ago, the total crude oil processing volume of Jiujiang Petrochemical (九江石化) has increased by 50.5% year-on-year, and pollutant emissions have decreased by 90.7% year-on-year, and it has been rated as a national-level green factory," Tang Anzhong (唐安中) said.

At the same time, give play to the advantages of the "chain owner" and drive the green upgrading of upstream and downstream enterprises in the petrochemical industry. "Jiujiang Petrochemical (九江石化) not only supplies product raw materials to the company, but also provides green technical support, helping the company achieve an 8% reduction in comprehensive energy consumption," said Zhong Jian (钟健), head of Jiangxi Bazhen Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. (江西八阵能源化工有限公司).

Jointly grasp major protection and refrain from large-scale development.

Jiujiang (九江) promotes the green transformation and upgrading of manufacturing with the chemical industry as the pillar industry. Chemical enterprises within 1 kilometer along the river resolutely "close, transform, relocate," and build a chemical industry system with green circulation as the core. More than 30 chemical enterprises in the city are pursuing green development. Jiujiang (九江) has cumulatively created 40 national-level green factories, 2 national-level green parks, and 2 national-level energy efficiency leading enterprises.

Today's Jiujiang (九江), finless porpoises, koi, and white pheasants coexist harmoniously with green industry, painting a moving chapter of green development.

Zhang Qun (张群), Minister of Supplier Management Department of Chery Automobile Purchasing Center (奇瑞汽车采购中心), Anhui Province (安徽省):

"Green Engine" Adds Power to Development

Our reporter Xu Jing (徐靖)

Mechanical arms dance flexibly, automated equipment is connected smoothly, assembly, testing, debugging... Walking into the Chery New Energy Phase IV factory (奇瑞新能源四期工厂) located in Yijiang District (弋江区), Wuhu City (芜湖市), Anhui Province (安徽省), multiple production lines are started simultaneously, and the workshop is busy. Technicians stare at the parameters jumping on the central control screen. As the final test program is completed, new energy vehicles drive off the production line.

"The biggest highlight of this production line is hidden in the automated assembly, which greatly improves production efficiency. Now an entire vehicle can be rolled off the line every minute on average," said the relevant person in charge of Chery (奇瑞). While deeply cultivating the basic market of fuel vehicles, Chery (奇瑞) is determined to build new energy technology and intelligent technology as core technologies, promote green transformation, and sell 900,000 new energy vehicles in 2025. The production and sales scale and growth rate are among the top in the industry.

Adhering to jointly grasping major protection and refraining from large-scale development, adhering to ecological priority and green development, Anhui (安徽) is accelerating the layout of new energy and energy conservation and environmental protection industries. Through the driving of leading enterprises, upstream and downstream enterprises are rapidly gathering, and the industrial chain is constantly extending, adding a "green engine" to the high-quality development of manufacturing.

One enterprise leads one chain, and one chain integrates into a group. Anqing's (安庆) car lights, Chizhou's (池州) magnesium-based new materials, Bozhou's (亳州) auto parts, Ma'anshan's (马鞍山) power battery materials, Tongling's (铜陵) copper-based new materials, Huainan's (淮南) new energy vehicle aftermarket, Lu'an's (六安) new energy storage, Huaibei's (淮北) ceramic aluminum new materials, Bengbu's (蚌埠) glass, Fuyang's (阜阳) equipment manufacturing, and Huangshan's (黄山) automotive electronics... Each city in Anhui (安徽) is showing its strengths and accelerating its "entry into the chain."

With Chery (奇瑞) as the leader, Wuhu (芜湖) has gathered more than 2,000 auto parts enterprises, forming a complete industrial chain ecology from research and development, production to sales.

"Chery (奇瑞) has established a stable cooperative relationship with suppliers in the Yangtze River Delta region, and has successively introduced a number of key component enterprises such as Luxshare Precision (立讯精密) and Guoxuan High-tech (国轩高科), which has improved the localization matching rate and supply chain resilience, adding power to development," Zhang Qun (张群), Minister of Supplier Management Department of Chery Automobile Purchasing Center (奇瑞汽车采购中心), told reporters.

Promoting the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, new economic growth points are constantly emerging in Anhui (安徽).

In August 2025, the "Double Recruitment and Double Introduction" promotion meeting of the new energy industry in northern Anhui (皖北) was held in Huaibei City (淮北市).

At the signing ceremony, 21 new energy industry projects, including an integrated electronic material with an annual output of 250,000 tons of acetate, a distributed wind power project in Longzihu (龙子湖), Bengbu (蚌埠), State Power Investment Corporation (国电投), Anhui Oxygen Ring Biomass Biogas Portable Hydrogen Production Equipment Manufacturing and Comprehensive Energy Supply, a water-based sodium-ion battery production base, and high-efficiency permanent magnet motors, were signed and settled in Huaibei (淮北), Bozhou (亳州), Bengbu (蚌埠), Huainan (淮南) and other cities.

From the perspective of the industrial map, nearly 10% of the world's display panels, about 8% of the country's industrial robots, 11% of new energy vehicles, 20% of photovoltaic modules, 30% of photovoltaic inverters, and 50% of photovoltaic glass are all "made in Anhui (安徽)". The contribution rate of strategic emerging industries to Anhui's (安徽) industrial economic growth is more than 60%.

Pursuing green and innovation, Anhui (安徽) is constantly strengthening the green foundation of manufacturing. In 2025, the revenue of Anhui's (安徽) new energy and energy conservation and environmental protection industries will increase nearly 3 times compared with the end of the "13th Five-Year Plan", and the revenue of the environmental protection industry will jump to second place in the country.

Ding Yi (丁艺), Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Xiandu Street (仙都街道), Jinyun County (缙云县), Lishui City (丽水市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省):

The Quarry Pit Has Become a "Treasure Bowl"

Our reporter Dou Hao (窦皓)

In Xiandu Scenic Area (仙都景区), Jinyun County (缙云县), Lishui City (丽水市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), the water flows潺潺 under Dinghu Peak (鼎湖峰), and the surrounding mountains undulate and the scenery is beautiful. Backed by the beautiful mountains and rivers, the homestays in Dinghu Village (鼎湖村) have also increased. "The rock quarry transformation, coupled with the good scenery, has attracted many tourists from surrounding cities to come for vacation," said Li Hui (李辉), the owner of a homestay in Dinghu Village (鼎湖村).

Jinyun (缙云) is known as the "Ancient Stone City of a Thousand Years" and is rich in tuff reserves and has a long history of quarrying. In the 1990s, in order to protect the mountains, Jinyun County (缙云县) called a halt to the quarrying industry, and more than 3,000 rock quarries formed by quarrying activities were "sleeping" here.

How to turn green waters and green mountains into gold and silver mountains? The local area recruited designers to make micro-transformations to the abandoned rock quarries, turning them into public cultural spaces such as open-air study rooms, theaters, outdoor exhibition halls and large stages.

Rock quarry No. 9 has been transformed into a performance theater after being paved with sound-absorbing materials because of its horn-like shape; rock quarry No. 10 has become an open-air exhibition hall, and a photography exhibition is being held when overlooking the center from a 3-meter-high viewing platform...

"In 2023, Jinyun Rock Quarry (缙云岩宕) was opened to tourists, which drove the development of surrounding homestays, cafes, and cultural and creative stores. The mountains that were once scarred by quarrying have been transformed into 'gold and silver mountains'," said Ding Yi (丁艺), Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Xiandu Street (仙都街道), Jinyun County (缙云县).

In Songyang County (松阳县), Lishui City (丽水市), relying on the beautiful natural scenery and profound cultural heritage, the dilapidated ancient villages have also been "revived."

Opening your eyes to the sound of birdsong and opening the retro floor-to-ceiling windows: under the cover of verdant mountains, the stream flows slowly, and a century-old stone arch bridge spans the water. In Taoye Homestay (桃野民宿), Songzhuang Village (松庄村), Sandu Township (三都乡), Songyang County (松阳县), Guo Wen (郭雯), a tourist from Hangzhou (杭州), saw such a beautiful picture of the countryside. "I always live in the 'steel forest' in the city, and I think of such a village, lying leisurely," Guo Wen (郭雯) said.

Songzhuang Village (松庄村), which has a history of more than 600 years, was once desolate - many villagers went out to work, leaving only old earthen houses.

In 2016, Songyang County (松阳县) launched the "Action to Save Old Houses". Songzhuang Village (松庄村) systematically repaired ancient residences, ancient bridges, and ancient roads, and also built viewing corridors and walking trails. With more complete infrastructure, the village also turned its attention to cultural tourism.

"The old houses that have experienced wind and rain, the steaming fireworks, and the mountains and rivers full of vitality deeply moved me." As the person in charge of Taoye Homestay (桃野民宿), Sun Pei (孙培) from Shanghai (上海) signed 18 old houses in one go and settled down here ever since. Taking Taoye Homestay (桃野民宿) as the starting point, Sun Pei (孙培) encouraged villagers to participate in graffiti art creation, carefully created cultural spaces, and organized art activities, adding a different charm to rural tourism.

At present, 1,662 villages in Lishui (丽水) have become A-level scenic villages, and farmers can eat "tourism meals" at their doorsteps. "Lishui Mountain Residence" (丽水山居) has become a regional public brand. In 2024, there were 3,329 "Lishui Mountain Residence" (丽水山居) farmhouses and homestays in the city, with 12,000 employees.

On the other hand, Lishui's (丽水) natural environment continues to improve. In 2024, the forest coverage rate in Lishui City (丽水市) reached 80.3%; the air quality excellent rate of 9 counties (cities, districts) all exceeded 97.3%, and the water quality compliance rate of national and provincial control sections has remained at 100% for many years.

Lou Zhijian (楼志坚), member of the Standing Committee of the Lishui Municipal Party Committee (丽水市委常委) and Executive Deputy Mayor, said that Lishui (丽水) will continue to protect the ecological environment with top-notch standards, improve the co-construction, co-governance and sharing mechanism of ecological civilization, fully implement ecological well-being, and continuously release the ecological dividends of green waters and green mountains.

Guan Shizhong (管仕忠), Party Building Supervisor of Xianqiao Village (仙桥村), Chongming District (崇明区), Shanghai (上海):

Good Ecology is the Best Advertisement

Our reporter Jiang Hongbing (姜泓冰)

Continuous stretches of farmland crisscross, flowers and plants are planted in farmyards, and ditches and roads are clean and tidy everywhere, without a trace of garbage; in the garbage room at the entrance of the village, dry and wet garbage bins are clearly marked, and there is also special equipment for treating wet garbage; in the village, villagers' canteens, cafes, tea rooms, village history museums, fruit and vegetable picking gardens, agricultural product display centers, unmanned self-service convenience stores, etc. are all available...

This is Xianqiao Village (仙桥村), Shuxin Town (竖新镇), Chongming District (崇明区), Shanghai (上海), an ordinary village located in the central part of Chongming Island (崇明岛), quiet and peaceful, yet fashionable and convenient, revealing vitality everywhere.

The vitality of Xianqiao Village (仙桥村) benefits from ecological improvement and environmental beautification.
The vibrant vitality of Xianqiao Village (仙桥村) benefits from ecological improvement and a more beautiful environment.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Yangtze River Economic Belt has embarked on a path of ecological priority and green development, focusing on joint protection and avoiding large-scale development. Chongming Island (崇明岛), guarding the mouth of the Yangtze River (长江), has fully launched the construction of a world-class eco-island. Today, the island's surface water quality compliance rate is 100%, the air quality excellent rate remains at 90% throughout the year, the forest coverage rate reaches 21.64%, and the wetland protection rate reaches 60.73%. It has successively been awarded titles such as China Natural Oxygen Bar, China Climate Livable City, and International Wetland City. Dongtan (东滩) migratory bird habitat has become Shanghai's first World Natural Heritage site.

"These data and titles are reflected in the lives of the villagers as blue skies, white clouds, clear waters, and green shores. The air is better, the environment is more beautiful, the village appearance is brand new, and the villagers' lives are very comfortable." Guan Shizhong (管仕忠), 68 years old, has worked and lived in Xianqiao Village (仙桥村) for most of his life. He served as the Party Branch Secretary and Director of the Village Committee of Xianqiao Village (仙桥村党总支书记、村委会主任), and is still the Party Building Supervisor in the village. He knows every plant and tree in the village and every change in the lives of the villagers.

Young people from Xianqiao Village (仙桥村) who work and live in Shanghai (上海) are increasingly willing to "come home often." Guan Shizhong's (管仕忠) only daughter works in Shanghai (上海). "In the past, they were busy with work and didn't want to bother coming back to the village. Now, my grandson is clamoring to come because the village has a good environment, with things to eat and play, and can experience traditional customs and learn about agricultural knowledge such as planting, rice transplanting, and picking. Young people will bring colleagues and classmates to play, and everyone likes it," said Guan Shizhong (管仕忠).

In the past two years, the village has built a large canteen to facilitate villagers to entertain their children and relatives who return home from time to time. When there are weddings, baby showers, and other celebrations, the large canteen is also a good place for gatherings, which is worry-free, labor-saving, safe, and affordable.

Good ecology and a good environment are constantly turning into good income.

When Guan Shizhong (管仕忠) was the Party Branch Secretary of the village, he successively introduced new spaces such as cafes, tea rooms, and calico museums suitable for the life interests of young people to Xianqiao Village (仙桥村). Tourists can enjoy authentic Chongming (崇明) rural cuisine, specialty snacks, and traditional crafts. "Without advertising, the village can attract 70,000 to 80,000 tourists every year," said Guan Shizhong (管仕忠). The new industrial income has injected more vitality into Xianqiao Village (仙桥村).

"In Chongming (崇明), everyone enjoys a beautiful ecological environment, and everyone shares the fruits of development, and life is getting better and better," said Guan Shizhong (管仕忠).

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Editor in Charge for This Section: Jiang Xuehong

Layout Design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)

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Economists Interpret Highlights of the Chinese Economy

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's development process was extremely unusual and extraordinary. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "In the past five years, we have effectively responded to various shocks and challenges, and promoted new and major achievements in the cause of the Party and the country." Facing the complex and volatile international situation and the arduous and heavy domestic reform, development, and stability tasks, our Party united and led the people of all ethnic groups across the country to overcome difficulties and forge ahead. We withstood the severe impact of the century-long pandemic and effectively responded to a series of major risks and challenges. China's economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national strength have reached a new level. Chinese-style modernization has taken new and solid steps, and a good start has been made in the new journey toward the second centenary goal. At the Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) deeply analyzed the economic situation and systematically deployed the economic work for 2026, providing scientific guidance for ensuring a good start and a good step for the "15th Five-Year Plan." Today's theory section invites economists to talk about the highlights of China's economy and analyze the general trend of future development, so as to deepen the understanding and understanding of the spirit of the Party Central Committee.
--Editor

Steady Progress
Total Volume Under Pressure, Structure Moving Towards New and Better
Shen Kaiyan (沈开艳), Director of the Institute of Economics, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (上海社会科学院)
During China's "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the world economic recovery was weak, unilateralism and protectionism rose significantly, and the global industrial chain accelerated its adjustment. In China's development process, structural, institutional, and cyclical problems were intertwined, and the problem of unbalanced and insufficient economic development still existed. Reform entered a deep-water zone. Against this complex background, China effectively responded to the century-long pandemic, "decoupling and breaking chains," natural disasters, and other extraordinary shocks and challenges. The overall economic operation was stable and progressing steadily. China's economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national strength reached a new level. Chinese-style modernization has taken new and solid steps, and a good start has been made in the new journey toward the second centenary goal.

For a large country like China, stability is the overall situation and foundation. Facing multiple unexpected factors, China has adopted counter-cyclical and cross-cyclical adjustments through macroeconomic policies, and has launched a series of macroeconomic policy "combined punches," and the macroeconomic landscape is solid and robust. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's total economic volume steadily climbed, successively crossing the thresholds of 110 trillion yuan, 120 trillion yuan, and 130 trillion yuan. It is expected to reach about 140 trillion yuan in 2025, showing strong resilience and room for maneuver. The overall price level remained stable; the employment situation was generally stable, ensuring people's livelihood and social stability. At the same time, the domestic demand market continued to grow, and the basic role of consumption was further enhanced. Despite the impact of the pandemic, with the economic recovery and the effectiveness of consumption promotion policies, the consumer market steadily recovered and the consumption structure continued to upgrade. The average annual contribution rate of final consumption to economic growth remained at a high level. The key role of investment has been effectively brought into play, especially the growth rate of investment in high-tech industries is faster than the overall investment, which has accumulated momentum for long-term development. In addition, facing the complex financial environment at home and abroad, China has steadily done a good job in resolving risks in key areas and has held the bottom line of preventing systemic risks. China's food security and energy security have been effectively guaranteed, and the stability and security of the industrial chain and supply chain have been further improved.

On the basis of maintaining overall stability, progress is the direction and driving force. China has unswervingly implemented the innovation-driven development strategy, and new momentum has been continuously cultivated and strengthened. The intensity of R&D investment in the whole society has increased rapidly, exceeding the average level of the European Union. Basic research and original innovation have been continuously strengthened, and breakthroughs have been made in several key core technology fields. The contribution rate of scientific and technological progress exceeded 60%, and new progress has been made in the construction of an innovative country. Driven by innovation achievements, the industrial structure has been continuously optimized and upgraded. The proportion of manufacturing added value in gross domestic product (GDP) has remained basically stable. In 2024, the added value of the "three new" economy, which is centered on new industries, new business forms, and new business models, accounted for about 18% of GDP, and the added value of the core industries of the digital economy accounted for about 10% of GDP. At the same time, we adhere to coordinated development, promote urban-rural integration and regional linkage, and the leading role of growth poles such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (京津冀), the Yangtze River Delta (长三角), and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (粤港澳大湾区) continues to be evident. The "four major plates" of the east, middle, west, and northeast complement each other's advantages and advance side by side, and the coordination and balance of urban-rural and regional development have been further enhanced. We will actively promote the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, and the energy consumption per unit of GDP and carbon dioxide emissions will continue to decline. The quality of the ecological environment has been significantly improved, and a pattern of coordinated progress in economic and social development and environmental protection is taking shape.

The key to achieving these achievements lies in the leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), who has made strategic judgments at every critical moment and important node, leading the giant ship of China to ride the wind and waves; it lies in the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping's (习近平) economic thought, which provides a sharp ideological weapon for promoting high-quality economic development in China and scientifically responding to major risks and challenges. Looking forward to the "15th Five-Year Plan," the supporting conditions and basic trends for China's long-term economic improvement have not changed. We will make full use of these advantages, strengthen the innovation breakthroughs and industrial application of digital technology, green technology, biotechnology, etc., adhere to domestic demand-led, tap the potential of domestic demand, and coordinate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries with the cultivation and strengthening of strategic emerging industries, and the deep integration of modern service industries and advanced manufacturing industries, which will continue to consolidate the stable and improving economic situation and expand the new and improving trend.

New Quality Productive Forces
The Momentum of Seeking "Quality" from "New" is Constantly Growing
Qu Yongyi (曲永义), Researcher, Institute of Industrial Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院)
Productive forces are the most active and revolutionary elements in promoting social progress. New quality productive forces are the advanced productive forces of today's era. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, facing the complex situation of the accelerated evolution of the world's unprecedented changes in a century and the obvious increase in domestic reform and development difficulties and challenges, our Party united and led the people of all ethnic groups across the country to seize the historic opportunity of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, withstand various shocks, and promote the steady development and continuous growth of new quality productive forces.

Scientific and technological innovation provides strong impetus for accelerating the development of new quality productive forces. Scientific and technological innovation is the core element for developing new quality productive forces. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China has thoroughly implemented the strategy of invigorating the country through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the country through talent, and the innovation-driven development strategy, adhering to the "four orientations," and organizing and promoting original and basic research with strategic guidance. In 2025, China ranked tenth in the Global Innovation Index, up 4 places from 2020, and the number of global top 100 science and technology innovation clusters it owns has ranked first in the world for three consecutive years. The transformation and application of key common technologies, cutting-edge leading technologies, modern engineering technologies, and disruptive technological innovation achievements have been accelerated, providing strong impetus for the steady development of new quality productive forces. Major country weapons such as "going to heaven, entering the earth, and going to the sea" have frequently appeared, and the industrialization rate of enterprise invention patents has increased from 44.9% in 2020 to 53.3% in 2024.

Industrial transformation and upgrading provide important support for accelerating the development of new quality productive forces. Industry is the main carrier for the development of new quality productive forces. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China has laid out the industrial chain around accelerating the development of new quality productive forces, promoted the chain supplementation of short-board industries, the chain extension of advantageous industries, the chain upgrading of traditional industries, the chain construction of emerging industries, and the chain layout of future industries. The industrial system has continued to move towards high-end, intelligent, and green, and the resilience and security level of the industrial chain has continued to improve. From 2020 to 2024, the added value of China's high-tech manufacturing industry increased by an average of 8.7% annually, and the industrial chain continued to extend to high value-added links. In particular, cutting-edge new technologies such as digital technology and artificial intelligence have been widely penetrated into various industries and deeply integrated with them, promoting the comprehensive transformation and upgrading of the industrial system. As of November 2025, China has built more than 20,000 "5G+ industrial Internet" projects, achieving full coverage of 41 industrial categories, providing a "source of living water" and reliable guarantee for the accelerated development of new quality productive forces.

Innovation in development mode promotes green productive forces to lead the world. New quality productive forces themselves are green productive forces. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China has firmly established and practiced the concept that green mountains and clear waters are golden mountains and silver mountains, and unswervingly followed the path of green development. As of the end of 2024, China has cultivated a total of 6,430 national green factories and 491 green industrial parks; in 2024, the output of new energy vehicles reached 13.168 million vehicles, and the output and sales volume has remained the world's first for many years, continuously enriching the global supply of green products. From 2021 to 2024, the average annual growth rates of the output of green products such as solar cells, solar industrial ultra-white glass, and bio-based chemical fibers above designated size were 44.5%, 114.7%, and 89.6% respectively; the proportion of installed renewable energy power generation capacity increased to about 60%, and the installed capacity of hydropower, wind power, solar power, and biomass power generation all ranked first in the world. It is precisely because of the continuous promotion of innovative development methods that China's green productive forces have grown rapidly, becoming a beautiful landscape for the steady development of new quality productive forces.

In general, in the past five years, China's development of new quality productive forces has continued to make new progress, cultivated more momentum for seeking "quality" from "new," and stimulated a strong impetus for high-quality development. The "15th Five-Year Plan" period is a critical period for laying a solid foundation and fully exerting efforts to basically realize socialist modernization. Consolidating and expanding the advantages of a complete industrial system and abundant talent resources, focusing on promoting the transformation of development methods and institutional mechanism innovation, and developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions will promote the Chinese economic ship to sail to a brighter future.

Comprehensively Deepening Reform
Injecting Strong Momentum into Economic and Social Development
Wang Yun (王蕴), Deputy Director of the Xi Jinping (习近平) Economic Thought Research Center
Reform is the fundamental driving force for promoting China's economic and social development. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, facing the complex and volatile international and domestic situation, facing a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and facing the new expectations of the people, our Party has placed reform in a more prominent position. On the basis of generally completing the reform tasks determined by the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, we have successfully embarked on a new journey of further comprehensively deepening reform and promoting Chinese-style modernization. China's comprehensive deepening of reform has many highlights, providing a strong impetus and institutional guarantee for Chinese-style modernization.

Economic system reform is the focus of further comprehensively deepening reform. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, our Party adhered to and implemented the "two unswervingly," giving full play to the role and advantages of different ownership economies, and major scientific and technological achievements have emerged at an accelerated pace, and new technologies, new business forms, and new models have flourished. We adhere to distribution according to work as the mainstay and coexist with various distribution methods, improve the policy system for distribution according to factors, and steadily expand the middle-income group. Market-based basic systems such as property rights protection and fair competition have been continuously improved, the market-oriented, rule-of-law, and internationalized business environment has been continuously optimized, and the "four beams and eight pillars" of the national unified market have been basically established. Driven by this series of measures, from 2021 to 2024, the pulling effect of domestic demand on economic growth has been enhanced, with an average contribution rate of 86.4%, further demonstrating the advantages of a super-large-scale market.

Promoting coordinated urban-rural and regional development is an inherent requirement for enhancing the overall and coordinated nature of China's development. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the institutional mechanism for urban-rural integrated development has been continuously improved, and positive results have been achieved in urban-rural integrated development. The ratio of urban-rural residents' income decreased from 2.56:1 in 2020 to 2.34:1 in 2024. By coordinating new industrialization, new urbanization, and comprehensive rural revitalization, regional development presents distinct characteristics of clearer functional positioning, more effective complementary advantages, closer regional linkages, and more abundant development vitality. The ratio of per capita regional GDP between the eastern and western regions decreased from 1.68:1 in 2020 to 1.65:1 in 2024, and the relative gap steadily narrowed.

Opening up is a distinct symbol of Chinese-style modernization, and building a new system of a higher-level open economy is a strategic measure to promote reform and development through opening up. Facing a complex and severe external environment, China has unswervingly expanded opening up and implemented a more proactive opening-up strategy. We have fully implemented the pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list management system for foreign investment, and restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector have been "cleared." The construction of trade, investment, production, and service networks facing the world is accelerating. We will steadily expand institutional opening up in rules, regulations, management, standards, etc., and deepen the construction of free trade pilot zones and free trade ports. At present, China's total import and export of goods trade ranks first in the world.

Our Party has correctly handled the relationship between reform, development, and improving people's livelihoods, adhered to better guaranteeing and improving people's livelihoods in development, accelerated the promotion of institutional innovation in the social field, and launched a series of major reform measures in the fields of employment, education, medical care, elderly care, and childcare, accelerated the efforts to make up for the shortcomings in social services, "the elderly and the young," and promoted the results of reform and development to better and more fairly benefit the broad masses of the people; We will deepen reform around building a beautiful China, improve the system and mechanism in the fields of national land space development, resource conservation and utilization, and ecological environmental protection, coordinate the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, and grasslands, and deeply fight the battle against pollution prevention and control, and achieve remarkable results in ecological protection and restoration.

These reform measures have promoted the greater maturity and stability of China's various systems. The "Suggestions" of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee included "adhering to comprehensively deepening reform" as a principle that must be followed in economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, requiring focusing on the institutional and mechanism obstacles that restrict high-quality development and promoting deep-level reforms. Adhering to the use of reform methods to solve development problems, further comprehensively deepening reform around promoting the better combination of an effective market and a capable government, accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system, and enhancing the endogenous power and reliability of the domestic great cycle, and expanding high-level opening up will further increase the impetus and vitality for development.

Institutional Opening Up
Opening Up to the Outside World Prominently Highlights "High Level"
Yu Chunhai (于春海), Executive Dean of the School of Economics, Renmin University of China (中国人民大学)
Opening up is a distinct symbol of Chinese-style modernization. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, facing the headwinds of economic globalization and the "small yard and high walls" and "decoupling and breaking chains" of individual countries, China has unswervingly promoted high-level opening up and accelerated the transformation from commodity and factor flow-based opening up to rule-based and institutional opening up, continuously injecting strong impetus into Chinese-style modernization.

Foreign trade has grown against the trend. Foreign trade is an important part of China's open economy. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's international market share of goods trade exports and imports remained stable at more than 14% and 10%, and the scale of goods trade remained the first in the world; the scale of service trade remained the second in the world, and the total amount of service trade exceeded US$1 trillion for the first time in 2024. The structure of foreign trade has been continuously optimized, and the proportion of exports of high-tech and high value-added products has been significantly increased. In 2024, the exports of "new three items" of new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products increased by 2.6 times compared with 2020; knowledge-intensive service trade has grown rapidly, becoming a new driving force for the growth of service trade. At the same time, China and ASEAN have been each other's largest trading partners for many years in a row, and the proportion of import and export trade with countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" has increased from 29.1% in 2020 to 50.3% in 2024, and the proportion of exports to the United States has decreased from 17.4% in 2020 to 14.7% in 2024. At present, China has become the main trading partner of more than 150 countries and regions, and the trade structure and trading partners are more diversified, and the resilience of foreign trade has been significantly improved.
The space for two-way investment continues to expand. Two-way investment is a more advanced form of opening up and an effective way for China to deeply integrate into the world economy. In terms of utilizing foreign investment, as of June 2025, the cumulative actual use of foreign investment in China during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period reached US$708.73 billion, and high-tech fields such as bio-manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and green and low-carbon have become new highlands for China to attract foreign investment; in terms of foreign investment, the total scale ranks among the top three in the world, with a foreign direct investment flow of US$192.2 billion in 2024, accounting for 11.9% of the global share. From 2021 to the first half of 2025, the scale of two-way investment between China and countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" exceeded US$240 billion, of which China's investment in co-construction countries exceeded US$160 billion. China's coordinated development of "bringing in" and "going out" not only helps the country's high-quality development, but also strongly promotes the economic and social development of relevant countries, especially helping the industrialization and modernization of countries in the Global South.

High-level institutional opening-up is being steadily advanced. Aligning with international high-standard economic and trade rules is not only an inherent requirement for improving the level and quality of opening up, but also the meaning that should be in the construction of a unified national market. It can transform the comprehensive advantages of the domestic market, industry, and talent into new advantages in international competition and cooperation, and participate more actively and proactively in the reform of the global governance system. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's 22 free trade pilot zones took the initiative to align with international high-standard economic and trade rules, forming a series of institutional innovation achievements; fully implemented the pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list management system for foreign investment, and pilot projects for opening up in service fields such as telecommunications, medical care, and finance were steadily promoted, the "Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement" was implemented with high quality, and actively promoted accession to the "Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement" and the "Digital Economy Partnership Agreement"; the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自由贸易港) officially launched full island customs clearance on December 18, 2025, and is becoming an important gateway leading China's opening up to the outside world in the new era.

China's high-level opening up to the outside world continues to expand, which not only benefits from continuously leveraging the comprehensive advantages of the domestic market, industry, and talent in the process of accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, but also benefits from the in-depth advancement of institutional opening up. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the uncertainty and unpredictability of the external environment will increase significantly. Actively aligning with international high-standard economic and trade rules, implementing autonomous opening up and unilateral opening up, and promoting the integration of domestic and foreign trade not only fully demonstrate China's determination to promote the construction of an open world economic system, but also help transform the new advantages cultivated into practical results in open development.

People's Livelihood is Paramount

People's Livelihood Security is Solid and Stable

Du Feilun (杜飞轮), Director of the Institute of Economics, National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委)

Chinese-style modernization places people's livelihood as paramount. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, our Party has always adhered to the principle of putting the people first, placing the guarantee and improvement of people's livelihood in a prominent position in the overall development, and planning and systematically promoting construction in the fields of employment, income distribution, education, health, elderly care, and childcare. Over the past five years, China's people's livelihood has achieved important achievements, and the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security has been significantly enhanced, laying a solid foundation for the stable and long-term development of the economy and society.

Employment is the most basic livelihood. Our Party adheres to the priority of employment, makes every effort to expand employment opportunities, improves the public employment service system, enhances the employment and entrepreneurship capabilities of workers, and promotes high-quality and full employment. As of the end of August 2025, we have overfulfilled the target of adding 55 million new jobs in urban areas, and the average urban surveyed unemployment rate has been controlled within the expected target of 5.5%; since the transition period, the scale of employment of people lifted out of poverty has remained stable at more than 30 million, laying a solid foundation for promoting healthy and sustainable economic development and maintaining overall social stability.

Increasing residents' income is an inevitable choice for enhancing people's well-being and steadily promoting common prosperity. Our Party strives to expand residents' income channels and expand the size of the middle-income group. From 2021 to 2024, after deducting the impact of price factors, the national per capita disposable income of residents actually increased by an average of 5.5% per year, which is in sync with the economic growth rate during the same period, and the income growth rate of rural residents continued to be higher than that of urban residents. The people's living standards and consumption capacity have continued to improve, and the foundation for common prosperity has become more solid.

Social security is the basic institutional guarantee for maintaining social fairness and enhancing people's well-being. Our Party has deeply implemented the universal participation plan, fully implemented the personal pension system, continuously improved the policy of cross-provincial medical treatment in different places, expanded the pilot project of occupational injury protection for people in new forms of employment, and optimized the social assistance and charity system to better protect the basic rights and interests of women, minors, and people with disabilities. At present, China's basic pension insurance covers more than 1 billion people, and the participation rate of basic medical insurance is stable at more than 95%; focusing on improving the lives of people in difficulty and key groups, promoting the expansion and efficiency of social assistance, and the average standard of urban and rural subsistence allowances continues to grow. Overall, the social security network is becoming denser and stronger, and the function of guaranteeing the bottom line is continuously strengthened.

People's health is an important symbol of socialist modernization. Our Party puts safeguarding people's health in a strategic position of priority development, continues to deepen the reform of the medical and health system, builds a high-quality and efficient medical and health service system, and weaves a tight national public health protection network. At present, the gap in medical resources per thousand people in the eastern, central, and western regions of China is continuously narrowing, and more than 90% of residents can reach the nearest medical service point within 15 minutes; as of the end of 2024, the number of people participating in long-term care insurance nationwide exceeded 180 million, the average life expectancy increased to 79 years, and the main health indicators are among the top in middle- and high-income countries, and the supply of health services for the entire population and the entire life cycle is continuously enhanced.

In addition, in line with the trend changes in China's population development, our Party has improved the population development strategy, elevated actively responding to population aging to a national strategy, improved the fertility support policy system, expanded the supply of inclusive elderly care and childcare services, and provided solid support for better protecting the "old and the young" and promoting the long-term balanced development of the population. At the same time, we adhere to the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, continue to increase investment in education, deepen the comprehensive reform of the education field, and continuously promote educational equity. At present, China has built the world's largest education system, with gross enrollment rates in preschool education and senior high school education reaching 92.0%, a consolidation rate of compulsory education reaching 95.9%, and a gross enrollment rate in higher education reaching 60.8%, and the system and mechanism for promoting fairness, scientific talent selection, and effective supervision are more sound.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the achievements in China's people's livelihood security were hard-won and of high quality, fully demonstrating the significant advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, facing the new opportunities and requirements brought about by the upgrading of people's needs, changes in population structure, and technological empowerment, continuous efforts and intensive cultivation in basic and bottom-line fields will further improve the quality of people's lives and continue to write a new chapter in people's livelihood security with more warmth.

Green Development

Green and Low-Carbon Transformation is Accelerating Comprehensively

Guo Zhaohui (郭兆晖) and Wei Yang (魏杨), Researchers at the Xi Jinping (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center, Central Party School (National Academy of Governance) (中央党校（国家行政学院）)

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's (习近平) ecological civilization thought, China has unswervingly followed the path of ecological priority and green development, always taking the "dual carbon" goal as the lead, maintaining strategic focus in the face of superimposed pressure and heavy burdens, accurately judging the overall situation of coexisting opportunities and challenges and coexisting dynamics and pressures, and coordinating the promotion of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth, promoting the comprehensive acceleration of the green and low-carbon transformation of economic and social development, and further enriching the green background of Chinese-style modernization.

The energy structure is "lighter." Carbon emissions caused by energy account for a relatively high proportion of China's total carbon emissions. Promoting green and low-carbon development, energy structure transformation is an important content. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China built the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system, with the proportion of renewable energy power generation installed capacity increasing to about 60%, and the total installed capacity of wind power and solar power generation completed the 2030 national independent contribution target ahead of schedule, and the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption increased to 19.8% in 2024. At the same time, energy utilization efficiency has been greatly improved, and the energy consumption per unit of GDP in 2024 decreased by 11.6% compared with the end of the "13th Five-Year Plan," and a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient modern energy system is being fully built.

The industrial structure is "better." Industrial structure adjustment is an important support for promoting green development. China has vigorously promoted the transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure and developed green and low-carbon industries. Since the "14th Five-Year Plan," 198 million tons of coking capacity and 110 million tons of cement clinker capacity have completed ultra-low emission transformation, and more than 2,000 coal-fired boilers have implemented organized emission transformation, promoting the reshaping of competitiveness in the transformation of traditional manufacturing industries, and the green production system has been continuously improved. At present, the scale of China's green and low-carbon industry is about 11 trillion yuan, and there is still a large room for growth in the future.

The ecological environment is "more beautiful." With the blue sky, clear water, and pure land defense war advancing in depth, China's pollution control has achieved remarkable results. In 2024, the proportion of days with excellent air quality in cities at or above the prefecture level nationwide reached 87.2%, and the proportion of sections with excellent water quality in surface water increased to 90.4%; the national forest coverage rate increased from about 23% in 2020 to 25.09% in 2024, becoming the country with the largest and fastest increase in greening in the world; the forest stock volume exceeded 20 billion cubic meters, completing the 2030 national independent contribution target ahead of schedule, creating the successful practice of the largest developing country effectively protecting the ecological environment while achieving rapid economic and social development.

The institutional guarantee is "more solid." An effective system can provide an important guarantee for green development. We have promoted the smooth operation of the national carbon emission trading market. As of the end of September 2025, the cumulative transaction volume of emission allowances was about 728 million tons, and the cumulative transaction amount was about 49.83 billion yuan. The river chief system and forest chief system have been comprehensively deepened, and innovative incentive models such as carbon inclusiveness and green points have continued to emerge. More than 20 provinces across the country have established cross-provincial horizontal ecological protection compensation mechanisms to promote win-win cooperation between the upper and lower reaches of the basin. Various localities have also explored ecological product value realization mechanisms with their own characteristics in combination with their own realities, accumulating valuable experience for the national green transformation.

The lifestyle is "greener." We have promoted the widespread popularization of green and low-carbon concepts, and large-scale international exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo (进博会) and the China International Consumer Products Expo (消博会) have actively practiced the concept of "zero carbon and zero plastic," and the atmosphere of the whole society jointly building and sharing a beautiful China is becoming increasingly strong. At present, new energy vehicles and energy-saving appliances have become consumer hotspots, the penetration rate of energy-saving and water-saving appliances has increased significantly, and the social atmosphere of opposing extravagance and waste and advocating simplicity and moderation has become increasingly strong.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" period is a key period for basically realizing socialist modernization. The "Suggestions" of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party proposed to "accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and build a beautiful China." Accelerating the construction of a new energy system, actively and steadily promoting carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, continuously deepening pollution prevention and ecological protection, and continuously carrying out South-South cooperation to address climate change will not only enhance China's green development momentum, but also inject Chinese power into global sustainable development.

Layout Design: Wang Zheping (汪哲平)

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Creating and Sharing a Better Life Together (Grassroots Focus)

In his New Year's message for 2026, President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "There is no trivial matter in people's livelihood; every twig and leaf is always connected to affection. In the past year, the rights and interests of new employment groups have been further guaranteed, age-friendly renovations have brought convenience to the elderly, and families with children have received an additional 300 yuan in subsidies each month. With firewood, rice, oil, salt, and the four seasons, every 'small family' is bustling with activity, and China, this 'big family,' is thriving."

Chinese-style modernization prioritizes the people's livelihood. The people's sense of gain, happiness, and security are written in abundant resources, rich harvests, and the lights of thousands of homes. This year is the opening year of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan." At this new starting point, we must continue to solve the urgent and difficult problems of the masses with our hearts and emotions, write a warm and heartening answer sheet for people's livelihood, and jointly create and share a better life.

——Editor

Fujian Xiamen Guarantees the Rights and Interests of New Employment Groups
"With the Rider-Friendly Map, I Feel More at Ease"
Our Reporter Shi Yu (施钰)
Near mealtime, Zhang Qingyuan (张清源), a delivery rider in Xiamen (厦门), Fujian (福建), parked his electric scooter in the designated parking area for delivery riders at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University (厦门大学附属第一医院) before delivering meals inside the building.

"The hospital has complex routes and narrow spaces. It is common for new riders to take the wrong route and not find a place to park. It can even take 20 minutes to deliver an order and come out," said Zhang Qingyuan (张清源).

Since October 2025, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University (厦门大学附属第一医院) has launched a rider-friendly map, clearly marking traffic routes and restricted areas, and planning special parking areas for riders within the hospital area, setting up eye-catching guiding signs. Now, riders can save about two minutes on delivery time here. "Don't underestimate these two minutes. The order may not be overdue. With the rider-friendly map, I feel more at ease," said Zhang Qingyuan (张清源).

"The hospital has a large number of patients and a high demand for takeout," said Zheng Linxiong (郑林雄), Secretary of the Party Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University (厦门大学附属第一医院). "We have also opened rider rest stops in areas with concentrated takeout orders, such as the ward building, providing services such as charging and drinking water."

"There are many more rider rest stops, there are more types of occupational insurance to choose from, it is more convenient to pay social security, and the trade union also organizes festival activities and free medical checkups..." Counting the changes in the past two years, Zhang Qingyuan (张清源) truly feels that the protection of riders' rights and interests is becoming more and more complete.

"According to incomplete statistics, there are currently nearly 500,000 new employment form workers in Xiamen (厦门), including about 100,000 delivery and express riders," said the person in charge of the Labor Relations Division of the Xiamen Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau (厦门市人力资源和社会保障局). Focusing on the urgent and difficult problems of new employment form workers, Xiamen (厦门) is working hard to guarantee the rights and interests of new employment groups from the aspects of legal protection, system and mechanism, rights maintenance, and service supply.

Currently, more than 200,000 people in Xiamen (厦门) participate in basic employee pension insurance and medical insurance as flexible employees, and more than 1,300 express delivery industry employees participate in work-related injury insurance separately. The occupational injury protection pilot covers a total of 112,300 people in the city's three major industries: travel, instant delivery, and intra-city freight. Xiamen (厦门) has opened more than 700 trade union stations, postal stations, and warm-hearted "New" stations, added ramps to 25 pedestrian bridges, added electric vehicle lanes to important traffic arteries, and widely carried out "Benefit New Housing" and "Love New Meals" activities for new employment form workers, promoting the improvement of warm "New" services.

[Link] The rights protection mechanism for new employment form workers is constantly improving. In 2025, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部), together with relevant departments, implemented a special action to improve the rights and interests of new employment form workers, and jointly interviewed leading enterprise platforms with relevant departments many times to urge rectification of outstanding problems, promoting a significant increase in the compliance awareness of platform enterprises in employing workers, and continuous optimization of labor rule algorithms.

Occupational injury protection covers a wider range. Since July 2025, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部), based on summarizing previous experience, has promoted the expansion of the occupational injury protection pilot in a step-by-step and gradual manner from expanding provinces, adding enterprises, and broadening industries. The pilot scope has been expanded from 7 provinces to 17 provinces, covering 11 platform enterprises in the three industries of travel, instant delivery, and intra-city freight. As of the end of November 2025, the cumulative number of participants exceeded 24.2 million, and the number of insured orders exceeded 61.9 billion, achieving "every order must be insured, every person must be insured" in the pilot areas and pilot platform enterprises.

The resolution of labor disputes is promoted efficiently. The human resources and social security departments actively participate in promoting the standardized construction of comprehensive management centers, carry out one-stop mediation work for new employment form labor disputes, have built more than 3,000 one-stop mediation centers, and built a diversified joint mediation work network covering the whole country. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (全国总工会) jointly released typical cases of the 2025 labor law supervision "One Letter and Two Books" (《工会劳动法律监督提示函》《工会劳动法律监督意见书》《工会劳动法律监督建议书》) with the Supreme People's Court (最高人民法院) and the Supreme People's Procuratorate (最高人民检察院), promoting the timely handling of cases involving infringements on the labor rights and interests of new employment form workers related to labor remuneration, safety and health, and work-related injury insurance.

Platform enterprise guarantees are more complete. In 2025, major platforms launched guarantee measures for new employment groups. JD.com (京东) pays five social insurances and one housing fund for full-time riders; Meituan (美团) launched a pension insurance subsidy program for all riders, and social security subsidies cover the whole country.

(Our Reporter Qiu Chaoyi (邱超奕) Organized)

Qinghai Jiuzhi County Implements Childcare Subsidy Policy
"The Staff Taught Me Hand-in-Hand, and I Quickly Received the Money"
Our Reporter Jiang Meng (江萌)

"Thanks to your help, we successfully received the childcare subsidy for our second child." As soon as she saw Sonam Lhaden (索南拉旦), Nima Lhamo (尼玛拉毛), a herdsman from Zhiqingsongduo Township (智青松多镇), expressed her gratitude to the director of the township health center.

Nima Lhamo (尼玛拉毛) lives in Jiuzhi County (久治县), Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (果洛藏族自治州), Qinghai Province (青海省). The average altitude of the county is over 4,000 meters, and it is a plateau pastoral county. "Herdsmen live scattered and transportation is inconvenient. Many herdsmen do not understand Chinese. There are objective challenges to the implementation of the childcare subsidy policy. We must overcome difficulties and ensure that herdsmen receive the money in a timely manner," said Cai Anglamo (才昂拉毛), Deputy Director of the Jiuzhi County Health and Health Bureau (久治县卫生健康局).

In order to ensure that childcare subsidies reach the pastoral masses accurately, Jiuzhi County (久治县) has increased publicity and sent good policies to their doorsteps. "We printed bilingual posters in Chinese and Tibetan as soon as possible, released Tibetan videos on the official account and video account, and broadcast them in Tibetan in the village," said Cai Anglamo (才昂拉毛). "Subsidies can be applied for online directly, and there are special personnel to assist if you can't operate it."

"The staff of the township government sent the application guide in the village's WeChat group, and the staff taught me hand-in-hand, and I quickly received the money." Banma Tuochang (班玛托常), a herdsman from Saichi Village (赛池村), Wa'eryi Township (哇尔依乡), Jiuzhi County (久治县), said that his youngest child met the conditions. A few days after the application, the childcare subsidy of 3,600 yuan was credited to his account.

"We strengthen active identification and strive not to miss a single household. Each township has special cadres and village doctors who are familiar with the village conditions and can accurately identify eligible families," said Cai Anglamo (才昂拉毛).

The situation of Nima Lhamo's (尼玛拉毛) family was actively identified by Sonam Lhaden (索南拉旦) in her work. "She has two children. The eldest is over one year old, and the second was just born in October 2025. The eldest has already received the 3,600 yuan subsidy for 2025, but I have not seen her submit the application materials for the second child," said Sonam Lhaden (索南拉旦).

Seeing that the application deadline was approaching, Sonam Lhaden (索南拉旦) drove more than 10 kilometers from the township health center to visit her. It turned out that Nima Lhamo (尼玛拉毛) and her husband did not know that the newborn second child could also receive a subsidy. Sonam Lhaden (索南拉旦) quickly helped them prepare the materials and submitted the application before the deadline.

Nima Lhamo (尼玛拉毛) was very moved: "This money is enough for the second child to drink milk powder for three or four months, which has helped us a lot."

As of the end of 2025, Qinghai (青海) has issued subsidy funds of 540 million yuan to 170,000 infants and young children under the age of 3. In order to ensure that eligible childcare families can enjoy the policy in a timely and full amount, Qinghai (青海) has implemented the implementation of the childcare subsidy policy as a key task for people's livelihood, issued implementation plans, and retrieved data from health, public security, civil affairs and other departments to achieve real-time information sharing and ensure accurate policy coverage.

[Link] In recent years, China (中国) has accelerated the improvement of the fertility support policy system, launched childcare subsidy policies, continuously optimized the supply of childcare services, and increased inclusive childcare places. Further reduce the cost of childcare and promote the construction of a fertility-friendly society.

In July 2025, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee (中办) and the General Office of the State Council (国办) issued the "Implementation Plan for the Childcare Subsidy System," which clarified that from January 1, 2025, a subsidy of 3,600 yuan per child per year will be issued to infants and young children under the age of 3 who are born in compliance with laws and regulations until they reach the age of 3. Since August 2025, various places have successively opened applications for childcare subsidies. As of the end of 2025, 31 provinces have issued childcare subsidies, with more than 24 million people receiving them. On January 5 this year, the 2026 childcare subsidy will be fully open for application.

The supply of childcare services is constantly increasing. At present, there are 126,000 childcare service institutions nationwide, with 6.657 million childcare places, 4.73 childcare places per thousand people, 254 comprehensive childcare service centers at the prefecture and city level, and a coverage rate of 61% at the prefecture and city level. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the total number of childcare service institutions nationwide increased by 66,000, an increase of 110%, and the total number of childcare places increased by 3.79 million, an increase of 132%.

The price of childcare services continues to decline. In 2025, 890,000 new inclusive childcare places were added. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, a total of 9 provinces nationwide introduced subsidy systems for childcare services, and 1,315 counties (cities, districts, banners) introduced support measures such as construction subsidies, operating subsidies, and family consumption coupons for childcare. The average price of full-day childcare nationwide decreased by 29%.

The quality of childcare services has been effectively improved. In 2025, 80,000 childcare service institutions nationwide signed contracts with medical and health institutions to receive professional health guidance, establish health growth files for infants and young children enrolled in childcare, and carry out health checks and growth and development monitoring services.

(Our Reporter Shen Shaotie (申少铁) Organized)

Shanxi Taiyuan Promotes Age-Friendly Renovation
"With Smart Devices Installed at Home, I Feel Full of Security"
Our Reporter Zheng Yangyang (郑洋洋)

Walking into the Party and Mass Service Center of Dongfeng Community (东风社区), Wanbailin District (万柏林区), Taiyuan (太原), Shanxi (山西), a warm feeling comes over you. In front of the service desk, crutches for borrowing stand quietly; the self-service machine offers a large-character interface that is clear and easy to understand; in the auxiliary sharing area, wheelchairs, one-button alarms, and other items are neatly arranged.

"Our community has more than 2,200 elderly people over the age of 60, accounting for 27% of the total population," said Yue Zhuqing (岳柱清), Secretary of the Party Committee of Dongfeng Community (东风社区). The community focuses on promoting age-friendly renovation of the homes of elderly people living alone, disabled, and in difficulty, as well as age-friendly renovation of public service areas, including convenient indoor walking, safe toileting and bathing, improved home environment, intelligent monitoring and follow-up, and adaptation of auxiliary appliances. The community simultaneously strengthens information construction and explores new models of smart elderly care.

Zhou Shaolai (周绍来), a 68-year-old resident of Dongfeng Community (东风社区), Dongfeng Community (东风小区), raised his hand to show off his smart watch, "It can measure heart rate and also prevent fall alarms." He also pressed the smart doorbell at his door, "Through the remote camera, family members can see me at any time and know my entry and exit."

Walking into the home of Han Shuangfu (韩双福), a resident of Meilinwan Community (美林湾小区), Dawang Community (大王社区), Wanbailin District (万柏林区), shower chairs and toilet assist frames are firmly installed in the bathroom; non-slip floor mats are laid on the floor of the room, and handrails are installed at the corners of the walls. "I used to be afraid of falling, but now the community has helped us install smart devices at home, and I feel full of security," said Han Shuangfu (韩双福).

Elderly Xu Ye (许晔) has difficulty moving due to cerebral infarction, and bathing has become a major problem. Because the elderly's family members are also old, they asked the community for help, and soon welcomed the staff who came to provide door-to-door service, solving the urgent need.

The real-time data of smart devices and the precise scheduling of door-to-door services all rely on a key hub - the smart elderly care service platform built by the Digital Elderly Care Service Dispatch and Command Center of Wanbailin District (万柏林区). "If the elderly fall, have abnormal heart rates, or there is a gas alarm, the platform will push the warning information as soon as possible and notify family members and grid members at the same time, building an all-weather safety barrier for the elderly in the community," said Yue Zhuqing (岳柱清).

"Since 2021, the district has installed age-friendly smart devices for more than 1,500 elderly households, which helps to solve the home safety problems of elderly people living alone and empty nesters," said Ren Juan (任娟), Deputy Director of the Wanbailin District Civil Affairs Bureau (万柏林区民政局). Currently, it is steadily promoting age-friendly intelligent renovation work benefiting 3,000 households.

At the same time, relying on the "Jin Xiao Huan Xin" (晋孝焕新) action in Shanxi Province (山西省), age-friendly renovation is shifting from "special assistance" to "inclusive consumption." 6 categories and 25 kinds of products cover the entire scene from home environment renovation to intelligent assistance. Subsidies are given at 30% of the actual sales price of the products, and residents of Shanxi Province (山西省) can enjoy a cumulative maximum subsidy of 18,000 yuan per person.

[Link] In 2025, the elderly care service system covering urban and rural areas is more complete, age-friendly renovation continues to advance, and the lives of the elderly are more convenient and comfortable. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China (中国) completed age-friendly renovation of 2.24 million households of elderly people with special difficulties, built 500 demonstration community home-based elderly care service networks, 2,990 demonstration elderly-friendly communities, and 86,000 elderly meal assistance points. Various allowances and subsidies such as high-age allowances, service subsidies for elderly people with economic difficulties, and nursing subsidies for disabled elderly people benefited 50.51 million elderly people.

Increase financial investment. Home-based community elderly care services continue to deepen. The central government has invested 900 million yuan to support 50 project areas in building family elderly care beds and providing door-to-door services, so that elderly people who are cared for at home can have "care at the bedside and services around them." In order to accelerate the efforts to make up for the shortcomings in rural elderly care services, the state has invested 296 million yuan in financial funds to support 59 regions in carrying out pilot projects for institutional and mechanism innovation in county-level elderly care services.

Technology empowers elderly care services. Smart companion robots, exoskeleton robots, smart nursing beds, smart bathing equipment and other smart products and services are within reach, improving the quality and efficiency of elderly care services and the quality of life of the elderly.

From January 2026, a number of important national standards will be implemented, some of which are closely related to the elderly. The recommended national standard "General Requirements for Age-Friendly Fitness Equipment" stipulates the general requirements for age-friendly fitness equipment; the recommended national standard "Toilet Chair" stipulates the classification, technical requirements, inspection rules, etc. of toilet chairs; the recommended national standard "Evaluation Method for Age-Friendly Level of Intelligent Multimedia Terminals" stipulates the testing and evaluation methods for age-friendly functions of intelligent multimedia terminals.

(Our Reporter Meng Xiangfu (孟祥夫) Organized)

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Acts of Kindness Should Be Warm, But Also Precise (People's Livelihood Perspective)

By: 白真智

Delicate and measured care allows people temporarily in adversity to regain confidence and strength.

In a middle school in Huainan (淮南), Anhui (安徽), a message on a blackboard has attracted widespread attention. The message read: "To the seniors of Senior High School Class 1, can you please put your bottles in one place, and I will come and collect them."

The message was written by a sophomore who, because his mother was ill, hoped to save money by collecting waste bottles to help his parents ease their burden. "Thank you to the seniors for our family, and I wish you all the best in getting into your ideal universities!" On the blackboard, the student's gratitude and blessings touched many people.

In just a few words, he sketched an optimistic and self-reliant image of a teenager: when his family encountered difficulties, he did not complain, but tried to find solutions; he frankly stated his predicament and bravely sought help from the outside world; he sincerely expressed his gratitude and blessings to those who offered help...

In order to help this student, the school placed containers for waste bottles in each class, making it easy for him to go to each class after school to collect them; after philanthropists in society expressed their willingness to help, the school politely declined on his behalf because the student said he did not want to accept financial assistance; in response to the student's actual situation, the school formulated corresponding assistance measures. Every detail reflects respect for this student. All the teachers and students of the school jointly created an environment full of warmth and kindness, allowing students in difficulty to be full of strength and no longer walk alone.

It is inevitable to encounter adversity in life, and the spirit of 自强不息 (zì qiáng bù xī - "unceasing self-improvement," constantly striving to become stronger) in adversity is admirable. It is equally valuable to hold an umbrella for the self-esteem of those being helped in the wind and rain. There are many such stories: some universities use big data analysis to silently deposit subsidies into the meal cards of students in need, protecting their privacy; many schools provide work-study positions, allowing students to pay tuition and improve their lives through hard work...

Kindness should have warmth and precision, allowing people temporarily in adversity to regain confidence and strength. Those delicate and measured cares, after accompanying those being helped through temporary difficulties, can ignite the lamp of self-love, self-confidence, and self-reliance in their hearts, and persistently illuminate the path of life.

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National Disaster Reduction Commission Deploys Key Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Relief Work for Winter and Spring

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 4th (Reporter Liu Wenxin (刘温馨)) Recently, the National Disaster Reduction Committee issued a notice requiring the earnest implementation of disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief responsibilities, combined with the characteristics and situation of natural disasters in winter and spring. The notice also called for strengthening the preparation for preventing and responding to major and extraordinarily serious disasters to ensure the safety of people's lives and property and the overall stability of society.

According to research and judgment, the temperature in most parts of China will be close to normal or slightly higher in winter and spring, and the precipitation will generally be distributed as "more in the north and less in the south." The risk of low-temperature freezing and snow disasters is relatively high. Forest fire risk levels are high in many parts of the south. There is a risk of continuous drought from winter to spring in southeastern East China, southeastern Central China, and eastern South China. The risk of geological disasters is relatively high in parts of North China, East China, Central and Southern China, Southwest China, and Northwest China. Ice conditions may occur in the Yellow River (黄河), Nenjiang River (嫩江), Songhua River (松花江), and Heilongjiang River (黑龙江). Multiple disastrous sea wave processes will occur in offshore waters.

It is necessary to strengthen the bottom-line thinking and the implementation of responsibilities, give full play to the role of social forces, scientifically carry out disaster investigation and assessment, and 举一反三 (jǔ yī fǎn sān - "infer the rest from one case," learn by analogy and draw inferences). It is necessary to highlight risk identification and hidden danger investigation, strengthen analysis, judgment, and consultation on the disaster situation and characteristics in winter and spring, promptly release disaster early warning information, implement the pre-disaster warning response and feedback mechanism, carry out risk and hidden danger investigation of major infrastructure and public service facilities involving disasters, give full play to the role of technical experts, and encourage the public to report risks and hidden dangers around them.

It is necessary to revise and improve the emergency plan for low-temperature rain, snow, and ice disasters in a timely manner, refine specific response measures, connect with various emergency rescue forces in advance, fully reserve emergency rescue and disaster relief materials, equip professional facilities and equipment, and ensure the safe operation of infrastructure such as transportation, communication, water, electricity, and heating.

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More than 200 inspection and test results are mutually recognized between medical institutions within the city.

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) January 4th dispatch (Reporter Bai Jianfeng (白剑峰)) The reporter learned recently from the National Health Commission (国家卫生健康委): During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China has continuously improved the primary healthcare service system, continuously enhanced service capabilities, and strived to optimize service models, providing basic guarantees for the health of urban and rural residents. Currently, the proportion of diagnoses and treatments at primary healthcare institutions accounts for more than 50% of the national total, and more than 90% of residents can reach the nearest medical service point within 15 minutes.

Jiao Yahui (焦雅辉), Director of the Primary Health Department of the National Health Commission (国家卫生健康委基层司), introduced that the number of primary healthcare institutions nationwide has reached 1.04 million, basically achieving the goal of every township in rural areas having a health center and every administrative village having a village clinic, and every street in cities having a community health service center and every community having a community health service station.

Currently, a total of 3,099 closely-knit county medical communities have been built and are operating nationwide, basically covering all counties and county-level cities, as well as 1/3 of urban districts, covering a population of 924 million. By 2025, all counties with a permanent population of more than 100,000 will have the capacity for hemodialysis, and people will be able to obtain hemodialysis services at their doorstep.

"Primary-level examination, district and county diagnosis, and mutual recognition of results" continues to advance. Li Dachuan (李大川), Deputy Director of the Medical Administration Department of the National Health Commission (国家卫生健康委医政司), introduced that all provinces nationwide have achieved mutual recognition of more than 200 items for examination and inspection results between medical institutions within the city. At the same time, 25 provinces have built provincial-level imaging clouds, with a cumulative retrieval of more than 350 million times.

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76 Innovative Drugs Expected to be Approved for Market in China by 2025

According to data recently released by the National Medical Products Administration (国家药监局) on January 4th, Beijing (北京), 2025 saw 76 innovative drugs approved for marketing in China, exceeding the 48 in 2024 and setting a new historical record. In addition, the total value of China's innovative drug licensing transactions with foreign entities in 2025 exceeded US$130 billion, with the number of licensing transactions exceeding 150, also setting a new historical record.

It is reported that the 76 innovative drugs approved for marketing by the National Medical Products Administration (国家药监局) in 2025 include 47 chemical drugs, 23 biological products, and 6 traditional Chinese medicines. Among the 47 chemical drugs, 38 are domestically produced innovative drugs and 9 are imported innovative drugs, with domestically produced innovative drugs accounting for 80.85%; among the 23 biological products, 21 are domestically produced innovative drugs and 2 are imported innovative drugs, with domestically produced innovative drugs accounting for 91.30%. The approval and marketing of these innovative drugs marks a leap in China's biomedicine field from following to running alongside, and partially leading, indicating that China has become an important force in the global biomedicine innovation field.

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Editor(s) for this section: Tang Tianyi, Bai Zhenzhi, Liu Zihe

Layout design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)

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Strengthening security oversight to promote the healthy development of artificial intelligence (Focus on the Rule of Law)

By: 本报记者 金 歆

On October 28, 2025, the 18th meeting of the 14th National People's Congress Standing Committee passed the decision to amend the Cybersecurity Law, and the amended law will take effect on January 1, 2026. Relevant officials from the Cyberspace Administration of China (中央网信办) Cyber ​​Law Bureau stated that this amendment responds to practical concerns, clarifies measures and safety regulations to support the development of artificial intelligence, and optimizes network security legal responsibilities, which will help actively respond to network security risks and challenges.

In recent years, artificial intelligence technology has developed rapidly, becoming a new variable in network security risks and challenges, and also a new increment in improving network security protection levels. Article 20 of the newly revised Cybersecurity Law stipulates that the state supports basic research on artificial intelligence theories and the research and development of key technologies such as algorithms, promotes the construction of infrastructure such as training data resources and computing power, improves artificial intelligence ethics norms, strengthens risk monitoring and assessment and safety supervision, and promotes the application and healthy development of artificial intelligence. In addition, the law also clearly supports the use of artificial intelligence to improve network security protection levels.

"This amendment to the Cybersecurity Law reflects the position of coordinating development and security." Zhao Peng (赵鹏), Dean and Professor of the Research Institute of Rule of Law Government under the China University of Political Science and Law (中国政法大学), said, "It is necessary to support and encourage technological innovation and development, and to promote its smooth integration into society, so as to protect the affected legal rights and interests."

Not long ago, an APP developed by a company in Beijing (北京) was found to collect and upload users' application installation and uninstallation information in the background when users were not using any functions. When users used functions such as uploading AI avatars, they called unnecessary storage permissions.

The Cyberspace Administration (网信部门) determined that its behavior exceeded the minimum necessary scope for achieving the purpose of personal information processing, and also violated the Cybersecurity Law, the Personal Information Protection Law and other laws and regulations, and ordered it to make corrections in accordance with the law, and gave warnings and fines.

The Cybersecurity Law, together with the Data Security Law and the Personal Information Protection Law, constitutes China's network security and data security legal system, and it is very important to do a good job in the connection between the laws.

"This amendment to the Cybersecurity Law strengthens the organic connection with relevant laws such as the Data Security Law, the Personal Information Protection Law, and the Administrative Penalty Law, and promotes the formation of a joint governance force." He Bo (何波), Director of the Internet Law Research Center of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (中国信息通信研究院), said. For example, in terms of personal information protection, this amendment connects with laws such as the Civil Code and the Personal Information Protection Law, and clarifies the legal application of network operators' processing of personal information.

Currently, some entities still have problems such as a weak awareness of fulfilling network security obligations in accordance with the law and insufficient investment. Improving the legal responsibility system to ensure that the punishment is commensurate with the fault is an important part of this amendment to the Cybersecurity Law.

Previously, a procurement project of a tax department in a certain province conducted bidding. A telecommunications operator originally won the bid, but was later found that the network key equipment it invested in had not passed the national mandatory security certification before the bid opening date, did not have sales qualifications, and was suspected of false bidding, resulting in the bid being invalid.

The newly revised Cybersecurity Law has added corresponding penalties for selling or providing network key equipment and network security special products that have not passed security certification, security testing, or security certification that are unqualified, or security testing that does not meet the requirements. This is conducive to promoting relevant entities to fulfill their obligations and ensuring the effective implementation of the law.

Zhao Peng (赵鹏) said that the newly revised Cybersecurity Law has improved the accuracy of disposal and punishment. For example, for network operators who are negligent in fulfilling their information security management obligations, the penalty standard is based on the original two situations of "general violation" and "refusal to correct or serious circumstances", adding the situation of "causing particularly serious impact and particularly serious consequences," and setting a higher penalty standard, with a maximum fine of 10 million yuan. This is conducive to distinguishing the legal responsibilities of different illegal situations, and also conducive to promoting relevant entities to fulfill their corresponding obligations in accordance with the law.

Relevant officials from the Cyberspace Administration of China (中央网信办) Cyber ​​Law Bureau stated that this amendment adheres to the principle of being commensurate with the fault and combining punishment with education, improves the rules for the application of administrative penalties, increases connection provisions, and clarifies that if violations of the provisions of the Cybersecurity Law have circumstances of mitigation, reduction, or non-punishment as stipulated in the Administrative Penalty Law, mitigation, reduction, or non-punishment shall be imposed in accordance with its provisions, effectively ensuring that network law enforcement has both strength and warmth.

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Village (Neighborhood) Committees Should Guide All Forces to Participate in Governance and Services (Focus on the Rule of Law)

By: 本报记者 彭 波

The 18th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (十四届全国人大常委会) passed the decision to amend the Organic Law of the Villagers Committees and the newly revised Organic Law of the Urban Residents Committees, which will take effect on January 1, 2026. This unified revision of the two laws improves the grassroots mass autonomy mechanism under the leadership of grassroots party organizations, providing more complete legal guarantees for developing grassroots democracy and promoting the modernization of the grassroots governance system and governance capabilities.

The grassroots mass autonomy system is a basic political system stipulated by China's (我国) Constitution. The revision of the two laws strengthens the Party's leadership over grassroots mass autonomy work, clarifies that the work of village (residential) committees adheres to the leadership of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党), the grassroots organizations of the Party in villages (communities) lead and support the village (residential) committees in carrying out their work, and the village (community) party organizations play a leading role in key links such as democratic elections, democratic consultation, democratic decision-making, democratic management, and democratic supervision. It also elevates mature experiences such as strictly controlling the political qualifications of candidates for village (residential) committee members, the "four discussions and two public disclosures" (四议两公开), and the "one shoulder pick" (一肩挑) to legal systems.

In developing whole-process people's democracy and further guaranteeing the people's right to directly exercise democratic rights in accordance with the law at the grassroots level, the two laws further improve the election system of village (residential) committees to ensure that villagers (residents) exercise their right to vote in accordance with the law. At the same time, it clarifies and standardizes the organization and implementation of democratic consultations by village (residential) committees, making the expression of the people's demands more smooth and effective, improves the democratic decision-making mechanisms such as village (resident) meetings and village (resident) representative meetings, improves the democratic management regulations such as autonomy charters, village rules and folk agreements, and resident covenants, as well as the democratic supervision content such as village (residential) affairs disclosure and village (residential) affairs supervision.

In recent years, grassroots governance practices have faced some new situations and new problems, and the responsibilities of village (residential) committees need to be further standardized and refined. In response to this problem, the two laws focus on making requirements, adding to the specific responsibilities of village (residential) committees to support and guide villagers (residents) in practicing socialist core values and forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation; assisting in organizing villagers (residents) to participate in joint prevention and control, assisting in handling letters and visits and coordinating to resolve conflicts and disputes, and assisting in doing a good job in responding to emergencies; caring for the elderly, children, people with disabilities, and villagers (residents) in difficulty; supporting and guiding various social forces to participate in grassroots governance and services; guiding and assisting in the establishment of owners' meetings and the election of owners' committees, assisting in guiding and supervising owners' meetings and owners' committees to perform their duties in accordance with the law, and assisting in mediating property disputes.

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Priority should be given to hiring local residents for ecological conservation positions (Focus on the Rule of Law)

By: 本报记者 倪 弋

The 17th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (全国人大常委会) passed the "Law of the People's Republic of China on National Parks" (中华人民共和国国家公园法), which will come into effect on January 1, 2026. This is China's first special legislation on national parks, marking a new stage of legalization and standardization in the construction of a nature reserve system with national parks as the main body.

The National Park Law not only clarifies the concept of national parks in China from the legal level for the first time, but also forms a full-chain regulatory system from the layout and establishment of national parks, zoning control to protection and management, public participation, and legal responsibilities.

"National parks have large areas, and construction and management involve multiple levels and departments. The problem of cross-administrative regional governance is particularly prominent." Yang Chaoxia (杨朝霞), Vice Dean of the Institute of Ecological Civilization, and Director of the Ecological Law Research Center of Beijing Forestry University (北京林业大学), said that one of the highlights of the National Park Law is the establishment of a unified, standardized, and efficient management system.

Chapter 4 of the law is "Participation and Sharing," which clearly stipulates that "ecological management positions established by national park management agencies according to the needs of ecological protection shall give priority to employing local residents" and "the state encourages and supports public participation in national park protection and carries out various forms of natural and ecological environment protection education." Wang Ruihe (王瑞贺), a member of the National People's Congress Constitution and Law Committee (全国人大宪法和法律委员会), said that in the process of implementing the law, original residents should be encouraged to participate in the operational services of national parks, and social forces should be guided to participate in the natural resource management and ecological protection of national parks in various ways.

Wang Ruihe (王瑞贺) said that relevant regulations, rules, and normative documents should be organized and revised in a timely manner to further improve the relevant systems of national parks, especially the specific measures that are clearly authorized to be formulated in the law, such as the specific measures for the protection of national park signs, the specific measures for operational services, and the evaluation system for the effectiveness of protection management.

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Liaoning Issues Action Plan to Vigorously Optimize the Business Environment

This newspaper's Shenyang (沈阳) January 4th dispatch (Reporter Hu Jingyi (胡婧怡)) On the first working day of 2026, Liaoning (辽宁) convened a provincial conference on optimizing the business environment. The "Liaoning Province Action Plan for Vigorously Optimizing the Business Environment (2026 Edition)" was released at the meeting, formulating 34 measures in 6 aspects. The action plan focuses on building a full life-cycle service system for business entities, building a comprehensive and optimal policy environment, building a fair and orderly market environment, building an efficient and convenient government affairs environment, building a fair and transparent rule of law environment, and building a business-friendly and business-stabilizing cultural environment. It faces prominent problems squarely, grasps key tasks tightly, and ensures that the business environment achieves significant and fundamental improvements in the short term.

The action plan proposes to enhance the consistency, stability, and predictability of policies; optimize the realization of preferential policies for enterprises, issue preferential policies for enterprises while clarifying the standards, time limits, paths, and other conditions for realization, simplify the application process, and achieve "one-time application, full online processing, and rapid realization"; and promote "application-free enjoyment" and "direct and rapid enjoyment" of preferential policies and funds for enterprises. The action plan clarifies that administrative inspections involving enterprises should be strictly regulated, and problems such as random inspections and 吃拿卡要 (chī ná kǎ yào - "eat, take, card, demand," extorting or demanding bribes) should be vigorously rectified; law enforcement and judicial practices involving enterprises should be further standardized, and illegal off-site law enforcement and profit-seeking law enforcement should be resolutely curbed. Prevent and resolve the problem of arrears to small and medium-sized enterprises, strengthen the supervision of government investment project funds and government procurement payment supervision, strictly prohibit behaviors such as no budget or over-budget, strictly prevent new arrears, and implement closed-loop management of complaints "acceptance-transfer-handling-feedback."

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New Year Address Reflects the Glory of Hard Work

By: 本报记者 李昌禹 亓玉昆

The "14th Five-Year Plan" concludes, and the "15th Five-Year Plan" begins. What remains constant in the passage of time is the power to move upward and forward.

"I salute every hard-working striver!" President Xi Jinping (习近平), in his New Year's message for 2026, looked back with deep emotion on the resounding strides of Chinese-style modernization and warmly praised the striving figures on the journey of building a strong country and national rejuvenation.

In fields and villages, factory workshops, the forefront of science and technology, and the front lines of border defense, the vast number of strivers are writing a new era of glory with innovation and creation.

"Let us summon the courage to spur our horses and whip them on, stimulate the vitality of ten thousand horses galloping forward, maintain the momentum of never stopping, and work together for our dreams and happiness, turning grand visions into beautiful realities." Reviewing these New Year's messages over the years, we find the power to forge ahead.

Bearing the Responsibility of Striving: Building a Thriving China

In the vast universe, we pursue our space dreams. The Shenzhou-21 (神舟二十一号) astronaut crew successfully entered the Tiangong (天宫) space station and completed their first extravehicular activity.

On the coast of the South China Sea, the tides surge. In the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港), at a one-stop aircraft maintenance industrial base, engineers are debugging and repairing aircraft from many countries and regions around the world.

From witnessing China's height in the vast expanse of space to witnessing the extent of openness through global business, everyone works hard and strives, converging into a torrent of vigorous progress in the new era of China.

President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out in his New Year's message for 2026: "Everyone strives for progress, works hard, and dedicates themselves, building a thriving China."

Chang'e-6 (嫦娥六号) collects samples from the far side of the moon for the first time, Dream (梦想号) explores the ocean depths, and Tianwen-2 (天问二号) begins its "star-chasing" journey... Today's China is a China where dreams are realized one after another. We dare to take paths that others have not taken, writing one legend after another in the sea of stars.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) said with emotion: "All of this embodies the hard work and sweat of countless people. Sparks of light gather to form a torch, and this is the power of China!"

Since the "14th Five-Year Plan," China's economic strength, scientific and technological strength, defense strength, and comprehensive national strength have reached new levels, green mountains and clear waters have become a beautiful backdrop, and the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security have continued to increase.

Humanoid robots, a concrete expression of new quality productive forces.

Dancing the Yangko on the Spring Festival Gala stage, appearing at robot sports events, and entering automobile factories in "organized units" to "work"... 2025 is regarded as China's "year of mass production" for humanoid robots. As the world's largest robot producer, China holds more than 190,000 valid robot-related patents, accounting for about 2/3 of the global total.

Artificial intelligence, a young undertaking, is also an undertaking for young people.

In Shanghai's "Model Speed Space" (模速空间), General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) encouraged the young innovative talents on site, "We must cherish a heart of patriotism, establish the ambition to serve the country, enhance the ability to strengthen the country, closely link personal struggle with the destiny of the country, and run the relay race of history well."

The strivers of the new era are using their wisdom and creativity to make more and more technological innovations run at "acceleration," run into the "final circle," and run onto the "podium."

"Here, I would like to pay tribute to every scientist, every engineer, every 'master craftsman of a great power,' every builder, and every participant!" In his New Year's message, President Xi Jinping (习近平) praised innovation and encouraged striving.

A strong country must first have a strong military, and a strong military can ensure national security.

"Mine-clearing hero" Du Fuguo (杜富国), Chen Xiangrong (陈祥榕), who wrote "Pure love, only for China"... "The people's soldiers are forever the steel Great Wall defending the motherland, let us pay tribute to the loyal guardians who protect our homeland!"

The September 3rd military parade, with flags flying high; the Fujian (福建) aircraft carrier commissioned, cleaving through the waves. In the past year, the people's army has made strong strides in strengthening the military.

"Only by being loyal to our mission and striving unremittingly can we live up to the trust and expectations of the commander." The officers and soldiers of the Fujian (福建) aircraft carrier are full of pride, "We are confident that we can operate the new domestically-made aircraft carrier, advance into the deep blue, and fight in the sea and sky."

Time flies forward, and the strivers never stop.

"We must move forward bravely and work hard to make China's tomorrow even better," "Tomorrow's China will create miracles through struggle"... Reviewing these New Year's messages over the years, the earnest words are warm and powerful.

The more beautiful the scenery and the brighter the journey, the more we need to continue to strive and move forward courageously.

Our blueprint is magnificent, and the task of national rejuvenation is arduous. One running dream-chaser after another, forging ahead with determination and perseverance, is holding up a self-reliant and self-strengthening China.

Tempering the Ambition to Strive: Creating and Sharing a Better Life

Zhang Fuqing (张富清), who hid his achievements all his life and never changed his original intention; Wang Jicai (王继才), who guarded the island and defended the country for decades; Huang Wenxiu (黄文秀), who dedicated her youth and life to the cause of poverty alleviation... Reviewing the New Year's messages, one familiar name after another, they **咬定青山不放松** (yǎo dìng qīng shān bù fàng sōng - "bite firmly onto the green hills and not relax," remain steadfast and determined), writing a life without regrets through struggle.

Whether it is the recipients of national medals and national honorary titles, or the express delivery couriers, sanitation workers, and taxi drivers, President Xi Jinping (习近平) keeps them in mind. Warm greetings and meticulous care convey the people's leader's love and high hopes for the strivers.

"Dreaming of mountains and seas, not feeling the distance; the road ahead is long, stride forward," "Happiness is achieved through struggle," "Pies don't fall from the sky, dreams can only come true through hard work"... Earnest words inspire strong spiritual motivation, making struggle the most beautiful backdrop of the new era.

"After 8 years, nearly 100 million rural poor people have been lifted out of poverty under the current standards, and all 832 poverty-stricken counties have been removed from the poverty list." President Xi Jinping's (习近平) solemn announcement in his New Year's message for 2021 inspired the people of the whole country.

Winning the battle against poverty and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects cannot be achieved without the joint efforts of the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups across the country.

"More than 2.8 million village-based cadres and first secretaries are working very hard and effectively, and they must take care of their health," "We must listen to the voices of grassroots cadres and give cadres who dare to take responsibility and make achievements the motivation and prospects to work hard"... These words in the New Year's message are heartwarming and uplifting.

Li Baoguo (李保国), who rooted himself in the Taihang Mountains (太行山) for decades and used technology to throw barren mountains and bald ridges into history; Huang Dafa (黄大发), who led the masses to carve out a "life canal" on the cliffs and fulfilled his promise of "if water can't pass, I'll pave it with my life" with practical work; Huang Shiyan (黄诗燕), who rooted himself in the front line of poverty alleviation and served as the secretary of the Yanling County (炎陵县) Party Committee in Hunan (湖南) for 9 years, traveling to all 120 villages in the county... Behind the happy life are the continuous struggles and dedicated contributions of thousands of dream-chasers.

"From the snowy plateau to the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains (天山), people of all ethnic groups are connected heart to heart, embracing each other tightly like pomegranate seeds, and everyone uses white hadas and enthusiastic songs and dances to express their love for the motherland and praise for happiness," President Xi Jinping (习近平) said in his New Year's message for 2026.

2025 is the last year of the 5-year transition period after the completion of the poverty alleviation task. The vast number of cadres and the masses in the poverty-stricken areas work together with one heart and one mind, and the lives of the masses are getting better and better.

When the youth are prosperous, the country is prosperous, and China's development depends on the broad masses of young people standing up and taking responsibility.

In his New Year's message, President Xi Jinping (习近平) encouraged young people to "inspire youth with a fighting spirit, live up to the times, and live up to their youth."

Good sons and daughters aspire to all corners of the country. In recent years, more and more ambitious young people have chosen to go to the west, to the countryside, to the grassroots, and to the places where the motherland and the people need them most to make contributions.

Today's China is a China that continues the national spirit.

The great spirit of struggle is the most valuable spiritual wealth and the most abundant spiritual power of the Chinese nation.

Daring to step forward in the face of difficulties and being able to stand up at critical moments. In the face of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, and mountain fires, "scenes of self-sacrifice and mutual assistance are deeply moving, and the heroic deeds will always be remembered in our hearts."

Ordinary people build greatness, and heroes come from the people. "Many selfless and dedicated unsung heroes have written extraordinary lives with the ordinariness of ordinary people."

The road is as smooth as a whetstone, and struggle is like a song.

President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out in his New Year's message for 2026, "We rely on innovation to empower high-quality development," "We nourish our spiritual homeland with culture," "We create and share a better life together," "We continue to open our hearts to embrace the world."

The new era is an era of strivers. With the strong support of the spirit of struggle, we have the development achievements that "shock the world," the composure and self-confidence to "look at the world on an equal footing," and the strategic determination that "no force can stop us."

Gathering the Power of Struggle: Continuing to Write a New Chapter of Chinese Miracles

On the new journey of Chinese-style modernization, everyone is the protagonist, every contribution is precious, and every ray of light shines brightly.

"Firewood, rice, oil, salt, three meals a day, and four seasons, every 'small family' is bustling with activity, and China, this 'big family,' is thriving," President Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized in his New Year's message for 2026.

As the cold deepens, multiple standardized vegetable bases and farmers' fields in Luodian County (罗甸县), Guizhou (贵州) are still bustling with activity. The farmers are working hard, either skillfully preparing the land and covering it with mulch, or carefully transplanting and planting seedlings, creating a vibrant "winter farming production picture."

At the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, at a construction site in an industrial park in Nanning (南宁), Guangxi (广西), large machinery such as aerial work platforms and tower cranes are running at full power, and dozens of workers are sticking to their posts to seize the construction period, playing a "winter symphony" of hard work and progress.

Hard-working farmers, hard-working workers, and daring entrepreneurs... Everyone is busy all year round, giving, dedicating, and reaping.

Glory belongs to every hard-working striver.

"At this time, express delivery couriers, sanitation workers, taxi drivers, and thousands of laborers are still working hard. We must thank these creators and guardians of a better life. Thank you for your hard work." In the New Year's message, there is a deep affection for the people.

"The greatness of a great power also carries the weight of a great power. The myriad of things, in the final analysis, are the affairs of thousands of households."

"Our goal is very grand, but also very simple. In the final analysis, it is to let the people live a better life."

"Family affairs, national affairs, and world affairs, making the people live a happy life is the top priority."

…………

Where the country is headed is what the family hopes for. What the people are most concerned about are education, employment, income, social security, medical care, elderly care, housing, environment, and other aspects. Everyone has many gains, but also many worries and troubles.

In his New Year's message for 2018, President Xi Jinping (习近平) required Party committees, governments, and cadres at all levels to "always keep the safety and warmth of the people in mind, take benefiting the people as the greatest political achievement, think what the masses think, be anxious about what the masses are anxious about, and make the people's lives happier and more fulfilling."

All great achievements are the result of continuous struggle, and all great undertakings need to be promoted in the process of building on the past and opening up the future.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Party proposed that "achieving socialist modernization is a historical process of step-by-step advancement and continuous development and progress, which requires unremitting efforts and continuous struggle."

The journey is long, and only struggle can lead to success.

As General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) said, "If more than 1.4 billion Chinese people think in one direction and work together, helping each other in the same boat and uniting as one, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished and no obstacle that cannot be overcome."

2026 is the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out in his New Year's message for 2026: "Those who start sharply must plan for the end, and those who succeed must first plan for the beginning. We must anchor our goals and tasks, strengthen our confidence, take advantage of the momentum, and solidly promote high-quality development, further comprehensively deepen reform and opening up, promote common prosperity for all the people, and continue to write a new chapter of Chinese miracles."

Time belongs to those who forge ahead, and history belongs to those who forge ahead. Through struggle, we have overcome obstacles and traveled through thousands of mountains and rivers. We must continue to struggle, move forward bravely, and create even more brilliant glory!

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Busy start to the year in production

Across various regions, enterprises are continuously operating at full capacity, accelerating production, rushing to fulfill orders, and striving for a prosperous "start to the new year." On January 4th, in the equipment manufacturing workshop of a company in the Xiaxiang Subdistrict (下相街道), Suyu District (宿豫区), Suqian City (宿迁市), Jiangsu Province (江苏省), workers were rushing to produce pressure vessel storage tanks.

Photo by Xu Jianghai (徐江海) (Image China (影像中国))

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Zhou Xianwang, Former Member of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Vice Chairman, Severely Violated Party Discipline and Laws and Was Expelled from the Party and Removed from Public Office

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 4th: 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 Zhou Xianwang (周先旺), former member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Chairman of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (湖北省政协).

The investigation found that Zhou Xianwang (周先旺) had lost his ideals and beliefs, betrayed his original aspirations and mission, and engaged in superstitious activities. He disregarded the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulation of the Central Committee (中央八项规定精神), accepting banquets and travel arrangements that could have affected the impartial execution of his official duties. He violated organizational requirements by failing to report personal matters as required, and sought benefits for others and accepted property in exchange in cadre selection and employee recruitment. He lost his bottom line of integrity, illegally accepted gifts, used his power to seek benefits for his relatives' business activities, and engaged in power-for-sex transactions. He failed to properly perform his duties, causing a huge risk of loss of state-owned assets. His life was corrupt and degenerate, his family style was improper, and he failed to supervise and educate his son. He used public resources for personal gain, acted arbitrarily, engaged in large-scale power-money transactions, used his position to seek benefits for others in project contracting and fund allocation, and illegally accepted huge amounts of property.

Zhou Xianwang (周先旺) seriously violated the Party's political discipline, organizational discipline, integrity discipline, work discipline, and life discipline, constituted a serious violation of duty and was suspected of bribery crimes, and after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (党的十八大) he did not restrain himself or 不收敛、不收手 (bù shōu liǎn, bù shōu shǒu - "not restrain, not stop," to continue corrupt activities despite warnings), his nature was serious and his impact was vile, and he should be severely dealt with. 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 (中央纪委常委会会议) and approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央), it was decided to give Zhou Xianwang (周先旺) a punishment of expulsion from the Party; the National Supervisory Commission (国家监委) gave him a punishment of dismissal from public office; his illegal gains from violations of discipline and law were confiscated; his suspected criminal problems were transferred to the procuratorial organs for investigation and prosecution in accordance with the law, and the property involved was transferred together.

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Xu Chuanzhi, former deputy-ministerial-level inspector of the central inspection team, was expelled from the Party for serious violations of discipline and law.

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 4th. 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 Xu Chuanzhi (许传智), former deputy ministerial-level inspector of the Central Inspection Team (中央巡视组).

The investigation found that Xu Chuanzhi had lost his ideals and beliefs, abandoned his original aspirations and mission, was disloyal and dishonest to the Party, 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 accepting banquets in violation of regulations. He lacked organizational principles, failed to report personal matters as required, sought benefits for others in cadre selection and appointment, and accepted property. He lost his bottom line of integrity, used his power to seek private interests for his relatives, and accepted gifts, gift money, and consumer cards in violation of regulations. He interfered in and intervened in discipline enforcement, law enforcement, judicial activities, and market economic activities. His family style was improper. He violated discipline while enforcing discipline, and violated the law while enforcing the law. He used his position to seek benefits for others in business operations, case handling, and job adjustments, and illegally accepted huge amounts of property.

Xu Chuanzhi seriously violated the Party's political discipline, organizational discipline, integrity discipline, work discipline, and life discipline, constituted a serious violation of duty and was suspected of bribery and using influence to accept bribes. Moreover, he did not restrain himself or 不收敛、不收手 (bù shōu liǎn、bù shōu shǒu - "not restrain, not stop," continuing misbehavior despite warnings) 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," the "Supervision Law of the People's Republic of China," the "Law on Administrative Disciplinary Actions for Public Officials of the People's Republic of China" and other relevant regulations, after research by the Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央), it was decided to give Xu Chuanzhi a punishment of expulsion from the Party; cancel the treatment he enjoyed as stipulated; confiscate his illegal gains from violations of discipline and law; and transfer his suspected criminal problems to the procuratorial organs for investigation and prosecution in accordance with the law, and transfer the property involved together.

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Former Party Secretary and Chairman of China Eastern Airlines, Liu Shaoyong, Expelled from the Party for Serious Violations of Discipline and Law

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 4th. 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 Liu Shaoyong (刘绍勇), the former Party Group Secretary and Chairman of China Eastern Airlines Group Co., Ltd. (中国东方航空集团有限公司).

The investigation found that Liu Shaoyong (刘绍勇) had lost his ideals and beliefs, abandoned his original aspirations and mission, resisted organizational review, and engaged in superstitious activities; violated the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulation of the Central Committee (中央八项规定精神), accepted banquets and golf arrangements in violation of regulations; sought benefits for others and accepted property in employee recruitment; failed to maintain the bottom line of integrity, accepted gifts in violation of regulations, used his power or influence to seek benefits for relatives engaged in private equity funds and other business activities, and illegally possessed shares in non-listed companies; had no bottom line of discipline and law, alienated public power into a tool for seeking personal gain, engaged in large-scale power-money transactions, used his position to seek benefits for others in project contracting, flight management, aircraft leasing, etc., and illegally accepted huge amounts of property.

Liu Shaoyong (刘绍勇) seriously violated the Party's political discipline, organizational discipline, integrity discipline, and lifestyle discipline, constituted a serious violation of duty and was suspected of bribery crimes, and after the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (党的十八大) did not restrain himself or 不收敛、不收手 (bù shōu liǎn, bù shōu shǒu - "not restrain, not stop," to continue bad behavior despite warnings), his nature was serious, and his impact was vile, and he should be severely punished. 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 (中央纪委常委会会议) and approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央), it was decided to give Liu Shaoyong (刘绍勇) a punishment of expulsion from the Party; cancel the treatment he enjoyed as stipulated; confiscate his illegal gains from violations of discipline and law; and transfer his suspected criminal problems to the procuratorial organs for review and prosecution in accordance with the law, and transfer the property involved along with him.

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Former Party Member and Deputy General Manager of Sinochem Group, Feng Zhibin, Severely Violates Party Discipline and Law, Expelled from the Party

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 4th that, 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) have filed a case for investigation into the serious violations of discipline and law by Feng Zhibin (冯志斌), former member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy General Manager of China Sinochem Group Co., Ltd. (中国中化集团有限公司).

Upon investigation, Feng Zhibin lost his ideals and beliefs, abandoned his original aspirations and mission, and privately carried books and periodicals with serious political problems into the country for reading; violated the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulation of the Central Committee (中央八项规定精神), accepted banquets and golf arrangements that may have affected the fair execution of official duties; violated organizational principles, sought benefits for others and accepted money and property in employee recruitment and other work; lost the bottom line of integrity, illegally accepted gifts, and illegally possessed shares in unlisted companies; used public power as a tool for personal gain, used his position to seek benefits for others in business operations, equity acquisitions, etc., and illegally accepted huge amounts of money and property, and continued to use the influence of his original position to collect money and wealth after leaving office; practiced favoritism and committed irregularities, abused his power, causing particularly heavy losses to national interests.

Feng Zhibin seriously violated the Party's political discipline, organizational discipline, integrity discipline, and lifestyle discipline, constituted a serious violation of duty and was suspected of accepting bribes, using influence to accept bribes, and abusing power by personnel of state-owned companies. Moreover, he did not restrain himself or 不收敛、不收手 (bù shōu liǎn, bù shōu shǒu - "not restrain, not stop," to continue wrongdoings despite warnings) 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, upon research by the Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and reported to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央) for approval, it was decided to give Feng Zhibin (冯志斌) a punishment of expulsion from the Party; cancel the treatment he enjoyed as stipulated; confiscate his illegal gains from violations of discipline and law; and transfer his suspected criminal problems to the procuratorial organ for review and prosecution in accordance with the law, and transfer the property involved along with him.

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Editors of this page: Ji Jianming, Xu Leipeng, Li Peiyang

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Closing the Distance with the Audience: Getting Closer and Closer (Cultural Hot Words of the "15th Five-Year Plan": Adhering to Cultural Benefits for the People)

By: 本报记者 郑海鸥

A bamboo flute, a microphone, and a corner of a park in Beijing (北京) form a lively stage. In recent days, from Zizhuyuan Park (紫竹院公园) to Tianqiao Civic Square (天桥市民广场), and then to the shared hall of the Beijing Grand Canal Museum (北京大运河博物馆), Sun Chubo (孙楚泊), a young bamboo flute and panpipe player from the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater (中国歌剧舞剧院), has performed dozens of shows. Offline performances are packed with audiences, and online videos continue to "go viral." Audiences praise her for "building a bridge between palace art and everyday life," and some affectionately call her "National Daughter."

"Horse Racing," "I Love You, China," "Wild Geese," "The Sound of Snow Falling"... The flute sounds, full of emotion, are sometimes passionate, sometimes gentle, and sometimes joyful. As the music fades, applause and cheers ring out. Although the weather is cold, the park is filled with a warm artistic atmosphere.

No tickets, no reservations needed. Citizens and tourists can "bump" into professional performances while strolling and relaxing, enjoying a face-to-face, real-time interactive park concert. Some people hold up their phones to film, some sing along with the rhythm, some enthusiasts spontaneously accompany the music, and some viewers standing in the back simply turn on their phones and watch the live broadcast... The performance is high-quality and down-to-earth, touching everyone present. "We warm each other," Sun Chubo (孙楚泊) said with emotion.

Speaking of the origin of performing in the park, Sun Chubo (孙楚泊) said that although she had a lot of experience performing at the grassroots level before, the locations were mainly theaters, concert halls. How to bring art closer to the audience? "Art is for the service of the public. I wondered if I could perform in the park and let more people hear the sound of traditional Chinese instruments," Sun Chubo (孙楚泊) said.

"At first, I would wonder if everyone would like to listen to the songs I play," Sun Chubo (孙楚泊) said. From burying herself in playing the flute for the first time, to attracting a large audience, accepting everyone's interactive requests, and then to planning the next park "appointment" in advance, she gradually gained more and more people's love.

"I never thought that I could enjoy professional performances by the 'national team' in the park at my doorstep, and I could also request songs and interact," said Mr. Li (李先生), a Beijing (北京) citizen in his 60s and a "die-hard fan" of Sun Chubo (孙楚泊). Even in the freezing cold, he can't be stopped from squatting early for every performance. "It's warm in my heart! There is a full sense of happiness."

As the number of performances increases, in addition to feeling "closer and closer to the hearts of the audience," Sun Chubo (孙楚泊) also has more thoughts. Performing outdoors, wind and cooling will cause flaws in the performance; sometimes the songs requested by the audience are not familiar to her, but this also gives her more opportunities to try out; and there are also folk masters who will discuss some professional issues with her... "These all urge me to maintain the same level as on the stage and ensure the same degree of completion. I also promised the audience to 'practice well and then hand in the homework'," Sun Chubo (孙楚泊) said, "I gain artistic nourishment from taking root in the people, and I gain the pressure and motivation to encourage myself to continue to improve."

Professional actors walk into the lives of the masses, realizing a "two-way rush" with the public's demand for spiritual culture. In the park's performances, the dedication of the actors and the enthusiasm of the masses are reflected in each other, and such a scene is moving - the bamboo flute plays "Beijing's Golden Mountain," and the audience sings aloud in unison; professional actors play together with children who are learning musical instruments, showing vigorous cultural confidence and moving artistic charm in the encouragement of the audience.

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Reaching the Grassroots: Steps Becoming More Solid ("15th Five-Year Plan" Cultural Hot Words - Adhering to Cultural Benefits for the People)

By: 本报记者 张文豪

The warm winter sun shines, and the flute music is melodious. At Zijingshan Park (紫荆山公园) in Zhengzhou (郑州), Henan (河南) Province, Yu Wenlong (于文龙), the principal flute and Xiao player of the Henan National Orchestra (河南民族乐团), set up a microphone, played the bamboo flute horizontally, and the cheerful melody quickly attracted onlookers—behind him, the orchestra's accompaniment was pleasing to the ear; in front of him, the audience's applause resounded.

"Wherever the audience is, the stage is there. Being closer to the audience allows everyone to see professional standards." Yu Wenlong (于文龙) believes that art is inseparable from the public. In 2025, the Henan Performing Arts Group (河南歌舞演艺集团), to which the orchestra belongs, organized 100 performances for the "Stage Art to the Grassroots" activity, and parks became a favorite place for Yu Wenlong (于文龙) to go.

As the lights come on, Liyuanchun Park (梨园春公园) in Luohe (漯河) City presents another lively scene. A simple stage is set up in the sunken plaza. On the stage, Du Xianghua (杜香花), the former head of the Yancheng District (郾城区) Quju Opera Troupe, sways her pink skirt and moves slowly, singing a delicate and moving rendition of "Peach Blossom Temple"《桃花庵》.

"She sings really well!" An old opera fan, Wang Aixia (王爱霞), holding her little grandson, listened attentively. "When I was a child in the countryside, I often followed opera troupes. Now that I'm in the city, there's opera right at my doorstep," Wang Aixia (王爱霞) said.

In Henan (河南), parks have been given a new role as the city's "open-air living room," and the arrival of professional theater actors has also injected new vitality into the city's green spaces.

"Parks and squares are the most down-to-earth urban public spaces. There are no walls or thresholds here, and art directly enters the radius of citizens' lives," said Yu Opera performing artist Li Shujian (李树建). After decades of performing, he has spent most of his time performing in theaters, and he also cherishes the resonance in public places such as villages and parks. Once, while performing in a park, he saw a sanitation worker standing on the outermost edge of the crowd clapping non-stop. "At that moment, the four words 'performing for the people' had a heavy weight," Li Shujian (李树建) said.

In December 2025, "Our Village Has Opera" was staged in a lively manner at Zhengzhou Ruyi Lake Cultural Plaza (郑州如意湖文化广场). At the scene, classic Yu Opera was combined with "Penkong (喷空)," a local Henan (河南) comedy form, amusing the audience with bursts of laughter. Nanyang Wanbang (南阳宛梆), Taikang Daoqing (太康道情) and other opera genres also took turns on stage, allowing the citizens of Zhengzhou (郑州) to feel a warm cultural atmosphere in winter.

According to the relevant person in charge of the Public Service Department of the Henan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism (河南省文化和旅游厅), as a Henan (河南) opera-themed mass cultural activity, "Our Village Has Opera" tried the "opera + tourism + consumption" model in 2025. Near the stage, the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Market" was filled with cultural and creative products; in front of the "Opera Dressing Table," the audience personally outlined facial makeup and experienced dressing up as characters.

Due to weather, venue and other restrictions, parks and squares can hardly support regular performances. Some heads of theater groups reported that the approval process for park performances is long and there are many coordination links. "Sometimes it is not easy to coordinate the venue, and a rain will cancel everything."

Wang Zhenjun (汪振军), a member of the Henan Provincial Expert Committee on Public Cultural Services and a professor at Zhengzhou University (郑州大学), believes that in order to better integrate professional actors and groups into mass cultural life, both "constancy" and "innovation" should be taken into account: it is necessary to explore simplifying the approval process, opening up green channels, and establishing a regular performance guarantee mechanism, and also to promote the formation of a model in which the government builds the stage, theater groups perform, and society provides assistance, creating a cultural ecology that is "always present."

Rooted offline and extended online. Chen Jing (陈静), deputy general manager of Henan Performing Arts Group (河南歌舞演艺集团), introduced that the performing arts group has now opened social media accounts and is trying to break through the limitations of parks and other places and expand audience coverage through online live broadcasts, short videos, etc., to help cultural benefits for the people be "permanently online."

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Adhere to cultural benefits for the people

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposes to adhere to cultural benefits for the people and implement actions to improve the quality and efficiency of public cultural services. Improving quality and efficiency is a necessary requirement for the high-quality development of public cultural services. "Improving quality" focuses on solving the question of "is it good or not?"; "Increasing efficiency" aims to improve the coverage, accessibility, and satisfaction of services.

Further promote "order-based" and "reservation-based" services to drive high-quality cultural resources directly to the grassroots; assist the intelligent transformation and upgrading of public digital cultural services by connecting with mainstream general-purpose large models and professional large models; improve the mechanism for social forces to participate in public cultural services, improve the selection and exit mechanism of socialized operation and management contractors, and form a pattern combining openness and professionalism.

-- Li Guoxin (李国新), Professor of the National Center for Modern Public Culture Studies at Peking University (北京大学)

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Beautifying Our Garden of Art and Literature (Quick Commentary)

By: 巫志南

The people need art, and art also needs the people. When artists move the stage from under the spotlight to parks and squares, they bring high-quality cultural resources to grassroots audiences, and they themselves are also absorbing artistic nourishment.

In recent years, the spiritual and cultural needs of the people have been growing. How can literary and art workers integrate into the lives of the masses and better deliver high-quality cultural resources to the grassroots? The enthusiastic interaction in the corner of the park is not only a vivid microcosm of excellent literary and artistic works broadening their channels of communication, but also an effective exploration of the transformation of cultural resources from "single supply" to "multiple supply" and "interactive supply."

Behind the integration of stage and life, and the mutual nourishment of professional artists and audiences, is the vigorous vitality of the new mass literature and art. Mass love, mass participation, and mass co-creation, in the context of highly integrated media, the paradigm innovation of literary and artistic creation and communication will continue to beautify our garden of literature and art, and constantly stimulate cultural innovation and creativity.

(The author is a researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (上海社会科学院).)

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Don't Let Algorithms Replace Growth (New Discourse)

By: 陈圆圆

During the recent New Year's Eve, many people, besides watching fireworks and concerts, chose to watch a knowledge-based lecture about the future. From the "Time's Friend" New Year's Eve speech focusing on "the world 1000 days from now" to the "Peking University Science Yeah" discussing "the humanities in the digital intelligence wave," "AI" has become a high-frequency word by coincidence.

The common concern reflects the depths of the changing times. The wave of artificial intelligence is reshaping everything. Where does human irreplaceability lie? Facing the future, especially the growing next generation of young people, how should they conduct themselves and move forward?

AI excels in "computing power," while humans excel in "mental power." Not long ago, 174 Peking University (北京大学) students took the same test with the world's top AI models, and the results were thought-provoking. GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek... these "most powerful brains" that have gathered massive amounts of knowledge, their scores are only equivalent to the average level of lower-grade undergraduates. It should be seen that in the field of reproducing and deducing "known" knowledge, AI is already an efficient tool; but in the "unknown" frontier that requires insight, association, and understanding of the world, human wisdom is still irreplaceable.

Do not let the "ever-changing" algorithms replace the "unique" growth. The evolution of artificial intelligence is based on learning massive "common" patterns. However, for future-oriented education, the more standardized and predictable the abilities, the easier they are to be efficiently replaced. The "Outline for Building a Strong Education Nation (2024-2035)" ("教育强国建设规划纲要（2024—2035年）") proposes to "explore effective ways for digital empowerment to achieve large-scale teaching according to aptitude and innovative teaching, and actively adapt to changes in learning methods." Artificial intelligence and digital empowerment of education, promoting the transformation of teaching and learning, have become the "key" to opening up new knowledge, providing underlying technical support for personalized, large-scale teaching according to aptitude.

Back to the education scene. On the one hand, there is still a temperature difference between ideals and reality. A report shows that more than 70% of AI education applications are concentrated in links directly related to "score improvement," such as intelligent grading, personalized question banks, and oral evaluation. On the other hand, we are also pleased to see that in the mountainous areas of Gansu (甘肃), volunteer teachers use AI to customize test papers for each child; in middle school classrooms in Shanghai (上海), students combine traditional sachet making with AI animation to make static sachets "move." Shifting from seeking standard answers to focusing on the exploration process of "raising questions, designing solutions, and verifying hypotheses," education in the AI era should support each child's unique curiosity, imagination, and internal critical thinking ability.

It is worth noting that the more rapidly technology advances, the more we must cherish the original mission of education to cultivate morality and nurture people. Previously, the "worldview-destroying" answers of the AI function of children's smartwatches were alarming. While AI acts on people, we must also conduct "lifelong education" on AI. We worry that AI will become "biased" due to data pollution and "aging" due to outdated information. We should be even more vigilant against using fixed thinking templates to narrow the inherent vigor and freshness of young minds and to give up embracing the infinite breadth of the world.

Luo Zhenyu (罗振宇), the founder of Get APP, mentioned in his New Year's Eve speech that "the essence of AI may not be to squeeze out people or replace people, but to lift people up." The end point of lifting up should not point to a more efficient "tool person," but should be a person who freely travels in the digital world, yet always maintains a fresh mind, continuously improves through lifelong learning, and is mentally sound and emotionally rich. The future has arrived, and a more creative world is calling for and nurturing such a next generation.

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Ningxia Lottery Supports the Construction of a Strong Sports Region in Ningxia

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Ningxia's sports undertakings have delivered a robust and remarkable performance. During this period, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Sports Lottery Management Center (宁夏回族自治区体育彩票管理中心) (referred to as "Ningxia Sports Lottery" (宁夏体彩)) has always adhered to the concept of "Public Welfare Sports Lottery, Joyful and Charitable Life" (公益体彩 乐善人生), actively fulfilling its responsibilities and giving full play to the role of the sports lottery public welfare fund, striving to be the "power source" for the vigorous development of Ningxia's sports undertakings and the "enabler" for the warm progress of social public welfare undertakings. With efficient and precise investment of public welfare funds, Ningxia Sports Lottery has deeply integrated into the entire process of popularizing national fitness, breaking through competitive sports, taking off the sports industry, and strengthening the foundation of youth sports in Ningxia, injecting a steady stream of strong momentum into the development of various sports undertakings, and contributing to the construction of a strong sports region in Ningxia with responsibility and commitment, allowing the light of public welfare to shine brightly on the land of Saishang.

Increasing Investment to Depict a New Picture of National Fitness

As of 2024, the per capita sports venue area in Ningxia has reached 3.51 square meters. Behind the impressive data is the continuous investment of Ningxia Sports Lottery in sports lottery public welfare funds to provide strong support for infrastructure construction.

In terms of hardware facilities, the sports lottery public welfare fund supports the construction of a fitness venue network covering urban and rural areas with diverse types, helping Ningxia achieve the national "14th Five-Year Plan" sports park construction guidance target with a completion rate of 262.5%. At the same time, it supports 85 public sports venues to open to the public for free or at low cost, greatly reducing the fitness threshold for the masses.

In terms of activity leadership and service system, the sports lottery public welfare fund has powerfully promoted the vigorous development of national fitness activities. It supports the holding of more than 500 various sports events above the county level every year, driving more than 2.3 million participants and spectators, helping to cultivate the characteristic brand of "Saishang Jiangnan · Sports Ningxia" (塞上江南·运动宁夏), and increasing the proportion of people in Ningxia who regularly participate in physical exercise to 38.6%. In addition, the sports lottery public welfare fund supports the improvement of a sports social organization network covering five levels: district, city, county, township, and village, developing 964 sports associations and clubs at all levels, training a total of 29,450 social sports instructors, and organizing scientific fitness guidance services that go deep into the grassroots every year, benefiting more than 300,000 people.

Multi-dimensional Empowerment to Promote the Leapfrog Development of Competitive Sports and the Sports Industry

The sports lottery public welfare fund is the "booster" for Ningxia to achieve historical breakthroughs in competitive sports and high-quality development of the sports industry.

In the field of competitive sports, the sports lottery public welfare fund provides all-round guarantees for athletes' training, competition, scientific research and medical care, and reserve talent training. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Ningxia athletes won a total of 105 gold medals, 93 silver medals, and 100 bronze medals in various official international and domestic competitions. The Ningxia delegation won 2 gold medals, 4 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals at the 14th National Winter Games and 1 gold medal and 2 bronze medals at the 15th National Games.

In the sports industry, the sports lottery public welfare fund effectively stimulates industrial vitality and consumption potential by supporting sports events and guiding market investment. As of the end of 2024, the total output value of Ningxia's sports industry reached 5.126 billion yuan, an increase of 83.07% compared with the end of the "13th Five-Year Plan"; the added value of the sports industry was 2.599 billion yuan, an increase of 70.87% compared with the end of the "13th Five-Year Plan", both of which completed the "14th Five-Year Plan" period goals ahead of schedule. The vitality of industrial entities has exploded, with 7,004 sports industry-related units, an increase of 175.31% compared with the end of the "13th Five-Year Plan". Significant results have been achieved in the integration of "sports +". A total of 28 national-level sports tourism projects have been selected; Yinchuan City (银川市) has become the only national pilot city for promoting sports consumption and the sports event economy in Northwest China; and the Zhongwei City (中卫市) Desert Yellow River Outdoor Sports Destination has been selected as the first batch of national high-quality outdoor sports destination construction list.

Focusing on the Future to Consolidate the Foundation of Youth Sports

Youth sports work is the foundation for the development of sports undertakings. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Ningxia Sports Lottery actively promoted the popularization of youth sports programs. The "Run, Youth" (奔跑吧·少年) series of events supported by the sports lottery public welfare fund has attracted more than 500,000 young people to participate. The number of autonomous region-level sports traditional characteristic schools created reached 175, an increase of 8 times compared with the end of the "13th Five-Year Plan". There are 9 national-level reserve talent bases and 4 national-level youth outdoor camps. Ningxia has accumulated 19,000 registered youth athletes, an increase of 2 times compared with the "13th Five-Year Plan", reserving talent for the sustainable development of competitive sports.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Ningxia Sports Lottery comprehensively adhered to the leadership of the Party and always adhered to the responsibilities and mission of the national public welfare lottery. The 2.785 billion yuan of public welfare funds raised were invested in all aspects of Ningxia's sports undertakings - from convenient and inclusive fitness facilities to exciting sports events; from a vibrant industrial economy to a thriving youth sports. Looking forward to the future, Ningxia Sports Lottery will continue to help the high-quality development of the region's sports undertakings and contribute to the comprehensive construction of a beautiful new socialist modern Ningxia with the power of the sports lottery.

Data source: Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Sports Lottery Management Center (宁夏回族自治区体育彩票管理中心)

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

Map by: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)

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"Sports+" Bursts Forth with Such Vitality (Building a Sports Powerhouse)

At the turn of the year, many places have carried out sports events, and the cultural tourism market is booming, setting off a consumption boom. This reporter from this newspaper visited Beijing (北京), Hebei (河北), Zhejiang (浙江), Yunnan (云南) and other places to explore how "sports +" can empower local development and add color to people's lives.
　　——Editor

　　CBA New Year's first game day is full of passion
　　A ticket stub carries multiple discounts
　　Reporter Fan Jiayuan (范佳元) of this newspaper
　　On the evening of January 1, the Beijing Shougang Ice Hockey Hall (北京首钢冰球馆) was crowded with people. The Beijing team and the Guangdong (广东) team ushered in the first game day of the New Year in the CBA (Chinese Men's Basketball Professional League) (中国男子篮球职业联赛). Fans waved scarves and shouted loudly, kicking off an exciting new year chapter.
　　In the stands, Ms. Liu (刘) , a fan who came all the way from Shandong (山东), was very excited. Before the game, she got the autograph of Guangdong (广东) team player Hu Mingxuan (胡明轩) at the entrance of the stadium. She said with a smile: "A ticket can not only watch the game, but also enjoy discounts on eating, drinking and having fun in Shougang Park (首钢园). This trip is very worthwhile."
　　A ticket is the breakthrough for Shougang Park (首钢园) to create a new scene of "event + consumption" during the New Year's Day holiday. Beijing Shougang Basketball Club (北京首钢篮球俱乐部) has joined hands with more than 70 merchants in the park to launch a ticket stub economy activity. Fans can enjoy discounts on catering, accommodation, cultural and creative products with their ticket stubs.
　　In the Beijing (北京) Basketball 70th Anniversary Theme Pop-up Store, fans crowded in front of the display cabinets to select limited-edition jerseys and badge blind boxes. Liu Ziwei (刘子伟), Minister of Business Operation Department of Shougang Sports (首钢体育), introduced that during the New Year's Day holiday, the overall business consumption in the corridor of the Ice Hockey Hall reached 140,000 yuan, of which the consumption of team peripheral derivatives exceeded 100,000 yuan.
　　Shougang Park (首钢园) outside the stadium is also lively. The Winter Olympic venue "Snow Flying Sky" has been transformed into a snow and ice park, from non-powered snow play areas, snow trains, children's snow treasure digging areas to more than 10 projects such as climbing snow mountains, snow mountain rock descent and straight slides. Children and adult tourists can enjoy the fun of ice and snow. Liu Ziwei (刘子伟) introduced that the "Snow Flying Sky" ice and snow season has sold more than 5,000 tickets and is very popular among citizens and tourists.
　　Thanks to the east wind of the event, various business formats have ushered in a peak of passenger flow. A waiter at the Laoshan Coffee Shop (老山咖啡店) in the park said while packing: "I was temporarily transferred from other branches to help. Today is a game day plus a holiday, and the sales volume is considerable." The hotel next door is also fully booked.
　　With the event as a medium, Shougang Park (首钢园) has activated the holiday economy through "basketball + ice and snow + cultural tourism". Data shows that during the New Year's Day event, the passenger flow of Shougang Park (首钢园) increased by 20% year-on-year. Liu Ziwei (刘子伟) said that in the future, they will continue to deepen the model of "event drainage and consumption follow-up" to create more new sports consumption scenarios.

　　Many sports events landed in Chongli (崇礼)
　　A small city set off an ice and snow craze
　　Reporter Ji Fang (季芳) of this newspaper
　　In the 2025-2026 snow season, 11 international events and more than 20 national events, such as the FIS World Cup series and the Far East Cup of Alpine Skiing, will be intensively held in Chongli (崇礼), Hebei (河北). This small Winter Olympic city has once again set off an ice and snow craze. Since the beginning of the snow season, Chongli (崇礼) has received more than 800,000 tourists, and the "cold resources" continue to release the "hot effect."
　　Recently, the FIS Freestyle Ski U-shaped Venue World Cup Yunding Station (云顶站) was held. Seeing Gu Ailing (谷爱凌) win the championship, Hu Yahui (胡亚辉), a Beijing (北京) audience member, was very excited. This is the third time he has checked in at Chongli (崇礼) this snow season. "It only takes more than an hour by high-speed rail, and you can also consign snow gear. It is very convenient to come to ski and watch the game on weekends." Ms. Lin (林) from Guangxi (广西) also participated in skiing courses with her family while watching the game. She said: "The children are very interested in skiing. There are many ski trails here, there are many equipment options, and the service is very professional."
　　Events gather popularity, and the ice and snow craze continues to heat up. According to statistics, during the event, the number of tourists in Chongli (崇礼) increased significantly compared with usual. Among them, the daily passenger flow of Yunding Ski Park (云顶滑雪公园) exceeded 8,000, the occupancy rate of Zhangjiakou Winter Olympic Village (张家口冬奥村) was nearly 80%, and the consumption of accommodation, catering, leisure and entertainment in ski resorts and surrounding areas increased significantly.
　　Wang An (王安), a ski coach at Fulong Ski Resort (富龙滑雪场), said that "watching the game + vacation" at the ski resort has become fashionable. "Southern tourists can stay for three or four days, or even longer."
　　Chongli's (崇礼) ski resorts continue to work hard in facility upgrades and service optimization. The "Little Donkey Paradise" of Thaiwoo Ski Town (太舞滑雪小镇) has become a popular check-in place for parent-child tours; Fulong Ski Resort (富龙滑雪场) provides "first ski exclusive service" for beginners and upgrades the terrain park; Snow Ruyi Ski Resort (雪如意滑雪场) has increased the number of ski trails to 24 and launched "ski + study tour" services; Wanlong Ski Resort (万龙滑雪场) not only renovated many ski trails, but also created many wild snow areas for advanced players.
　　"A ski ticket connects sports, catering, transportation, accommodation and other consumption, igniting the enthusiasm for winter travel." Ren Xiaoqiang (任晓强), brand director of Thaiwoo Ski Town (太舞滑雪小镇), said.
　　In addition to holding professional events, Chongli's (崇礼) ski resorts also launched more creative activities that reflect local characteristics in conjunction with New Year's Day and other nodes.
　　The person in charge of the Culture and Tourism Department of Chongli District (崇礼区) said that Chongli (崇礼) will continue to promote the deep integration of ice and snow sports with health and wellness tourism, study tourism, cultural performances and other industries, further polish the name card of "skiing in Chongli (崇礼)", improve consumer experience, and transform the "highlight moment" brought by the Winter Olympics into the "sustainable driving force" for the development of the small city.

　　The National New Year Climbing Fitness Conference has been held for more than 30 years
　　An event has become a New Year's Day "program"
　　Reporter Wang Liang (王亮) of this newspaper
　　On January 1, the main venue activities of the 2026 National New Year Climbing Fitness Conference were held simultaneously in Jiangshan (江山), Zhejiang (浙江) and Tai'an (泰安), Shandong (山东). More than 400 branch venues in Juyongguan (居庸关), Beijing (北京), Hailin (海林), Heilongjiang (黑龙江), and Ma'anshan (马鞍山), Anhui (安徽) also carried out activities at the same time. People welcomed the New Year by climbing high and looking far.
　　The National New Year Climbing Fitness Conference began in 1996 and has now become an important symbolic sports event to celebrate New Year's Day.
　　In Jianglangshan Scenic Area (江郎山景区) in Jiangshan (江山), more than 10,000 mountaineering enthusiasts set off in batches and climbed to scenic spots such as Kaiming Zen Temple (开明禅寺), Dengtianping (登天坪), and Wentian Pavilion (问天亭), implying "rising step by step in the New Year." Gymnastics Olympic champion Guan Chenchen (管晨辰), rock climbing world champion Wu Peng (伍鹏), and Zhong Qixin (钟齐鑫), head coach of the speed group of the national rock climbing team, climbed high and prayed for blessings with the masses. "Although there was rain that day, the atmosphere at the scene was very warm and everyone was full of energy," Wu Peng (伍鹏) said.
　　As the main venue in the north, Mount Tai Scenic Area (泰山风景名胜区) attracted nearly 20,000 mountaineers to participate. People set off from Hongmen Square (红门广场) in different time periods, passed through Wanxianlou (万仙楼), Zhongtianmen (中天门), and Nantianmen (南天门) to Yuhuangding (玉皇顶), and took photos at theme check-in points such as "good health" and "family happiness" along the way. At Yuhuangding (玉皇顶), hundreds of people shouted in unison "Prosperity and peace of the country and the people" to express their patriotic feelings. Liu Dewen (刘德文), the all-around champion of men's Taijiquan Taijijian at the 15th National Games, read out the "National Fitness Initiative" on the spot, advocating that the public strengthen their bodies and exercise actively in the new year.
　　"Sports +" activities are wonderful. Jiangshan City (江山市), which hosted the event for the eleventh time, launched the Jianglangshan Sports Carnival (江郎山体育嘉年华) for the first time, covering sports equipment exhibitions, badminton manufacturing process displays, etc., and incorporating elements such as drone football and robot street dance; at the same time, it held a food market and a sports tourism consumption week to extend the consumption chain and promote the deep integration of national fitness and sports consumption upgrades. At the foot of Mount Tai (泰山), the "Mount Tai Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience Area" became a major highlight. Participants can watch and experience intangible heritage projects such as Mount Tai shadow puppetry, gourd carving, and Mount Tai rubbings at close range, and feel the charm of traditional culture.
　　"I climb mountains every New Year, and this year I specially brought my family from Shanghai (上海) to Jiangshan (江山)," said Zhou Xinmin (周新民), a mountaineering enthusiast, while checking in and taking photos, sharing his joy. Ms. Zhou (周) from Hangzhou (杭州) said: "After climbing the mountain, I can also visit the Carnival. I feel that the holiday is fulfilling and meaningful."

　　China Nujiang Kayak Wild Water Asian Championships Gather Popularity
　　A competition has "grown" into a local development advantage
　　Reporter Yang Wenming (杨文明) of this newspaper
　　Waving paddles to cut through the waves and racing through dangerous shoals. From December 20 to 22, 2025, the "China Communications Construction Cup" 2025 China Nujiang Kayak Wild Water Asian Championships and International Open was successfully held in Lushui City (泸水市), Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture (怒江傈僳族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省). After years of hosting the event, the Nujiang Kayak Wild Water Open has developed from a single sports event into a cultural, sports and tourism integration project, becoming an important name card of Nujiang Prefecture (怒江州).
　　This competition attracted 43 overseas athletes and 75 domestic athletes to participate, and a public group was also set up. "The Nujiang River (怒江) in winter has clear water and a suitable temperature, which is very suitable for kayaking," said Zhao Jiang (赵将), a player in the public group.
　　Although the project is niche, its influence continues to expand, and more people feel the natural beauty and passion of the Nujiang River (怒江). He Yue (贺玥), a tourist from Heilongjiang (黑龙江), watched the wild water competition up close for the first time. The warm climate and surging competition of the Nujiang River (怒江) impressed her deeply.
　　This competition was held at the same time as the Nujiang Lisu Kuoshi Cultural Festival (怒江傈僳阔时文化节), realizing the deep integration of sports events and ethnic festivals. "The stadium has become a window to showcase the style of Nujiang (怒江)," said Cha Lingyun (茶凌云), Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Nujiang Prefecture (怒江州). Sports events have enriched the connotation of tourism, extended the stay time of tourists, and amplified the driving effect of "promoting tourism through competitions and revitalizing tourism through festivals."
　　Nujiang Prefecture (怒江州) also organized ethnic minority crossbow shooting championships, paragliding performances, and the first zip line challenge, showing the unique charm of Nujiang (怒江). At the same time, the State Culture and Tourism Bureau and the Commerce Bureau jointly launched special consumer coupons such as "Nujiang Tourism Gifts" and "Enjoy Kuoshi", which effectively stimulated consumption enthusiasm and boosted diversified consumption such as accommodation, catering, and shopping. According to statistics, during the competition, Nujiang (怒江) received more than 210,000 tourists, with a total tourism expenditure of more than 200 million yuan.
　　Nujiang (怒江) is anchored in the positioning of "niche, boutique, characteristic, and high-end", attracting many people to "travel to Nujiang (怒江) following the competition." Nujiang (怒江) gives full play to its resource advantages and incorporates the construction of sports facilities into tourism development and rural revitalization plans.

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China Men's Football Head Coach Shao Jiayi Officially Appears

On January 4th, our newspaper reported from Zhaoqing (肇庆), Guangdong (广东) - (Reporters Chen Chenxi (陈晨曦) and Wang Jingyuan (王靖远)) On January 4th, the media conference for the head coach of the Chinese National Men's Football Team was held in Zhaoqing (肇庆), Guangdong (广东). Shao Jiayi (邵佳一), the head coach of the Chinese Men's Football Team, officially appeared and answered questions from reporters. He stated that the national team's primary task is to regain confidence, which requires high-quality training and preparation to achieve.

"After learning that I had become the head coach of the Chinese Men's Football Team, I was very excited and nervous. Excited that the goal of a professional coach has finally been realized, and nervous because I am very clear about the responsibilities on my shoulders. As a player, being able to fight for the country and participate in the World Cup is our dream, and the same is true as a coach," said Shao Jiayi (邵佳一). "I am very clear about the environment and difficulties currently facing Chinese football, so we must be down-to-earth and take one step at a time, consolidating the foundation. As a young coach, I will definitely continue to learn and enrich myself."

On January 4th, the Chinese Men's Football Team gathered in Zhaoqing (肇庆), Guangdong (广东). Shao Jiayi (邵佳一) will lead the team for training camps in Zhaoqing (肇庆) and Dubai (迪拜), UAE (阿联酋) from January 4th to 27th. Twenty-six players were selected for this training camp, including Yan Junling (颜骏凌), Zhang Yuning (张玉宁), Wei Shihao (韦世豪), and Wang Shangyuan (王上源). Naturalized player, Fernandinho (塞尔吉尼奥), was selected, and there are only three new players: Li Yang (李扬), Yan Bingliang (闫炳良), and Lü Zhuoyi (吕焯毅).

"There are also many young players preparing for the U23 Asian Cup who meet the requirements of the national team, and players with excellent performances will enter the national team sequence. The team needs to complete the transition of new and old players, but the transition cannot be for the sake of transition. Age will not become a rigid standard for selection," said Shao Jiayi (邵佳一).

At the press conference, Shao Jiayi (邵佳一) introduced the coaching staff. His assistant from when he coached at Qingdao West Coast Football Club (青岛西海岸俱乐部), German coach Rainer Maurer (莱纳·毛雷尔), and former national team players Yang Zhi (杨智) and Zhou Ting (周挺) will serve as assistant coaches. The physical fitness coach, technical analyst, and goalkeeper assistant coach are all experienced foreign coaches. Former national team players Liu Jian (刘健) and Yu Hanchao (于汉超) have entered the national team training camp list as trainers.

Shao Jiayi (邵佳一) revealed that the national team will play several warm-up matches during the overseas training camp. "We will test the training results through the matches, thereby improving the training plan. For the national team, no game can be taken lightly. Every game is related to the fans' expectations of us and the future of the national team," said Shao Jiayi (邵佳一).

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China Huadian Xinjiang Company: Expanding Green Initiatives and Increasing New Capacity to Achieve High-Quality Development

China Huadian Xinjiang Power Generation Co., Ltd. (华电新疆发电有限公司), referred to as "Huadian Xinjiang Company (华电新疆公司)," was established in 2003. It is one of the earliest regional companies established in Xinjiang (新疆) by the five major central government-owned power generation groups, with the goal of building a "Huadian Xinjiang Strategic Clean Energy Base (华电新疆战略性清洁能源基地)." During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Huadian Xinjiang Company (华电新疆公司) actively served national strategies, fully and accurately implemented the Party's strategy for governing Xinjiang (治疆) in the new era, closely focused on the main theme of strengthening the awareness of the Chinese national community, fulfilled its responsibilities as a central enterprise, coordinated energy supply security and green, low-carbon development, continuously deepened the "Green Energy Action," firmly "expanded green and increased new energy," helped fundamentally change the autonomous region's power structure, made the green development background more distinct, and served the high-quality economic and social development of the autonomous region with high-quality development of the energy industry.

Achieving higher quality "expansion of green energy." During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Huadian Xinjiang Company (华电新疆公司) developed and constructed a number of key energy projects, including the first, second, and third batches of large-scale wind power and photovoltaic bases and supporting power sources for the "Xinjiang Electricity to Chongqing (疆电入渝)" project. The proportion of new energy installed capacity increased by 33 percentage points compared with the end of the "13th Five-Year Plan" period. It carried out and completed flexible modification of 41 thermal power units with 14.38 million kilowatts, added 3.44 million kilowatts of peak regulation capacity, and the number of modified units accounted for nearly 50% of the total number of units in the autonomous region, which strongly supported the construction of a new power system in Xinjiang (新疆). Developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions, it developed and constructed the largest single-unit capacity electrochemical independent energy storage power station in the country - the China Huadian Urumqi (乌鲁木齐) Photovoltaic Base 1 million kilowatt/4 million kilowatt-hour independent energy storage project and the China Huadian Kashgar (喀什地区) 1 million kilowatt/4 million kilowatt-hour independent energy storage project. 31 energy storage power stations with a total capacity of 4.24 million kilowatts/15.65 million kilowatt-hours fully played the role of "stabilizer."

Activating "new energy increase" at a higher level. Huadian Xinjiang Company (华电新疆公司) actively promoted the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, and the intensity of scientific research and development investment increased year by year. It undertook major national science and technology tasks, the first (set) of national projects and other major science and technology projects, 4 national key research and development plans were steadily advanced, and 94 science and technology projects fully blossomed. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, it obtained 455 patent authorizations, and 7 units were recognized as high-tech enterprises, serving national strategies and the autonomous region's industrial upgrading with high-level scientific and technological innovation. Giving full play to the "chain leader" role of central enterprises, it took the lead in establishing the "Xinjiang Hydrogen Energy Industry Development Alliance (新疆氢能产业发展联盟)" and formed the Xinjiang Coal Power Flexible Low-Carbon Power Generation Engineering Technology Research Center (新疆煤电灵活低碳发电工程技术研究中心), empowering the high-quality development of enterprises with industry-university-research applications.

Achieving higher quality services and improving people's livelihoods. Doing a good job in assistance work, helping the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside, dispatching 126 assistance cadres, investing 282 million yuan, and assisting in the construction of 8 schools and health centers. "Huadian Golden Sun (华电金太阳)" village-level distributed photovoltaics were built in 123 villages, 135 million yuan of assistance and sales products were purchased, "participating in construction" drove employment of 37,000 person-times, Kashgar Middle School (喀什中学) was assisted, "Huadian Talent Classes (华电英才班)" were run well, and common development and shared results with people of all ethnic groups were achieved. Extensive "443" series activities were carried out to strengthen the awareness of the Chinese national community, in-depth activities of "National Unity as One Family (民族团结一家亲)" were carried out to promote exchanges, interactions, and integration among people of all ethnic groups. In-depth special actions were carried out to strengthen enterprises with talents, the "8090" project was coordinated, training activities were held to empower and improve outstanding employees who joined the company in the past three years, 12 people were selected into the autonomous region's "Tianshan Talents (天山英才)" training program and the "Xinjiang Craftsman (新疆工匠)" cultivation object list, and the atmosphere of all employees striving forward was stronger.

High-quality Party building leads high-quality development. Huadian Xinjiang Company (华电新疆公司) vigorously implemented the "Four Forces and Four Promotions" Party building project: strengthening the leadership of Party organizations to promote the improvement of corporate governance; stimulating the creativity of Party organizations to promote the acceleration of reform and innovation; enhancing the combat effectiveness of Party organizations to promote the improvement of quality and efficiency in production and operation; and highlighting the cohesion of Party organizations to promote the construction of corporate culture. More than 100 excellent Party building cases have been formed. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, 4 cases were selected into the 2025 power construction industry grass-roots Party building work innovation cases, and 1 case won the 6th State-owned Enterprise Party Building Innovation Excellent Achievement (Case), effectively testing the effectiveness of Party building with the results of reform and development. Solidly carry out the Party building empowerment action of the industrial chain and innovation chain, deepen the joint construction mechanism of Party building, and set up 2249 "Pioneer Post for Party Members, Responsibility Area for Party Members, and Pioneer Team for Party Members," implement 314 projects led by Party branch secretaries, and highlight the combat effectiveness of Party organizations in the main battlefield of energy supply security, melt them into the front line of green development, and show them in the forefront of improving quality and efficiency. Establish a mechanism for Party organizations and Party members to play a role in emergency mobilization, and the majority of Party members fought against high temperatures, severe cold, and earthquakes, acted on orders, and charged forward, fully guaranteeing the task of ensuring 2.52 million households in 21 counties and cities in 10 prefectures and cities, accounting for nearly 1/3 of the centralized heating area in Xinjiang (新疆). Organized Party members to carry out pioneer actions in deepening the market-oriented reform of new energy grid-connected electricity prices, helping to improve quality and efficiency, and achieving "one increase, one stability, and four improvements" in "one profit and five rates."

Entering the "15th Five-Year Plan," Huadian Xinjiang Company (华电新疆公司) will fully practice the mission and responsibility of state-owned enterprises in the new era, lead high-quality development with high-quality Party building, and contribute Huadian's strength to promoting the high-quality economic and social development of the autonomous region.

Data source: China Huadian Xinjiang Power Generation Co., Ltd. (华电新疆发电有限公司)

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Editors of this section: Gong Yuhua, Shi Zhe, Gao Ji

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International Community Strongly Condemns US Military Action Against Venezuela (International Perspective)

By: 本报记者 陈一鸣 李志伟 时元皓

Local time, January 3, the United States launched a large-scale military operation against Venezuela, raiding the country's capital Caracas (加拉加斯) and forcibly taking control of President Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife. The U.S. military action resulted in the deaths of at least 40 people, including Venezuelan soldiers and civilians, and many countries and international organizations have expressed strong condemnation. A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the U.S. action clearly violates international law and the basic norms of international relations, and violates the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. China calls on the U.S. to ensure the personal safety of President Maduro and his wife, immediately release President Maduro and his wife, stop subverting the Venezuelan regime, and resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation.
"The United States is trying to seize Venezuela's oil, land and property, and the Venezuelan people will never agree."
U.S. troops raided the Venezuelan capital Caracas (加拉加斯) and other places in the early hours of the 3rd, forcibly taking control of Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife, and transporting them by helicopter to a warship. After stopping at the Guantanamo (关塔那摩) U.S. military base, they flew to New York by plane. U.S. media predict that Maduro (马杜罗) will "appear" in a court in New York City next week, facing multiple charges including "drug terrorism conspiracy and cocaine smuggling conspiracy." Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kane (丹·凯恩) revealed that the U.S. military had been practicing for the operation for several months.
U.S. President Trump (特朗普) held a press conference on the morning of the 3rd, saying that the United States will "manage" Venezuela until a "safe" transition is implemented, allowing U.S. oil companies to enter Venezuela in a big way and invest in Venezuela's energy infrastructure. He also claimed: "We will extract a large amount of wealth from the ground (of Venezuela), and this wealth will belong to the Venezuelan people and foreigners who were once in Venezuela. This wealth will also flow to the United States in the form of compensation for the losses this country has caused us."
Many Venezuelan dignitaries strongly condemned the U.S. invasion. Venezuelan Vice President and Minister of Petroleum Delcy Rodríguez (德尔西·罗德里格斯) said in a speech on state television on the afternoon of the 3rd that Maduro (马杜罗) is Venezuela's "only president" and "Venezuela will never become a colony of any country." Venezuelan Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace Diosdado Cabello (迪奥斯达多·卡韦略) condemned in the streets of the capital Caracas (加拉加斯): "They launched a despicable and vicious attack on the sleeping people, cowardly attacking the people." Venezuelan Supreme Court President Rodríguez (罗德里格斯) read a statement on state television condemning the U.S. attack on the Venezuelan capital Caracas (加拉加斯) and its surrounding three states as a blatant violation of international law, especially the United Nations Charter. The statement said that the invasion was "aimed at seizing Venezuela's strategic resources" and called on the international community to work together to maintain peace and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean.
On the evening of the 3rd, the Venezuelan Supreme Court announced a decision through state television that Vice President Rodríguez (罗德里格斯) would act as head of state to ensure administrative continuity and the country's comprehensive defense. The decision stated that in view of the special circumstances caused by Maduro's (马杜罗) kidnapping, the Supreme Court has taken corresponding procedures during the president's forced absence to safeguard national interests in the face of foreign aggression.
The U.S. government's military action has also triggered many protests and criticisms in the United States. On the 3rd, demonstrations initiated by the anti-war organization "Act Now to Stop War and End Racism" were held simultaneously in 105 cities including Washington (华盛顿), Los Angeles (洛杉矶), and Boston (波士顿). In Times Square (时报广场) in New York, demonstrators held up Venezuelan flags, holding signs such as "Defend Venezuela, Release Maduro," "Don't Interfere in Venezuelan Affairs," and "Oppose War Against Venezuela," chanting slogans to protest. A Venezuelan-American demonstrator accused: "The United States is trying to seize Venezuela's oil, land and property, and the Venezuelan people will never agree!" The organizers stated that the U.S. war machine consumes a large amount of taxpayer money, but brings death and destruction to the people of other countries, and the American people are unwilling to get involved in new wars.
The Associated Press published a commentary saying that this is "the most aggressive action taken" by the United States to achieve foreign regime change since the U.S. military invaded Iraq in 2003. In the view of the Trump (特朗普) administration, in order to achieve "Western Hemisphere priority," the United States must control or confront potential anti-American forces in Latin America. Choosing Venezuela as a breakthrough, the U.S. intends to create a shock effect, exert strategic deterrence on other Latin American countries, and then expand U.S. influence and strategic space in Latin America.
The U.S. Constitution stipulates that any act of war must be approved by Congress, but this action was not authorized by Congress, and even notified congressional staff after it was launched. U.S. Representative Jim Himes (吉姆·希姆斯) said that he has not seen any evidence to prove that the threat posed by Maduro's (马杜罗) administration is sufficient to justify unauthorized use of force, and the government should immediately report the legal basis for the decision and subsequent response strategies. Representative Gregory Meeks (格雷戈里·米克斯) condemned the action as "violating international law and damaging the U.S.'s global standing," warning that it could involve the U.S. in an indefinite conflict with Venezuela and undermine regional stability.
Former U.S. Vice President and former Democratic presidential candidate Harris (哈里斯) said that the U.S. military action against Venezuela is "wrong and unwise." The United States has repeatedly launched wars for the purpose of "regime change" or "oil," and these wars are often packaged as "shows of strength," but eventually evolve into chaotic situations, for which ordinary American families pay the price. She emphasized that this approach is neither legal nor will it make the United States "safer, stronger, or make the lives of the American people more affordable."
The New York Times published an editorial pointing out that the U.S.'s excuse of combating "drug terrorism" is absurd. The editorial reviewed the bad consequences of the United States' multiple military interventions in the internal affairs of other countries in history: it took 20 years to fail to establish a stable government in Afghanistan, overthrowing the Libyan regime led to the country's division, the trauma of the 2003 Iraq War has not yet healed, and Latin American countries such as Chile and Cuba have also fallen into turmoil due to U.S. intervention, warning that this action may repeat the same mistakes.
"This action has political and economic motives and poses a serious threat to regional stability"
The United States has long regarded Latin America as its own "backyard" and interfered in Latin American internal affairs in various names. In 1823, then-U.S. President Monroe (门罗) proposed the "Monroe Doctrine," warning European powers not to intervene in American affairs. In 1983, under U.S. intervention, an internal coup occurred in Grenada, and officials including Prime Minister Bishop (毕晓普) were killed. In the 1980s, the United States also supported the Nicaraguan anti-government armed forces against the Nicaraguan left-wing Sandinista government until the Sandinista government lost in the 1990 presidential election. During Trump's (特朗普) second term, the "Monroe Doctrine" made a high-profile return to the core of U.S. foreign policy. Trump (特朗普) said on the 3rd that his government has "greatly surpassed" the "Monroe Doctrine," and the United States will never forget the "Monroe Doctrine" and will "dominate" the Western Hemisphere for a long time.
The U.S. military action has triggered strong protests from countries in the region. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 3rd saying that President Lula (卢拉) reiterated his previous position, condemning the U.S. attack on Venezuela and the forced control of Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife. The Brazilian ruling Workers' Party issued a statement on the same day saying that the actions taken by the United States against Venezuela can be characterized as the "kidnapping" of Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife. "This action has political and economic motives and poses a serious threat to regional stability," and "constitutes the most serious act of aggression suffered by South America in the 21st century."
On the 3rd, people from all walks of life in Cuba held a rally in Anti-Imperialist Square (反帝广场) in front of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, strongly condemning the U.S. military invasion of Venezuela. First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and Cuban President Díaz-Canel (迪亚斯—卡内尔) severely condemned the "act of state terrorism" implemented by the United States against Venezuela at the rally, and demanded the immediate release of Venezuelan President Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife. He pointed out that the real intention of the United States is to seize Venezuela's oil, land and natural resources. Díaz-Canel (迪亚斯—卡内尔) said that the U.S. attack on Venezuela is a blatant violation of sovereign countries and an unacceptable destruction of international law.
The Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 3rd saying that Uruguay is seriously concerned about the events in Venezuela, including the U.S. airstrikes on Venezuelan military facilities and civilian infrastructure, condemning military intervention in other countries' territories, and reiterating that all countries should respect international law and the United Nations Charter.
The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the rotating presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (拉共体), issued a statement condemning the recent armed actions taken against Venezuela's territorial integrity and political autonomy. The statement pointed out that Colombia reaffirms its firm commitment to regional peace and security, national sovereignty, and the principles of the United Nations Charter, in particular the principles of prohibiting the use of force and peaceful settlement of disputes. As a zone of peace, the historical experience of the Latin American region shows that no dispute can be legally resolved through unilateral actions.
Angie Rodríguez (安吉·罗德里格斯), Director of the Office of the President of Colombia, announced on the evening of the 3rd that Colombia requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the 5th and proposed a special meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States to address the impact of changes in the Venezuelan situation on regional stability. Rodríguez (罗德里格斯) said that Colombia has activated a yellow alert for the medical system in the border area bordering Venezuela. The Colombian government ordered the strengthening of humanitarian measures and deployed 30,000 soldiers on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, announcing that the armed forces have entered a state of first-level combat readiness to deal with possible escalation of the situation.
"The U.S. action constitutes a dangerous precedent and violates international law"
United Nations Secretary-General Guterres (古特雷斯) issued a statement through his spokesperson, expressing deep shock at the escalation of the situation in Venezuela, pointing out that "the U.S. action constitutes a dangerous precedent and violates international law." He called on all parties to engage in inclusive dialogue and respect human rights and the rule of law. At the official request of Venezuela, the United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting at 10:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on January 5 to discuss the military action. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Türk (蒂尔克) urged all parties to exercise restraint, emphasizing that "protecting the Venezuelan people is the top priority."
The African Union issued a statement on the 3rd saying that the AU is following the situation in Venezuela and is deeply concerned about the recent events in the country. Venezuela's internal problems can only be properly resolved through political dialogue by the Venezuelan people, and called on all parties to respect international law.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a message on social media on the 3rd saying that Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov (拉夫罗夫) spoke with Belarusian Foreign Minister Aleinik (列任科夫) on the same day, and the two sides unanimously strongly condemned the U.S. aggression against Venezuela, emphasizing that Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife must be released immediately and allowed to return to their homeland. The two foreign ministers also said that conditions must be created as soon as possible to resolve the Venezuelan issue through dialogue in accordance with international law.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (朝中社) on the 4th, a spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on the same day that the seriousness of the current situation in Venezuela is entirely caused by the United States' use of power, which will make the already fragile regional situation even more unstable. The spokesperson said that the incident once again clearly proves the barbaric actions of the United States.
French Foreign Minister Barrot (巴罗) posted on social media on the 3rd that the military action to forcibly control Venezuelan President Maduro (马杜罗) violates the principle of non-use of force on which international law is based. Barrot (巴罗) emphasized that no lasting political solution can be imposed from the outside, and only sovereign people have the right to decide their future. France reiterates its adherence to the United Nations Charter, which will continue to guide international action by all countries at any time and in any place.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Eide (艾德) said in an interview with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation on the 3rd that international law is universal and binding, and the U.S. intervention in Venezuela "does not comply with international law." Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen (拉斯穆森) said in an interview with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation on the 3rd that respect for international rules must be maintained and international law should be observed. He emphasized that the international community should "return to the track of easing the situation and promoting dialogue."

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U.S. Actions Seriously Undermine Regional Peace, Stability, and Development (Commentary)

By: 王友明

At the beginning of the new year, the United States brazenly launched a large-scale military operation against Venezuela's homeland and forcibly controlled the president of a sovereign country, causing international public opinion to be in an uproar and shock. The main intentions of the United States in this action include: first, to achieve a change of regime in Venezuela; second, to control Venezuela's rich oil, natural gas, and mineral resources; and third, to use Venezuela as a target to consolidate and expand the United States' "dominance in the Western Hemisphere."

Not long ago, the United States released a new version of the National Security Strategy Report, which takes "America First" as its principle and attempts to strengthen and consolidate the United States' absolute dominance in Latin America. In this context, the left-wing ruling Maduro regime and the new American version of the "Monroe Doctrine" have produced the greatest conflict of interest. Donald Trump (特朗普) tried to overthrow the Maduro government during his first term as president. After taking office again, Trump authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (中央情报局) to conduct "covert operations" in Venezuela and carried out large-scale military deployments and operations in the Caribbean Sea under the pretext of combating "drug terrorism." The Trump administration also continuously sanctioned Maduro's family and followers, prohibiting oil tankers from entering and leaving Venezuela and conducting maritime interceptions. As Venezuelan National Assembly (议会) President Rodriguez (罗德里格斯) said, the so-called American "anti-drug" operation is a political excuse, and its real purpose is to plunder Venezuela's oil resources.

The U.S. action clearly violates international law and the basic norms of international relations, violates the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations (联合国宪章), and seriously undermines peace, stability, and development in the Latin American region. The American invasion is making everyone increasingly see the fact that the so-called "rules-based international order" in the United States is actually just a "plundering order based on American interests."

(The author is a researcher at the World Peace and Security Research Institute of the China Institute of International Studies (中国国际问题研究院).)

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South Africa Strives to Boost Tourism Appeal

By: 本报记者 邹 松

Since 2025, South Africa's tourism industry has shown a rapid growth trend. Data released by the South African Department of Tourism shows that from January to August 2025, the country received 6.79 million international tourists, an increase of 15.8% year-on-year. With the G20 summit and the arrival of the New Year holidays, South Africa's tourism industry has achieved new development. From the coastal scenery of the Cape of Good Hope (好望角), the city view overlooking from the top of Table Mountain (桌山), to the unique experience of wineries and the wildlife of Kruger National Park (克鲁格国家公园), diverse landscapes jointly constitute the core attraction of South African tourism.

The tourism industry is one of the pillar industries of the South African economy. According to the Statistics South Africa, the tourism industry contributes about 9% of South Africa's GDP and creates about 1.5 million jobs. In order to reform the previously relatively cumbersome visa application process, in February 2025, the South African Department of Home Affairs launched a new generation of e-visa system, which allows visa applications to be declared online and quickly approved. For key emerging markets such as China and India, South Africa has specially launched the "Trusted Tourism Operator Program" to shorten the visa processing cycle through qualification certification. In July, the South African Department of Home Affairs introduced a new policy to open a special online visa channel for participants in large-scale cultural and sports events and international exhibitions, a series of measures that greatly facilitate international tourists to travel to South Africa.

The South African government is also working to expand its aviation network. According to the Western Cape Investment and Trade Promotion Agency, the province's leading "Cape Town Air Access Strategy" has achieved remarkable results. At present, the number of international airlines operating at Cape Town International Airport has increased from 17 ten years ago to 24 today, and the annual frequency of inbound flights has increased from about 5,000 to more than 9,000. At the same time, the province is promoting the construction of the "Cape Winelands Airport" with an investment of about 8 billion Rand (1 yuan is about 2.35 Rand). After the completion of the first phase of the project, it will divert traffic from Cape Town International Airport and further improve the regional aviation network. In addition, the convention and exhibition economy has become an important growth highlight of South Africa's tourism industry. In 2025, as the G20 rotating presidency country, a series of high-profile events brought a large number of business needs to local hotels, catering, convention and exhibition industries. In order to improve the quality of convention and exhibition tourism, South Africa continues to upgrade its convention and exhibition infrastructure, introduce special links such as fireside chats and cultural experiences, and promote the integration of convention and exhibition and tourism industries.

However, in the process of rapid development, South Africa's tourism industry still faces some challenges. Including the public security issue that has attracted much attention from international tourists, which has been listed by the South African government as one of the priorities for improving the tourism environment. The South African government has added 40 full-time tourism safety supervisors in popular scenic spots such as Table Mountain (桌山) and the Cape of Good Hope (好望角), developed a one-click help APP for tourists, and built a remote court video system, etc., which are aimed at reducing the safety risks of tourists. In the face of infrastructure bottlenecks such as traffic congestion and insufficient parking lots during the peak tourist season, the tourism department, in conjunction with local governments, launched the "Scenic Spot Quality Improvement Project" in the core tourist areas such as Cape Town (开普敦) and Johannesburg (约翰内斯堡), through a combination of financial subsidies and social capital participation, to expand parking lots, optimize traffic diversion plans, and pilot temporary shuttle bus lines during peak seasons, effectively alleviating passenger flow pressure.

China is a key source market for South Africa's tourism industry, and tourism cooperation between the two countries has been steadily advancing in recent years. In order to further expand the Chinese market, South Africa is actively promoting the resumption of direct flights from Johannesburg (约翰内斯堡) to Beijing (北京), and plans to increase the frequency of flights to cities such as Guangzhou (广州) and Shanghai (上海); at the same time, it will increase the promotion of characteristic tourism projects, entrust Chinese institutions in South Africa to train multiple batches of Chinese-speaking tour guides, and continuously improve the service accuracy for Chinese tourists. "Tourism is not only an economic growth point, but also an important force for promoting cultural exchanges and protecting natural and cultural heritage." South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille (帕特里夏·德利莱) said that with the continuous empowerment of policies, South Africa's tourism environment is constantly being optimized, and the deepening of tourism cooperation between South Africa and China will also inject new vitality into promoting exchanges between the two sides in all aspects.

(Reported from Johannesburg (约翰内斯堡) on January 4 by Dong Jiayi (董嘉怡), an intern)

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Indian Agricultural Development Faces Multiple Challenges

By: 本报记者 李 墨

Recently, many parts of India have experienced extreme heavy rainfall, leading to floods that have affected agricultural production. Large areas of mature soybeans, cotton, rice, and other crops have been damaged, with particularly severe flooding in agricultural powerhouses such as Punjab (旁遮普邦) and Rajasthan (拉贾斯坦邦). According to Indian media reports, rainfall in the country in September 2025 was 15% higher than the average for the same period in previous years, with some areas exceeding the standard by 115%. Economist Kapoor of Mumbai's "Elara Securities" predicts that due to reduced crop yields, India's agricultural growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2025 will fall to 3% to 3.5%, far lower than the 6.6% in the same period of 2024.

Agriculture occupies an important position in the Indian economy, but it has long suffered from structural contradictions such as uneven development and low efficiency. The "Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation 2025" report released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that approximately 43.5% of India's population of over 1.4 billion depend on agriculture for a living, but agricultural output accounts for only 16% of the country's gross domestic product, and the increase in agricultural income in recent years has been less than 1/3 of non-agricultural income. Although India has over 170 million hectares of arable land, according to national sample survey statistics, small and marginal farmers account for 86% of the agricultural population, and their arable land area is less than 2 hectares, accounting for 47% of the total arable land. Joshi, Director of the South Asia Office of the International Food Policy Research Institute, believes that price fluctuations, climate risks, and debt problems have always plagued Indian agriculture, and the current situation of land fragmentation and small-scale operations makes the vast number of small farmers more vulnerable to risk shocks, making it difficult to improve their production and living standards.

In order to boost the agricultural economy and increase farmers' income, the Indian government has taken a series of stimulus and support measures. The Reserve Bank of India requires banks to allocate 40% of their net bank credit to priority sectors, of which 18% is specifically for agricultural credit, to help farmers obtain funds and alleviate high debt pressure. However, in practice, due to the lack of sufficient collateral and cumbersome loan procedures, a large number of small and marginal farmers find it difficult to obtain formal credit. The OECD report shows that only 41% of small and marginal farmers can obtain bank credit, and approximately 30% of agricultural loans still come from informal channels such as usury. At the same time, not all agricultural credit is used for agricultural production. Al Jazeera reported that due to the lack of a social security system, some Indian farmers use formal credit for other basic living expenses even if they obtain it.

The Indian government also sets a minimum support price for some agricultural products each year based on the average production cost, and state governments can provide additional subsidies, while also providing subsidies for agricultural production electricity, irrigation, and fertilizer supply, but the actual effectiveness of these policies is often questioned. The OECD report points out that the minimum support price is only implemented in a few states and mainly covers products such as wheat, rice, and cotton. In addition, the problem of misappropriation of agricultural subsidies is prominent. An analysis of the 2023-2024 fiscal year budget by an Indian environmental organization shows that most of the funds allocated to agricultural infrastructure in that year were diverted to other projects.

Sanjay Kumar, Chairman of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board of India, said that the challenges facing Indian agriculture are complex and comprehensive, requiring a multi-pronged approach. On the one hand, technical support is needed, and on the other hand, efforts must be made to solve a series of key issues such as land fragmentation, pest and disease control, soil and water resource management, and the construction of storage and transportation facilities, in order to effectively enhance agricultural resilience and protect farmers' rights and national economic stability.

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Argentina says it is willing to restart negotiations with Britain to resolve the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute

According to Xinhua News Agency, Buenos Aires, January 3 (Reporters Zhang Duo (张铎) and Wang Zhongyi (王钟毅)) - The Argentine Foreign Ministry issued a statement on January 3, saying that it is willing to restart negotiations with the United Kingdom on the sovereignty issue of the Malvinas Islands (British name: Falkland Islands) and disputed areas, in order to peacefully resolve this sovereignty dispute.

The statement said that on January 3, 1833, British troops occupied the Malvinas Islands and expelled the legitimate Argentine government and residents from the area, infringing on Argentina's territorial integrity, which was a violation of international law.

On the 193rd anniversary of the occupation of the Malvinas Islands, the Argentine Foreign Ministry reaffirmed the country's legitimate and inalienable sovereign rights over the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia Islands, South Sandwich Islands and their surrounding waters, and expressed its willingness to resume bilateral negotiations with the United Kingdom to seek a peaceful resolution to this sovereignty dispute.

Argentina and the United Kingdom have always had a dispute over the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands. In 1965, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 2065, recognizing that there was a sovereignty dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina. In April 1982, Argentina and Britain broke out in war over the issue of sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands.

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Switzerland Holds Memorial Service for Victims of Valais Fire

Xinhua News Agency, Geneva, January 4th (Reporter Wang Qibing (王其冰)) A memorial service was held on the 4th in Crans-Montana (克朗—蒙大拿镇), Valais (瓦莱州), Switzerland, to mourn the victims of the Valais fire, and to express condolences to the families of the victims and all affected people.

Frédéric Favre (弗雷德里克·吉斯勒), a member of the Valais parliament and head of the cantonal police, Béatrice Pilloud (贝亚特丽丝·皮尤), the cantonal prosecutor, the Italian ambassador to Switzerland, and about 300 local residents attended the memorial service held in the church. Many more people gathered in front of the church to watch the ceremony from outside.

According to Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (瑞士广播电视台) reports, after the ceremony, people went from the church to the site of the fire to pay their respects. Many young people offered flowers and stuffed animals, and wrote obituaries in the condolence book.

A serious fire broke out in the "Le Constellation" bar in Crans-Montana (克朗—蒙大拿镇) in the early hours of January 1, resulting in 40 deaths and 119 injuries. The identities of 24 of the 40 victims have been confirmed. Local prosecutors said that all indications are that the fire was caused by sparklers placed on champagne bottles. After the fire, local residents generally questioned the bar's fire safety measures. Currently, the Swiss prosecutor's office has launched a criminal investigation.

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Editor in Charge for This Edition: Zhang Mengxu, Yue Linwei, Liu Gang

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Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) Strives to be a Leader in High-Quality Development and Building a Common Prosperity Demonstration Zone

The year 2025 is an important year for Zhejiang Province to make significant and substantial progress in building a demonstration zone for high-quality development and common prosperity. As a strong district in Zhejiang Province for the digital economy and high-quality manufacturing development, Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) takes innovation as its wings, people's livelihood as its foundation, and culture as its core. It strives to be a pioneer in the journey of building a demonstration zone for high-quality development and common prosperity in Zhejiang Province, unfolding a modern picture of harmonious coexistence of "industry, city, and people."

Achieving Industrial Leap
Consolidating the Material Foundation for Common Prosperity
Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) adheres to the dual-wheel drive of technological innovation and industrial upgrading, constructs a modern industrial system, and consolidates the material foundation for achieving common prosperity. The entire district systematically lays out plans to consolidate and expand advantageous industries such as artificial intelligence and visual intelligence, accelerates the development of emerging industries such as embodied intelligent robots and integrated circuits, proactively cultivates future industries such as quantum technology and the low-altitude economy, and deploys five key tasks such as "strengthening the foundation for technological innovation" and "gathering momentum for industrial cluster leap," creating a full-chain support system from technological breakthroughs to industrial ecology, and cultivating and developing new quality productive forces.

The construction of an artificial intelligence industry innovation highland is accelerating comprehensively. Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) has established artificial intelligence as the main direction for developing new quality productive forces, systematically deployed the artificial intelligence industry, and held the Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) Artificial Intelligence Industry Innovation Highland Construction Promotion Conference at a high level. It also released supporting special support policies for the integration of "data-computing power-model," arranging a maximum of 100 million yuan of "computing power coupons" and 50 million yuan of "corpus coupons" each year, and providing subsidies of up to 60% and a maximum of 20 million yuan for the use of corporate data infrastructure and the construction of model open-source ecosystems, effectively reducing corporate innovation costs. In 2024, the revenue of the core artificial intelligence industry in the district exceeded 200 billion yuan, accounting for more than 40% of Hangzhou (杭州), forming a complete ecological chain from technological breakthroughs to application scenarios.

The results of the future industry incubation area are accelerating. The International Zero-Magnetic Science Valley, as the main carrier of innovation in Hangzhou Jiangnan Science City (杭州江南科学城), is being promoted according to the plan of "opening up the framework in 2 years, basically taking shape in 3 years, initially showing scale in 5 years, and overall completion in 9 years," constructing an innovation ecosystem around large scientific installations. The zero-magnetic medical equipment production base has achieved "construction starting in less than 60 days after land acquisition" and adopts a "phased construction, early use" mechanism to accelerate the scaled production of technology. Projects such as the Pule Industrial West Side plot are being promoted simultaneously to create an internationally leading chip-based quantum sensor research and development platform. According to the plan, by 2028, the International Zero-Magnetic Science Valley will gather no less than 5 innovation platforms and over 1,000 talents, and cultivate more than 10 future industry projects, laying a solid foundation for building a trillion-yuan industry.

The talent introduction and cultivation mechanism continues to improve. Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) adheres to the combination of talent strategy and industrial development, explores a "university + platform + enterprise + industrial chain" paired cooperation mechanism, iteratively upgrades the "5050 policy" for talent entrepreneurship support, and introduces the "1+5+20" talent new policy and the "Paradise Silicon Valley" classified talent catalog, stimulating the initiative of enterprises to attract and cultivate talents, and providing talent support for industrial innovation.

Regional coordination broadens development space. Accelerate the construction of the Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) Fuyang Special Cooperation Zone (滨江富阳特别合作区) (referred to as "Binjiang-Fuyang Special Cooperation Zone") and the Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) Xiaoshan Special Cooperation Zone (滨江萧山特别合作区) (referred to as "Binjiang-Xiaoshan Special Cooperation Zone"), create an advanced industrial cluster ecology of "integrated circuits" in the Binjiang-Fuyang Special Cooperation Zone and "visual intelligence" in the Binjiang-Xiaoshan Special Cooperation Zone, and continue to deepen the "mountain-sea cooperation" with Taishun County (泰顺县) in Wenzhou City (温州市), promoting coordinated regional development and synergistic industrial progress.

Focusing on People's Livelihood and Well-being
Supporting the Happy Life of "the Elderly, the Young, and the Youth"
Promoting common prosperity and promoting the comprehensive development of people are highly unified. Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) takes "high-precision service" and "full-cycle humanistic care" as its guide, focuses on solving the "key small matters" of people's livelihood such as renting, elderly care, marriage and love, and medical care, and constructs a development paradigm of deep integration of industry, city, and humanities.

In terms of caring for "the elderly," innovative and diversified elderly care services are launched. The "Silver Age E-sports Team" enriches the digital life of the elderly, the "Elderly Day Care Class" provides doorstep care services, and the "Multi-Generational Building" new residential model promotes intergenerational integration, creating a neighborhood mutual assistance home-based elderly care model. A series of warm and powerful innovative measures support the "beautiful morning and evening" of the elderly.

In terms of serving "the young," efforts are made to create a high-quality education ecosystem. The nation's first special education smart line "Yunzai Special Line" that allows parents to accompany their children to and from school has been built, the "convenient enrollment" service covers 11 primary and secondary schools and 19 kindergartens, and 14 digital education projects have been selected as national smart education excellent cases. Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) attracts and retains talents with high-quality educational resources, injecting educational momentum into regional development.

In response to the needs of young people, the "Twenty Articles for Youth Development" policy has been integrated and launched, forming a policy "combination punch" around employment and entrepreneurship, talent cultivation, housing security, and cultural and sports life. Focusing on the five major directions of innovation, housing, health, marriage and love, and childcare, the top ten youth practical projects of the year are clarified, providing policy dividends such as free accommodation for up to 7 days and entrepreneurial support of up to 30 million yuan, promoting the deep integration of industrial development, urban construction, and youth needs, and realizing the common growth of youth and the city.

Promoting Cultural Empowerment
Constructing Diverse Scenarios for Spiritual Common Prosperity
Above material wealth, spiritual enrichment is even more needed. Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) takes cultural integration as the main line, constructs a "1+2+N" development framework, implements 40 policies for "Cultural Binjiang," builds a "15-minute quality cultural life circle," promotes the integration of cultural genes into the urban fabric, and depicts a new picture of spiritual common prosperity.

Adhere to the development path of "culture + technology" integration. Since being approved as the first batch of national animation industry bases in 2004, the entire district has continued to promote the vigorous development of digital content industries such as animation, games, film and television, and design. Enterprises in the district have achieved breakthroughs in areas such as computing power technology, AI games, and animation rendering, and many technologies and products are at the leading level in the industry, forming a development pattern of mutual empowerment between culture and technology.

The cultural "new three items" have achieved remarkable results in going overseas. The TV series "Cang Hai Zhuan" deeply integrates intangible cultural heritage elements such as mortise and tenon joints and Kunqu Opera, and has landed in 190 countries and regions, topping the charts in 23 overseas countries. The game "Yan Yun Sixteen Voices" restores Chinese martial arts and intangible cultural heritage skills. The overseas version has exceeded 15 million players on the first day of its launch and has topped the global best-selling list of the Steam game platform. These works achieve the leap of Chinese culture from "going out" to "going in" through technological empowerment and emotional resonance, demonstrating the strength of "Binjiang Creation" in global cultural narratives.

The public cultural service system continues to improve. Binhe Community (滨和社区) in Xixing Street (西兴街道) focuses on the needs of young talents and creates a cultural atmosphere of "activities every day and themes every week." Activity brands such as "Bin Tang Festival" and "Danren Sports Month" are widely praised. Caihong Community (彩虹社区) in Puyang Street (浦沿街道) scientifically lays out diverse scenarios such as cultural homes, civilization practice stations, elderly canteens, and infant growth stations to accurately match the needs of residents of all ages.

The deep integration of cultural tourism and urban development. Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center (杭州奥体中心) scenic spot promotes the integrated development of "cultural tourism, sports, and commerce," focusing on the revitalization of Asian Games heritage, cultural tourism innovation, and national fitness, creating a comprehensive scenic spot integrating sports competitions, cultural performances, shopping, and entertainment, realizing a successful transformation from an international sports venue to a city vitality center. Binjiang Xingguang Avenue (滨江星光大道) was transformed into a "Future Garden Party" during the 14th Hangzhou Contemporary Drama Season, and cross-border bands, mime shadow puppets, and intangible cultural heritage rolling lights enriched the urban living space. Brand activities such as "Sakura Run" with "Binbin" and the China International Cartoon & Animation Festival continue to be held, further enriching the cultural tourism industry and providing citizens and tourists with high-quality cultural tourism experiences.

Standing at a new starting point, Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) will continue to promote the in-depth and solid implementation of the "Double Eight Strategy" (八八战略 (bā bā zhànlüè - "Eight-Eight Strategy," a comprehensive development strategy for Zhejiang Province)), "build Paradise Silicon Valley and create Silicon Valley Paradise" at a high level, move forward courageously towards the goal of building a world-leading science and technology park, and add color to Zhejiang Province's high-quality development and construction of a common prosperity demonstration zone with the attitude of a pioneer.

Data source: Publicity Department of the CPC Hangzhou Binjiang District Committee (中共杭州市滨江区委宣传部)

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Demonstrating the Global Significance of China's Poverty Reduction Theory and Practice

China has successfully won the battle against poverty, achieving the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda poverty reduction goal 10 years ahead of schedule, and creating a Chinese model for poverty reduction governance. President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "China can succeed, and other developing countries can also succeed. This is the global significance of China's successful fight against poverty."

In recent years, "Get Rid of Poverty" ("摆脱贫困") and "Excerpts on Poverty Alleviation by Xi Jinping" ("习近平扶贫论述摘编") have been translated into more than 10 foreign languages and placed on the desks of many foreign readers. Many countries have drawn on the wisdom of poverty reduction from these two works and integrated China's poverty reduction experience into their own poverty reduction practices.

"Practice has shattered the myth that 'poverty is destiny'"
By Yan Huan (颜欢), reporter of this newspaper

"A true leader is most concerned about how to enable members of society to live a more dignified life." Antonio Segura, Vice President of the Spanish China Classroom Foundation and human rights expert, initially opened the two books "Get Rid of Poverty" and "Excerpts on Poverty Alleviation by Xi Jinping" out of a question: How could China lift hundreds of millions of people out of extreme poverty in a few decades and create a miracle in the history of human poverty reduction?

In Segura's study and research, the answer gradually became clear: China's poverty reduction cause is by no means an overnight achievement, but a continuation and deepening of the ruling philosophy that has always been people-centered. In particular, since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党), China has deeply integrated poverty reduction concepts, practical experience, and institutional advantages to build a systematic, quantifiable, and precisely assessable poverty alleviation system. "Without the centralized and unified leadership of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党), such an unprecedented achievement in poverty alleviation would be impossible," Segura said.

This understanding comes both from the theoretical nourishment between the lines and from his field explorations in various parts of China. From Shibadong Village (十八洞村) in Xiangxi (湘西), Hunan (湖南), the first place to advocate "targeted poverty alleviation," to the Fujian (福建) tea industry base, which carries the imprint of poverty alleviation practices, Segura's research footprints have been left. In Shibadong Village (十八洞村), local cadres explained to him in detail the rigorous process of the "seven-step method" for identifying poor households—from the household head's application to the county-level approval, every link ensures that the poverty alleviation files are accurate to the household and the responsibility is assigned to the individual. It is clear who lacks technology and who needs a safety net; in Fujian (福建), he learned that President Xi Jinping (习近平) promoted the modernization of the traditional tea industry, transforming "local products" into "prosperity-generating industries" through organized operations, large-scale planting, and upgrading of the entire industrial chain, injecting lasting vitality into the local economy.

The observations during the journey have given Segura a more vivid understanding of China's poverty reduction logic: whether it is the changes in the mountain villages of Xiangxi (湘西) or the harvest in the tea gardens of Fujian (福建), the core password lies in "precision" and "long-term effectiveness"—based on local resource endowments, responding to the urgent needs of the masses, and cultivating endogenous power with continuous and stable public investment, rather than relying on short-term subsidies of "blood transfusion" assistance. "The theory in the book is not an abstract concept, but a concrete practice that allows every household to live a good life, so that every piece of land in China is pregnant with the hope of development," he sincerely exclaimed.

What also touched Segura was the enrichment and expansion of the connotation of human rights by China's poverty reduction practice. "By allowing people to live a decent life through poverty reduction, enjoy fair education, reliable medical care, safe housing, and have opportunities for upward development, this is the most basic and most prioritized human right," Segura said.

According to data from the United Nations Development Programme, China contributes more than 70% to global poverty reduction. In Segura's view, behind this figure is a structural change in the global development pattern, "China has used practice to break the myth that 'poverty is destiny'—as long as a country sincerely invests public resources in the most urgent needs of the people, there is no poverty that cannot be overcome."

"The core value of China's poverty reduction experience lies not in replicable models, but in the governance logic that can be learned from: accurately identifying the root causes of poverty, formulating plans according to local conditions, and continuously ensuring resource investment." Segura emphasized that studying China's poverty reduction is not to find a "standard answer," but to understand a new possibility: putting the well-being of the people at the core of policies and allowing development results to truly benefit everyone.

"The anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics is enlightening for any country, and it is also the most lacking and most urgently needed dimension of thinking in current global governance. Works such as 'Get Rid of Poverty' and 'Excerpts on Poverty Alleviation by Xi Jinping' have rich connotations and spiritual value, and are worth recommending to more readers to help people better understand China's targeted poverty alleviation strategy." Segura hopes that the world value of China's poverty reduction theory can be further explored, injecting stronger impetus into the global poverty reduction cause.

"Transitioning from 'blood transfusion relief' to 'hematopoietic development'"
By Li Qiang (李强), reporter of this newspaper

"China has made historic achievements in the field of poverty reduction." Madina Alimova, a researcher at the Senior International Institute of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Uzbekistan, said that China's poverty reduction experience is a successful example recognized by the international community and has been deeply integrated into Uzbekistan's policy design and governance system reshaping process. Uzbekistan has explored a unique "Uzbekistan model" in combination with its own national conditions.

In November 2023, the Uzbek version of "Get Rid of Poverty" was published and distributed. Uzbek President Mirziyoyev wrote in the preface to the Uzbek version of "Get Rid of Poverty," "The Real Chinese Miracle": "The first edition of the book was published in 1992, and it still has important guiding significance for national social governance more than 30 years later. Its rich connotation and spiritual value are still widely studied by economists, political scientists, and the general public." "The book vividly tells the arduous poverty alleviation road that China has traveled with vivid examples, deeply summarizes China's practical experience in poverty alleviation, and demonstrates the hardworking qualities of the Chinese people."

"China has helped 800 million people get rid of poverty in a few decades, achieving the poverty reduction goal in the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda 10 years ahead of schedule." Alimova said that Uzbekistan is promoting comprehensive socio-economic reforms, and poverty eradication is one of the core tasks. Uzbekistan faces realistic challenges such as unbalanced rural development, weak infrastructure, and a large number of low-income groups. President Xi Jinping's (习近平) thoughts and practices on getting rid of poverty are very worthy of reference and learning, and China's poverty reduction experience provides a path with great reference value.

Alimova said that Uzbekistan has implemented a series of poverty reduction plans in recent years, raising poverty reduction to the height of national policy. Through specific reform measures, the country has successfully lifted 7.5 million people out of poverty. As of December 2025, Uzbekistan's poverty rate has dropped to 6%, and it is expected to further drop to 4.5% in 2026. "The achievement of this result is inseparable from learning from China's poverty reduction experience," Alimova said.

"China's experience has taken root, blossomed, and borne fruit in Uzbekistan." Alimova cited the example of referring to the "cooperative + industrial chain" model in Fuping County (富平县), Shaanxi (陕西). The Uzbek government successfully attracted 10,000 households to develop characteristic planting industries on 20,000 hectares of forest land, forming a large-scale income-increasing industry; drawing on the "vocational education poverty alleviation" practice in Luoshan County (罗山县), Henan (河南), 28 free technical schools were opened in areas with deep poverty, and more than 2,300 students are currently receiving skills training at the school, laying the foundation for poverty alleviation.

"The application of China's experience in Uzbekistan is a successful example of the continuous mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in many fields." Alimova said that what China shares is not only valuable experience, but also mature practical tools and institutional design methods. Uzbekistan transforms them into sustainable development paths that conform to its own national conditions through localization innovation. This cooperation transcends the purely economic level and plays an important role in reshaping the local governance system, strengthening community development capabilities, and improving people's well-being.

"Uzbekistan-China poverty reduction cooperation presents a systematic and in-depth development trend." Alimova introduced that the two countries have built an all-round poverty reduction cooperation framework. Through the establishment of a poverty reduction cooperation sub-committee, the signing of cooperation memorandums between government departments, and the formulation of annual action plans, policy support has been consolidated for the steady advancement of cooperation projects. Previously, Uzbekistan has selected more than 200 local management personnel to go to China to systematically learn advanced experience in targeted poverty alleviation, industrial development, and social governance; Chinese experts have also visited Uzbekistan many times to conduct field research and provide targeted guidance for local poverty reduction projects, promoting experience sharing and practical implementation.

"China's experience has effectively promoted the transformation of poor areas in Uzbekistan from 'blood transfusion relief' to 'hematopoietic development', injecting impetus and vitality into sustainable poverty alleviation." Alimova said, "Uzbekistan-China cooperation fully demonstrates the great potential of mutual learning and mutual benefit between developing countries, and contributes a cooperative paradigm that can be promoted to the global poverty reduction cause."

"China attaches importance to closely linking development with poverty reduction"
By Shi Yuanhao (时元皓), reporter of this newspaper

"I have always enjoyed reading President Xi Jinping's (习近平) speeches and writings to understand how the leader of the world's second largest economy views the relationship between China and the world, and how to propose solutions to the problems facing China." Evandro Carvalho, professor at the Federal Fluminense University in Brazil and expert on international issues, told this reporter that for scholars who have long been engaged in Chinese studies, this is their way to understand China's national governance.

In November 2024, the Portuguese version of "Get Rid of Poverty" was first published in Brazil. As the translator of the Portuguese version of "Get Rid of Poverty," Carvalho is happy to share his experience in translating the book: "Translating this book was a good opportunity for me, providing me with a unique perspective, allowing me to understand how President Xi Jinping (习近平) dealt with the common poverty problems faced by developing countries when he was in charge of Ningde (宁德), Fujian (福建). This translation was a fascinating experience, and I gained many inspirations from it."

"What impressed me most is that the book regards the construction of spiritual civilization as an important part of implementing the poverty alleviation strategy." Carvalho said that President Xi Jinping (习近平) followed China's tradition of analyzing problems from a systematic perspective and profoundly explained the connection between poverty eradication and the construction of spiritual civilization. "The book mentions that 'true socialism cannot only be understood as the high development of productive forces, but also must have a highly developed spiritual civilization.' I realized that poverty includes material aspects and spiritual aspects. If a country wants to achieve development, it must achieve common progress in both dimensions. In this regard, many countries still have a lot of room for improvement."

Carvalho has visited China many times, went deep into many places to understand poverty alleviation practices, and personally felt relevant concepts such as "targeted poverty alleviation" and "industrial poverty alleviation." "The article "Realistic Choices for Formulating and Implementing Industrial Policies" mentions: We must base ourselves on regional advantages and scientifically choose leading industries. I think it is very reasonable. Each region has its own particularities. When planning the socio-economic development of the Ningde (宁德) region, President Xi Jinping (习近平) fully considered the local geographical reality and natural conditions." Carvalho believes that these poverty alleviation concepts have played an important role in China's victory in the battle against poverty.

"'Get Rid of Poverty' is aimed at all readers who want to understand China's governance model, especially those who want to learn from China's practice how to get rid of poverty. This is an inspiring book, containing rich Chinese wisdom." Carvalho said that he received feedback from many Brazilian readers who felt surprised to read this book. Many readers believe that some of the views in the book contain rich ideological connotations. For example, the "dilution of the 'poor county' consciousness" mentioned in the book inspires people to change their attitude towards poverty and overcome the mentality of poverty.

When talking about the enlightenment of China's poverty governance for countries such as Brazil, Carvalho said: "China attaches importance to closely linking development with poverty reduction and strives to improve people's well-being. China's experience shows that the state must take the initiative to provide the poor with perfect infrastructure, so that they have better conditions for education and employment, and better enjoy public services such as medical care. In this regard, China is a model for all countries in the world, especially the vast number of developing countries."

"The Communist Party of China (中国共产党) has always adhered to the principle of serving the people wholeheartedly and governing for the people, and has completed the arduous task of eliminating absolute poverty. This achievement has had a positive impact on the global economy and is a historic event for China and even the world." Carvalho said that China's national governance is an important part of global governance. China has become a promoter of new global initiatives and new development trends and is making greater contributions to global governance. "China's experience is worth studying and learning from by all countries and applying it to their own development practices in combination with their own realities."

"The characteristic of China's poverty alleviation practice lies in precision"
By Zou Song (邹松), reporter of this newspaper

"Poverty poses a huge threat to human survival and development, and governments and international organizations must take active actions to address this challenge. The United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda lists poverty eradication as the primary goal. When most other developing countries are still working towards this goal, China completed the comprehensive poverty eradication task in 2020, achieving this goal 10 years ahead of schedule." Samuel Kofi Darkwah, a researcher at the Institute of Economic Affairs in Ghana, wrote this in a commentary entitled "Learning from China's Targeted Poverty Alleviation Model: Implications for Ghana and Africa."

Darkwah's research on China's poverty reduction practice has a long history. "I am eager to explore the uniqueness of China's poverty reduction." He said that for this reason, he has written many articles on the Chinese poverty reduction measures mentioned in "Get Rid of Poverty" and "Excerpts on Poverty Alleviation by Xi Jinping." In his view, these two works comprehensively elaborate on China's strategic framework for targeted poverty alleviation and provide action guidelines that combine theoretical norms and practical norms.

"The characteristic of China's poverty alleviation practice lies in precision." Darkwah said that China has abandoned the cognitive model of generalizing poverty, requiring accurate identification of the number of poor people, accurate identification of the root causes of poverty, clear assistance needs, and clear expected results, building a scientific, accurate, people-oriented, and household-specific poverty governance system, so that every poor family can receive customized assistance programs, and there are full-time cadres to follow up on implementation to ensure implementation and effectiveness. "This is 'precision drip irrigation' poverty alleviation, rather than extensive and general poverty alleviation. This poverty alleviation method is especially worth learning from in Ghana."

Darkwah especially appreciates China's precise approach to selecting poverty alleviation cadres. He said that China has sent first secretaries and resident cadres to each village, clarifying their job responsibilities, task deadlines, and establishing an accountability mechanism to ensure that grassroots poverty alleviation work is led by competent personnel. He believes that Ghana can rely on the local government system and use district councils and other institutions that are more closely connected with grassroots people to promote relevant work.

"Although China's poverty reduction model has distinct local characteristics, many of its measures, such as the implementation of targeted poverty alleviation projects, improving resource allocation efficiency, long-term tracking and evaluation, and promoting broad participation, still have broad reference value." Darkwah said, "In the field research, I really felt that China adheres to the people-oriented approach, and significantly improves the effectiveness of poverty alleviation work by determining the causes of poverty, understanding the needs of poor households, and tailoring assistance measures." He believes that African countries, including Ghana, can learn from China in specific practices, such as piloting the establishment of a household registration system for the poor in the poorest areas and implementing targeted interventions; carrying out skills training and optimizing resource allocation.

Under Darkwah's promotion, in recent years, the Ghana Institute of Economic Affairs has drawn on China's targeted poverty alleviation model to carry out agricultural support pilot projects and urban poverty alleviation research in three local communities. "Through precise identification, customized projects, and efficient allocation of resources, China's poverty alleviation model provides an action plan for changing the lives of Africa's most vulnerable groups. With China's help, these projects help African countries understand the strategies behind China's significant progress and explore how to apply these experiences to their own economic and social development." Darkwah said.
"China's poverty reduction is not only a great achievement in China's development, but also promotes the development of global poverty reduction," said Dake Wa (达克瓦). Poverty reduction is an important area for deepening cooperation among countries in the Global South. Developing countries such as Africa can carry out joint training with China, exchange poverty alleviation experiences, help African countries achieve industrialization and agricultural modernization, and create a better and happier future for the African people.

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This section edited by: Hou Lulu, Han Shuo

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Stronger Policies to Revitalize Private Investment (New Year's Reflections on "New": Five Private Entrepreneurs and Financial Professionals Discuss Private Investment)

Private investment is an important pillar for stabilizing growth, adjusting structure, and promoting employment. In 2025, various regions and departments will implement more proactive and effective macro policies, deliver policy dividends to business entities in a tangible way, continue to stimulate private investment vitality, and promote the development of the private economy towards new and better directions.

In 2026, what new expectations do private enterprises have for national policies? How can macro policies better support private enterprises in expanding investment? Our reporter interviewed private entrepreneurs and people in the financial sector, discussing plans, expressing wishes, and gathering development momentum for the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan."

——Editor

Sun Xiaoming (孙晓明), Director of the Chongqing Regulatory Bureau of the National Financial Regulatory Administration (国家金融监督管理总局重庆监管局)
"One Enterprise, One Policy" Enhances the Confidence of Private Enterprises in Investment

During a survey in 2025, the transformation practice of a small and micro enterprise engaged in motorcycle exports deeply touched me. To adapt to changes in the external environment, the enterprise focused on expanding orders in the European and Central Asian markets, and the demand for funds to purchase raw materials and molds suddenly increased. Relying on the coordination mechanism to support the financing of small and micro enterprises, the Chongqing Branch of the Bank of China (中国银行重庆市分行) quickly learned about the enterprise's needs, took the initiative to visit, and quickly formed a comprehensive financial service plan based on the enterprise's order structure, repayment rhythm, and cross-border business characteristics. A loan of 4.8 million yuan was issued in just 5 working days from application to disbursement, and international settlement and hedging services were provided simultaneously.

The head of the enterprise told me that this fund effectively guaranteed the procurement of key components, supporting its stable production during the peak order period. A shipment to Kazakhstan was delivered 10 days ahead of schedule, and the customer was very happy and immediately placed a new order. With the support of "tailor-made" financing services, the company's sales in 2025 increased by more than 30% year-on-year. With full orders and strong policy support, the enterprise has more confidence and strength to expand production.

Timely and precise financing support is conducive to stabilizing expectations, enhancing confidence, and expanding investment for business entities. Improving the coordination mechanism is an important trick to improve the quality and efficiency of financial services. By combining bottom-up screening by towns and streets, top-down coordination by regulators, and parallel recommendations by banks, a "declaration list" and a "recommendation list" are formed to effectively identify the real financing needs of small and micro enterprises. At the same time, by improving policies such as duty-free and liability exemption, the enthusiasm of grassroots units to "dare to lend and be willing to lend" is better stimulated. As of the end of November 2025, relying on the coordination mechanism, the city has cumulatively visited and served 2.8032 million small and micro business entities, completed credit issuance of 768.189 billion yuan, the interest rate of newly issued loans has continued to decline, and credit loans and non-principal renewal loans have significantly enhanced the support for enterprises' capital turnover.

Standing at the new starting point of the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," we will further deepen and solidify the coordination mechanism to support the financing of small and micro enterprises, guide financial institutions to increase support for small and medium-sized micro enterprises, and help expand private investment and enhance development vitality. We will continue to improve the list push and tracking feedback mechanism, dynamically track changes in enterprise orders, operating conditions, and funding needs, and move the identification, docking, and implementation of financing needs to the most needed and critical links for enterprises, effectively enhance the sense of gain for enterprises, and better stabilize the expectations of business entities.

On this basis, focusing on the construction of a modern industrial system, we will further enhance the effectiveness of financial support for the development of key industrial chains. Relying on data collaboration and departmental synergy, we will strengthen the overall research and judgment on the operation of local advantageous industries and key industrial chains, and direct financial resources to the weak and critical links of the industrial chain. We will encourage financial institutions to develop financing products that meet the needs of private investment and actively support private investment projects. We will not only support chain-leading enterprises to stabilize and strengthen the chain, but also accurately support a large number of upstream and downstream small and micro enterprises, smooth the "capillaries" of the industrial chain, and enhance the overall resilience of the industrial system.

(Reported and compiled by Qu Xinming (屈信明), reporter of this newspaper)

Liu Yuansheng (刘元省), Vice President of Yunnan Lisheng Industry (Group) Co., Ltd. (云南理世实业（集团）有限责任公司)
Good Policies Encourage Us to Continue Investing

Looking back on 2025, the most gratifying thing is to see that the industrial ecosystem we built with potatoes as the core is more solid, and we also truly feel the great support of national policies for the development of the private economy.

The "first workshop" of Lisheng Group is rooted in the high-altitude terraced fields at an altitude of 2,000 meters. Through the "company + technology + base (cooperative) + farmer" model, large growers, cooperatives, and scattered farmers are organized. In the past year, we have not only strengthened our relationship with cooperatives and farmers, making varieties such as "Yunshu 304" (云薯304) a reliable source of income for farmers, but also promoted the market pace of the "Lumi La" (噜咪啦) brand to go further. Within the enterprise, we continue to invest in research and development, and the fresh-cut technology and freshness-locking technology are constantly upgraded. The new composite potato chip production line put into operation in 2025 has also injected new vitality into the group's development.

This steady progress cannot be separated from the nourishment of favorable policies. In the past year, we have enjoyed more than one million yuan in policy support such as additional deductions for research and development expenses and additional deductions for value-added tax in advanced manufacturing. These real money and silver burden reductions directly enhance our confidence in investing in technological innovation.

It is worth mentioning that we have set up a "mobile finance department" in the fields of the main potato producing areas, realizing seamless connection of the entire process of "harvesting is weighing, weighing is invoicing, and invoicing is payment," and the purchase quantity, unit price, amount, and tax payable of each variety are clear at a glance. Spot collection and settlement, on-site invoicing, and seeing the growers receive the payment with joy on their faces, we also feel warm in our hearts.

Looking forward to 2026, we will conduct in-depth mining and breadth expansion around the main business, continue to invest in improving the supply chain system, and further strengthen the construction of potato bases; increase resource investment, strengthen the "Lumi La" brand building and channel promotion, accelerate the expansion of a series of products based in Southwest China and facing the whole country, and at the same time continue to expand the volume of foreign trade business, so that this plateau potato can be fragrant further.

We will also accelerate the construction of supporting projects for extending the chain, supplementing the chain, and strengthening the chain. On the basis of the composite potato chips put into production in 2025, we will fully expand its market coverage and sales; supporting projects such as paper product intelligent manufacturing and logistics warehousing have also been put on the agenda, striving to be completed and put into operation in the first half of 2027, laying a solid foundation for the company to achieve high-quality development.

We firmly believe that by combining the momentum brought by policy support with our own development accumulation, and continuing to take root in the Wumeng Mountains (乌蒙山区), we will definitely make the small potato a "golden bean" and pave the "road to prosperity" for rural revitalization and industrial development.

(Reported and compiled by Wang Guan (王观), reporter of this newspaper)

Liu Airong (刘爱荣), General Manager of Changsha Jinlong Cable Technology Co., Ltd. (长沙金龙电缆科技有限公司)
Private Enterprises Should Dare to Invest and Know How to Invest

In 2025, we added more than 60 million yuan in investment, which is 3 times that of the previous year; the plan for 2026 is even more than 80 million yuan. Many colleagues asked me, in the current economic environment, why does Jinlong Cable (金龙电缆) dare to invest?

My answer is very straightforward: the key is to "find the track and see the direction clearly."

I have always firmly believed in a saying: "The end of computing power is electricity, and the end of electricity is cable." Whether it is the ultra-high voltage power grid deployed by the state or the recently popular "Artificial Intelligence +" action, it will ultimately rely on the cables in our hands to be implemented. We judge that the overall demand will not decrease but increase, but the requirements for products are different from the past.

Transformation is easier said than done. We first spent more than 20 million yuan to put in place a complete set of world-class testing equipment; and then formed a technical team of more than 30 people from China and abroad. The opportunity came quickly: an important customer entrusted us with the research and development of a new generation of wind turbine "high torsion resistance" aluminum alloy cable.

During that time, our laboratory was brightly lit. Selection, testing, scrapping, and then starting over... failed countless times. Finally, relying on our independently developed rare earth patented formula and new composite conductor structure, we managed to increase the torsion resistance of the cable by 8 times, and the cost was reduced by 60%! The product passed the world's most stringent full-condition 40,000 torsion verification, and jumped to the international advanced level in one fell swoop.

Dare to invest and know how to invest. For example, the humanoid robot is a very competitive field. Mature large factories have high supply chain barriers, and foreign high-end brands firmly occupy the market.

Therefore, we chose a path of "accompanying innovation" and grew together with those dynamic start-ups. The samples being tested in the laboratory now are jointly developed by us and several intelligent equipment and robot start-ups inside and outside the province. We accompany them to try and make mistakes, and they help us find real application scenarios. This is a two-way rush.

In 2026, our investment map will continue to expand: continue to build intelligent production lines for special cables, and lay out new quality productivity; improve a high-level simulation testing platform to consolidate the research and development foundation; we will also build the first overseas factory in the United Arab Emirates, just to be able to serve the infrastructure and energy projects of countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" faster and better.

This confidence comes half from our forward-looking judgment of the market, and the other half comes from the warm wind blowing from the policies.

Looking at the national strategy, the "dual carbon" goal, the new power system, new infrastructure... one action plan after another is densely implemented, pointing out the direction for us. Looking at Hunan's actions, in 2024, the "Hengyang-Changsha-Zhuzhou Ultra-High Voltage Power Transmission and Transformation Equipment Cluster" was approved as a national advanced manufacturing cluster, and the province also specially introduced a three-year cultivation and improvement plan.

People often lament that traditional industries are difficult to do. But I want to say: "There are no backward industries, only backward technologies." As long as the external environment is stable, the support policies are solid, and the market mechanism is active, our private enterprises will dare to invest, be willing to invest, and be able to invest!

(Reported and compiled by Sun Chao (孙超), reporter of this newspaper)

Yang Chen (杨晨), President of Shanghai Cathay Industrial Biotech Co., Ltd. (上海凯赛生物技术股份有限公司)
Only Increased Investment Can Win the Future

Since the company was established in Zhangjiang (张江), Shanghai (上海) in 2000, we have only focused on one thing: using synthetic biology technology to realize the replacement of traditional chemical materials with bio-based materials. As a technology-based enterprise, the healthy development of Cathay Industrial Biotech (凯赛生物) cannot be separated from stable research and development investment and long-term financial support. Only by continuously increasing investment can we win the future.

From venture capital in the early stage of entrepreneurship to government and loan funds after industrialization, the company's development and growth cannot be separated from the precise drip irrigation of funds. With the successful launch of a series of synthetic biological manufacturing new products such as long-chain dibasic acids, the company has successively received industrial investment funds and industrial supporting support from local governments. When we broke through the industrialization technology of pentamethylenediamine and bio-based polyamide and prepared to build a synthetic biology industrial park in Shanxi (山西), the demand for funds was even greater, and it was far from enough to rely solely on our own accumulation.

At this time, the track manager team specially formed by Bank of Communications (交通银行) deeply studied the development trend of the synthetic biology track, fully understood the company's technology route and industrialization process, and provided suggestions for our project financing. The full support of the government and financial institutions made us more confident. At the same time, we are also actively connecting with the capital market. With the joint efforts of all parties, Cathay Industrial Biotech (凯赛生物) was successfully listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (上海证券交易所科创板) in August 2020, raising approximately 5.5 billion yuan, and our investment layout and production scale have achieved leapfrog growth.

In 2025, we reached a strategic cooperation with China Merchants Group (招商局集团), which introduced an important strategic shareholder for the company and opened a door to a vast application market.

Private investment should dare to invest in the future, and expanding effective investment cannot be separated from the collaboration of industrial ecological partners and the government's forward-looking infrastructure support, so as to form a virtuous circle of "research and development - pilot test - industrialization and application." We hope that the government can guide the market to open up channels for the application of low-carbon new materials, consider using bio-based materials in government procurement and bidding for key projects, and give enterprises special policy support in carbon emission reduction certification and green electricity use.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal mentions "biological manufacturing" twice. In terms of research and development, the company will continue to optimize the high-throughput research and development platform to launch more new products. In terms of application, we will more vigorously promote the commercial application of bio-new materials in new energy, transportation and logistics, modern construction and other fields. In terms of production, we will continue to promote the construction and operation of production bases. We firmly believe that through the multi-party collaboration of government, enterprises and banks, China's biological manufacturing industry will definitely achieve high-quality development and contribute solid Chinese strength to the global low-carbon transition.

(Reported and compiled by Ge Mengchao (葛孟超), reporter of this newspaper)

Zeng Lifeng (曾丽凤), Head of the Inclusive Finance Studio of China Construction Bank Fujian Jinjiang Branch (建设银行福建晋江分行)
Serving Private Enterprises Requires Embroidery Skills

As one of the birthplaces of China's private economy, Jinjiang (晋江) has more than 110,000 private enterprises, accounting for more than 97% of local enterprises. These enterprises constitute Jinjiang's strong manufacturing industry cluster, including a shoe and clothing industry of more than 300 billion yuan, a textile industry of more than 100 billion yuan, and multiple food and building materials industry clusters of more than 50 billion yuan, which have the characteristics of large number, high density, and personalized financial needs.

In order to further improve the adaptability of financial services, we have created the province's first inclusive finance studio of China Construction Bank (建设银行), "Inclusive Finance Lifeng Studio" ("普惠金融丽凤工作室"). There are 3 people in our studio. Carrying out large-scale visits to thousands of enterprises and households, doing a good job in enterprise WeChat services, and providing financing docking, business guidance and policy guidance for small and micro enterprises and individual industrial and commercial households are all our daily work.

Jinjiang Xiangcheng New Material Technology Co., Ltd. (晋江祥诚新材料科技有限公司) is the one we connected with during the "large-scale visits to thousands of enterprises and households" activity. The company is mainly engaged in the research and development and production of new shoe and clothing material technologies. In order to expand production capacity, it purchased factory buildings and equipment, but what followed was the "growing pains": the purchase of assets occupied a large amount of working capital, and catching up with the stocking cycle in the fourth quarter made the company's daily operating funds stretched. Combining the company's long-term development potential and asset structure, we recommended "Factory Building Fast Loan" - using the company's factory building as collateral to revitalize the company's fixed assets, providing a medium- and long-term inclusive loan with a term of 10 years and an interest rate of 2.65%, and supporting non-principal renewal loans and borrowing and repayment at any time.

"Engaging in real industry is not a matter of one or two years. China Construction Bank (建设银行) provides us with long-term and stable financial support, which helps us stabilize large investments, so we can focus more on quality control and have more confidence to invest." As Lin Lili (林丽丽), the head of Jinjiang Xiangcheng New Material Technology Co., Ltd. (晋江祥诚新材料科技有限公司), said, the market is changing rapidly, and long-term and efficient financial security can help small and micro enterprises focus on development and win the future.

Efficient financial security is an "accelerator" for activating the vitality of private investment. In Jinjiang (晋江), the number of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises is huge, and factory buildings are their most important fixed assets and the easiest assets to be revitalized. "Factory Building Fast Loan" does not simply regard the factory building as collateral, but comprehensively evaluates it in combination with the company's production and operation status and technical strength, so that eligible companies can quickly revitalize fixed assets and allow more private enterprises to dare to invest, be able to invest, and invest with confidence.

In the past year, my team and I have traveled back and forth between network parks, business districts and communities every day, repeating daily tasks such as credit approval, post-loan visits, and renewal loan docking, providing inclusive financing of more than 1.2 billion yuan for more than 1,000 small and micro enterprises.

I firmly believe that every "small family" is full of enthusiasm, and China, this "big family," will be thriving. The team will carry forward the spirit of 爱拼才会赢 (ài pīn cái huì yíng - "only by striving can we win," a Hokkien saying emphasizing hard work and determination), continue to improve professionalism, practice the "embroidery skills" of inclusive finance, help more small and micro enterprises enjoy the dividends of inclusive finance, let more private investment projects enjoy the national policy dividends at the first time, and make our common "big family" more prosperous and developed.

(Reported and compiled by Wu Qiuyu (吴秋余), reporter of this newspaper)

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Where Does the Vitality of Private Investment Come From?

By: 曲哲涵

Private investment plays an important role in stabilizing employment, businesses, the market, and expectations. With the combined efforts of existing and incremental policies, the structure of private investment in China continues to optimize, showing a trend towards practicality and innovation. However, private investment in some industries and fields currently faces insufficient momentum. Where is the potential for further boosting private investment?

Seeking "traction" from reform to open up broad space for private capital:

Deepening the reform of the investment system and mechanism is the core path to breaking down barriers to industry access and releasing the potential of private investment. The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal clearly proposes to "improve the long-term mechanism for private enterprises to participate in the construction of major projects." Currently, the "Market Access Negative List (2025 Edition)" has been "slimmed down" to 106 items, a decrease of 45 items compared to the 2018 edition, ensuring the right of private enterprises to fair competition, allowing them to concentrate on entrepreneurship, invest with confidence, and operate with peace of mind. Not long ago, the General Office of the State Council issued a notice on "Several Measures to Further Promote the Development of Private Investment," clarifying encouragement for private capital to participate in the construction of key areas such as railways and nuclear power, and guiding it to flow in an orderly manner to key links in high-value service industries such as industrial design and common technology services. In the future, focusing on the guidance of "closely combining investment in things with investment in people," private capital is also expected to accelerate the expansion of investment scenarios in the field of public services. "Glass doors" and "revolving doors" are being dismantled one by one. With the continuous deepening of reform, private capital will surely stretch its muscles and show its talents.

Seeking "attraction" from the business environment to inject firm confidence into private capital:

We must focus on the business environment issues that private enterprises feel most deeply and strongly call for, eliminating pain points, breaking bottlenecks, and addressing shortcomings.

Strengthen the "cornerstone" of the rule of law. With the promulgation and implementation of documents such as the "Opinions on Strictly Regulating Administrative Inspections Involving Enterprises" and the "Benchmark for Discretionary Power in Administrative Penalties for Illegal Implementation of Operator Concentration (Trial)," concerns of enterprises such as "illegal off-site inspections" and "illegal off-site law enforcement and profit-seeking law enforcement" have been responded to, and the legitimate rights and interests of private enterprises and entrepreneurs have a more solid "shield." The "Law of the People's Republic of China on Promoting the Private Economy," which will be implemented in May 2025, clearly eliminates ownership discrimination in areas such as land and financing. In the future, it is also necessary to introduce practical measures to address problems such as market segmentation caused by local protectionism and to smooth the flow of factors.

Correct the "aiming point" of government behavior. We must promote the "sunshine" of public resource transactions. The "procurement power and responsibility list" and other systems implemented in some places, introducing technologies such as blockchain storage and big data early warning to eliminate "black box operations" in government subsidies and government procurement, and compress the space for rent-seeking, are worth learning from and promoting. We must strengthen government credit construction, hold accountable for government dishonesty, and prevent government dishonesty from frustrating the investment confidence of a large number of private enterprises and triggering private capital to wait and see and retreat. We must focus on solving the problem of arrears to private enterprises. In the previous package of debt resolution policies, some funds were clearly required to be used to solve the problem of arrears to enterprises. This money must be used in practice and cannot become a muddled account. We must eliminate the practice of indirectly forcing enterprises to "enter parks" or "enter cities" by cutting off electricity or loans, and fully respect the independence of private enterprises' business decisions.

The more standardized government behavior is, the more effective the role of the market will be. The government's "visible hand" must serve without absence and manage without overstepping, carefully cultivating the "fertile soil" of the business environment, so that private enterprises and private capital have a sense of belonging and security and are willing to take root and sprout.

Seeking "support" from policies to provide solid support for private capital:

The central government's budget investment has increased its support for private enterprise projects, and new policy-based financial instruments have been invested 500 billion yuan to support private investment; the coordination mechanism for supporting the financing of small and micro enterprises has been deepened to guide financial institutions to increase credit investment; the establishment of a real estate investment trust fund (REITs) market in the infrastructure field and the promotion of entering the stage of normalized recommendation and issuance are expected to drive a total investment of more than 1 trillion yuan in new projects. Since last year, China has increased its policy efforts to empower the development of private enterprises and leverage private investment.

To fully exert the effectiveness of policies, we must improve the coverage of policies and achieve "policies finding the door" and "enjoying everything that should be enjoyed"; we must pay attention to giving play to the synergy of policies and focus on supporting private investment in key areas; we must also do a good job in policy effectiveness evaluation, taking into account the needs of pro-cyclical and counter-cyclical adjustments, and avoid a large amount of capital from concentrating in specific industries in the short term, leading to overcapacity and weakening innovation motivation, while other industries that need patient cultivation encounter problems such as "dry season."

External forces play an "auxiliary" role, while internal forces are the "engine." For expanding investment, private enterprises themselves must also strengthen their confidence: challenges are opportunities for leapfrogging. As long as they find the right track and make good use of the advantages of a super-large market and a complete industrial chain, they will surely achieve new breakthroughs in transformation and upgrading.

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Editor in charge of this page: Qu Xinming

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Innovation and Creation Breed New Quality Productive Forces (New Year's Talk on "New" · Five Science and Technology Workers Discuss Innovative Development)

Technological innovation is the core driving force for high-quality development. The accelerated iteration of artificial intelligence large models, continuous breakthroughs in independent research and development of chips, Tianwen-2's exploration of deep space, and the application of humanoid robots and drones at the forefront... A series of scientific and technological achievements outline a clear trajectory for the accelerated growth of new quality productive forces. Innovation is moving from single-point breakthroughs to systematic leaps, and new quality productive forces are becoming increasingly strong.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal lists "a significant increase in the level of self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology" as one of the main goals of economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period. By seizing the "bull nose" of technological innovation, more new quality productive forces that promote changes in production methods and empower people's better lives will accelerate their convergence, providing a surging impetus for high-quality development.

--Editor

Huang Yong (黄勇), Chief Engineer of the VLBI Orbit Determination Subsystem of Tianwen-2 (天问二号)

Exploring the Heavens and Chasing Stars, Proceeding Steadily and Far

On New Year's Day 2026, the VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) orbit determination subsystem we are responsible for had completed 52 observation missions. When Tianwen-2 (天问二号) was flying in the universe 43 million kilometers away from Earth, as a member of the VLBI orbit determination team, I always kept in mind what "star chasing" meant to us—it was an invisible but crucial cosmic "kite string" that must be tied to the probe.

The VLBI orbit determination subsystem is a national heavy weapon built by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) by gathering relevant forces from the entire academy. The goal of Tianwen-2 (天问二号) is to explore asteroids and comets. The asteroid sample return phase is about 2.5 years, and the main-belt comet transfer phase is as long as 7 years. The complex orbit and long distance place higher demands on the system's long-term operational reliability, network communication stability, resource and manpower support, and emergency response and handling.

The Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (上海天文台) completed the construction of radio telescopes and their supporting parks in both high-altitude and high-latitude regions in only 15 months, and carried out a series of tests and joint debugging, laying a solid foundation for the successful completion of the Tianwen-2 (天问二号) mission. In January 2025, the Changbai Mountain Observatory (长白山观测站) organized a Tianwen-2 (天问二号) ground-based prototype docking test. After the successful completion of the test, we climbed to the highest point of the antenna and looked at the majestic Changbai Mountain (长白山). At that moment, I deeply understood that VLBI is not only a technology, but also the result of a system and collaboration, and the cornerstone of the country's deep-space measurement and control capabilities.

Every successful orbit determination by VLBI is a precise "camping" by mankind in the endless depths. In the future, this "kite string" will be more resilient and sensitive. It pulls not only Tianwen-2 (天问二号), but also the Chinese people's ambition and confidence in exploring the depths of the universe. We will continue to guard this invisible bond, so that every "Chinese footprint" flying to deep space will be stable and far-reaching, and every signal returned will be clear and loud.

(Interview and compilation by Huang Xiaohui (黄晓慧), reporter of this newspaper)

Tian Gangyin (田刚印), Chairman of United Aircraft Group (联合飞机集团)

Diverse Scenarios, More Possibilities

At the end of 2025, our team ushered in an important breakthrough: the world's first 6-ton tilt-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) independently developed by us—Lanying R6000 (镧影R6000)—completed its first flight in Sichuan (四川).

Why is this flight so exciting? Through tilt-rotor design technology, the UAV can seamlessly and safely switch the rotor attitude between vertical take-off and landing and high-speed level flight modes, thereby integrating the advantages of traditional helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, and further expanding application scenarios. In the past, this technology was monopolized by foreign countries. The first flight of Lanying R6000 (镧影R6000) means that China has mastered this key technology in its own hands.

As a "veteran" who has been deeply involved in the UAV industry for many years, I have witnessed the development process of Chinese UAVs from "following" to "running side by side" and even "leading". Being in it and deeply involved, I feel extremely proud.

Currently, UAV technology is moving from early concentrated breakthroughs to large-scale exploration of diverse scenarios, and the industry is developing more maturely and standardized. Performing gorgeous "fireworks", accurately delivering medical supplies, serving agricultural plant protection... The connection between UAVs and economic and social development is becoming increasingly close, and their value is becoming increasingly prominent.

In 2025, in the mountainous areas of Southwest China, I and my team used heavy-duty UAVs to successfully send fruits out of the mountains. Seeing the happy smiles of the fruit farmers, I more truly realized the significance of developing UAVs.

Looking forward to the "15th Five-Year Plan", UAVs will usher in broader development space. In the future, I and my team will continue to tackle key UAV technologies. At the same time, we will strengthen cooperation with upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain, scientific research institutes, and terminal application units to jointly create a healthy and efficient industry ecosystem. I firmly believe that in the near future, UAVs can bring convenience and fun to more people.

(Interview and compilation by Yu Sinan (喻思南), reporter of this newspaper)

Wu Yongming (吴泳铭), CEO of Alibaba Group (阿里巴巴集团)

AI Development, You Chase Me

In the past year, China's AI (Artificial Intelligence) large models have set off a wave of Chinese large model fever around the world through open source. This wave is promoting the accelerated development of new quality productive forces, empowering high-quality development, and contributing Chinese wisdom to the global AI development.

In 2025, AI large models iterate on a weekly or even daily basis. China's open source models have broken the monopoly of closed-source AI and are widely recognized around the world. For example, Alibaba's "Qianwen Family" (千问家族) has open-sourced nearly 400 models, with global downloads exceeding 700 million and the number of derivative models exceeding 180,000. Open source can be downloaded for free for commercial use, pushing AI benefits to the world. Many foreign companies use "Qianwen" (千问) to carry out business, and some countries have carried out "secondary development" on this basis, and have their own independently developed local large models.

Open source models have greatly accelerated the industrialization process of China's AI, sharing the computing power and knowledge of training models in various fields, allowing most companies to only focus on the retraining and application innovation of vertical field data, greatly reducing costs.

The new "AI Supercomputer" we are building will have advanced AI infrastructure, cloud computing and open source models, personal intelligent assistants and various AI applications. At the same time, we are actively promoting the AI infrastructure construction plan with an investment of 380 billion yuan, and will continue to add larger investments to continuously explore the limits of AI.

Entering the intelligent era, we will pay more attention to each individual and let AI better serve people's livelihood and well-being. For example, grassroots hospitals can use AI to complete early screening of difficult and complicated diseases, milk tea shop owners can use AI to generate promotional posters, and every child can have their own "AI teacher"... With the continuous development of AI, we firmly believe that these scenarios will soon become a reality.

(Interview and compilation by Gu Yekai (谷业凯), reporter of this newspaper)

Wang Qixin (王其鑫), Chief Marketing Officer of Unitree Technology (宇树科技)

Possessing Unique Skills, Demonstrating Its Ability

As one of the innovative enterprises in the field of humanoid robots, Unitree Technology's (宇树科技) robot development path is a cultivation journey full of challenges and breakthroughs.

From the laboratory to the spotlight, the birth of each Unitree (宇树) robot has experienced countless "moves" of deconstruction and reconstruction. In the early days, the team faced the worldwide problem of complex motion control of humanoid robots, and there was no mature path to follow. R&D personnel repeatedly optimized algorithms and mechanical structures, sleepless nights and repeated falls and restarts, and finally condensed into the robot's smooth movements. Behind this is the hardship of tackling key technologies, and even more the persistent belief in "Made in China".

In May 2025, our humanoid robot appeared on the boxing ring. To cope with high-dynamic confrontation, the team optimized algorithm parameters day and night. When the robot smoothly completed a combination of punches and steadily returned to defense for the first time, warm applause rang out in the control center. This marks that our robot has reliable dynamic balance and rapid response capabilities, taking a key step for humanoid robots from the laboratory to practical applications.

The key to Unitree's (宇树) ability to stand out lies in our mastery of core technologies such as high-performance joint motors and motion control algorithms. We firmly believe that humanoid robots will be the next general technology platform. Looking forward to the next 5 years, with the deep integration of artificial intelligence and sensing technology, humanoid robots will go deeper into life and production from the current display and specific scene applications, and become a new quality productive force to promote the high-quality development of the economy and society. Unitree Technology (宇树科技) will continue to focus on research and development, promote humanoid robots to be more intelligent, more reliable, and more popular, and contribute to the construction of a strong science and technology country.

(Interview and compilation by Liu Junguo (刘军国), reporter of this newspaper)

Zhang Jianzhong (张建中), Founder of Moore Threads (摩尔线程)

Chip R&D, Striving for Breakthroughs

In the past 20 years, full-featured GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) have continued to lead the accelerated computing revolution. Our team insists on independently developing the Meta-Compute Unified System Architecture, realizing that a single-chip architecture simultaneously supports artificial intelligence computing acceleration, graphics rendering, physical simulation and scientific computing, and ultra-high-definition video encoding and decoding.

Since its establishment, Moore Threads (摩尔线程) has maintained the R&D rhythm of "one generation of architecture per year", insisting on starting from the underlying code and instruction set to realize the localization of full-featured GPUs. Up to now, we have successfully launched four generations of GPU architectures, completed the mass production of 5 chips, and formed a full-stack product layout from chips to clusters.

In order to build a computing power base for advanced computing, in 2025, we worked with domestic partners to tackle the domestic Wan-card training cluster. Facing the tight cycle and ultra-high complexity, hundreds of core technology team members were stationed on the front line, working day and night, and finally efficiently completed the entire process of the Wan-card cluster from production, testing, deployment to deep optimization. Through the full-stack collaborative innovation of hardware, system software and platform, the team successfully broke through technical barriers.

Our R&D has always adhered to the technical route of "full-featured GPU", synchronously building a complete software ecosystem, and improving the overall performance and compatibility of products. As of June 2025, the company has obtained 514 authorized patents, gradually building its own technical "moat".

In the new year, we will always resonate with the national strategy, focus closely on empowering high-quality development, continue to increase R&D investment, continue to deeply cultivate key technologies, continuously improve the ecological layout, accelerate the application of domestic GPUs, and contribute computing power to high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.

(Interview and compilation by Gu Yekai (谷业凯), reporter of this newspaper)

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China becomes one of the economies with the fastest-growing innovation capacity.

By: 吴月辉

"We rely on innovation to empower high-quality development. The deep integration of science and technology with industry, the emergence of innovative achievements, the rapid development of artificial intelligence large models, and new breakthroughs in independent research and development of chips have made China one of the fastest-growing economies in terms of innovation." In his New Year's message for 2026, President Xi Jinping (习近平) praised China's achievements in scientific and technological innovation, emphasizing the importance of innovation and creation, "Innovation and creation have spawned new quality productive forces and made life more colorful."

Innovation is the primary driving force for leading development. From "catching up" to "keeping pace" and even "leading," China's innovation "acceleration" has been evident in recent years.

The Global Innovation Index ranking continues to improve. The "Global Innovation Index Report 2025" released by the World Intellectual Property Organization shows that China's ranking has risen to tenth in the world. This is the first time China has entered the top ten globally, with a cumulative increase of 25 places since 2013.

Innovative achievements continue to emerge. In areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, manned spaceflight, and deep space exploration, multiple global "firsts" have been created, and Chinese innovation is moving from breakthroughs at individual points to the improvement of systemic capabilities. Particularly noteworthy are cultural and technological integration products such as "Black Myth: Wukong" and the "Ne Zha" series of animated films, which have conquered the global market with world-class quality, vividly demonstrating that innovation is not only a parameter in the laboratory but also a creativity that can touch people's hearts.

Behind the rising tide, there must be deep currents. Today's China, innovation has become the main engine driving high-quality development, behind which is the profound reshaping of the national innovation ecosystem.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has always placed scientific and technological innovation at the core of the overall national development, focusing on the "dual-wheel drive" of scientific and technological innovation and institutional mechanism innovation, and innovation vitality has continued to burst forth. The continuity and stability of policies have provided the most needed "patient capital" for innovation. China's total social R&D expenditure has increased from 1.03 trillion yuan in 2012 to 3.63 trillion yuan in 2024, ranking second in the world.

China's super-large market of more than 1.4 billion people provides a unique testing ground and application scenario for innovation. Today, Chinese companies are increasingly adept at using the large-scale and diverse demands of the domestic market to polish products, iterate technologies, and then form globally competitive innovative solutions. In areas such as e-commerce, mobile payment, and new energy, innovative models and technological applications spawned by the Chinese market have begun to go abroad and go to the world.

The leap in China's innovation strength also benefits from the ecological advantages of regional innovation clusters. The "Global Innovation Index Report 2025" shows that China already has 24 clusters entering the world's top 100 innovation clusters, ranking first in the world, of which the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster jumped to first place in the world in 2025. These innovation clusters have formed a complete ecosystem, gathering many enterprises, universities, and research institutes, and promoting the efficient flow of talent, capital, and technology. The Central Economic Work Conference further expanded the construction of Beijing (北京) and Shanghai (上海) international science and technology innovation centers to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (京津冀) region and the Yangtze River Delta (长三角), marking that China's innovation cluster development has entered a new stage of "regional collaboration."

From policy leadership, market-driven to industrial collaboration, the rapid improvement of China's innovation capability is a successful practice of systematic engineering. It should also be noted that Chinese innovation still faces many challenges. For example, in key areas such as high-end chips, industrial software, and precision instruments, the problem of technological dependence still exists, and the innovation ecosystem and intellectual property protection system still need to be improved.

Looking ahead, innovation has become a must-answer question concerning survival and the future. At present, global technological competition is unprecedentedly fierce, and the game in key core technology areas is profoundly complex. This means that our innovation must not only pursue "fast" but also strive to achieve "strong" and "stable," and achieve decisive breakthroughs in more "from 0 to 1" original innovations, firmly grasping the initiative of development in our own hands.

The power of innovation stems from the ambition not to lag behind and is achieved through long-term persistence. China has become one of the fastest-growing economies in terms of innovation, which is a milestone and a new starting point. Accumulating strength and gathering momentum, China's innovation giant waves are surging forward.

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Editor in charge of this edition: Li Junqi

Layout design: Wang Zheping (汪哲平)

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Artistic Atmosphere · Renewal

Like the Rising Sun, Ushering in a New Look for All Things
Zhang Xiaoling (张晓凌)

Standing at the intersection of the "14th Five-Year Plan" and the "15th Five-Year Plan," and looking back at the splendid scenes of 2025, one suddenly realizes that Chinese literature and art are undergoing an unprecedented transformation, full of vitality: Artificial intelligence is leaping from a "tool" to a "partner" of human spirituality; silent traditions are transforming into melodies of the times; literary and artistic creation is expanding from professionals to the masses; aesthetic education, an educational concept of sages a century ago, is widely and deeply nourishing people's minds... The interwoven and interconnected multi-dimensional and multi-level innovative trends are prompting the entire literary and artistic ecosystem to seek a dynamic balance between technological empowerment and humanistic care from the perspectives of concepts, technologies, forms, and even underlying logic, leading to a new world of integrated culture and tourism. Unknowingly, Chinese literature and art, with a renewed attitude, have shaped themselves into the most dynamic spiritual highland in the world.

In the new era of China, science and technology are changing with each passing day, which not only changes the mode of cultural dissemination but also expands the boundaries of literary and artistic creation. In 2025, the most noteworthy thing is that artificial intelligence has broken through the scope of tools and risen to become a co-creator of human creativity. When artificial intelligence is no longer satisfied with replicating the *Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection* (*兰亭集序*), but focuses on exploring its transcendent realm of thought and spirit, we stand on the high cliff of reconstructing the ontology of art. A vivid example is that at the opening ceremony of the Second International Calligraphy Carnival, 8 artificial intelligence robots and more than 200 calligraphers performed calligraphy on the same stage. Obviously, this is not a simple human-machine contest, but a mutual questioning of "spiritual charm" between humans and machines. From the 2025 Spring Festival Gala of China Media Group (中央广播电视总台), to the 6th Beijing Film Academy International New Media Arts Triennial, and then to the 10th China Beijing International Art Biennale, "human-machine co-dancing" and "human-machine collaboration" have become commonplace. The empowerment of intelligent entities has triggered profound changes in literary and artistic production—the work of artists is no longer to digitally package traditional symbols, but to try to reinterpret those key propositions deeply rooted in traditional aesthetics, such as the generation of "artistic conception," with new grammars such as algorithms, interaction, and virtual reality. In short, artificial intelligence is reshaping artistic language with powerful algorithms and self-awareness generation, thereby giving rise to new forms such as human-machine integrated art, bio-mimetic art, multi-media mixed art, and multi-dimensional interactive art, and creating new aesthetic paradigms such as post-human aesthetics, future aesthetics, symbiotic aesthetics, and new ethical aesthetics.

The surge of *Guochao* (国潮) and the revitalization of cultural relics are the most touching scenes in the literary and art circles in recent years. The touching part lies in the realization of the creative transformation and innovative development of outstanding traditional Chinese culture, allowing traditional wisdom to nourish contemporary creation, and allowing Eastern aesthetics to return to public life. The dance dramas *Only Green* (*只此青绿*) and *Yongle Weiyang* (*永乐未央*) created by the China Oriental Performing Arts Group (中国东方演艺集团) can be described as magnificent embodiments of traditional culture. If *Only Green* completed the narrative transformation from "palace landscape" to "people's landscape" with the visual structure of "green" and original dance postures, then *Yongle Weiyang* used a double-line narrative method to interpret the spirit of Chinese aesthetics and the Chinese people's view of the universe in an epic manner in the space-separated co-dance of Yuan Dynasty painters and modern youth. While the *Guochao* is surging, the field of cultural relic protection has also entered the era of digital immortality. Ancient books and other tangible and intangible cultural heritage are fully revived in the metaverse. When digital technology transforms murals into flying celestial garments, and when virtual reality turns ancient paintings into walkable dreams, we can't help but sigh that tradition is undergoing a regenerative "metamorphosis"—this is not a simple symbol grafting, but a deciphering and reorganization of the deep codes of civilization.

The literature and art of the new era are increasingly moving towards co-creation and sharing. In the past, literary and artistic creation was mostly dominated by professional authorities. Nowadays, the rise of self-media, the explosion of short videos, and the deep integration of artificial intelligence are reshaping the pattern of content creation and dissemination. Technological innovation has greatly lowered the threshold for literary and artistic creation and dissemination, and tens of millions of ordinary people are being upgraded from pilgrims and consumers of literature and art to producers and disseminators of literature and art, forming a new wave of mass literature and art. This profound change presents a dual landscape of "breaking walls" and "growth." The "wall-breakers" are like the phenomenal cultural event of "Super Soccer League" ("苏超"), where professional and amateur authors created "war songs" for it, and with the "carnival of memes" by media and netizens, they completed a magnificent meaning feedback. The "growers" include Xiao Damei (肖大妹), a 70-year-old Guangxi (广西) grandmother who won an award for writing and painting her life autobiography for 10 years, and Wang Ying (王瑛), who wrote and published *Notes of a Cleaning Lady* after retirement. The rough texture of life in their works is permeated with the fragrance of soil. What is even more surprising is that the art palace actively interacts with the public. The Shanghai Art Museum's "Amateur Curator Project" and the Suzhou Contemporary Art Museum's "After 8:30: Community Art Portrait Project" effectively guide the public to participate in art construction. In short, the power of ordinary people is reshaping the literary and artistic ecology, trying to transform it from a strict "pyramid" structure to a vast cultural galaxy where "everyone is an artist." Here, the distinction between professional and public, professional and amateur is no longer clear, but in mutual reflection, they mutually construct a symbiotic new literary and artistic system.

More than a hundred years ago, sages such as Cai Yuanpei (蔡元培), Lu Xun (鲁迅), and Liang Qichao (梁启超) all advocated aesthetic education. Why were they so persistent in the cause of aesthetic education? The reason is simple. In their view, recognizing "truth" and "goodness" through "beauty" is the cultural and ethical logic for the Chinese nation to move towards modernity. Today, the ideals of the sages have been transformed into a multi-mode inclusive practice of the "social big classroom": it can be seen in the immersive enjoyment of people reading classics in art galleries and museums, in the twinkling lights of various art night schools, in the co-creation of residents and artists in art communities, and also in the exploratory eyes of children during art research and study... The current aesthetic education can be described as **风行水上** (fēng xíng shuǐ shàng - "wind moves above water," natural and smooth), naturally forming patterns, and silently nourishing the hearts of the public.

A deeper "renewal" should be the deep coupling of literature and art with economic and social development. Surpassing the outdated model of "culture as a stage and economy as the main show," allowing cultural IPs to be deeply rooted in the process of urban renewal and comprehensive rural revitalization has become the main value orientation of literary and artistic renewal. A vivid example of this orientation is the "Modern Field" project in Shanghai (上海), which has been deeply cultivated for 4 years. Using art and design as a bridge, it has continuously improved its quality and upgraded. Last year, it not only lit up the fields with installation art, but also innovatively integrated drone performances, light shows, rice field fashion shows, rural characteristic markets, and field song festivals, making art a traffic portal to promote the coordinated development of "culture, tourism, commerce, sports, exhibition, and agriculture" in rural areas. Picking up such successful cases in recent years is countless. Not to mention how art has allowed Chongqing Hongyadong (重庆洪崖洞), Fuzhou Sanfang Qixiang (福州三坊七巷), and other places to achieve a leap in industrial benefits during the renewal process, just the fact that the Shanghai Museum's "Great Exhibition of Ancient Egyptian Civilization" earned hundreds of millions of yuan within a year, and the total consumption of Jiangsu (江苏) culture and tourism during the "Super Soccer League" competition exceeded 120 billion yuan, is enough to be shocking.

The sunshine of 2026 reflects the vigorous atmosphere of the new era. It is worth believing that the wave of renewal of Chinese literature and art is like the rising sun, radiating brilliance. Its lofty aspirations will move in the same direction as the general trend of economic and social development and the construction of a strong cultural country in the practice of "**苟日新，日日新，又日新**" (gǒu rì xīn, rì rì xīn, yòu rì xīn - "If one day it is new, every day make it new, again and again make it new," continuous self-renewal), carrying on the past and opening up the future.

Dancing with Danqing, Yongle Without End
Jing Xiaoyong (景小勇)

In recent years, more and more cultural forms originating from the depths of Chinese civilization are entering contemporary life and stepping onto the stage of the times in new ways. Cultural relics are no longer just static displays in museums, but are constantly being awakened, translated, and created, bursting out with the vitality that transcends time and space.

The murals on the walls are vivid and full of charm. The dance drama *Yongle Weiyang*, which premiered during the National Day in 2025, brought the Yongle Palace (永乐宫) murals, which were born more than 700 years ago, "alive" on the contemporary stage. The real renewal is not a simple replica of tradition, but telling Chinese stories in contemporary language based on a deep understanding of the core of traditional culture. *Yongle Weiyang* is a vivid practice of revitalizing cultural relics and a deep dialogue of literary and artistic renewal.

The spiritual pursuit, values, and aesthetic interests contained in outstanding traditional Chinese culture are the foundation of the Chinese nation's endless continuation. We are rooted in the roots of historical culture, deeply explore the theme of inheritance of "guarding the years and sharing Danqing," and repeatedly go deep into the Yongle Palace, listen to the narrations of those who have experienced it, and touch the traces of time. "Yongle" is a deep hope for peace, prosperity, and the well-being of the people in Chinese civilization; "Weiyang" expresses the endless creativity and vitality in the long river of time. *Yongle Weiyang* chooses to retell this persistence from a youthful perspective—the young creative and performing team of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s uses body language to build a dialogue across time and space.

How to transform silent cultural relics into flowing emotions is the key to realizing the renewed growth of outstanding traditional Chinese culture in the contemporary aesthetic context. We transform the gorgeous colors of the Yuan Dynasty murals, the exquisite structure of ancient building mortise and tenon joints, and the moist luster of glazed tile craftsmanship into the rising and falling turns of the dancers' clothes, allowing the Danqing sleeping on the walls to step down from the palace walls and onto the stage. The persistence of ancient painters, craftsmen, and contemporary creators resonates, making history feelable, touchable, and empathetic. This creative method of extracting spirit from history and presenting value with contemporary expression is the due meaning of promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of outstanding traditional Chinese culture.

At the turn of the year, *Yongle Weiyang* started its first round of performances across the year from Taiyuan (太原), Shanxi (山西), opening the prelude to the new year. Renewal is not only giving the past the shape of the future, but also making the future more abundant because of the depth of tradition. Artistic innovation conveys the spiritual power of Chinese culture. Dancing with Danqing, Yongle without end, outstanding traditional Chinese culture will continue to thrive and become more and more new in the "ink and Danqing" of the new era.
(The author is the Party Secretary and Chairman of China Oriental Performing Arts Group Co., Ltd.)

Domestic Cultural and Creative IP Surges with New Vitality
Gao Peng (高鹏)

Looking back at the cultural landscape of 2025, domestic cultural and creative IPs continue to "break the circle," becoming a bright spot and deeply engraved in the public's cultural memory. "Labubu" became popular at home and abroad with its "ugly and cute rebellious" design style, and it was once "hard to find a cloth" globally; the mascots "Xiyangyang" (喜洋洋) and "Lerongrong" (乐融融) of the 15th National Games drew inspiration from the Chinese white dolphins, attracting countless fans with their friendly and cute shapes; the CCTV Spring Festival Gala mascot "Si Shengsheng" (巳升升) developed by our team "shuttled" through thousands of homes on New Year's Eve, conveying beautiful expectations. One vivid carrier after another demonstrates the long-lasting vitality and vigorous creativity of culture. Their "breaking the circle" is essentially establishing an empathetic connection with the audience and realizing a two-way rush and co-creation.

Nowadays, cultural and creative industries are moving from extensive development to intensive cultivation, realizing high-quality development in the dialectic of upholding integrity and innovation. Upholding integrity means upholding the spiritual core of Chinese culture: the aesthetic wisdom of traditional patterns, the emotional codes of folk symbols, and the humanistic temperature of the national spirit are all unshakable foundations of cultural and creative IPs. Innovation is the breaking of boundaries in expression: transforming the ancient totems of the Chinese nation into digital scene visual language, allowing culture to step out of the classics; integrating traditional beautiful meanings into daily design, making feelings within reach; using narratives that young people like to hear and see, allowing communication to break through the boundaries of time and space. This kind of innovation is by no means a superficial symbol splicing, but a precise translation after a deep understanding of culture, allowing traditional culture to grow new roots and branches in contemporary society.

Culture is like a river, flowing endlessly. Renewal is to inject new contemporary water into the ancient river, making it irrigate people's hearts in a more vivid and surging posture. Every one of our designers should be the excavator of this contemporary water, and should inherit the past with awe and move towards the future with creative aspirations.

The morning light of 2026 has arrived. I seem to see that the future of Chinese cultural and creative industries is like a long galaxy, and its light comes from countless wells dug deep into the depths of civilization. Let us continue to be devout well-diggers and romantic star-pickers, and inherit Chinese culture with images that fit contemporary aesthetics and contemporary emotions. We look forward to more cultural and creative IPs taking root in the fertile soil of Chinese civilization and becoming cultural cards that convey Chinese warmth and write the atmosphere of the times.
(The author is the Dean of the Future Design College of Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学))

"Super Soccer League": An Excellent Example of Integrated Innovation
He Yunao (贺云翱)

In recent years, the integration of "sports + culture and tourism + commerce" has been rapidly iterating and upgrading, and "Super Soccer League" is a very typical case. What is the charm of "Super Soccer League"? The purity of the competition, the use of regional "cultural memes" to condense and release the deep emotions of "fighting for the city," and the use of the Internet to play out new heights in communication are undoubtedly the primary success codes of "Super Soccer League."

On the field, the Nanjing (南京) goalkeeper wears salted duck (盐水鸭) gloves, the Xuzhou (徐州) jersey incorporates Chu-Han (楚汉) armor elements, and the Yangzhou (扬州) players create their own "back-rubbing celebration"... Off the field, various cities have launched various cultural and tourism initiatives through the "ticket stub economy," deeply linking the material and intangible cultural heritage of the region with football events. Taking the football league as a carrier, urban culture as an emotional bond and characteristic resource, and integrating with entertainment needs, the enthusiasm of the public is fully mobilized.

One of the important reasons why Jiangsu (江苏) is called "loose Jiangsu" by netizens is that each city under its jurisdiction has its own cultural temperament and cultural characteristics. "Super Soccer League" uses "cultural memes" to modernize and humorously express the historical origins and food culture of each city, transforming them into field narratives and setting off one hilarious and meaningful, national empathetic regional cultural carnival after another—the history of "Chu-Han rivalry" between Xuzhou and Suqian (宿迁) is transformed into a fan interaction symbol; the "morning tea derby" between Yangzhou and Zhenjiang (镇江) discusses heroes with steamed buns and dumplings; "Changzhou" (常州) is cut into "Diao Zhou" (吊州) and "Jin Zhou" (巾州), and self-deprecating humor becomes the emotional adhesive of the event; the "Seafood Brothers" highlight the marine cultural commonality of Nantong (南通) and Lianyungang (连云港), weakening competitiveness and emphasizing synergy...

From "Super Soccer League," you can see the profound ancient capital culture of Nanjing, the Jiangnan "Wu rhyme" culture of Suzhou (苏州), Wuxi (无锡), Changzhou, and Zhenjiang, the Jianghuai culture and canal culture of Yangzhou and Huai'an (淮安), the "Han style" culture of Xuzhou and Suqian, and the marine culture of Nantong, Yancheng (盐城), and Lianyungang. Similarity declines, and all things win. The regional cultures that are beautiful in their own way inject new vitality into football events, thereby creating a unique "culture + economy" new business form.

The success of "Super Soccer League" inspires us that emotional connection is better than professional competition, and future cultural innovation will be rooted in specific people, regions, and common memories. Only by truly touching participants emotionally and with identity, and integrating culture, sports, communication, etc. into daily life, will this wave of innovation not fade away with the end of the event.
(The author is a professor at the School of History and the Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage of Nanjing University (南京大学))

Human-Machine Co-creation Opens Up New Space
Yao Yanan (姚燕安)

In many of the "famous scenes" of 2025, embodied intelligent robots can be said to occupy an important place—twisting *yangko*, writing calligraphy, playing musical instruments, running marathons... This not only writes a vivid footnote for the development of "artificial intelligence +" in my country, but also makes people full of expectations and enthusiasm for a better future.

Artificial intelligence is setting off a wave of changes in various industries. In the fields of art such as design, calligraphy, painting, music, film and television, and dance, the new paradigm of "human-machine co-creation" continues to expand creativity, enrich expression, and run through the entire chain of creation, communication, etc. Nowadays, music created by artificial intelligence has become an indispensable force in the music industry; artificial intelligence robotic arms can not only accurately imitate the brushstrokes of famous calligraphers, but even generate new styles; the dance performance of intelligent humanoid robots has made significant progress in terms of movement accuracy, choreography complexity, and human-machine interaction, and the application scenarios are becoming increasingly diverse. Artificial intelligence is opening up more new spaces for artistic creation.
As robots become increasingly intelligent, their potential to replace humans has become an important issue in science, technology, and society. In my opinion, when artificial intelligence deeply participates in artistic creation and fundamentally changes the paradigm of artistic creation, humans should dialectically view the limitations of both humans and machines, more rationally and carefully examine the value of humans and the essence of artistic creation, so as to find a way to bridge the gap and allow "human-machine co-creation" to develop better. Artistic creation is the embodiment of human creativity, the expression of emotions, and the trace of the spirit. In this regard, artificial intelligence is still far from being comparable to humans, and the generalization ability of robots is also insufficient, making it difficult to cope with highly uncertain scenarios or scenarios that require intuition and moral considerations.

Artificial intelligence is highly capable, but not 万能 (wàn néng - "omnipotent," all-powerful). In the future, deep collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence is an inevitable trend. We need to continuously break through technical barriers to give machines higher intelligence, and also regard artificial intelligence as an assistant and a candid friend, taking the strengths of the "machine" to make up for our own shortcomings, creating more new application scenarios, and opening up new aesthetic paradigms. The future is here! Let us embrace a heart for beauty, uphold the meaning of harmony, join hands with technology, and jointly create a prosperous and beautiful new life.

(The author is the director of the Robotics Research Center of Beijing Jiaotong University (北京交通大学).)

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